The Melvins Classifieds: SALES, AUCTIONS, and TRADES.

[Dumpster D]

4K, seems reasonable. 

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1025159843

That's 5,280 in Canadian Dollars. 

Let me Just... get my checkbook. 

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Melvins-Demo-Tape-Cassette-Rock-Grunge-Sludge-Metal-Nirvana/283680732290?hash=item420cb07482:g:IN0AAOSwM0Vd01qj

 
only $2500 obo

[Dumpster D]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Melvins-Demo-Tape-Cassette-Rock-Grunge-Sludge-Metal-Nirvana/283680732290?hash=item420cb07482:g:IN0AAOSwM0Vd01qj

 
only $2500 obo

I'm not amused by this sellers asking price.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

 
With water damage on the back? I don't think it's going to happen.

One sold on discogs for around $400, which I thought at the time was crazy.
The audio portion of the tape should be on youtube.

[01001010]

Looks to me like some fan made a cassette of the record, and like a lot of fans do, drew a little logo on the cassette label, and pasted it over the bands they previously had recorded on the cassette, which would have included U-Men and Tesco Vee, and another band I can't make out enough letters to figure out who it was (it looks like something that ends with --GISS).

If the seller is really a hardcore fan, I think they would be certain whether or not the songs are the same versions or not. I know I would be.

Unless this person could post the "letter of authenticity from the original owner, explaining the cassette's history", I'd have to say it reeks of a bad joke or a total scam.

This is an extraordinarily rare band made, band distributed, demo tape from The Melvins. The artwork is hand-glued to the case, and the labels on the cassette are hand-written, presumably by a member of the band. The back label is torn a bit, but you can still see indentations where song titles had once been written and then crossed out by the band as they reused the tape. There is some general wear, including yellowing on the artwork and case. The case is cracked in one place, but the crack is mostly visible from the inside. The aforementioned label damage on the back is the most significant issue, but everything really is in very good condition, given the age.

I'm honestly not sure how to price this, and I'm very, very, VERY reluctant to sell it, so the current asking price is basically the "make me sell it" price. If you're a Melvins fan, and you want this more than me, here's your chance to own a true rock history artifact. There may be similar copies out there somewhere, but there can't be very many, and, in a sense, the hand-written labels would make each existing copy one of a kind. I don't think there's even an entry on Discogs for this, and the chances of coming across another copy anywhere are highly unlikely. If you have a fair offer in mind, feel free to reach out, but please understand that I'm not going to part with this for a price I'll wind up regretting. Frankly, a not-so-small part of me is hoping this doesn't sell at all (I'm already second-guessing the listing), so, please, NO LOWBALLS. 

I'm pretty sure the songs contained are the same recordings heard on the 26 Songs compilation (track list is below). All music is on Side A. Side B is blank. I've fast-forwarded all the way through to be sure, and nothing's there.

The tape has been tested and is in perfect working condition, but please bear in mind that it's a demo, so the sound quality is fairly muddy. I don't think it's degraded much with age, if at all, though.

The cassette and case are professionally framed, with U/V protected plexiglass. Please note that the photos were taken prior to framing, and the tape can't be easily removed, as the back of the frame is sealed. I can't guarantee you'll be able to easily reassemble the frame if you decide to take the tape out.

Included is a letter of authenticity from the original owner, explaining the cassette's history. I will also include my own letter so there's a record of ownership, for the sake of provenance. The cassette ships via Priority Mail, fully insured, and with signature confirmation required for delivery.   



Track Listing:

Grinding Process

Snake Appeal

At A Crawl

Operation Blessing

Breakfast On The Sly

Ever Since My Accident / Hugh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Melvins-Demo-Tape-Cassette-Rock-Grunge-Sludge-Metal-Nirvana/283680732290?hash=item420cb07482:g:IN0AAOSwM0Vd01qj

 
only $2500 obo

[Dumpster D]

With water damage on the back? I don't think it's going to happen.

One sold on discogs for around $400, which I thought at the time was crazy.
The audio portion of the tape should be on youtube.

I offered him $20 bucks and sent a message saying: I only have $20 bucks but I'll do your housekeeping for the next 2 years for free.

If the guy doesn't want low ball offferrrss he can fuuuckkk offfffff that asking price.

