Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 32

Thread: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

  1. #1

    Default NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    ...apparently touched by the hand of god.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Authen...AAAOSwKtBdw9EE

    NFI

  2. #2

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    My sister loves any kind of meditation/therapy/chakras, healers, etc. and finds enjoyment and peace from the daily pursuit of such. OTOH, I'm not sure an $800 autoharp is the answer, but I think we all would agree that music, in general, is therapeutic (and positive.)

    Dulcimer, maybe.....

  3. The following members say thank you to Jeff Mando for this post:


  4. #3

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Oh by all means, yes. I use harps, zithers and such in my own therapeutic work.

    This, however, I would say is a bit of a reach (mea culpa: it doesnt actually say in the description it was touched by the hand of god). There is an industry of "therapeutic music" practice replete with its own sort of standardizations, certifications, courses of study, etc. I consider the example above on ebay an effort to capitalize on this industry.

  5. The following members say thank you to catmandu2 for this post:


  6. #4
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    I'm not sure an $800 autoharp is the answer,
    Not an autoharp, more of a manual model.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	angelharp.jpg 
Views:	186 
Size:	273.6 KB 
ID:	181832
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  7. The following members say thank you to Jim Garber for this post:


  8. #5

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    I totally missed that! I guess they removed the button assembly to add a couple angel decals.....

  9. #6

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    1 disused vintage RB a-harp ... $75

    Remove chording apparatus ... $0

    Fill screw holes, apply wht lacquer, stickers... $10


    Holy blessing ... $715



    FWIW there are two Witcher harps currently on the bay for that $

    *these are trendy - I think MM in Minnesota calls them a "reverie harp" or somesuch.. cool, but pricey. So people are re-purposing old, venerable and vexed AHs for this end...save $700 (albeit, without the added mojo)

  10. #7
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    South of Cleburne, North of Hillsboro, Texas
    Posts
    5,089

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    I had to find out who Barbie Edwards is https://therapyharps.com/about-barbie-edwards/
    WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
    ----------------------------------
    "Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN

    ----------------------------------
    HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
    Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
    The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
    - Advice For Mandolin Beginners
    - YouTube Stuff

  11. The following members say thank you to Mark Gunter for this post:


  12. #8

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)


  13. #9
    Confused... or?
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Over the Hudson & thru the woods from NYC
    Posts
    2,927

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Hey, for the same $800 there are some fairly decent therapy mandolins out there!
    - Ed

    "Then one day we weren't as young as before
    Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
    But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
    I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
    - Ian Tyson

  14. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to EdHanrahan For This Useful Post:


  15. #10

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Well, I guess it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway since this is a sporting thread) - those aren't rare, authentic Barbie Edwards mandolins ... and will no doubt limit your astral ascension.

    *hope I'm not offending any here. I just have a low tolerance for shinola.
    Last edited by catmandu2; Dec-11-2019 at 6:30pm.

  16. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    51

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    "If you lay the Barbie Edwards therapy harp on a certain area of the body where you have pain, many healers have reported that the pain quickly diminishes."

    Boy, must be some powerful mojo in that harp. You don't even have to play it for it to be therpeutic!

  17. #12
    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    1,733

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    My vibes improved just by reading the ad.

    The price isn't bad though. Jack of "Beanstalk" fame had to work very hard and take considerable risks to get a magic harp!
    Last edited by Ranald; Dec-12-2019 at 4:38pm.
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

  18. #13
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,874

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    I have no words other than I'm gonna go rip the chording mechanism off my autoharp and buy a can of Krylon if that thing actually sells.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  19. #14
    Registered User Steve Roberts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Posts
    189

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Quote Originally Posted by WaxwellHaus View Post
    "If you lay the Barbie Edwards therapy harp on a certain area of the body where you have pain, many healers have reported that the pain quickly diminishes."

    Boy, must be some powerful mojo in that harp. You don't even have to play it for it to be therpeutic!
    For awhile my teenage daughter played a full sized, Lyon & Healy pedal harp. Hauling that beast around created several areas of my body where I had pain. Maybe if I had laid a Barbie Edwards therapy harp on those parts of my body the pain might have diminished. Kind of like the hair of the dog that bit you.

  20. The following members say thank you to Steve Roberts for this post:


  21. #15

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    I'm going to get off Barbie's case. I erroneously assumed that, through the purchase and deployment of her goods, one would ascend to the heavens.

    Apparently this is not the case. In her "How to feel the presence of angels" vid (where she talks about the angels that work with her), she states that it merely "opens the doorway to heavenly routes...the angels come in (and also miracles happen)."
    https://youtu.be/nUCifwmDN4E

    I had it all wrong. (Sorry Barbie)
    Last edited by catmandu2; Dec-12-2019 at 5:30pm.

  22. #16

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Quote Originally Posted by stever1422 View Post
    For awhile my teenage daughter played a full sized, Lyon & Healy pedal harp. Hauling that beast around created several areas of my body where I had pain. Maybe if I had laid a Barbie Edwards therapy harp on those parts of my body the pain might have diminished. Kind of like the hair of the dog that bit you.
    Maybe lay it on your wallet..?

