Roger Aldridge said:
So, good deals can be had on vintage or used instruments. Of course, I have sad stories as well! However, live and learn. Happily, I've learned from many of my earlier mistakes.
That's a bit of my point. You and I are experienced enough to look at a horn in an ad and say, "This thing looks like it's going to need X, Y and Z. Those repairs will be $150. The horn is only $50. It'll play as good as a $600 horn when it's fixed. I'll do it."
Nancy Clarinet Player may not have enough experience to make the determination that the repairs aren't going to be that expensive and should budget for that full overhaul, instead, if she's going to let her fingers do the shopping on eBay. And we haven't even mentioned banding, pinning, epoxying or what have you. Hey, if I didn't know better, I'd think a band might just be a kewl accessory. You and I know it means "look for a different horn". (I mention some of these "if the horn has this, keep looking" things on my horn value thread.)
Or, a bit more "graphically":
* The horn has a max monetary value of $1000 in perfect condition.
* The horn has a playability value of a $1500 horn (i.e., "Experts think the horn plays as good as a ...").
If max playability value is
less than the purchase price of the horn
+ the cost to repair it
AND is not
much greater than the max monetary value, it's probably a keeper. Otherwise, you're probably going to find a better deal, elsewhere.
But, it's a lot easier to say, "Student! Buy a new Buffet B12. Don't worry about eBay!" Unless you want to do it for the student.