[Dumpster D]

 that Tape he wants a small fortune for is a piece of shit ok?

maybe it's the booze doing the talking right now...

Its a Maxell LN from the 70's, anything I own in my collection that says LN 60 on it is full of Drop outs, it's been played to shit it sounds like it's being played from 30 miles away at full volume...I mean seriously.....SERIOUSLY?

The condition of the tape looks like something we used to pass around at the party and play back to front all day and night for weeks on end.

and he's saying it's in very good condition?

Look at it!!!

so I don't believe anything he's saying, he's like "I'm reluctant to sell it" hence why he's asking the price I could take to a drum shop and buy a 60's Ludwig gold sparkle Jazz kit for.

well guess what? Maybe I'm reluctant to BUY it?

I mean, I could hire the band to play a show for that price, I don't know man, I simply don't know anything anymore.

Quit showing off your personal collection this way, let it go or Keep it to yourself but don't use it as some kind of meter to tease people with and show off your collection, let it go, or don't

I meet guys like this all the time who own record shops...they are all uncanny versions of the Comic book store guy from the Simpsons.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

Thanks for the info D. I remember when you had said the Stag album needed a double LP release to get the quality it needed, and a year or so afterwards the melvins released the stag release on a 2xlp.

Here's the discogs ad I mentioned, you'll have to check out the tape:
https://www.discogs.com/The-Melvins-The-Melvins-Demo/release/11255352

[Dumpster D]

That cassette looks like it's not the match for the Case, The Case is for a mid 80's TDK AD60 formula tape...but the actual cassette from what I can see is a High bias Studio Master Cassette, No idea where they could have gotten their hands on those but if it's like the type I have in my collection those are not manufactured anymore but back in the day they were the best you could get for 4-track recording...I wish I could see better pics of the Tape shell, if there were secondary holes where the tabs are then you know it's a hi-bias tape...infact it's probably oldschool high bias "Chrome" You didn't Just buy one of those in the store, they were most likely something of a speciality item and you had to buy a box of them.

Anyway It's hard to tell, I really am not the expert on early melvins demos.

[01001010]

It looks like the price of that eBay cassette has gone up!

Good catch on the tape not matching the case; I missed that myself.

The tape itself though is an LN series, which basically means low bias.

A TDK AD series wouldn't be much better, and would most likely have even more hiss than the Maxell LN tape; in fact generally more high-end everything and less emphasis on the low-end frequencies.

Here's a quick reference:

120 µS EQ : low bias tapes; normal Type I shells; normal 120 microsecond EQ; single detector slots

70 µS EQ : high bias tapes; Chrome Type II shells; 70 microsecond EQ; double detector slots

That cassette looks like it's not the match for the Case, The Case is for a mid 80's TDK AD60 formula tape...but the actual cassette from what I can see is a High bias Studio Master Cassette, No idea where they could have gotten their hands on those but if it's like the type I have in my collection those are not manufactured anymore but back in the day they were the best you could get for 4-track recording...I wish I could see better pics of the Tape shell, if there were secondary holes where the tabs are then you know it's a hi-bias tape...infact it's probably oldschool high bias "Chrome" You didn't Just buy one of those in the store, they were most likely something of a speciality item and you had to buy a box of them.

Anyway It's hard to tell, I really am not the expert on early melvins demos.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

 
maybe he'll raise the price to $5k.

[Dumpster D]

It looks like the price of that eBay cassette has gone up!

Good catch on the tape not matching the case; I missed that myself.

The tape itself though is an LN series, which basically means low bias.

A TDK AD series wouldn't be much better, and would most likely have even more hiss than the Maxell LN tape; in fact generally more high-end everything and less emphasis on the low-end frequencies.

Here's a quick reference:

120 µS EQ : low bias tapes; normal Type I shells; normal 120 microsecond EQ; single detector slots

70 µS EQ : high bias tapes; Chrome Type II shells; 70 microsecond EQ; double detector slots

That cassette looks like it's not the match for the Case, The Case is for a mid 80's TDK AD60 formula tape...but the actual cassette from what I can see is a High bias Studio Master Cassette, No idea where they could have gotten their hands on those but if it's like the type I have in my collection those are not manufactured anymore but back in the day they were the best you could get for 4-track recording...I wish I could see better pics of the Tape shell, if there were secondary holes where the tabs are then you know it's a hi-bias tape...infact it's probably oldschool high bias "Chrome" You didn't Just buy one of those in the store, they were most likely something of a speciality item and you had to buy a box of them.

