Man sells record collection on eBay for $3-million

Globe and Mail ^ | Feb. 22, 2008

[Wolfie]

Man sells record collection on eBay for $3-million

PITTSBURGH — This could be a record “record.”

A Pennsylvania man says he can now retire because someone has bought his massive collection of vinyl albums, singles and CDs on eBay for the asking price — $3-million (U.S.).

Paul Mawhinney says a buyer from Ireland agreed to shell out $3,002,150 for his collection of nearly three million vinyl albums, singles and CDs.

The winning bidder has already deposited $300,000, and Mawhinney says a bank has confirmed he has enough money to buy the collection.

EBay spokeswoman Karen Bard says the price is one of the highest recorded by the online auctioneer. She says a Gulfstream jet once sold for $4.9-million.

The 68-year-old Mawhinney, who is legally blind after having suffered a couple of strokes, closed his Record Rama store near Pittsburgh yesterday after 40 years. He says he wants to spend time with his wife, three children and five grandchildren.

[raybbr]

Paul Mawhinney says a buyer from Ireland agreed to shell out $3,002,150 for his collection of nearly three million vinyl albums, singles and CDs.

What's the shipping charge going to be.

[mainerforglobalwarming]

Good for him and his family.

[jdm]

The buyer is going to be livid when he gets the unsold 3,000,000 copies of this in his mailbox.

I paid $3,000,000 for this?!

[martin_fierro]

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[martin_fierro]

L O L

[mtbopfuyn]

If it’s the entire store’s inventory, the buyer probably got a bargain.

[bill1952]

>his collection of nearly three million vinyl albums, singles and CDs.

What? The guy had 3 MILLION records for sale?
Thats a hell of a lot of vinyl and he must have spent some real scratch to collect that much stuff over a long period of time, let alone find a place to store 3,000,000 anythings.

Think about how long it would take you to collect 3 million of anything.

[ditto h]

3 million records is about what Time-Life sends you when you sign up to get 1 album.

[gunservative]

The exchange rate helps, too.

[al baby]

I had crabs once

[J40000]

I wonder if he had any Shaun Cassidy in that collection...

[jdm]

Think about how long it would take you to collect 3 million of anything.

Pound the hell out of an unopened Doritos bag with your fists and I'm sure you'll have 3 million pieces by the end of the day.

[mkjessup]

Hope the seller AND the buyer remember to keep that vinyl out of the sunlight and in a nice cool dry place.

Good for Paul Mawhinney! I hope he’s able to enjoy his retirement as best he can.

Hope the buyer has lots of diamond needles to play all that stuff, not to mention a top notch stereo system!

[jdm]

Spokesperson for the 3 million man crab march.

[mplsconservative]

3 million records is about what Time-Life sends you when you sign up to get 1 album.

Coffee on keyboard alert! That is funny! Thanks for the laugh.

[P.O.E.]

Maybe the buyer's a member of the Disco album skeet club?

PULL!

[I still care]

Rush’s auction went for 2.1 million, and he matched it, making the auction 4.2 million. I would say that is at least a qualified record.

Funny how no one mentions it. I bet if Obamawanna put up a letter and gave half the amount of money to the ACLU, the NY Times would be running articles that he was God.

[al baby]

Picture this a couple of crabs talking on the beach one says to the other

I stayed at a Hilton once rolflmao

[randog]

LOL!!

[jdm]

LOL. Good one!

[Wolfie]

Sam Brylawski, head of the recorded sound section at the Library of Congress, said its holdings of popular music recordings now total 1 million, while Recordrama’s is more than 2 million. Along with selling music, Recordrama has established a comprehensive discography called Music Master, which offers detailed information on hundreds of thousands of music recordings. Music Master was originally sold as a bound volume in the early 1980s. While it garnered praise from such pop music luminaries as Dick Clark, who referred to it as a required reference, it took a while to sell.

Today, Music Master is an Internet database with more than 600,000 listings, which they expect to market again in bound volumes this year. Recordrama always relishes being challenged by music lovers throughout the world who call seeking a hard-to-find recording. “The most valuable thing wasn’t the records but the information,” said Paul Mawhinney, owner of Recordrama. “The history was key. Without it, you can’t do anything.” Not to be satisfied to just have hit records, Paul boasts that he owns two-thirds of the misses. “Try to get a record by Nick Lomikin anywhere,” he challenges. Nick Lomikin? A local musician long forgotten — except by Paul.

Paul remembers buying 500 copies of a rare album made by Porky Chedwick, the famed local DJ of the 1950s. With the record backed by a funeral home, he remembers buying a casket full of them from Mr. Chedwick at 11:30 p.m. The deal was done in a graveyard, appropriately enough. As he trods through the neatly lined rows of shelves of his collection, the memories kick up like dust and the spin into stories.

Paul Mawhinney is the founder of Recordrama and the creator of Musicmaster.

