Scattered here on this board and across other SM sites are a few comments from those who bid and won or bid and “lost” on this past weekend’s Becker Auction. I’d love to hear from all of you and gather your comments here.
It would also be interesting to hear from those who just observed — either in person, or via the live-stream.
I was at the live auction for most of the time, and what I missed in person I was streaming at my hotel room. Matt, I think, was there 100% of the time; would we possibly expect otherwise from First Lieutenant Atticus Matticus, Director Of Operations, Technology, Motivation, and All-Around Righteous Action?
I have plenty of observations of the action, both the substance (items, bidders, prices) and the process (the mechanisms and the social psychology of the event were fascinating), and I’m betting Matt and you do too. Collecting reports here from all sides of the event would be pretty interesting, and would be a place for questions and answers (or hypotheses) about this mysterious and brutal ritual.
[In my dreams, it's also a place where I finally respond to the worst of the know-it-all know-nothings. ooooo, so tempting...and it would be so satisfying...!]
I'd also love to hear about fans who managed to snag something; it's been great to read, for instance, that one of you got a blue Hahn...and that a musician friend got the dreamy White J-style Sadowsky bass. So wonderful to learn that some of our lovelies haven't disappeared into the far nowhere after all.
Are you game? If you’ve posted your experience elsewhere, can we convince you to drop a line or two here as well? And I promise lurkers will be gently welcomed, with our gratitude.
I’ll start off with with a couple of mine, in no particular order:
[These edited out. Reason: excessive MeMeMe!]
So in short 🤣— let's hear from those who snagged something ..what did you get, and did you get it at your price? …was your guitar well set-up?…what about those who missed out on something?…what was the bidding experience like? … did you go too high or stop too soon?…did you learn something about ‘human nature’ or the ‘engines of commerce’ or ‘modes of production’ lol or whatever?…oh it’s just endless.
C’mon in!
I just came across this thread. Great stories. I bought 3 guitars in the auction; The red B-Way (which was onstage at the Beacon when I was there in 2015), an O'Dell Blondie Tele clone, and the headless baritone guitar. I'm pleased to say all are being used in my recordings, and the B-Way has been on stage. I was actually on stage playing when I bought it, honestly. My phone was right there near me and in the middle of an old Drifters song I pulled the trigger. Since then I've bought 2 more guitars from that sale on the secondary market, A Bigsby BY-50 (I think) which is fabulous, and a Frye Model 1 in black, also fabulous. All now in England, all getting played by a musician who has been a fan since Can't Buy A Thrill came out. That's five down, six hundred and four to go. It's an inspiration.