View Full Version : Adam Steffey's Apitius for sale
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-F-5-Adam-Steffey-Oliver-Apitius-Mandolin_W0QQitemZ7357708909QQcategoryZ10179QQrdZ1 QQc
mdZViewItem" target="_blank">Apitius for sale...</a>
Anyone else see this one?
J. Mark Lane
Oct-17-2005, 3:09pm
Wow. I'd love to have that instrument. I think some of the best sounding mandolin ever recorded came out of that instrument (uh, and well, perhaps it had something to do with the player, too <g>). So far, the price is quite decent. I bet it goes a lot higher, though. I'd bid on it, but I have exhausted my MAS fund for the year. Dang nabbit!
"So far, the price is quite decent."
Well, the reserve is not met so the price means diddly.
J. Mark Lane
Oct-17-2005, 3:42pm
Yup, true enough. I'll be watching it...
glauber
Oct-17-2005, 4:12pm
I don't really have to say this, but as usual, there's a large amount of risk involved. It could be a lie; even if it's his, it could be just some mandolin he bought and didn't like. Could be anything. $5K is a lot of money to risk, for most people.
Michael Gowell
Oct-17-2005, 4:49pm
91 bids with 2 days left to go - isn't that unusually high for a musical instrument?
jjboone101
Oct-17-2005, 5:08pm
Normally that would seem like a lot of bids, but you see that they started out with a $0.99 opening price, which tends to account for the higher-than-normal bid count...
glauber
Oct-17-2005, 5:09pm
Yep. People inching up to try to figure out what the reserve price is.
jefflester
Oct-17-2005, 5:19pm
55 bids by one person between $105 and $2,026. And 19 more by another bidder between $100 and $2000.
glauber
Oct-17-2005, 5:33pm
Pretty interesting, but higher feedback than usual - i usually see these things that look like artificial bid raising being done by user ids with zero or low feedback. This guy seems to have a real history on eBay, but it's the Internet, and anything is possible.
J. Mark Lane
Oct-17-2005, 6:08pm
I tend to think that either Oliver Apitius or Adam Steffey would have stepped up by now if this was a dishonest auction. But of course, as Glauber says, anything is possible on the Internet (how many of you, for example, know that I am a dog?).
troika
Oct-17-2005, 6:20pm
It's his. I looked at his album "Grateful". That is the same mandolin as the cover.
Pretty cool. He's playing a Daley. Mine is on order:)
Bradley
Oct-17-2005, 6:26pm
If thats Steffeys it sure has alot of Mojo http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I'd say the reserve is at least $7500 if not a bit higher
Hmmm, let's see. #Should I spend 10gr on a new Gibson Steffey model or buy Adam Steffey's old mandolin. #Hmmm, tough decision. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
glauber
Oct-17-2005, 7:50pm
You're a dog too? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Who else? Woof! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
fredfrank
Oct-17-2005, 8:52pm
Certainly more affordable than Roland's Randy Wood #2 if you're just looking for celebrity mojo.
Russ Jordan
Oct-17-2005, 9:12pm
I wrote the seller. He will provide documentation signed by Steffey.
[QUOTE]$5K is a lot of money to risk, for most people.
Well, $5k is about half what a new Apitius is selling for.
Loren Bailey
Oct-17-2005, 9:21pm
Ok, this is driving me nuts. What is the correct pronunciation of "Apitius"?
Loren
fatt-dad
Oct-17-2005, 9:25pm
A-Pit'-E-Us
fatt so-I'm-told dad
Fred's Mobile Homes
Oct-17-2005, 10:10pm
Apitius has lowered his prices if you order directly from him. The Classic F5 is now $7200 (no extra charge for varnish finish); the Deluxe F5 is $8100. I own an Apitius F5 that is one serial number away from Steffey's. It would be nice to acquire it's brother/sister.
glauber
Oct-17-2005, 10:29pm
Ok, this is driving me nuts. What is the correct pronunciation of "Apitius"?
Loren
Hey, pity us! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Cary Fagan
Oct-18-2005, 8:25am
I emailed Oliver and indeed it is Steffey's Apitius.
I hope it goes to a good home and all, but I know that Oliver is always improving his mandos (especially making adjustments in the plate carving) and since the seller probably wants more than the cost of a new one because of the association, wouldn't it be better just to order a new one yourself? Just a thought.
If the current price is 3,000 and I bid 4,000. The new buy price is 3,100 (or whatever the increment is set at) when anybody who bids under 4,000, my bid will automatically bid the next increment until 4,000 is reached.
fatt-dad
Oct-18-2005, 9:35am
If the current price is 3,000 and I bid 4,000. The new buy price is 3,100 (or whatever the increment is set at) when anybody who bids under 4,000, my bid will automatically bid the next increment until 4,000 is reached.
yes, that's how the proxy bidding works.
f-d
SternART
Oct-18-2005, 9:54am
If your bid reaches reserve, I think it automatically goes there, to reserve met, rather than the next increment.