Anyway It's hard to tell, I really am not the expert on early melvins demos.

Ahh, a fellow Tapehead eh?

anyway, 3K for that tape even if it's bonafide authentic is still a bit steep for my liking, again the seller doesn't actually *want* to sell it but he wants to show off that he owns it.

I don't know what the seller is going on about though, he seems to really go into describing the tape in irrelevant detail and stipulated no low balls...but I suggest making a low ball offer...I really really do, he should get down off the throne of lies and admit that his tape isn't that valuable.


I mean, Dale himself made a $500 sale from selling off shirts from his own personal collection, so I can't see how this tape in this shape could be worth five times as much even if it's totally legit. It looks like a tape some kid copied a demo from a friend in highschool and took around in a walkman for a few decades....maybe it was owned by Kurt Cobain? 

[Dumpster D]

The all time fraudulent dead giveaway line you have to re-read it a few times to really hear what he's REALLY saying:

"...so the sound quality is fairly muddy. I don't think it's degraded much with age, if at all, though."


 The sound quality is *Fairly Muddy*. I don't *THINK* it's degraded *IF* at all, though" 

 

Analog Fecal matter.


but again maybe it's totally a one of a kind hand made Demo tape straight from the hands of one of the band members themselves? How do we know it's the real deal Mangled demo from 1983?

That LN tape might be from around that time, It Just might be the real thing for all I know, but is anyone feeling lucky enough to find out? 

it DOES have the "U-Men" Etched into the B side of the tape from what I can read.

[01001010]

Yep. Back in the day, I loved nothing more than my Walkman^TM, and after I had already sold off a fairly sizable vinyl collection (being young and stupid and not looking forward to the future, apparently....), I bought quite a bit of my music on cassette, or else I recorded it onto cassette, so it could travel with me wherever I went.

Add that to the fact that for the better part of 30-40 years, I recorded a lot of concerts on cassettes... they should be about as rare as that eBay tape, then right? I mean, each live tape I recorded is a limited edition of one!

Ah, but wait - they are only valuable if they were touched by the actual artists, right? So there might be a 30+ year-old trace of DNA on the cassette shell.... (insert ooh-ing and ahh-ing here, I reckon).

God bless Ugly American lazy wannabe capitalists and their picker-mentality brethren everywhere...

I can't imagine Melvins or Hazelmyer for instance, trying to pull any shit like that, think about the average price point they generally put on the stuff they sell. But someone who is allegedly a *FAN* ..... well, no qualms there about asking for the moon for something of dubious quality - and origin - to begin with. I sell stuff from my collection all the time, but you know what? The stuff I'm really a hardcore *fan* of... you can't have it for any price, at least not while I'm still sucking air, anyway. And if I stop being a fan of something, then I want to make sure that someone else might actually have a chance at getting to enjoy it for a while like I did, not price it so high that no one will be able to do anything but drool about it.

Asshole.

Okay, rant over.

Ahh, a fellow Tapehead eh?

anyway, 3K for that tape even if it's bonafide authentic is still a bit steep for my liking, again the seller doesn't actually *want* to sell it but he wants to show off that he owns it.

I don't know what the seller is going on about though, he seems to really go into describing the tape in irrelevant detail and stipulated no low balls...but I suggest making a low ball offer...I really really do, he should get down off the throne of lies and admit that his tape isn't that valuable.

I mean, Dale himself made a $500 sale from selling off shirts from his own personal collection, so I can't see how this tape in this shape could be worth five times as much even if it's totally legit. It looks like a tape some kid copied a demo from a friend in highschool and took around in a walkman for a few decades....maybe it was owned by Kurt Cobain? 

[Dumpster D]

yeah it's true, like if I like something I typically want to share it with someone else who has enthusiasm or interest in something I Love.

Like military antiques, when I was a kid some of the sellers at the shows would give me really awesome deals on stuff Just because they live for passing on the stuff to the next generation and saw that I was into the same thing they really were passionate about.