Posted by Hammerin' Hank on February 22, 2002 at 12:10:03:
In Reply to: Re: Purchasing my kid a tuba posted by Mike on February 22, 2002 at 01:03:02:
"Everyone I've talked to says I'm giving the tuba away at the price I have it at."
I don't agree. Your starting bid is about the going rate for these horns, and you have a reserve that is higher. On ebay, I'm not interested. It's not worth the hassles of shipping, etc. unless it's at a bargain price. The fact that you are in Bloomington, where there are a lot of tuba majors, and no one is interested also says something to me. If the horn was really fantastic, and people REALLY believe you are "giving the tuba away" my guess is it would be sold already. That's just the way MY mind works... but I hope you can see how the red flags might be going up regarding this particular horn.
"I'm going to sell it to a dealer for less and let him jack-up the price!"
My suggestion, if the horn doesn't sell, is to make a couple of phone calls. Call Matt Walters and David Fedderly. Talk to them about the horn and it's REAL market value. These dealers charge what I consider a reasonable 10% commission. What makes this worthwhile is their sales experience and the fact that they also have a lot of traffic through their stores. Once someone plays and loves the horn, they may be willing to pay a little extra. Of course, Brasswind is closer to you... I don't know if they sell as many used tubas as the other stores I mentioned, nor do I know their policies, but talking to Mike Russo might also be worthwhile.
"What the hell does it matter why I'm selling the tuba?"
To you, the reason why may not matter, but it OBVIOUSLY matters to the potential buyer who asks the question. I think an honest answer goes a long way. These little Yamahas are specialized instruments, and people want to know what kind of use they'll get out of one. I say this because I owned one for awhile. When I sold it, I was asked why. I was very candid about the fact that I found it great for playing solos, but little else. It still sold, for my asking price. Your post implies impatience with the tuba buying public. My suggestion.... think about how you would want to be treated if buying this tuba.
Oh, one last thing ....as a seller, make a good impression.... please quit whining.