What am i missing?

[NoNickel]

I am surprised at the large number of high end instruments on sale in the classifieds right now. If I were in the market (and I just might be if this keeps up) I could choose among a Red Diamond, a Kimble, several nice Gibsons, a Dude, a Pag, a Mowry, a BRW and several others (and -- except for one or two exceptions -- at fairly reasonable prices). Usually, any one of these models hitting the auction block would cause an enormous amount of speculation and or gnashing of the teeth. But there is nary a peep, except the thread wondering why Bluto was for sale, and the Sizemore Loar.

Am I missing something??

[jasona]

Yes. You are missing the bargain basement price on that Monte. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[NoNickel]

Yes, I forgot to mention a Brentrup, a Loar, a Montelone, several MM and DMMs, several Kimbles and a Heiden. #And a couple of Gilchrists. Buyer's market or what?

[jjboone101]

Seems to go in cycles, but this does seem to be a particularly prolific period. I'm really restraining myself from following the "this would be a good investment right now..." rationale that all of us suffering from MAS know all too well.

[JeffD]

Perhaps its anti-MAS. You know, when folks suddenly get the urge to divest themselves of all their mandolins save one.

Or maybe several Loar era tenor trombonaphones, some with whammy bar, just became available and folks are raising the scratch.

[NoNickel]

Maybe everybody is trying to raise the capital for a certain Loar that is available?

[red7flag]

I noticed a friend selling a number of high end mandolins in the classifieds and that he is keeping his Stanley and his Ellis. What a collection!
Tony

[mingusb1]

While there are a lot of top-shelf instruments for sale now, I'm not sure I would call it a "buyer's market".

The prices on at least 3 of them (different makers) look to be considerably higher than what I saw just a year or two so ago.

Z

[Fred Keller]

I wonder--only half jestingly--if there's any connection with the mortgage crisis http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Jonathan Peck]

But there is nary a peep, except the thread wondering why Bluto was for sale....Am I missing something??
Yup....Bluto is a fictional charector who was the arch nemesis of Popeye. Bluto tried many zany antics to win the affections of Popeye's girlfriend Olive Oyl. (example) Bluto liked to drop piano's and such on Popeye's head, but Popeye always prevailed through the use of performance enhancing drugs...albeit legal ones

'Brutus' is a mandolin affectianately named by Big Joe of Gibson OAI fame

-jonathan

[Givson]

Many folks acquired their high end instruments several years back at prices much lower than today's. I imagine they are just trying to realize a profit. If I had a Gil or a Monteleone that I acquired for $5,000 or so, I might be tempted to sell if for $22.5K. College tuitions are going way up and the kids need new shoes and school supplies!

[Jonathan Peck]

Yes, this is the Crowbar FAQ, and it is designed to help you cheapskates.... errr cost-conscious people get the most out of your wallet. Who am I kidding? Get *anything* out of your wallet!


WHAT KIND OF CROWBAR SHOULD I GET?


Thank goodness there aren't quite as many variations of crowbars as there are mandolins, or we'd be here all day. There are three basic types:


# 1. Simple crowbar - This tool has been around since there were nails. The simplest were hardened tool steel, with a slightly tapered, bent tip. The tip is split for better gripping of small bills. These crowbars work best on bi-fold wallets. Their slim, tapered tips penetrate the thinnest wallets without disturbing other contents.


# 2. Goose-neck wrecking bar - These crowbars are easily recognized by their faceted rod, aggressively curved goose-neck and blunter tip. They are best used on the fatter, more compressed, tri-fold wallets. The goose-neck is handy for the initial prying-apart of the melded leather folds, while the blunt tip works well on milk-money that has been squirreled away since kindergarten.


# 3. Breaker Bar - While these implements of destruction are often seen being used in their secondary function of breaking-up concrete and stone, their original purpose was do bust open briefcases, fanny-packs (no offense to aussies, I know what "fanny" means to you chaps), money clips, shoulder bags, and other conspicuous yuppie accoutrements.


WHERE DO I GET A GOOD CROWBAR?


I suppose you could go to Sears, but you might find *#### there, and feel compelled to use the crowbar for something other than pulling nails or extracting money. Best to avoid such possible confrontations.


Since you're a cheap bastuhd, you probably already hang around garage sales and flea markets, hoping to cart something home for free, from some poor slob who's too tired to drag some bulky item back to the car, so you you're in luck; you might get one free, just for saying
you'll take it off their hands.


