You can buy anything on Ebay...even your history!

To the reader....this log entry may be equivalent to a jazz piece. What the hell is he saying...and what's up with the ebay reference you ask? Jazz deals with melodic improvisation and wherever the musician ends up is well.....wherever he/she ends up. I'm not sure if my point will be clear with this entry but what the hey. I may have an Ebay addiction. The concept of an online auction in it's sheer brilliance and simplicity was a genius idea and I damn sure wish I thought of it. It brings new meaning to the adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure." I have placed winning bids on clothing, comic books, music, posters...you name it I have won it (or at least came close). One thing that should be brought to your attention, however is the ability to buy historical items on Ebay. I have to admit that I have been a beneficiary of retreiving such artifacts and I'm just not sure if it is the greatest thing to have that ability. Just as the photos above suggest...I have purchased vintage ebony magazines and "darkie" toothpaste (no slave shackles...yet) purely as conversation pieces to satiate my collecting hunger. Not only can one buy slave shackles on ebay but also items such as slave invoices and first edition books from the Harlem Renaissance period. Shouldn't authentic slave documents or shackles be in a museum? I'm pretty sure that there are many individuals that like myself appreciate the history behind these items but is everyone buying these items with that intention? I purchased "darkie" toothpaste and soap simply because people need to be aware that these items were sold as easily as any other household product for many years and that as insulting and dehumanizing as it may be....it's history. Unfortunately...these items can still be purchased in Asia....but I will address that at a later time. Interestingly enough, I actually purchased the same Ebony issue featuring Nat King Cole and his wife (March 1953) shown above.....As I am looking towards home ownership, in my mind's eye, I always thought it would be a funky decorating trick to have a framed vintage Ebony with my favorite notable on the cover (i.e. Jackie Robinson, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge...you name it) hanging on the wall of my future living room. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of these vintage mags. This Ebony in particular included an article about Dr. Edward Dalton, a prominant Black psychoanalyst who was the first "Negro" (the article was written in 53') to set up a full time New York practice (on Park Avenue no less) for a White clientele outside an African-American location. The cool thing even beyond the obvious is that the article proceeds to mention that a Dr. Frederick Wertham, a White colleague and friend of Dalton's, was instrumental in helping set up this brother's practice. As a comic collector, Wertham's name is infamous because of his landmark book, Seduction of the Innocent which heavily criticized comics during the 1950s. What does this have to do with the price of darkie toothpaste in China? It's history my man..it's history...just make sure you're buying it for the right reasons.