Is this ebay item legit?

[acedecade75]

 It is real.  I talked with the seller at length awhile ago about this and a set of Dennis Wilson drum sticks she had.  It's quite an unusual item, but it's not exactly the kind of thing I'd like to display in my music room.

[guitarfool2002]

There is nothing at all "illegal" about offering something like this for sale as a collector's piece. It's a Mass card, printed up and handed out at viewings, funerals, or memorial services of other kinds, and it happens every day. There is no "legality" or family connection to items like this when they are given free to anyone who is invited to a private memorial service or even a public viewing.

I'm assuming some of the previous comments are based on perhaps a misunderstanding of exactly what this item is, because there is nothing legal or even family-related that would affect the sale.

And as unusual as it may seem on the surface, in the areas of collecting items related to other historical figures or politicians, these kinds of items from funerals and memorial services are offered just like this sale, and as morbid as some may think it is, in other fields of collecting it's a common piece. There have even been reprints of similar items that were given out at public services for historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. because there was a demand from the public for anything from the ceremonies, whether to pay respects and homage or from a collector-item viewpoint as a historical document from a historical event. And many people who were not there originally wanted to have a piece of the history surrounding it, just like they reprint newspapers from historical days of the past.

So I'm just adding this because some of the anger and disgust at even the notion of seeing and item like this seems a bit misplaced in light of the way similar items appear regularly for sale related to other historical figures.

Now...if this were the signature guestbook from someone's viewing or service that legitimately is a family item and should remain in the family as long as they wish, and someone outside the family were trying to sell it, you'd be dealing with a whole other set of legal and ethical questions. But this isn't in that category, and the outrage reaction shouldn't be what it seems to be.

2 cents.

[LeeDempsey]

I agree.  One might consider it in poor taste to sell something obtained at a private family memorial service, but it's certainly not illegal or morbid/disgusting.  Now if someone had secretly taken a casket photo (like was done with Elvis, and Whitney Houston) and was selling it, then I would be expressing my outrage.

Lee

[Mikie]

I remember reading that Carl came back (off the road?) and met with the family (including the ex-wives) and agreed that Dennis would be buried next to Murry in Inglewood Cemetary. Shawn quickly vetoed that, saying that Dennis wanted to be buried at sea.

Regarding the morbid issue. My Dad has the autographs of all the doctors that worked on JFK (and Oswald) at Parkland, in addition to the Father who gave JFK his last rights. Also the Dallas Police Chief who interviewed Oswald and the Detective who was cuffed to Oswald when he was shot. He also has an original mass card, issued at JFK's funeral at St. Matthews Cathedral and a funeral burial card issued by the White House (signed by Jackie Kennedy).

I don't think posessing this material is morbid as much as it is a part of history.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It is real.  I talked with the seller at length awhile ago about this and a set of Dennis Wilson drum sticks she had. 

Somehow I'm not astonished the vendor told you it was real. 

[runnersdialzero]

It goes from "Whatever, it's a card from a guy's funeral" to disgusting and weird when you see that the person is trying to sell it for 400 dollars.

[Rocker]

Hey Rocker that would be JULIO..   

 


Damnit!! 

The story I read in the Gaines book was that Dennis' favourite current song was "Every Step You Take" by Police.  Apparently Shawn wanted it played but the exes wanted "Farewell My Friend".

From what I've heard what the exes wanted didn't play no role as Shawn was still married to Dennis and had the sole right to decide.