The van used by Melvins and Nirvana, with exterior artwork by Kurt Cobain (featuring KISS and a Black Flag Logo), is on sale on eBay! Here is the description:
‘1972 Dodge Sportsman Royal Van, better known as the "MELVAN" Featured in many books, Cobain Unseen, Come As You Are ETC. & Many NIRVANA documentary films. This is a very unique piece of MEVINS/NIRVANA history & truly one of a kind. The KISS Mural on the side was hand drawn by Kurt Cobain using sharpie markers shoplifted from the Thriftway grocery store in Montesano Washington (former employer of King Buzzo) This was one of the first MELVINS tour vans & was used on at least one U.S. tour. Kurt himself was often times known to drive this van to local shows, also included are two former registration's, one signed by Roger Osborne (King Buzzo) & the second signed by former MELVINS bass player Matt Lukin ! Bid High & Bid Often, this will probably be your one & only chance to own this unique piece of music history!’
There are already 90 bids, the current one is at $40,355, of course the reserve ($150,000) is not met yet, but you have till March 13 to decide if you can go that deep in your pocket to buy the funky Melvan.
According to Rolling Stone, Cobain was such a Melvins fan that he used to drive them around in this van to their shows, and he had even drawn this Kiss mural on the side (The Melvins were big fans).
The seller Ben Berg has owned the van since 1992. He is also the bass player of the band Weird Beast, and received the Melvan as a gift from the mother of the Melvins’ original bassist Matt Lukin.
If you buy it, there is another surprise, as Berg explained to Rolling Stone:
‘I think Kurt's name is carved somewhere in the van, as well. I don't know the exact location. I know that Krist Novoselic's name is carved in there. Dale Crover's name from the Melvins is carved in there.’
Of course the poor thing is totally beat up, has probably toured the US several times, hasn’t been started for years and needs ‘a major overhaul’.