If you do end up having to pay for one, depending on the severity of your wallet paralysis, you may end up in what's known as the "Crowbar-Wallet Deadly Embrace" (CWDE). This classic catch-22 is easily overcome by either putting the crowbar of your choice on your next Christmas/Channukah/Birthday/Wedding Shower/Baby
Shower/Graduation gift list, or by visiting a nearby junk yard and sneaking out the prize in your baggy pants (best to bring a date, so as to explain the protrusion in your drawers... the proprietor will understand).


HOW DO I USE IT?


1. The Individual Pry


This depends on the type of crowbar you've acquired, and the relative tightness of your wallet. The typical bi-fold wallet is best laid on the floor, unfolded (don't worry if it snaps back shut, it happens, especially for those who won't run their car air-conditioners, because it wastes gasoline), with the opening (if one is detectable) to your right.


***Note: Reverse these procedures if you're left handed***.


Then, with the crowbar held in both hands (left hand a few inches behind the tapered end, and right hand near the other end), apply your left instep to the closed side of the wallet. Bend your left knee until you're nearly in a genuflecting position. (Note to Roman Catholics: Do not reflexively cross yourself, because remember, you're
holding the crowbar, and the business end will feel real lousy going into your forehead. DAMHIKT) You don't want to go quite to one knee, because you still want to be able to bear nearly your full weight on that hopelessly tight wallet.


Insert the tip into the open side, and slide it in. This may take some wiggling. Then, bear your weight on the end of the crowbar. The wallet should open. Release your left hand, and extract necessary cash. If the cantilevered weight of the crowbar isn't enough to keep it open, then you'll need to employ....


2. The Two-man Wallet Pry


This is actually a simpler and safer method of prying money out of those really stubborn, seemingly sealed-shut wallets. It also works better if you go ahead and use the larger, more robust goose-neck wrecking bar. The Pry-man stands with both feet spread slightly less than shoulder width apart. He then slowly wiggles his feet inward until both feet are holding down just the edges of the wallet. This is tricky with those slim-line bi-fold wallets, but our experience has been that people with those kind of wallets aren't usually cheap bastuhds anyways.


Using the goose-neck end, insert the tip as far as it will go, then push down hard on the end of the bar, being careful to maintain pressure on the wallet's edges. A dangerous wallet kickback may occur otherwise.


Now it's the Retrieval-man's turn. Taking care to keep one's fingers clear of the teeth that must be guarding this wallet, pull a few dog-eared bills from the moth-eaten crevice. Kneel or crouch off to the side, in case the Pry Man should slip, and send a fusillade of buffalo head nickel milk-money out of the abyss. Stick-em ™,
though outlawed by the NFL is a good idea here to ensure a good grip on the money. You may only get one chance. If this method fails, there's always....


3. The Three-man Bash, Break and Scramble


This is the simplest, but likely least conservative method of liberating funds from a death-gripped billfold. Place the wallet on a hard, flat surface (granite would be good). All three men grasp the breaker bar, and plunge it into the vise-like jaws of the wallet, while exclaiming like a crazed WWF announcer, "Another piledriver!!!
And another piledriver!! How long canna the lil' wallet take it?!" (thick Welsh accent optional)


When the money is freed from the tatters, two men scramble for the loose change (not much likelyhood of folding money being present in this extreme example of a skinflint, cheapskate, cheeseparer, chuff, nabal, piker, tightwad) while the other holds the breaker bar. Best to agree upon who's going to hold the breaker bar beforehand.


This FAQ Copyright 1998, Patrick M. Olguin. Permission to copy is freely given, provided it contains this copyright notice, and is used for non-profit, humorous purposes.

O'Deen

[JeffD]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[NoNickel]

CC The Bluto reference is an "in joke" for those diehard Popeye fans who are aware that he started out as Bluto, then was changed to Brutus, then back again to Bluto over the years. #See here :Bluto Link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluto)

[NoNickel]

3-Brentrups
12-Higher Gibsons
2-Collings Varnish
1-Stanley
2-Monteleones
3-Kimbles
1-BRW
1-Dude
1-Pag
1-Red Diamond
1-Loar
2-Gils
2-Mowrys

33 used higher ends. Seems like a lot to me. Maybe mortgages. Seems coincidental for school or just unloading to capture investments. Wish I had about $500k. I would buy the lot:p

[Big Joe]

Is that just from today??? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif . I think that covers a good period of time. Might just be people wanting to trade their model X for someone else's model Y? Who knows. It does give one a bit of MAS though....even if that certain someone just sold a wonderful mandolin....

[NoNickel]

No, that is all 140 instruments for sale right now on the cafe. #I didn't include vintage F2's F4's or A's as they always seem in abundance. #I did include the Loar, becuase they don't show up that often. #The point is that it just seems that there is nice pickins (pun intended) right now. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[NoNickel]

Correction. 2 Dudes.