Posted by Joe S. on July 09, 2001 at 22:16:17:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rudy 4/4 CC for sale posted by DP on July 09, 2001 at 12:32:14:
Dale, I really don't sell that many tubas. As a group on instruments, they're not really good business unless you not only LOVE tubas, but LOVE SELLING tubas: You have something that gets "mysteriously" dented if you look at it too hard (a great reason for a buyer to expect a discount equal to your minimal mark-up) and quite a few of the people that consider themselves to be in the buying market are looking for someone to sell them model "X" for $20 less than Bruce's Sousaphone Heaven. In addition, they don't want to drive four hours to try out the two that you have in stock. Rather, they would prefer that you spend two and a half hours boxing one up and arranging for shipping to them. Once the "approval" buyer unpacks the tuba, you get a phone call or an email stating that all of the pitches that you TOLD them were out of tune ARE out of tune, and they (now that YOUR tuba is in THEIR possession) now want to shave the price down to (or below) your dealer cost.
Perhaps it sounds like I'm bitter...not at all. I just decided - because of all of those factors - years ago that tuba selling (along with bassoon and oboe selling - even though our family has a great deal of expertise in those areas, too, and admittedly we have and use a FOX dealership) is not the greatest business to be in. My hat is off to those in California, Maryland, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Carolina who have decided that the tuba market is worth fooling with. I have limited my tuba sales to used stuff that pops in, and Willson (top end) and Weril (consumer end) tubas and euphoniums. I exchange for the lack of selection, I try to have "chop buster" prices on those lines whenever I can. Even back when I was trying to buy Mirafone tubas legitimately at rock-bottom prices through the (then) U.S. distributor, the distributor was going around behind store's backs and selling them to college professors.
Heck, I'm not trying to bust anyone's chops. Just as a survey, ANYONE who is NOW ready to pay over $5K for a RM4/4 can post under me with their name, address, and phone number. I played a RM4/4-5V for two or three years and sold it for $3500 (no dents). A couple of years later, the owner asked me if I wanted to buy it back at $3300. I said, "No thanks". Again, the time, trouble, and labor of getting it sold for $4K was not worth the $700 to me, as I could far more efficiently spend that time slicking up two or three used Bach Strad trumpets (that, incidentally, are NOT dent magnets) and make the same money withOUT shelling out $3500. From my experience trying to help my friend sell his RM4/4 and continuing to hit an approximate $4K ceiling, I am of the belief that that is the current market value of that model "used". Dale, I know that you buy and sell a lot of used tubas, AND that you are in California. Perhaps it is in your best interest for the perception of the value of a given model to be as high as possible. Again, I'm just "walking around in my underwear here" and I figure that it is OK to throw out my perception of market value on anything that becomes a topic here.
Again, a tip of the hat from me to those who love to sell tubas. Its a tough business.
-Joe