Uncovering The Earwigs: How an obscure OC rock band’s ‘lost’ vinyl turned into a $500 collectors item
Orange County musician Michael Ubaldini recently made a surprising discovery about his 1970s band, The Earwigs. He found out that their rare 45s were selling for up to $500, despite initially selling copies for only $20 each. The Earwigs had garnered an underground following through radio play and bootleg cassettes, even though they had never officially released their debut album in 1981.
Ubaldini, now 61 years old, couldn’t believe that the dusty copies of his band’s old records were in such high demand. Young fans of his band, who followed him to his current gigs as a singer-songwriter, were eager to get their hands on the limited-edition vinyl pressing of “She’s So Naive” for a bargain price of $20. Ubaldini had no idea that these records had become collectible items, with some selling for hundreds of dollars online.
During one of his gigs, some fans approached Ubaldini looking for original 45s of The Earwigs. He had a few copies left and sold them for $20 each. Little did he know that these fans would later discover the true value of these records and offer to pay even more or give him additional records in return. This prompted Ubaldini to investigate further, leading him to online platforms where he found out that these records were being sold for over $300, with some fetching up to $500.
Feeling a mix of shock and disbelief, Ubaldini decided to try selling the records himself. He listed one online with a starting bid of $100 and a buy-it-now price of $350. To his surprise, the record sold almost immediately while he was out for breakfast. The highest amount paid for a rare bootleg copy of The Earwigs’ 45 containing their hit single “She’s So Naive” and “Here Come the Earwigs” was around $500 on Discogs.
This unexpected turn of events has not only surprised Ubaldini but also renewed interest in The Earwigs and their music. Despite the band never achieving mainstream success, their dedicated fan base and the rarity of their records have cemented their place in music history. Ubaldini now looks forward to playing a long-delayed album release party for The Earwigs’ limited-edition vinyl pressing in Huntington Beach, celebrating the band’s legacy and their newfound appreciation in the music world.