More Bill Monroe stuff on eBay

[mrmando]

This (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300341890226&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT) looks more like the real deal. The 1956 datebook would be very cool to have.

[barney 59]

So what size coat did Bill wear? If I owned it I'd wear it....

[f5loar]

I believe he wore a 44 regular. Depends on what year of his life you are refering to in hat and coat size. Someone ;) has already bought this one of a kind Monroe lot for $1500 so it's gone for good. Album cover clothing usually brings the most in auctions. It was underpriced if that was all that was in the lot. The other stuff minus the LP and the book is pretty much priceless.

[Fretbear]

So the sticker over the flowerpot makes sense in light of what we now know, it was just an extension of the "Gibson advertising ban", but that doesn't explain the price tag hanging by the string that can be seen in some of the old photos......

[Glassweb]

Someone ;) has already bought this one of a kind Monroe lot for $1500 so it's gone for good. (quote)

you know Tom, "whoever" bought that Monroe lot for $1,500 got a hell of deal... that was a very interesting and collectible bag of goodies there. "someone" was a purty smart cookie! ;)

[evanreilly]

I hope it winds up in a Blue Grass museum somewhere.

[journeybear]

Very interesting items indeed. So his adjusted gross income for 1955 was $4800. That's about $38,570 in today's dollars. If he was keeping his expenses low that's a manageable living, but certainly not "big time bucks." Certainly not commensurate with his status as "The Father Of Bluegrass Music." Or maybe it is, working man that he was.

[Charley wild]

About average for gross income by about 1955. As I recall from my studies the average was around $4300 give or take. Certainly not big money by any means especially if he had a ton of expenses. It shows one just how tough Bluegrass musicians had it just a year or so later when Rock & Roll hit the bigtime. A lot of good musicians felt lucky to have a steady bar gig until the Folk craze got the ball rolling again.

[Bernie Daniel]

Pretty interesting alright.

Anyone have a clue as to who was selling all those items? These items would seem to be something that would typically be kept in one's home and thus would typically only be in the hands of the immediate family?

Of course it could be a reselling of items picked up sometime earlier at an estate auction of Monroes belongings?

[f5loar]

The seller says they worked for Monroe on the farm and gave the items to them. Probably they asked or were cleaning up junk for him and found them and instead of throwing them away knew to keep them. Heck I would have cleaned Monroe's attic for free :))

[Fretbear]

Heck I would have cleaned Monroe's attic for free...

If you had of been one of his Bluegrass Boys, you already would have.......!