A 5-string '88 Series 1 in a "small Spoiler" body on eBay.

[Zut8083]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Alembic-Series-One-5-String/183309717124?hash=item2aae1c4e84:g:9uoAAOSwXSRbPmxT

Note the dragon on the back of the headstock above the laminated scarf.
Six plus days and 0 bids at $4,650.00

[hammer]

I love it. A spoiler with "attitude."

[Zut8083]

"The Spoiler With the Dragon Tattoo" or just "Smaug", maybe?

[gearhed289]

I was looking at that last night and wishing the seller knew how to take photographs. 

[Zut8083]

I agree, a lot of people don't take the best photographs of their gear, even if it's for sale.  I think great photos really help sell a product.

[lbpesq]

You don't need to be a pro to take decent photos.  Forget all the slick perspective artsy shots.  Start with the basic six shots: head-on shot of the whole instrument, the rear of the whole instrument, a straight-on shot of the body, the back of the body, the head-stock, and the back of the head-stock.  Then add fret-board, inlays, and close-ups of any damage.  This listing doesn't have a single head-on shot of the body!

Bill, tgo

[jwright9]

I disagree with the comments about the photos being bad.

All things considered, the photos for in this listing are not that bad guys. Come on.
The pictures are clear, the lighting is good and you can see all parts of the bass.
Sure, there are no straight on photos of the front and back but there are 12 decent photos representing the bass pretty well all in all.

Some auctions only have a few blurry photos, or only photos from far away.

Really, this listing is pretty good.

Additionally, if you are actually interested in purchasing the bass then a simple message to the seller asking for specific photos would be a simple thing to do.

[Zut8083]

My only real question is "what is nature of the dragon on the back of the headstock"?  Is it an inlay or a sticker?  It looks most like a sticker that is missing a few spots, and I wonder what the significance of the dragon is and why it was added but not as an inlay.  It's kind of interesting to me.  I've only ever seen the Dead modify their Alembics/Alembicized instruments with stickers.

[jwright9]

It’s a sticker

[Zut8083]

I agree, I just haven't seen many people put stickers on Alembics.

[jwright9]

What about putting Alembics on stickers?!

[Zut8083]

Jon, I love that idea, because I have a few hard cases, a car, and some cats that those could go on. But, some people would probably end up using them for forgeries to be sold on eBay, because that's what happened previously.  I don't know if you've seen threads where that issue was raised, but I think Alembic once sold pendants of their sigil, but the jewelry ended up on the headstocks of fakes which were being advertised as real Alembics.  I could be totally wrong about this, but I also believe there is now a standing implicit request that lone sigils for sale be brought to Alembic's attention.

But, merch is always cool.

[jwright9]

Zut, it was a simple joke. A play on words.

[Zut8083]

I gotcha, and I think it was a cool idea that you suggested, pun or not.  And I meant no criticism of your humor, I am just remarking that it's sad that people would manipulate that item that you brought up as a quip.  Because similar things have happened before, I was simply expanding upon the point that you made as I thought it was both amusing and insightful, and was an inroad for a potential ongoing concern regarding infringement of Alembic.

Please accept this explanation as a token apology for exasperating your play on words.

[jwright9]

I wasn’t making any point at all.
I was just being silly.
Honestly didn’t even think about what I was writing.
Just seemed funny in the moment.