LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL MAMA

Buying & Selling (Ebay or Not)

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binmc
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LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL MAMA

Post by binmc »

I'm looking to make an offer on Randy's Purple leather vest. I understand that a TK Member by the name of Metal Mama has had the vest for several years. If someone knows how to contact her, I'd like to make her an offer on the vest or at least be in the loop if she ever decides to sell it. Please PM me with any info.

Thanks,

binmc
metalmommy68
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Post by metalmommy68 »

Hey, someone found me and let me know you were lookin' for me. I'm not really interested in selling it. I've become QUITE fond of it. If I do decide to part with it, it would go to his family.
stress2stress2
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Post by stress2stress2 »

momma:

would it be too much to ask for a few photos here and/or your story behind it?

thanks,
tim
metalmommy68
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Post by metalmommy68 »

I'll have to find the photos and get them up here. It may take awhile, I'm in the middle of a move.
Ahhh... the story... I will be using fictitious names to protect the innocent...
About 18+ years ago, a very good friend of my, we'll call her "Betty", was sewing clothes for some small local SF Bay Area bands. A singer from an unheard of then and never to be heard of again band, we'll call him "Billy", brought her some items to repair and re-make for him to wear on stage. They became "friends" and he ended up storing a bunch of his personal stuff in her storage unit as he was a bit of a vagrant. One of the items he brought her to re-make was a small, old, purple leather vest with brass studs on it. He wanted her to cut it and add fabric to the sides to make it large enough to fit him. She said it was cool asked where he got it. He said it was Randy Rhoads vest, and that Brad Gillis had given it to him. Well, when she heard that, she said "hell no" she wasn't cutting it, and put it with all of the stuff she was storing for him. She had it for several years because "Billy" had disappeared off the face of the earth, possibly getting into heavy drugs, and was never heard from again. As a HUGE Randy fan, I always coveted the vest. About 5 years ago I decided to redocorate my master-suite into a personal "shrine" to heavy metal. I have a lot of memorabilia and mementos that aren't necessarily of value, but that mean something to me personally. I contacted "Betty" to see if she still had the vest and to find out if she would be interested in selling it to me. She gave it to me as a gift for my 36th (or 37th?) birthday. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed!! Of course, I became worried about owning such an important piece, and decided to see if I could authenticate it, and get insurance on it. To make a long story short, I wound up on the rr.tk website and met lots of great people and got lots of help and resources to authenticate it. It created quite a buzz. Most people wanted me to give it to the Rhoads family, and one of the moderators who I became friends with (he actually visited me in the states and got some pix with the vest) contacted them for me. Some told me to give it back to Ozzy and Sharon. Some offered to buy it. I was contacted by a well known rock memorabilia auction company who wanted me to sell it in their auction. After all was said and done, I decided I would keep it until such time as I felt I should give it to the family. I contacted a local musician who I am good friends with, we'll call him "JR", and he is also close with Brad Gillis. I wanted to get the scoop from him. He spoke to Brad and kept me anonymous. I won't go into detail, but Brad no longer has the vest, it is the one that Ozzy gave him (there are pix of him in it) and "Billy" definately had a connection with Brad. I've had enough people look it over to verify that it is, indeed, the real deal.
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wareagle
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Post by wareagle »

omg thats crazzy, def take pictures, his clothes were awsome!
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Metal Mommy that would be well appreciated if you could post some pics up of the vest.. I'm thinking it is this one, it has brass coloured pyramid studs round the waist line with strap fasteners. This one in the pic here
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wareagle
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Post by wareagle »

ugh TOOO AWSOME. I NEED TO GET MYSELF one of those in that style. so awsome. that and 60s/70s clothes.
mauk 1
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by mauk 1 »

no pics..?
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

I don't know if Metal Mommy ever posted any photos of this over at TK. Do a search and if any have been posted up, it should take you there. I'd be interested to see some pics of it too. :wink:
mauk 1
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by mauk 1 »

I may be wrong in thinking so...but she states that Brad Gillis wore it...
Brads a helluva lot bigger then Randy was......just my .02¢
not saying anything ...just Id like to see it is all.. :)
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Cheers to Tom for these pics of Randy's vest. :wink:

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The One
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by The One »

Randy with his purple vest..

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Bernie Torme' with a purple vest..... Looks a bit small for him (could be Randy's)
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Brad with his.
It's obvious his were custom made for him.

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[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Federaljim/4Stacks.jpg[/img]
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Image
If you notice the collar of the vest in this picture. See how it is bent cover on the right hand side. This is from wear, from his guitar strap rubbing the material. If you compare it to the original pic this is the same one, and Randy's vest. Bernie Torme was asked in an interview about wearing Randy's stage clothes and they didn't fit him. That pic of Bernie i'm sure that was one of Rudy Sarzo's vest. I'm sure he mentions it in his book 'Off the Rails'.
Lespauly
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by Lespauly »

Pretty sure Brad could not wear one of Randys vest...RR was a very small man--Yes I think Rudy mentioned Bernie borrowing a vest from him in the book..
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Re: LOOKING TO BUY RANDY'S PURPLE LEATHER VEST - TO METAL M

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Lespauly wrote:Pretty sure Brad could not wear one of Randys vest...RR was a very small man--Yes I think Rudy mentioned Bernie borrowing a vest from him in the book..
Yeah but look how wide open the vest hangs on Brad compared to Randy. If it wasn't fastened up and just worn loose. I'm sure its the same one, too much has been said for this not to be Randy's.
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