Posted by Lew on March 30, 2002 at 14:01:35:
In Reply to: The best way to sell horns? posted by Ian Mac on March 30, 2002 at 11:59:30:
I have found the best way to sell tubas is usually not e**y. Occasionally something will be bid up to a level significantly above what it would sell for elsewhere, but more often than not things sell for less than what they would sell for in a retail store. I have noticed recently that one well known store owner has been purchasing quite a few instruments on e**y and then reselling them for more in his store. He is outbid on many instruments because they get bid up beyond where he can make a profit, but many others sell for much less than he can get in his store.
When I want to sell something in a hurry, I use e**y. If I want to get top dollar I put it on consignment in a large, brass only music store. I have always gotten more money, even after fees, from a consignment sale than from e**y. (I know this because I have sold a couple of tubas that didn't hit their reserve on e**y for a bit more than the reserve price) It may take a few months though to sell that way.
It is also important that the store that you use for consignment sales is well known for selling brass instruments and not your local "drums and guitars" store with a couple of saxes and a trombone in a case in the back. There are a few listed on this site that get the most traffic and have web sites so that you can get nearly as much exposure as on e**y.