JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

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JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Beatnik07 » Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:43 am

I know it's just an asking price, so no saying what it will really go for.
(btw, the offer mentions that on top of the price, there is additional import duties of $270, and shipping of $60)

Still ... what's up with pricing things so high just because they are not made anymore and because the item maker has had some following (rightfully so) ?
But over $1,300 for a used JCR bell ??? Well .... the ad explains that with terms such as as "legendary", "piece of history", etc ...

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/154385014115?ha ... SwLZRgWSOJ
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Chtimulato » Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:28 pm

Yes, this is unfortunately the current asked price for a JCR bell nowadays.I've seen several being offered to that price. And even more.
Unless you are a (rich) and passionate collector, you don't necessarily need to buy it. Several collectors are even not necessarily musicians and make the prices jump in an indecent way. And would be able to sell their own mother to buy a rare pearl.
You can't even imagine what Vergara, Junior and even Skin On Skin congas can go for.

I have been lucky enough to play on a JCR cowbell sometimes (the "halfmoon" model) and was quite satisfied with it. But I couldn't afford it. I play what I can find and afford.
I have a great respect for Cali (JCR founder and boss) and his co-workers (some of them whom I happen to know virtually, having had a few conversations with them via Facebook pages), but I wouldn't want to have to sell my car, my house, my wife and kids + the cat (I'd try to keep my dog nevertheless :lol: ) to afford one of his bells. There furthermore seem to have some custom duties to add to the price and the shipping costs.

The JCR bongó I own was sold to an unbelievable low price, because the seller never played it (it was a gift from her ex-husband) and wanted to get rid of it (yes !) to make a little money to switch to another instrument. For once, I was the right man at the right moment. I recently saw someone posting he bought a similar set at 1.100 or 1.200 $. He absolutely wanted them and accepted the price. No critic here, to each their own. Everybody does what they want with their money. If you can afford it, buy it.

I've been told and have read several times that JCR bells are not all good. I can't confirm nor invalidate this statement, knowing only the model I had the opportunity to play a long time ago. But I know for sure there are now many good brands (not necessarily the "heavy weights" LP, Meinl or Pearl) which you can find for very interesting prices.

And instruments should be tested before you buy them, as much as possible (says the guy who bought a lot of instruments at distance... :lol: )
Last edited by Chtimulato on Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Thomas Altmann » Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:24 pm

I have to tell my heirs ... :shock:
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Chtimulato » Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:29 pm

Thomas Altmann wrote:I have to tell my heirs ... :shock:


Don't say it so loud! Now everybody knows you own a treasure! :lol:
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby jorge » Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:37 pm

What is really sad is that none of the jacked up price goes to Cali or Jonathan or others working at JCR who developed and made those bells. Likewise for Junior, Jay and others who worked really hard developing and producing outstanding instruments and sold them for prices musicians who knew how to play them could afford. I used to tell Jay, who took a week to make each conga, which he sold for $325, that he wasn't even making minimum wage after he paid his rent heat and light, paid the apprentice working there (if he had one) and bought the materials. He told me most of the good drummers couldn't afford to pay more. It was a labor of love, to keep the culture alive and provide instruments for the good drummers. The prices now are just profiteering by people who probably can't even play and are just about making some quick money.
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby caballoballo » Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:01 am

$1000?no way José,Imho there's nothing special about them they just metal. Sometime ago you could buy them for $35 at the store. I still have 2.
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Chtimulato » Sat Oct 02, 2021 12:26 pm

I even saw some at $1,500...

And in the same vein, I saw a few months ago an ad for a pair of Skin of skin congas : the seller wanted 5.500 € for them, and sold them apprently to a Japanese collector, from what I read (I'm not sure of that though).
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Thomas Altmann » Sat Oct 02, 2021 1:48 pm

Yes, it's a collectors business. As Jorge said, often these people cannot even play, or at least not well enough to deserve a top instrument. They may have a profitable profession that allows them to buy whatever they want. It could be old cars, but now they happen to love musical instruments. Most of their stuff is probably stored away in their hobby room, well kept, but undead.

I have known this phenomenon from the vintage drums market. The prices that are nowadays called for a Slingerland "Gene Krupa" Radio King snare, or old K Zildjian cymbals from Turkey (played by Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams etc.), are no less then ridiculous. There's a guy in the U.S. by the name of Mike Curotto who collects all kinds of American-made snare drums, with a focus on Ludwig, especially the so-called Black Beauty, and in some cases his zeal is to own all items of a particular model that exist. But he also gives drum lessons, so I presume he can at least play. Find out what an engraved Ludwig Black Beauty from the 1920's costs today, and you'll shake your head in disbelief.

Or try to acquire a set of Leedy "Humberto Morales" timbales ...

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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Chtimulato » Sat Oct 02, 2021 4:54 pm

Thomas Altmann wrote:Yes, it's a collectors business. As Jorge said, often these people cannot even play, or at least not well enough to deserve a top instrument. They may have a profitable profession that allows them to buy whatever they want. It could be old cars, but now they happen to love musical instruments. Most of their stuff is probably stored away in their hobby room, well kept, but undead.


Just for the anecdote : a good friend of mine had brought a Vergara from Cuba, had restored it and played it (but he never took it out for gigs). He was in great need of money one day and had to sell it. He sold it to a German collector (I won't tell the name nor the city :) ) and drove it to his place. He told me the guy's house was full of collectible congas, whereas he hardly could play the marcha decently. The congas were to find everywhere in the house, even in the staircase, to his wife's great dispair. :lol: And the pity is that, as I said, the guy couldn't make them sound correctly. :)
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Juaort » Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:45 am

It definitely has gotten out of hand. Anything JCR = Big Money! I’ve had my bells for a while and have played them and enjoyed them. I agree with all the point of views expressed here. A couple of my best sounding bells are LP. I think people are drawn to the brand and nostalgia of the instrument. But as already mentioned on here, if you have the money spend it I guess.
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Jasontimbal » Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:16 pm

[quote][/quote] What’s up guys, I used to work for Sam Ash music years ago when Cali had a contract with them for bells, timbales etc. I own quite a few of these bells and have actually given away a ton of them at parties with friends after drinking a bit too much lol. Anyways I recall that every time we got a shipment I would open the boxes and set them up in a display we had. I can honestly tell you guys that while some of these bells sounded phenomenal, there were quite a few that did not sound that great. In some cases I would compare them to those LP cowbells we all love to criticize, and the LP bells would have a better sound, build etc. The point I’m trying to make is buying one of these bells sight unseen or played can result in money going down the drain because not all of JCR bells used to sound great.
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Re: JCR cowbell listed on Ebay at almost $1,000 ...

Postby Jasontimbal » Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:16 pm

[quote][/quote] What’s up guys, I used to work for Sam Ash music years ago when Cali had a contract with them for bells, timbales etc. I own quite a few of these bells and have actually given away a ton of them at parties with friends after drinking a bit too much lol. Anyways I recall that every time we got a shipment I would open the boxes and set them up in a display we had. I can honestly tell you guys that while some of these bells sounded phenomenal, there were quite a few that did not sound that great. In some cases I would compare them to those LP cowbells we all love to criticize, and the LP bells would have a better sound, build etc. The point I’m trying to make is buying one of these bells sight unseen or played can result in money going down the drain because not all of JCR bells used to sound great.
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