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Sep 25, 2024 - 1:02:22 PM
1 posts since 9/24/2024

Hello, First time poster here, Not a banjo nut but helping my Dad to reduce his collection of vintage and rare instruments including banjos.

We are slowly going through his instruments with the view to sell and we have pulled out the next one, and its a Vega Vox c.1924 plectrum banjo with a White Lady tone ring and pie split resonator. Now the banjo (although in its own right) is a nice one, but the interesting point with this is the provenance on the case. My father has a letter of provenance following the case from being used by Eddy Peabody to the point where the purchaser from the Peabody estate separated the Peabody's banjo and the case. The banjo has since moved on, but the case ended up with my Father.

Can anyone recommend if this case is worth selling separately or with a good banjo but no Peabody reference?

Sep 25, 2024 - 3:52 PM

353 posts since 12/19/2017

Having the provenance to go with the case should up the value some. The case is pretty cool and would be priceless to the collector. A buyer for the banjo might want the case but I think they might sell better separate.

Sep 25, 2024 - 3:54 PM
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2883 posts since 1/4/2009

post pictures please. Vintage cases, especially ones that will fit a five string prewar gibson (like your plectrum) are probably worth more money to a guy with an old gibson than peabody connection is probably worth. You might find a peabody collector still around whod love the idea of the case, or even find someone who owns one of his banjos, but I doubt thats something the average banjo collector is looking for these days and probably has a limited value.  The vega vox is nice and will demand a good price. 

Edited by - kyleb on 09/25/2024 15:55:07

Sep 25, 2024 - 3:55:47 PM
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13225 posts since 10/27/2006

quote:
Originally posted by FancyStanGee

Hello, First time poster here, Not a banjo nut but helping my Dad to reduce his collection of vintage and rare instruments including banjos.

We are slowly going through his instruments with the view to sell and we have pulled out the next one, and its a Vega Vox c.1924 plectrum banjo with a White Lady tone ring and pie split resonator. Now the banjo (although in its own right) is a nice one, but the interesting point with this is the provenance on the case. My father has a letter of provenance following the case from being used by Eddy Peabody to the point where the purchaser from the Peabody estate separated the Peabody's banjo and the case. The banjo has since moved on, but the case ended up with my Father.

Can anyone recommend if this case is worth selling separately or with a good banjo but no Peabody reference?


A few things.

We will need to see plenty of pictures of the banjo and case. A Vox normally has a Tubaphone ring for starters.

Since a plectrum case also fits a 5 string, there will be some interest but there are many factors that will determine how much interest they generate — again, plenty of pictures!

Sep 25, 2024 - 4:16:12 PM

3495 posts since 3/30/2008

I cannot remember the source where I read that Eddie was known to have a side hustle of regularly selling his banjos after performances. A case associated w/ him would not necessarily carry the sentiment or mojo of something personal or special, that one might think.
(If someone more knowledgeable could comment on this rumor please let us know).

Sep 25, 2024 - 6:22:25 PM
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8540 posts since 9/21/2007

quote:
Originally posted by tdennis

I cannot remember the source where I read that Eddie was known to have a side hustle of regularly selling his banjos after performances. A case associated w/ him would not necessarily carry the sentiment or mojo of something personal or special, that one might think.
(If someone more knowledgeable could comment on this rumor please let us know).


This was a standard with pros pretty much across the board.  Farland, Bacon, Morley (in England)... well most of them would sell you "their personal banjo".

Fred Bacon would travel with a car trunk packed full until he sold out, then we would "make a mark" on his banjo so that the buyer would know they were getting his shipped later.  Later we would ship out a bunch of banjos the mark on them.

These guys did what they could to make a living and they had to hustle. 

As to the Peabody case, better sell it quick and not sit on it as the Shakey's generation is dwindling fast and they would be the market. 

Oct 2, 2024 - 9:41:24 PM

13225 posts since 10/27/2006

quote:
Originally posted by tdennis

I cannot remember the source where I read that Eddie was known to have a side hustle of regularly selling his banjos after performances. A case associated w/ him would not necessarily carry the sentiment or mojo of something personal or special, that one might think.
(If someone more knowledgeable could comment on this rumor please let us know).


Oh yeah,

Eddie was a Vega dealer and could get you what you wanted, lots of those out there with a signed letter of provenance confirming that they were purchased from him.

Then there are the Eddie Peabody model Vegas, inexpensive (for Vega) banjos with one piece flanges and his name on the truss rod cover sold at his concerts and fair performances. Though a plectrum player who helped develop and played the Vega Vox, he sold lots of 5 strings to the folk crowd plus tenors to the Dixie players and plectrums for the Shakee's sleeve garter/straw hat set. This guy was maximizing the 'merch table' way back when. He was quite the draw appearing on Hollywood Palace and other TV variety shows in the 1960s.

I've seen open back and resonator Eddie Peabody Vega 5 strings like this one.

https://reverb.com/item/10410783-vega-eddie-peabody-5-string-banjo-1965

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