Lane Pryce
Oct-18-2005, 9:57am
If your bid reaches reserve, I think it automatically goes there, to reserve met, rather than the next increment.
Correct!!------ So which one of you are gonna go for it? Lp
glauber
Oct-18-2005, 10:02am
Bid war! Bid war! Bid war! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
mandopete
Oct-18-2005, 10:24am
Here's some prices for Apitius mandolins as listed here in the classifieds...
Apitius F 2003 Grand Classic $8,000.00 1/3/2005
Apitius F 1997 Grand Classic $8,500.00 1/11/2005
Apitius F 2000 Grand Classic $6,500.00 3/12/2005
Apitius F 2004 Grand Classic $8,000.00 5/23/2005
Apitius F F-5 $9,000.00 9/18/2005
Apitius F 2003 F-5 Grand Classic (S/N 9503) $7,600.00 10/7/2005
Apitius F F-5 Grand Classic $8,900.00 10/13/2005
J. Mark Lane
Oct-18-2005, 12:14pm
If your bid reaches reserve, I think it automatically goes there, to reserve met, rather than the next increment.
That's interesting. I didn't know that. Are you sure about that?
Mandobar
Oct-18-2005, 12:20pm
the goal is for the item to meet reserve so if the reserve is $3k and you bid $5k the item will show $3k and the auction will say reserve met.
fatt-dad
Oct-18-2005, 1:21pm
If your bid reaches reserve, I think it automatically goes there, to reserve met, rather than the next increment.
That's interesting. #I didn't know that. #Are you sure about that?
Yes, that's how it works. If the current price is $10.00 and the next bid increment is $12.00 (but the reserve is $50.00) and you place a proxy bid of $55.00, it will automatically go to $50.00.
What's equally interesting is if the auction is started and the seller lowers the reserve below a current bid value, all buyers that are higher then the reduced reserve will be automatically lowered to a bid value of $0.01.
f-d
You're a dog too? #Who else? Woof!
Well I'm really a stray dog so I guess you and Mark know what you have to do now! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
GVD
Russ Jordan
Oct-18-2005, 1:51pm
What's equally interesting is if the auction is started and the seller lowers the reserve below a current bid value, all buyers that are higher then the reduced reserve will be automatically lowered to a bid value of $0.01. #
Dang, I am confused now! #Why would a seller drop the reserve below what someone had already bidded?
straight-a
Oct-18-2005, 2:15pm
I don't get it. Why do some guys get these mandolins and heap all of this glory, laud & honor on them and then after a year or two, they sell them?
All this as opposed to say a Bill Monroe, Tim O'Brien or Sam Bush that play the same one forever?
kudzugypsy
Oct-18-2005, 2:26pm
cause most of them dont make any money and have kids & mortgages. bg musicians have a long history of swapin' and horse tradin' - that goes along with the job description.
you get a deal with a maker to "market" his instrument, then sell it and move on to the next maker. this is really a winning move for most builders - who would have ever heard of Tucker or Daley or Apitius if not for Steffy putting in front of eyeballs at AKUS/Mtn Hrt shows.
fatt-dad
Oct-18-2005, 2:28pm
Dang, I am confused now! #Why would a seller drop the reserve below what someone had already bidded?
What if you had a 1920 Gibson A3 at auction and had an agressive reserve of $2,000.00. After three days of bidding the highest bid was $1450.00 and you thought, "Heck, I'll never get my $2,000.00 but may get more than $1,450.00 if I lower my reserve and get some real interest brewing". You then lower your reserve to $1,400.00 and "bam" everybody with a bid over $1,400.00 was dropped to $0.01. The only standing bids would then be under the reserve and the bidding history would show a reduced reserve. If the former bidder of $1,450.00 remained interested, s/he could then replace his/her bid, meet the reserve and be up and running.
I think this is the way it's supposed to work.
f-d
arbarnhart
Oct-18-2005, 2:54pm
My understanding is that when you bid you are making an offer and even if you aren't the high bidder at that point, you still have a potential obligation. If the high bidder has negative FB and the seller cancels the bid, you can suddenly be high bidder. However, if you bid and don't meet the reserve price, you have no obligation. If the seller decides to lower the reserve, you have to take action again to have any obligation. It also keeps sellers from setting a high reserve just to see the max amount bid and lowering to it right before end. What if that mando started at $1000 and you bid $1500 and no one else bid? If there had been no reserve, you would have gotten it for $1000. It isn't fair to offer the reserve as a tool to squeeze every nickel out of the top bidder.
This is my understanding and may not be 100% correct.
