Untitled Document
     
Advertisement Click to advertise with us!
     

eBay's got quite a few rare US-made horns this week

pete

Brassica Oleracea
Staff member
Administrator
Conn F Mezzo and Conn-O-Sax (silver plate) (Welch Music. Ended with no bids. Listed for $100,000. Not relisted.)
Conn F Mezzo (lacquer) (Ended because of error in listing. Not relisted.)
Buescher Straight Alto (silver plate) (Still for sale; original ad was for $11,900. Now $10,995. Now $8,995. Closed as "no longer available.")
Buescher Straight Alto (bare brass) (No bids. Originally listed for $8,000. Eventually resisted with no reserve. Sold for $3750.)

It's also amusing that I can say that the least rare horn in the group is the F Mezzo.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well if the listing for the silver plate Buescher is right I've seen a bit less than a third of all Conn-O-Saxes.
Not sure when Mr. Cohen estimated that, though the fact I search for them skews those results a bit.
Lets see how many years it will take those to sell at those prices. ;)
 
I'd call the silver Buescher straight alto in the ballpark, at least. The one in bare brass ended with 0 bids, which is kinda what I thought would happen: it was priced fairly high ($8K) for a horn without the original neck.

F Mezzos have been selling at $4K to $6K (I've got a LOT of these horns in my gallery, now). The most I've seen someone TRY to sell a Conn-O-Sax for was $100K. PMWoodwind.com had a relacquer Conn-O-Sax that had some work done on it for $42K for awhile and eventually listed it on eBay for less (I'm thinking $30K, but I could be wrong). It did eventually sell, tho.

Chances aren't very good that you'll see another Conn-O-Sax anytime soon and because there are so few of them, it's essentially, "Add a price and shoot for the moon!" However, the most expensive sax sold in the last couple months, based on looking at closed eBay ads still in their cache, is $11,850 (Mark VI tenor, natch). (Yes, there were a couple that were allegedly more expensive, but they were, "Best offer accepted" and a horn identified as gold plate that looked suspiciously like lacquer to me, and it resold at $11.25K.)
 
I have recently sold or traded some horns like these. I think I got fair prices, even though I dealt with dealers who will make a profit on my stuff. Prices on the straight altos would be almost OK if the horns were in original condition and ready to play, overhauled by a top technician. I don't think they are. A friend of mine just paid 40K for a Conn-O-Sax that plays great. I think it's a re-lacquered finish. Forgive me if I'm wrong. My best guess is 60K for a great original Conn-O-Sax and $7500 for a killer F mezzo. If I'm too low, that's OK because I have these horns in my posession, and when it comes time to sell, I'd like to get as much as possible without being a crook.
 
PMWoodwind.com had a relacquer Conn-O-Sax that had some work done on it for $42K for awhile and eventually listed it on eBay for less (I'm thinking $30K, but I could be wrong). It did eventually sell, tho.
I was sitting with Paul Maslin when he took the call from the guy who wanted to sell that sax. IIRC, he said ask for $40k, but settle for mid to low 30's, unless the horn was in mint condition. That one looks nice, but I wouldn't call it mint. Although if Paul worked on it, that would add a lot of value in my book.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to get as much as possible. All I point out is what the averages are. And make fun of ads selling a Bundy II for $1.25 trillion, of course. :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mezzo.JPG
 
Nice sounding little horns. I'm still hoping to see a non-Conn vintage F alto for sale, someday.
 
So, more fun stuff again. A couple of the horns listed above have been re-listed.

Beautiful Buescher straight alto, photographed with a tipped bell soprano, just because he can (Dr. Rick). I wonder if this horn was from his set of a bunch of horns he was trying to sell for $100K+ a couple years back. $14,975. Looks like it needs new pads. Ad now says "no longer available."
Quinn's got another 16V contrabass Sarrusophone. I know Conn made only a few hundred of these. Having two for sale in a month? He doesn't play the lottery, does he? $10,400. (Relisted for $8K and ad closed as "no longer available.")

EDIT: Then I get to the third page of results, and there's another 16V. $7800. (Relisted at $5900 and sold.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes, but it's neither the clarinet nor the Selmer are US-made and a clarinet isn't a saxophone. So there :p.

(I wouldn't mind learning more about the Grafton clarinet and I'll watch the video.)
 
OK. That video hurt. Even beyond the fact that it would only play in Microsoft Edge. Let's move that conversation to another thread.

EDIT: Done.
 
Back
Top Bottom