Bada Boom -- Bidding Explodes for Old Eagle Drum

Bada Boom! This baby lurked about for almost a week with precious little bidding activity from 6 bidders and a high bid of only $150. But the pros had already surfaced with token bids just to say they were interested. Come May Day and interest started to pop, the bid price rising to $250 by the end of the day with a $300 bid already waiting in the wings. By May 2 the action had risen to $400, and $500 by May 4. But Cinco de Mayo proved to be this drum's coming out party. Bidding reached frenzy levels in the last hour and a half with a newbie (1 eBay rating) and someone who should have known better (218 eBay rating) duking it out in the ring trading 25 cent blows while a real pro (js580 now with a 350 eBay rating) let them rope-a-dope each other until just before the bell when he chimed in with a winning snipe, taking the prize only seconds before the hammer with just a 50 cent margin. Evidently js580, having been outsniped yesterday by $10 on an 8 point inlaid beauty, was not about to let that happen again today. Who knows how high he would have gone? The Shadow knows.

Here's the play-by-play action, courtesy of eBay (useful for sharpening your bidding skills in this poker game). The real question is "when will buyers learn that at some point in the process, bidding for an eBay item is simply silly, just drives up the price, and that sniping is the only effective (and most cost-effective) way to place a winning bid?"

js580(350) $826.00 May-05-08 17:03:56 PDT
5***h(001) $825.50 May-05-08 17:01:49 PDT
js580(350) $810.25 May-05-08 17:03:56 PDT
5***h(001) $800.25 May-05-08 16:53:21 PDT
r***y(218) $800.00 May-05-08 16:51:08 PDT
r***y(218) $710.10 May-05-08 16:51:08 PDT
5***h(001) $700.10 May-05-08 16:48:52 PDT
r***y(218) $700.00 May-05-08 16:29:48 PDT
5***h(001) $660.00 May-05-08 16:48:52 PDT
r***y(218) $650.00 May-05-08 14:28:16 PDT
r***y(218) $610.10 May-05-08 14:28:16 PDT
5***h(001) $600.10 May-05-08 16:48:33 PDT
r***y(218) $511.01 May-05-08 14:28:16 PDT
v***a(103) $501.01 May-05-08 15:29:07 PDT
r***y(218) $500.00 May-04-08 13:53:06 PDT
v***a(103) $405.00 May-05-08 15:29:07 PDT
r***y(218) $400.00 May-02-08 13:14:03 PDT
r***y(218) $370.00 May-02-08 13:14:03 PDT
w***p(579) $365.00 May-04-08 07:48:08 PDT
r***y(218) $305.00 May-02-08 13:14:03 PDT
5***h(001) $300.00 May-01-08 19:14:09 PDT
r***y(218) $300.00 May-02-08 10:11:31 PDT
5***h(001) $255.00 May-01-08 19:14:09 PDT
r***y(218) $250.00 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $250.00 May-01-08 19:12:51 PDT
r***y(218) $207.50 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $205.00 May-01-08 19:12:32 PDT
r***y(218) $202.50 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $200.00 May-01-08 19:11:54 PDT
r***y(218) $182.50 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $180.00 May-01-08 19:11:37 PDT
r***y(218) $177.50 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $175.00 May-01-08 19:11:19 PDT
r***y(218) $162.50 May-01-08 17:04:06 PDT
5***h(001) $160.00 May-01-08 19:11:04 PDT
5***h(001) $152.50 May-01-08 19:11:04 PDT
r***y(218) $150.00 Apr-27-08 07:41:09 PDT
5***h(001) $150.00 May-01-08 19:10:46 PDT
r***y(218) $137.50 Apr-27-08 07:41:09 PDT
5***h(001) $135.00 May-01-08 19:10:30 PDT
r***y(218) $127.50 Apr-27-08 07:41:09 PDT
e***j(041) $125.00 Apr-28-08 02:22:00 PDT
r***y(218) $102.50 Apr-27-08 07:41:09 PDT
js580(350) $100.00 Apr-26-08 13:27:26 PDT
js580(350) $61.00 Apr-26-08 13:27:26 PDT
r***y(218) $60.00 Apr-26-08 17:03:43 PDT
js580(350) $33.00 Apr-26-08 13:27:26 PDT
i***a(190) $32.00 Apr-26-08 07:37:25 PDT
i***a(190) $31.00 Apr-26-08 07:37:25 PDT
e***l(769) $30.00 Apr-26-08 05:20:18 PDT
e***l(769) $25.00 Apr-26-08 05:20:18 PDT
Starting $25.00 Apr-25-08 17:04:00 PDT

And now the drum:
Time has not been kind to this old eagle drum (eBay item #230246931297). What we know is:

1. The blue background behind the eagle is round; many of the eagle drums we see bear a rectangular blue background.

2. The counterhoops appear to retain some of their red paint, though faded.

3. The vent hole shows three concentric circle of nail/brad pinholes suggesting that at one time, some kind of circular decoration may have adorned the vent hole -- 3 circles of brads?

One question: Is the front of the drum painted red (the rear appears to be natural wood)?






The seller describes the drum as follows: "This is a painted wooden drum with wooden bands at top and bottom. It is fastened with square cut nails and the hoops have holes for rope. It is approximately 14" tall and has a diameter of about 16". It is decorated with an image associated with the Civil War era. Within a painted circle is an eagle over a red & white striped shield having a field of blue. There are what appear to be a pair of cannon at the bottom. It appears as though the bands were over- painted in black. The main color is red. There are indications of a previous decoration around the vent hole, likely concentric circles of tacks. The drum is very sound with some cracks and chips on the band. The paint on the body has some scrapes and dings, however the decoration is intact enough to appreciate the artistry. There are no skins or ropes. There are no identifying marks and all I know of its history is that I found it in Vermont."

See eBay item #230246931297.