Silver Buescher Tenor - 1914 patent

[kgunsch]

I adore this silver sax, but I really have to get some bills taken care of & I'm hoping someone will have more knowledge of this instrument so I am able to sell it!

This low-pitch Buesher comes in its case, looks original, but the case in in really rough shape. The serial number system seems very confusing for instruments manufactured by Buescher in this time period. The serial number is 6 digits: 10520X, found just under the thumbrest. Underneath that, LOW PITCH, license pat. Dec 9(?) 1914, TRUE TONE trademark registered.

On the bell of the instrument. The Buescher Elkhart IND - labeled horizontally. The silver finish is in remarkable condition for its age (at least it appears so to my untrained eye!) The neckpiece , mouthpiece cover and music "holder" are intact as well and appear to be original.
I would appreciate any help - I could send out pics if needed. Please reply here or email me @ : playfullgal@hotmail.com
Thank you, Kelly[/b]

Thanks to a knowledeable sax player, I have found this instrument to be a C-Melody Sax, not a Bflat :-( If you are interested, please check ebay as I just posted it!

[Wade2]

According to my serial number charts, you saxophone was manufactured in 1922.

As for the value, as I stated on the the C-Melody Web Site (http://home1.gte.net/wwalker/cmelody.htm) Forum (http://boards.eesite.com/board.cgi?boardset=cmelody):

I have been watching Buescher and other C-Melodies on eBay for about three years. Basically, decent Bueschers go in the $175 to $225 range with silver fetching an additional $25 to $50. I have seen only one gold-plated Buescher C-Melody and it went for nearly $800!

Under $100 will probably get you a parts horn or lamp material. However, I have seen a few that I thought were decent horns going for less than $100. Bide your time, it will come.

Also, August and September as well as November and December seem to be the points when prices peak. I suspect that unknowing shoppers grab "cheap" C-Melody saxophones for their new band students only to discover that there is no place for them in a modern band. I have even had band directors ask for advice on what to do with a C-Melody saxophone and for fingering charts! I guess they did not know that a “C” saxophone is the same as any other saxophone for fingerings, only its transposing key is different (or non-existent in the case of a C-Melody).

Late May through June are the low price months as this is when band instruments are dumped at the end of a school year.

By the way, my local pawnshop sets its “buy price” for C-Melodies based upon the sale price of completed eBay auctions for the same instruments. They usually set their “sale price” at twice the “buy price”.

Any way you look at it, expect to need a complete re-pad or overhaul of any eBay instrument and let that guide you on the maximum price you will pay. For example, if a perfect condition 1926 Buescher True-Tone C-Melody in Satin Silver-Plate with a Gold-Wash bell, in the original case in excellent condition, with the original metal end plug, mouthpiece, ligature, lyre, and documentation is worth $1,500, you can use that to determine an eBay price.

Let’s say you have the eBay C-Melody and it is likely you can win the bid for $225. Is it worth it?

Here is what I would do:

Take the price of a perfect horn of $1,500
Subtract $500 for an overhaul
Subtract $300 for finish refurbishing
Subtract $250 for the “poor condition” case, or non-existent case (typical for eBay)
Subtract $180 for the missing mouthpiece (Got to get the Morgan!)
Subtract $75 for a good ligature
Thus the value of the horn is 1,500 – 500 – 300 – 250 – 180 –75 = $195.

This is close to the expect $225 that would likely win the bid. Also, I skewed the “value” by using high prices for the mouthpiece and ligature. I also selected a moderate price for a “perfect condition” horn. You can see that by changing the mouthpiece price to $100 for a Le Blanc and the ligature price to $50 for a Rovner Dark, the value of the horn would be $300 rather than $195.

So, in conclusion, I would expect $225 to be a fair price for the horn and would bid on it.

When you are familiar with the prices for various repairs and parts, this process is a quick and simple mental calculation. So, have fun but be prepared for the risks involved.

As you can tell, buescher True-Tone saxophones like yours are not really valuable on the open market even though they are great horns!

For eBay sales take LOTS of HIGH QUALITY pictures showing all angles of the horn. Include an accurate and detailed description. These two items alone will make sure you get the highest price possible. If you have a reserve state it in the description. Start the bidding low so that buyers are not scared off by your initial bid being too high. The final prices is usually set in the last 15 seconds anyway. If you reserve is not met, you do not need to sell the horn.

Good luck!