The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Unless this is an extremely rare AND collectible record (my mandarin isn't what it used to be...), the price is way over the top. A record in this condition would normally fetch $5 at the most. Okay, it is a laminated Columbia pressing, so may play better than it looks, but still it would only classify as a VG- imo with its dull surface, many scratches and damaged label. The trader, having a 100% classification, seems genuine though.

It's old so it must be worth a fortune right?

Just another deluded seller.

In shanghai last week I saw a Columbia "Q" in an antique shop that the seller was asking $10,000 for! And he wondered why it wouldn't play with a four minute cylinder on the mandrel! I didn't point it out, either as I hate it when things are ridiculously overpriced.

He has sold over 4,000 items in the Chinese genre and has a 100% customer feedback so I don't really blame the seller. He could have provided more information imo. For all (or as little) we know, this may be a very rare and collectible record. His description of the condition is adequate though.
To me it doesn't look like outright shill bidding, even though the bid IS very high.

No way it's a shill bid. Why would you start the bidding at $399, and then gauraentee you have to pay the percentage fees by being the first bidder? Makes no sense. The point of a shill bid is to drive up the price someone else is going to pay. If your opening bid is already $399, and no one has bid, a shill bid isn't going to accomplish anything.