  23. #17
    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    1,733

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Just thought I'd post the ad, as it will disappear from EBAy eventually -- not because I bid on it though, Unfortunately, I can't transfer the photos, but here's the wording:


    *RARE* Authentic Barbie Edwards Angelic Therapy Harp & Case / Zither

    US $800.00
    Approximately C $1,057.32

    100% Authentic Angelic Therapy Harp & Case / Barbie Edwards Collection

    This harp features beautiful, pearlescent white enamel creating a high gloss with maximum resistance to the elements.

    *****This is one of the original harps! The white harps with angels are no longer for sale.*****

    Therapy Harps balance chakras, calm the nervous system and stimulate the immune system. The vibrations of the harps balance and regenerate the body, often allowing people to release chronic pain and symptoms of degenerative illness and ADD/ADHD.
    Therapists and healers find them easy and effective. Using the harps to start or end their sessions, their clients go quickly into deep states of release and healing.
    These beautiful lap therapy harps create bridges of sound that calm, soothe, and focus the mind. They are great for meditation, relaxation, depression, hyperactivity, ADD-ADHD, stroke victims, hospice, healers and shifting the atmosphere in any environment. Many healers and individuals alike find they are the perfect thing for relieving their own stress at the end of the day as well as that of their clients and families.
    If you lay the Barbie Edwards therapy harp on a certain area of the body where you have pain, many healers have reported that the pain quickly diminishes. These beautiful angelic lap therapy harps create bridges of sound that calm, soothe, and focus the mind.
    Auction includes harp, case, tuner - everything pictured.
    LIKE NEW - EXCELLENT CONDITION

    Will be carefully shipped

    If you have ANY questions, please ask!# I will be happy to answer questions or provide additional photographs.


    (Those are the seller's words, not mine. Ranald)
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

  24. #18

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    And it looks to me like they build their own bodies/install pins and strings. Hey for all I know they put a lot into it (although that likely isn't an expensive kit/wood.. pins and strings are like $20 if you buy in bulk, maybe less). Hey for all I know they put a lot of time into gluing and painting those. I'm sure barbie has fans, sells to nursing homes and stuff. I hope she brings joy. I dont want to be a partypooper.
    Last edited by catmandu2; Dec-12-2019 at 10:22pm.

  25. #19

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Wow... pain alleviation is a medical claim, and I doubt the groundwork for making it was done. Shame on seller for preying on the desperate, if that's the case.

  26. #20
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Does it come with an angelic tuning wrench and electronic tuner, so that the owner can ensure that the healing vibrations keep coming?

    I think most of us are being pretty restrained in discussing the eBay offering. To me it says "rip-off." pure and simple. A repainted Autoharp body with some decals being marketed as a therapeutic device, for a grossly inflated price. IMHO, any medical benefit one might obtain from it, would be pure placebo effect.

    There are enough eBay users out there who have no idea what an Autoharp is, and who could be taken in by the "snake oil sales" write-up, to provide a potential market for this thing. That's a shame, really.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  27. The following members say thank you to allenhopkins for this post:

    Ranald 

  28. #21

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    I couldn't exactly argue with that.

    I find it interesting on an anthropological level. And ya, maybe I'd give advice on the instrument

  29. #22

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Another slant, I'm thinking, is that this might be an item that gets sold for display on a shelf as a decor item and never played -- I'm not sure if that market can bear the $800 opening bid or not....appearance reminds me of the "shabby chic" movement that I don't really get.

    I have sold violins to customers as decor items (knowing they would never be played..) Once, working at a vintage guitar shop, we even sold a $2500 vintage resonator guitar as a decor item to a vacationing non-player, who I overheard whisper in her husband's ear, "If you buy that for me, I'll give you a night back at the hotel you'll never forget!" (actually, she said something much cruder that I can't repeat here, but he quickly pulled out his.........credit card and made the purchase.)

  30. The following members say thank you to Jeff Mando for this post:


  31. #23
    Confused... or?
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Over the Hudson & thru the woods from NYC
    Posts
    2,927

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Mando View Post
    ... gets sold for display on a shelf as a decor item and never played -- I'm not sure if that market can bear the $800 opening bid ...
    I do get it. Once bid like that on a "non-auto-autoharp", a/k/a zither, that was fairly ornate with columns and worn-but-nicely-patinaed (spell?) wood. MY market could bear maybe $50; think the winner bid $65 or so.
    - Ed

    "Then one day we weren't as young as before
    Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
    But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
    I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
    - Ian Tyson

  32. #24
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,874

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    There is still time! She has relisted it!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/19326029516...m=193260295160
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  33. #25

    Default Re: NMC rare relic (re-purposed autoharp body)

    Prices have gone up -

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/25399781602...QAAOSwq6Vb-gsR


    And apparently there's a seller's market in 'biblical' harps

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/28108491250...4AAOxyQj9RVFyH


    *Barbie is even selling a tuner 'package' for only $125 (it does not specify whether the steep price on the tuner is due to radiant and beatific proportion - perhaps this is the 'package' - or if it's simply a commensurate gouge in the overall grift) - https://therapyharps.com/about-therapy-harps/
    Last edited by catmandu2; May-23-2021 at 5:01pm.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •