Club Obi Wan

I know we can't post links to online auctions that aren't are own, but are we still free to comment on online auctions that have just ended?

Some of you may have been following a couple of auctions on that famous auction site for two David Morgan bullwhips from the mid 90s: an 8 ft 16-plait performer's bullwhip and a 12 ft 12-plait bullwhip.

One went for $5,100 and the other went for $3,050

They weren't even whips that had anything to do with any of the Indy movies aside from being made by DM. I mean, holy cow! The highest I think I've seen a non-screen used DM go for was $1500 or so.

Since I happen to own a few Morgan whips, including a 12 footer and a 16-plait 8 footer, I almost wonder if I can afford to keep them if they're worth that kind of money.

-Adam

I was browsing that site and found them when the prices were only about 120 bucks and there was 1 bid. But those prices are craaazy, that 8ft was only a bit Indy and 12fters aren't very popular. For so much money I'd rather go with some (hmm, some - a lot of ) other whips
Tomek

Adam, you are allowed to talk about, and even link to, auctions that have ended to your heart's content. It's just when those auctions are still active that it's a no-no. Oh, and I'm waiting until the protoype IOAB I got from you is worth thousands! That'll be a great auction! What, it could happen.

I was watching those auctions too, man oh man... The bidding history was dramatic at the last moment. The seller certainly knew how to present his product in the lengthy description he gave. I wasn´t able to see what the reserve price was for these, but I never thought the final price would climb that high!
Thwak!
IndianaBravo

Something smells fishy to me... Yeah I got the thickest gulp in my life when I saw that price. What doesn't make sense to me, is that almost a year ago, the same guy sold another "Classic Bullwhip", a special order 10 footer for around $800, which is WAY under what this other whip went for. Was the braiding soap David used for that particular whip taken from the Holy Grail in LC???

I don't really know about bidding on eBay, much, but it was a bit "peculiar" to me. A year ago, nobody cared about a similar whip, and now, they pay almost 7 times that???

To each his own.

ATB,

Aldo.

Hmmm... this gives me an idea....

I could sell my "made at" david morgan from 2006 for say $1500 dollars and say "Hey, what a bargain! Buy this for less than half price!"

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.....

Allen

I was kind of taken aback by how much those two Morgans went for too, That 453A is a semi rare whip but still for $5,100 someone wanted it pretty badly. Thats probably the most I've seen any non-film used whip sell for. The same for the 12ft whip and it didn't even have the divot in the handle or a white hide fall!

They are really nice looking Morgans but I think part of why they went so high though was the sales pitch. The seller really knew how to hype them, almost to the point of it getting into a gray area of the information being accurate. Then you get a few collectors with deep pockets in a bidding war for something they think is ultra rare and the sky is the limit.

It makes me wonder though if this is going to cause a sudden overall price inflation or an influx of people tying to sell their David Morgan whips to try to make a few bucks and cash in on this "jump in value". Someone else just put a 10ft Morgan up on e-bay today and it's pretty clear by the description that they are playing off the sale of these other two. I'd seen a few more of these older 450 series bullwhips sell in the last year though that didn't even break past the price of the new ones so who knows.

Still it makes you wonder, I have a few Morgan's too including a gorgeous model 455. So, Not only is it the 10 ft length Indy carried! It was made in the same style as the LC film whips by David Morgan!! AND not only that, its been photographed next to one of the bullwhips Harrison Ford owned and used Raiders of the Lost Ark!!! Now come on... you just can't get much more almost authentic screen used then that! thats gotta be worth something!

Dan

Thanks Dan,

That seals it! Quick everyone to E-Bay while we still can!!!!


Allen

I won them both....................................................

Yea Right!!! That is over the top! The thing that really gets me is that the new owner, after spending that kind of money, will be reluctant to crack it!! Which in my opinion would be a real shame!!

Bob

BullWhipBorton wrote: The same for the 12ft whip and it didn't even have the divot in the handle or a white hide fall!

Dan

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a divot? Is it the indentation older Morgans had?

BTW guys, I still have the first whip I ever made. I'll put it on eBay for those of you who want to fetch it and save it for the time I become a famous whipmaker!!!

I believe the whip community is partly responsible in the inflation of these prices. The market will bear what the market sets as the worth of an object. With David stepping back for the last few years from the creation of his whips, the perceived value of his work went up. It's a 12 plait whip designed for work, not necessarily a collectors art piece. Currently it's at it's highest state of development by an engineering professional. Makes me wonder where value is set. On what it is, on who it's made by, or how it works.

"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." - Oscar Wilde

JMO, but it's only a whip. It's a tool, and not to take away from the great tools that Morgan obviously makes...I doubt they're 5 grand good. I wonder of the people caught in natural disasters, and what they thought the "value" of high dollar items are the day after...

Marhala wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but what is a divot? Is it the indentation older Morgans had?

Yep, I was referring to the indentation.

Always good to keep things in perspective RaidersBash

Dan

Okay, I love DM whips, but that price is INSANE! For $5000, Harrison Ford should personally deliver it to the winner, and crack it a few times, too!

For $5000 I buy 8 amazing whips fron another god whipmakers.







Gaucho.

I also think that while its fair to say that many of us spend too much on many things, few of us spend a ridiculous amount on ONE thing. Most of us understand the value of a new piece of art, and with inflation multiplied by quality, $700 on a jacket or a whip is correct, even though it can seem excessive when you can get a leather jacket from Target for $100 or a bullwhip on eBay for $50.

But I doubt there are many members on here who would pay more than a few thousand dollars for a whip unless it was handled by Ford himself. I don't think that many of us on here have that kind of money. Obviously SOME of you do. There's no reason to think that there aren't a few very wealthy people who enjoy this hobby, but the majority of us I would imagine reflect the majority of the world populace: modest, bargain hunting folks, with just enough money to enjoy and cultivate a hobby.

DHW

I mean look at the guy who brought a "Screen used whip" to a pawn shop in Vegas

hollywood1340 wrote:I mean look at the guy who brought a "Screen used whip" to a pawn shop in Vegas

I have yet to see that episode. My son has told me about it, my daughter has told me about, even my 78 year old dad has told me about it. But I keep watching hoping I'll catch a rerun

Jim

Wow. I have a Morgan 10' from 1984 and a Morgan 12' from 1987 - both in great shape. This REALLY is makin' me think!!!

Must say I'm a little surprised but wow.

Did anyone follow the 10' DM that just sold on eBay yesterday?

DHW

Nope. I was driving on my way back to the office when that happened. I did see in the morning that it still had no bids.

Aldo.

There was only 2 bidders, who battled it out in the last 20 minutes with 5 total bids, and ended at $650. Goes to show you never know what might happen with ebay.

Back when that other Morgan whip sold for like $1,200 bucks a year or so ago, the week or two before it there were a few nice Morgan whips that sold for only between $550-$675, and then a week after the one sold for $1,200 a bunch of people put Morgans up on ebay to try to "cash in" and they only sold for between $550-$650. Best I can figure is that it just depends on who happens to see the auction at that particular time.

Regards,

Paul Nolan
www.MidWestWhips.com