Reggae on Ebay

Ebay's name has become ubiquitous with the Internet. Whether you're looking for an obscure gem or something you could find at a garage sale for a quarter, chances are it's on Ebay. So, this month, I've decided to take a look at the types of things that Ebay sellers are offering to reggae fans.

I've managed to find a number of good Half Pint items, which I'm always on the lookout for, and of course there's always good (and bad) Bob Marley material out there (a search at the time of writing shows over 2200 items). From wall clocks to obscure Greek promo CDs, there's a wide selection there if you're shopping for a Marley fan. And if you're looking for the truly bizarre, I came across an art print of Bob Marley walking with a backpack on his back... and in the backpack: Yoda. Seriously. I'm not kidding.

One thing to note if you're looking for Marley memorabilia: sellers will often list the word "Marley" in the title, even if the auction has nothing to do with Bob. Usually these are the same people peppering their otherwise worthless auctions with words like "L@@K!" Buyer beware.

Ebay also seems to be a clearinghouse for reggae 45s. While you do have to be careful not to get burned by a seller with damaged vinyl, I've always been pleased with the items I've purchased on Ebay. No problems thusfar. Note that often reggae singles are sold by sellers from Germany and if you're in the United States, the shipping costs can easily be more than the item you've purchased.

One type of item that always pops up is reggae compilations. Not necessarily "official" compilations or professional mix CDs, either... I often see compilations that look like they've been put together by kids on their PC. If this is your cup of tea, it might be a good way to keep up with some current reggae, but more often than not, these collections contain mainstream tunes that are easy to find elsewhere and don't really offer anything new.

Of course, you can also find regular full-length CDs, t-shirts (legit and bootleg), and magazines. When buying CDs, you may also want to check Half.com (another Ebay property), which sells used CDs at fixed prices. Fortunately, there's a lot of good reggae stuff out there for sale. It's just a matter of weeding through some of the crap in order to find it.

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