Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Remember that guy who has the "I hate Ebay" page? Well he has stuff on EBay - check out the $2500 starting bid on this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3721544927&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

check out his other stuff.. He's got a $4500 starting bid on a Tom Petty!! This guy needs to do some homework!

If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it.

I assume he's removed that long rant and every other reference to eBay being the spawn of Satan, destroying the guitar industry, etc, etc, etc?

If not... what a hypocrite!

I don't know if John Hall every called Ed, but he's still claiming:

"and I have been told that an immense price increase is brewing."

He's also back pedalling furiously on the topic of ebay:

"But I finally had to give in and advertise on Ebay due to all the free advertising that all my competitors are getting.

Even though I am using eBay to advertise, I will never personally recommend that you buy on it.

I have hired a very knowledgeable guy, Mick Bowman to handle Ebay transactions. I personally want nothing to do with the day to day dealings on Ebay. If you see an Item on Ebay I probably have many more like it in stock... Please call for info !!"

Why is everything floating of the planet? Oh, I think the Earth stopped turning!

I personally want nothing to do with the day to day dealings on Ebay.

Is it just me, or can that be read as, "If you buy on eBay, I think you are scum and don't want to know about you..." (???)

It sounds like a pimp attitude to me. Ed doesn't mind any profit being made, he just doesn't want to personally provide service to the customer.

Ed doesn't like giving any sales percentage to eBay, but he'll take any advertising he can get from it. eBay has a policy against going behind the company to buy the item in question, but if Ed sells another Rick of a different serial number, that rule is sidestepped.

Of course Ed doesn't personally advise you to buy from eBay......he advises you to buy straight from Ed so Ed gets the whole enchilada. He lets the cat out of the bag when he says he only advertises things that he has a lot of in stock. When a customer calls, they can also advise the customer of all the "one of a kind" items that will be listed on Ed's website, again bypassing eBay but using eBay for basically free advertising. The high prices are to keep the customer from buying on eBay, in all likelihood, but it makes the customer aware of Ed's store and what he has.

I recently found a cool Spiderman Gibson Les Paul.. This is the one that Gibson made especially for a "give away" contest.. Ed has one for a whopping $12K. When I was asked to which Spidey guitar I was calling about, I told the guy it was the one from the Tower Records contest.. Now mind you it has been posted on Gibson's website (Tower Records-Spidey Give away). The guy told me it was just made for special reps... I had this guitar last year and didn't like how it was made, it looked like a photo was stuck on the top because you can see the rough edge of the paper near the edge...

I called Ed to talk to him about the 360-12CW he has listed for $2500 on e-bay. He told me the guitar will not leave this shop for $2500 - he wants a min. of $3000...if somebody wins the guitar at the staring price, he will ship another guitar in it's place....but he said that will never happen 'cause he'll use a shill at the last minuite to raise the price if necessary. Before I could ask another question he hung up....
I called back and someone else told me ED will not talk to me any further. During the last week I've learned one of the bad things about searching for a Rickenbacker is apparently all paths eventually lead to Ed Roman. What an experience....I could go on, but you get the idea. I wanted to set that guitar free...no deal.
Any thoughts on the 360-12CW? I like the thin top idea and vintage details...
I found one last night on another site and made the purchase....- hardly been used for $1700 incl, shipping.

Ed Roman is a funny funny man. I called last week looking for a price on a 660, since he "has the lowest prices". I spoke to one of his salesmen and my head was spinning after the conversation. Since they had it in stock it was almost $400 more than anyone else.

I bought elsewhere......

I had always thought he was a bit of a 'something-or-other', from reading his website, hearing what everyone else says, and from talking to someone at his store a couple years back that may have been him (judging by the hasty and rude way I was treated, it seemed very 'Ed').
The thing that kind of pushed it over the edge was I called recently asking for a price for a turquoise 330, which turned out to be $1130 - reasonable, since the color is discontinued - but then 'with the case , that'll be $100 more.'

I guess he just gets away with it because he has so many Rics in stock. I'm certainly going to try never to buy from him.

Tom - as I read your email I skipped over a line and read 'he will... raise the price if necessary'. I thought, 'man'. Then I re-read the post and realized what he actually said was quite a bit worse. Isn't it stuff like that that makes ebay bad to begin with? You know, defrauding legit bidders?

Bob, I ran into the same thing when I went to buy a 620 in Montezuma Brown from Ed. Because they actually had it in stock he wanted to charge me MORE! They said, "Well we have it in stock. You could have in a few days rather than waiting a few months." I said, "Yeah, and you could sell it right now if you had a fair price. But instead you will still have it in stock a few months from now, and I'll have the one I ordered for $300 less."

Which reminds me... I wanted to tell everyone what a great experience I had when I ordered my Ric from Tim at the Music Zoo (themusiczoo.com) in Little Neck, NY. He sold me a 620MB that he's had on order for several months. When it comes in it's all mine. I told him I'd give him some pub on this forum. He had the best Ric prices I saw anywhere on the Net, and he's a pleasure to deal with!!

Rock on!

Hey John, I spoke to Tim at the Music Zoo about the 620 that's apparently yours. Congrats on a cool guitar.

Wow, Bob! I had no idea that someone else was looking into that particular guitar! Hope I didn't buy it out from under you. Sorry if you were hosed by my purchase. Well... not that sorry. heh heh!

You have no idea how much **** I went though to find that guitar, in that color, and at a decent price.

Thanks!

I can also backup the comments on the great service provided by Tim and Dave at the Music Zoo in Little Neck, NY. Some of the best prices that I've come across and not just on Rickenbackers either.

Hey John, when I asked about it it was already spoken for, no problem at all. I accually ended up with my second choice which was a 660 in Mapleglo that I bought from Dave's Guitars in WI. I fell in love with the wider fretboard as soon as I picked it up. So hopefully I'll soon be shopping for a 660 in MOnty Brown to match my 4003.

Enjoy your guitar!!