J. Mark Lane
Oct-18-2005, 3:52pm
My understanding is that when you bid you are making an offer and even if you aren't the high bidder at that point, you still have a potential obligation. If the high bidder has negative FB and the seller cancels the bid, you can suddenly be high bidder. However, if you bid and don't meet the reserve price, you have no obligation. If the seller decides to lower the reserve, you have to take action again to have any obligation. It also keeps sellers from setting a high reserve just to see the max amount bid and lowering to it right before end. What if that mando started at $1000 and you bid $1500 and no one else bid? If there had been no reserve, you would have gotten it for $1000. It isn't fair to offer the reserve as a tool to squeeze every nickel out of the top bidder.
This is my understanding and may not be 100% correct.
Those are very good explanations and make a lot of sense, now that I hear it. Thanks, Andy.
Mandobar
Oct-18-2005, 3:57pm
andy, when you bid, you should bid to buy and own the item. a reserve is there as the lowest possible amount the seller will take for the item. whether we all think the price is fair, well that's another thing, but whoever bids the reserve price obviously should be thinking that they are going to pay that amount for the item. i have had several people bid on items, win the item and then tell me they are not going to pay what they bid because they think it was too much for the item. to me, that's just plain wrong. it would be the same thing if they bid the reserve or higher and i refused to sell to them after they had won the auction. try that at a christie's or a skinner auction. i don't think a reserve is a way to squeeze money out of buyers.
J. Mark Lane
Oct-18-2005, 4:43pm
Yes, I agree, Mary. It didn't sound to me like Andy was suggesting anything to the contrary.
Here's a scenario, for example. I am in the market for a widget. I see five widgets on eBay with end dates a few days apart. I bid $10 for one widget, and I don't make the reserve. Next day, I jump over to another auction and bid on another widget, and maybe I get it, or maybe I make reserve and am now focused on that item. Then, suddenly, the first guy lowers his reserve. I could end up with an obligation to buy both items, unless the scenario described above is in place (that is, I am kicked back to .01 on the one where the reserve was lowered).
eBay is a strange animal, but I think it mostly makes sense.
Charles Johnson
Oct-18-2005, 8:09pm
f5forme is the ebay ID of Maverick Hurley.
Mandobar
Oct-18-2005, 8:40pm
and according to his ebay history he's now buying ban-joes.
arbarnhart
Oct-18-2005, 9:01pm
J Mark understood me correctly. I am not crazy about the policy of possible obligation when you are outbid. There have been a few times I have bid on something and it just bumped a previous bidder's amount up past mine. That's fine; that's how proxy bidding works. But at that point, it is risky for me to go bid on another like item even though it is extremely likely that I will not win the first item. At least with a reserve, I know for sure I have no obligation.
I have never bid without intent to buy and I have never won and not paid. I have a 100% +FB rating and I intend to keep it that way. I have never used a reserve as a seller. I prefer an opening price that is my minimum with a BIN just far enough from it to make the price look good, but close enough to merit consideration. I am mostly a buyer, though.
Mandobar
Oct-18-2005, 9:20pm
buy it now has been disasterous for me. don't know how many times i've had someone hit and and then disappear. i stopped using this option. as for the high bidder retracting and becoming the high bidder late in the game, this has happened to me as a buyer several times. that is why if i bid to win something i try and stick with it until the end. once the auction closes i move on to something else. however i do not like the idea that a seller can change the reserve while the auction is in progress. seems shady.
if i were interested in this mando i think i would ask to see it in person and get in my car and drive down.
arbarnhart
Oct-18-2005, 9:55pm
Out of all the reasons for sniping on eBay that get debated as rational or not, the one that makes the most sense to me is that you win or lose shortly after bidding and can move on right away if you lose. I became high bidder multiple times on an item I ended up not winning a while back. The seller was very picky about FB rating and kept cancelling bids. It was driving me nuts.
Nolan
Oct-20-2005, 12:06pm
Sold for $8500. Not a bad deal for an Apitius, especially Adam Steffey's!
J. Mark Lane
Oct-20-2005, 1:56pm
Sold for $8500. #Not a bad deal for an Apitius, especially Adam Steffey's!
Agreed. If not for the depletion of my MAS fund, I would have gladly paid that for it. Happy happy to the new owner!
If you are not the high bidder on an item, with a reserve or not, you should not have any obligation to buy that item. There have been several items for sale for things that I collect where a "shill" bidder ran the item up and "mysteriously" did not buy the item, as he was cancelled by the seller. Obviously, the seller used that bidder (probably a friend) to entice or challenge other bidders, knowing that they would not have to buy the item.
That, along with other things, is the perfect reason that you should set your price to pay for an item and stick to it - live auction or Ebay. If you do that, shill bidders may run an item up, but never more than you are wiliing to pay. I have been the "under bidder" at live auctions before where the auctioneer claimed that the final bid was someone scratching their nose and the last bid was actually mine. I always tell the auctioneer that I'm no longer interested!