Over priced?

[Dwight Kopis]

I'd like to know what people think the limit of some of these prices on equipment should be. Now I know the value of the free market and if the price is worth it to the purchaser then who cares, right?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guardala-handmade-silver-Brecker-UNUSED-DEAD-MINT_W0QQitemZ140199968128QQihZ004QQcategoryZ38112 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/Guardala-FATBOY-silverplated-tenor-mpc-RARE_W0QQitemZ140201325309QQihZ004QQcategoryZ38112 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[10mfan]

I sold 2 for this price in the last 2 weeks, and a fatboy for $3000.

Its worth it if the buyer feels its worth it.

IF EVERYONE FEELS ITS TOO HIGH AND OVERPRICED, THAN NO-ONE WILL BUY IT.

Another seller sold a Brecker for $2500 a few weeks ago....

Thats how it is.

[10mfan]

You asked what the limit should be...
for you, it may be $800 a mpc. For someone else, maybe $1200. For someone else, maybe $1500. For someone else, maybe $2000.
And on and on....

Is an SBA worth $15,000...to someone it is, and they can sell for that.

The buyers dictate what something is truly worth...not the seller.

[stu the sax player]

My limit on a piece is $600

[10mfan]

...and everybodys limit is different.

A friend of mine just sold a saxophone to a serious collector in Hong Kong for $25,000.
Thats what it was worth to that collector, so he offered that amount, and my friend gladly said, "OK". :)

Another friend of mine recently put a horn up on ebay that he was willing to take around $8500 for, and someone bought it for $13,000+.

[MJ]

10mfan is a legend on the 'bay and here. I reckon he knows just about every mouthpiece there is and is a great resource for mouthpiece info.

My own limit on mouthpiece cost is dictated by the cost of the sax I intend to play it on. When I'd have to sell a sax to buy a mouthpiece, it's time to step away from the temptation and splurg instead on a box of new reeds.

[10mfan]

I agree, and thanks for the kind words.
I've never paid more than $400 for a mouthpiece that I bought for myself to play on.
:)

[ChuBerry47]

Anyone want to buy my Runyon? I will let it go for $600 :twisted:


(In other words, No, it's not for sale). :D

[Dwight Kopis]

I'm passing no judgement here, just curious. I believe in the free market. But I also believe in the power of hype. I like your answer MJ, time to check out a new box of reeds : )

[MartinMusicMan]

I'll sell you a box of vintage Ricos for $2500.

[Dwight Kopis]

AhhAhAhAHahAha !!! Nice MMM...

[10mfan]

I have a box of OTTO LINK reeds...bet you never knew they even made reeds.

Wonder what a collector would pay for those?....:shock:

[Dwight Kopis]

Unused..errr uhh..unopened ?

[10mfan]

The box is opened, and the reeds are new.
The box is cool looking!

I also have a box of Brilhart reeds here. :)

[SaxColossusJR]

have you played any?

[10mfan]

Nope.

I'm not going to touch them.

How many boxes of Otto Link and Brilhart reeds do you think are still around???....Exactly!

[SaxColossusJR]

well im just wondering that maybe the link reeds play like a dream on an older link mpc....

[shmuelyosef]

I'll sell you a box of vintage Ricos for $2500.
If you can get it, then that's what it's worth...

[Peterogping]

And I have a 25 piece cardboard box marked SML ideal French Cane Reeds containing 6 alto reeds, strength 2.5. On the cardboard inlay reed holders it says: "Try the new GOLD MEDAL SML Saxophone". Any offers ??

[MartinMusicMan]

I always say if you're going to sell something, sell something for lots of money. I had a friend in commercial real estate. He sold whole office buildings in downtown San Francisco. It's like the joke about the guy who sells encyclopedias door to door for a million dollars each. You'll have a very hard time selling encyclopedias for that much. "Yeah, but I only have to sell one!"

[ChuBerry47]

I have a packet with 1940 Ricos. Anyone? Anyone?

[bruce bailey]

I have sold mouthpieces for $700 but I have never paid more than about $75 for one. When someone calls and asks the value of a flute, I always ask "Are you buying or selling?".

[heath]

I'd like to know what people think the limit of some of these prices on equipment should be. Now I know the value of the free market and if the price is worth it to the purchaser then who cares, right?

Actually the high prices of DG mouthpieces is a good thing. It keeps them out of the hands of real players where they might do the most harm.

[Jonathan C.]

The least I have bought a horn for was $300. If I have to sell a horn to buy it. I'll just buy another horn (more fun, and last longer anyway, no offense)

[zxcvbnm]

Beat up student Yamaha for sale!!!!
LOW LOW price of:
...$500,000!!!!!!!!!!!
USED BY ME!!!!
I'M NOT FAMOUS BUT WHO CARES!!!!!
BUY IT NOW!!!!

[bruce bailey]

I'll wait until you die as things always go higher then!

[Turnaround]

So for those of you who have a problem with making money, why don't you sell you "sought after" pieces for just about nothing and include the shipping charges in the price, to someone who can turn them around for much more. That way you can feel better about not turning a profit.

The funny thing is when a good deal is found on SOTW and a member quickly snatches it up, others come in and pat him on the back like "Good job man!! You really came out on top with that one. If I only saw it first..." How does that make the seller feel? Sometimes the seller might not care and feel they are offering something back to this community (which in my eyes, resides within a 11"X14" screen) and then it might make the seller feel... STUPID!!

But if you make your profit and also help people out and they feel good about their purchase, who cares about what someone else might think about the sale.

Now get back to practicing and do something for yourself instead of getting into someone else's business.

