Priced too high?

[Morry]

My friend asked me to list his 1934 Conn alto on ebay for him, and it didn't get any bids. I'm wondering if he had me price it too high. I'm certainly no expert on Conns, but this horn is a fantastic player. The horn was replated, but every metal part on it is original. The pearls, surrounds, etc. show no signs of wear at all. It appears that this horn has been played very, very little in its life. Anyone got a realistic idea of its worth? Please no low-ballers looking for a steal, but an honest opinion.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2544760666

[cmelodysax]

Ebay is typical of auctions where bidders like to start low - sax looks amazing, but inabilty to test-play it will put anyone off from leaping in at $1500.
You should maybe start off at $500 (or less), with a sensible reserve. Maybe $1500 will be unreachable, but $1000+ is a possibility looking like that. Let a few buyers get caught in the bidding spiral.
Look at a few US websites selling a range of used saxes to get an idea of their prices, some specialist sites are quite pricey, but ebay price has to be less because of the 'unknown's'
http://www.marshwoodwinds.com/Default.asp is a useful start for prices, they have several Conn alto's.
What a little cutie though !
Regards, Alan.

[Saxaholic]

I recently sold a 1934 Conn alto on Ebay for $1900.

The original silver was near perfect, and everything else was new and in perfect condition. Professional regulation, everything was spotless. Horn was in mint condition.

Seller said..."they made a mistake on the bid".....yet paid for it responsibly.

I got the feedback the other day, and they "couldnt believe its immaculate condition. It was better than ever imagined. Although they werent in the business for an alto, they are glad they made this mistake and it is an excellent addition to the collection."

Depends on who you deal with. The sax was around $900 before the $1900 bid. Start it out at $1 with a 10 day auction....set the reserve at what you wish.....see what you get. Once people start making a war over the bids, they often lose track of the prices they're reaching.

My .02 cents.

Saxaholic

[Jerry K.]

Sold my 1932 Chu Trani on eBay a while back for right around $1000. This horn had 98%+ original silver plate, completely hand polished, no dents and a fresh overhaul. I thought it would go for a couple hundred more than it did but I broke even so no harm no foul. This horn had a great sound though I wasn't comfortable with the left pinkie cluster which is why I sold it. I would estimate the market currently to be around $1000 for a really nice and freshly overhauled Chu on eBay.