What do you think of this?

[Kamasu_Jr]

Seller wants $3,500. I have questions like how do we really know if it belonged to her? Sure it says awarded by the RIAA, but seller can't swear it's authentic. AND HOW DID THIS MAKE ITS WAY TO ILLINOIS?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motown-RIAA-Award-Rare-Florence-Ballard-The-Supremes-Diana-Ross-Gold-Record-1966-/161095526585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25820aa8b9

[antceleb12]

If it is authentic, I could see it being worth quite a lot. But I also wonder how on earth it made it to Illinois, much less out of the hands of Florence's family.

[skooldem1]

I thought legend has it that Motown didn't submit numbers to the RIAA, and that Motown would spray paint albums gold.

[Kamasu_Jr]

I thought legend has it that Motown didn't submit numbers to the RIAA, and that Motown would spray paint albums gold.


That's a good point. I think it has been reported or written that Motown didn't belong to the RIAA in the Sixties because it didn't want anyone looking at its actual sales figures.

[Kamasu_Jr]

If it is authentic, I could see it being worth quite a lot. But I also wonder how on earth it made it to Illinois, much less out of the hands of Florence's family.
Right,if it really was hers, it would be valuable. But Florence lived in Detroit for much of her life. Of course, the seller could be the kind of scum who goes to storage facilities in other cities and buys other peoples' stuff during bogus auctions.

[ejluther]

I believe that's right about Motown spray painting their own "gold" records and not getting them from the RIAA itself. To be fair, the pictured award itself doesn't say RIAA, only the item title says "RIAA" so perhaps they made an understandable mistake? It's my understanding that the RIAA awards have a seal of some kind like this one here:

7135

Regardless, that's a lot of change for something that you can't really verify as authentic...

[antceleb12]

Right,if it really was hers, it would be valuable. But Florence lived in Detroit for much of her life. Of course, the seller could be the kind of scum who goes to storage facilities in other cities and buys other peoples' stuff.

And, of course, it could have been sold/mishandled when Flo went broke, so it could have easily gotten out there. I am still skeptical, considering the high price tag. And there's no sure fire way I can think of to prove its authenticity. It'll be interesting if it sells and at what price.

[thomas96]

Wouldn't even look at it for $100 without CoA. If the seller had a legitimate CoA, then that'd be something, but I really don't believe it in this case.

[jobeterob]

It says it is a MOTOWN RIAA Award......................which is not an RIAA Award.

Motown definitely did not belong to the RIAA in the 60's; none of these songs were certified gold then.

And You Keep Me Hangin On wasn't ever certified period.

But..............it looks like an authentic Motown Record of the period; it's pretty banged up and looks like it has been manhandles fairly much. It looks fairly old.

It could have been something she was given by Motown or someone else.

I can't really see someone making such a thing in recent times.

[thomas96]

I can't really see someone making such a thing in recent times.

It could've been made and sold years ago and then just found again or the previous owner passed away. Who knows...

[R. Mark Desjardins]

"Cavet Emptor," is one of the few Latin phrases I learned from a Grade 11 Law high school course I took. "Let the buyer beware," and in this cyber era of commerce, anything can be offered up from anywhere for sale to the unsuspecting rube .

[supremester]

it's a fake. Give me half of that 3500 and 20 minutes and I'll sell you one.
Seller wants $3,500. I have questions like how do we really know if it belonged to her? Sure it says awarded by the RIAA, but seller can't swear it's authentic. AND HOW DID THIS MAKE ITS WAY TO ILLINOIS?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motown-RIAA-Award-Rare-Florence-Ballard-The-Supremes-Diana-Ross-Gold-Record-1966-/161095526585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25820aa8b9

[BayouMotownMan]

Motown issued its own gold records to its artists. On many occasions, especially with the Supremes, the record didn't truly sell a million. Gold records went out for Love Is Here, The Happening, Floy Joy where sells ranged from 500,000 to 800,000

[marymary]

Looks shady - a reputable seller would include information on how he/she would authenticate it and some information about its provenance without having to be asked.

[thomas96]

Making this would be as simple and inexpensive as:

Buying the record in NM condition, spray painting the vinyl part gold, buying a decent/nice frame and getting a custom mini plaque made [[in the bottom right corner of the frame).

Would cost less than $50. And with 16 watchers on this ebay posting for $3500, thats definitely worth the cost and effort. People buying music memorabilia would pay a lot for stuff like this, and people know that. So why wouldn't they think of doing that and selling it? Just because it's almost 50 years old? No. I would never think to buy this without legitimate CoA. Like said above, let the buyer beware...

[thisoldheart]

it looks tacky enough to be one of the gold discs gordy handed out!

[splanky]

What did W.C. Fields say about the birth rate of suckers?....