[wersax]

So for those of you who have a problem with making money, why don't you sell you "sought after" pieces for just about nothing and include the shipping charges in the price, to someone who can turn them around for much more. That way you can feel better about not turning a profit.

The funny thing is when a good deal is found on SOTW and a member quickly snatches it up, others come in and pat him on the back like "Good job man!! You really came out on top with that one. If I only saw it first..." How does that make the seller feel? Sometimes the seller might not care and feel they are offering something back to this community (which in my eyes, resides within a 11"X14" screen) and then it might make the seller feel... STUPID!!

But if you make your profit and also help people out and they feel good about their purchase, who cares about what someone else might think about the sale.

Now get back to practicing and do something for yourself instead of getting into someone else's business.

:D ;) :shock:

[heath]

But if you make your profit and also help people out and they feel good about their purchase, who cares about what someone else might think about the sale.

Now get back to practicing and do something for yourself instead of getting into someone else's business.

The purpose of this forum is to keep the fine folks informed about all things saxophone. There's nothing wrong with making an informed purchase. This forum in many ways has helped vendors, black listed a few and in the case of others it's merely shot down their hopes and dreams of making it in the business.

This is a very tiny community and what appeals to some gets mistranslated and for that reason there are vendors selling quality goods, but no one will buy them because a few posters have different tastes and have given negative reviews.....usually reviews and opinouns that were arrived at by trying the gear for only a couple of minutes.

I take everything with a grain of salt these days and tend to make up my own mind about what works and doesn't work.

I don't think anyone is saying you can't turn a massive profit if you want on certain gear, especially if that gear is highly specialized and not suited to 99.9999999999999% of the players such as a DG mouthpiece. The problem is when the prices carry over and vendors start jacking the prices up on standard gear that is needed to produce a great sax sound.

In the end though there's nothing wrong with a little preaching from the guys that can really play on this forum. An experienced pro that can play on just about any horn can come along and tell you that you don't need a $3000 mouthpiece, the $10,000 dollar collectors horn and so on. The great players are more than welcomed to speak out on the madness of spending money like this when it won't translate to anything better coming out the bell of your horn.

[LateNiteSax]

I have a box of OTTO LINK reeds...bet you never knew they even made reeds.

Wonder what a collector would pay for those?....:shock:


Swap you some of my ultra rare Colman Hawkins Special reeds for some Otto Link Reeds!

[10mfan]

Hmmmmm........

[Bub99]

Actually the high prices of DG mouthpieces is a good thing. It keeps them out of the hands of real players where they might do the most harm.That's pretty funny. I bought one of those MB models from DG right about when he moved his shop. I played it for some years on a VI and never could get a decent sound out of that combo. Sold em both.

This was before the current run up in DG prices. I only got $700 for mine. At the time I couldn't bring myself to ask more than that for that shrill thing.

[heath]

It's all about the Eq and the Eq on the DG pieces is all screwed up.

It's like showing up to a gig with a tornado siren.

[10mfan]

Thats funny...I dont find the Brecker models shrill at all. Big, fat, warm, and ballsy sound with loads of punch. Not bright at all for me. Very thick core and very free blowing. I dont find the Brecker, Traditional, Cresent, or Branford models to have too much brightness to them at all.

The Super King model...thats another story!

[10mfan]

As a reference, I've had about 80 handmade Guardalas through here, so I'm pretty in tune with how these typically sound.....

[BarrySachs]

Yes, over priced!

20+ years ago, when Gaurdala began making mouthpieces, a handmade model cost $500. In 1986 he introduced the C&C machine made studio & traditional models. In the late '80s I had a few of these. Anyway, they are good pieces but no better playing than a good Link, Berg, Guy Hawkins, Wolfe Tayne, Phil Barrone or anything else.

I suppose for the amateur, hobbyist and dilettante (with money) they are some kind of collector's item, like a vintage car. As a tool for the professional saxophonist, they're just another garden-variety saxophone mouthpiece, not worth the extra money.

For $600, you can get a handmade "Focustone" by Ted Klum, that will blow away any Gaurdala. Phil Barrone's pieces are as good or better than Gaurdalas for less $$$. Fred Labayle and Pascal Brancher are making good pieces in France. (Brandford Marsalis now blows a Labayle, NOT a Gaurdala)

[PlayTheHead]

In the end though there's nothing wrong with a little preaching from the guys that can really play on this forum. An experienced pro that can play on just about any horn can come along and tell you that you don't need a $3000 mouthpiece, the $10,000 dollar collectors horn and so on. The great players are more than welcomed to speak out on the madness of spending money like this when it won't translate to anything better coming out the bell of your horn.


You don't have to be a good player to tell me that there are great horns for under $3000 and awesome mouthpieces for less than $300. I would know that I could get them for those prices. I hope a great player would not waste their time trying to teach me this, rather tell me how to practice efficiently and work on my phrasing.

And if a collector spends $25,000 on a horn and $3000 on a mouthpiece, I doubt that collector expects the horns to play that much better. If everyone could go out and buy a Bugatti (spelling?), they wouldn't be worth 1.5 mil. And then you would have to afford the supermodel that would sit in the passengers seat.

I agree with Upawholestep.

There are too many great horns and mouthpieces that most people CAN afford to be bothered with complaining about the high priced collectors pieces. Go practice.

[rini]

Bugatti:
www.bugatti.com/en/home.html

8-)

[J.Max]

I have to say that the Fatboy is probably worth the money for a collector. It's like a Conn-O-Sax or something in it's rarity. Not many were made or sold because the original price was something like $750. I've heard that there are less than 100 of them around.

Now, if you're looking for a mouthpiece soley on it's playing merits, it's overpriced.