[Jeffrey_D.]

I’ve got some master promo’s (still sealed) Beatles and Rolling Stones I’d like to sell this guy!!!

[Yo-Yo]

Or maybe he wants to recreate Disco Demolition Night.

[Jeffrey_D.]

I’ve got some master promo’s (still sealed) Beatles and Rolling Stones I’d like to sell this guy!!!

[Ditto]

Thats a hell of a lot of vinyl and he must have spent some real scratch to collect that much stuff over a long period of time, let alone find a place to store 3,000,000 anythings.

That was his business. Years ago, I used to do corporate videos and for one event back in the 80s which had a patriotic theme, we wanted to use Ray Charles' version of 'God Bless America'. That cut had been out of production for years and none of the normal chain record stores had it or would even try to get it. I called this guy at Record Rama, and he had it --- one copy. He wouldn't sell it but he let us rent it.

His store was very well organized and he could put his hand on any title you wanted in an instant. Odds are, if he didn't have it, it didn't exist.

[Jeffrey_D.]

(sorry)

[InvisibleChurch]

It's always about the money, not the music.

[Larry Lucido]

Ron: I’ll give you five bucks.

Kramer: Five bucks???

Newman: Well, you know how much those records are worth!?

Ron: Yeah, I do... Fi’ dollars.

Newman: Those records are worth more than five dollars!

Kramer: [In Newman’s ear] He’s gyppin’ us...

Newman: You’re gyppin’ us!

Ron: Well, whattya got here, y’know, you got “Don Ho: Live At Honolulu”, you got “Jerry Vale Sings Italian Love Songs” you got Sergio Mendes, now come on...

Kramer: Wait, wait, wait... Sergio Mendes has a cult following.

Newman: They follow him like a cult.

Kramer: He can’t even walk down the street in South America...

Ron: Look, that’s his problem, alright? Now you don’t like it, too bad.

Kramer: [In Newman’s ear] I don’t like it...

Newman: I don’t like it.

Ron: Well, then get the Hell out of my store, alright? You bring me something decent, I’ll give you some money.

[Corin Stormhands]

3 million records is about what Time-Life sends you when you sign up to get 1 album.

Columbia Record Club has followed me from my parent's house through five moves and I've never filled out a change of address form.

We should sign Osama up for an account.

[RobRoy]

>>What’s the shipping charge going to be.<<

That was the deal maker: Seller pays shipping.

[coloradan]

That cover photo is a real work o fart.

[vetvetdoug]

I read about how rare vinyl is becoming and the market for rare vinyl recordings. I am betting this man's collection was a steal at $3 Million.

Just local recorded Sun records in good shape are nearing a $100 a platter.

[Hazcat]

I’ll be damned! I grew up with Paul’s younger brother George (no kidding). Paul’s first record shop was under the Glenshaw post office back in late 60s or early 70s.

[kellynla]

Bump for later

[BerryDingle]

Buster Crabbe

[Riverine]

How about “you emit a foul and unpleasant odor”

[Erasmus]

Zero. The buyer will pick it up in his 4.9 Mil eBay jet.

[Titan Magroyne]

I’ve wondered if there’s somebody who does that!

Now I know. :o)

[reagan_fanatic]

Or this...

[jdm]

Looks kinda like David Bowie circa 1970.

[GregB]

There goes Record o Rama..sigh...

[GregB]

Did they taste good!

[John123]

A dollar an vinyl album is a pretty good price. You can break it down and sell what you don’t want to break-even I think...

[al baby]

yeah you want the recipe

[Polybius]

What? The guy had 3 MILLION records for sale? Think about how long it would take you to collect 3 million of anything.

Yep. Forty years running a record store.

" .... closed his Record Rama store near Pittsburgh yesterday after 40 years."

[GregB]

never mind!!!!!I got a big mouth!!!

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Story does not have a happy ending:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08054/859659-388.stm

Record Rama bidder turns out to be a fraud

Saturday, February 23, 2008

By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The $3 million winning bid for the Record Rama collection on eBay was a fraud, according to J. Paul Henderson, agent for the sale.

Mr. Henderson said he got a call from an eBay executive last night explaining that the "jopsoup" bid was not legitimate and the account has been suspended.

The Irish man with that screen name says he didn't even know about the bid until after the fact.

"Jopsoup" told the eBay executive that he was a victim of identity theft.

"He claims he went to an Internet cafe and got the e-mail with the invoice from us and wondered 'what the hell is this?' " Mr. Henderson said.

Mr. Henderson says he and owner Paul Mawhinney plan to re-list the collection and run the auction in a more "semi-private" fashion with screened bidders.

They also have a few private collectors coming into town who will examine the collection of 3 million albums and CDs, cassettes and 8 tracks.

[Wolfie]

Bummer. Starting in May, buyers like this won’t even have to worry about negative feedback from the seller.

[Tribune7]

ping