[rtm]

Hello
Very grateful if anyone has any idea and takes time to answer - anyone know the value of a Gold Medal I silver plated tenor saxophone in pretty reasonable condition (thorough service about 2 years ago but only played infrequently since).

Thing is, I can't subject it to ebay as a friend has borrowed it and now wants it and has asked me to state a price... I'll be extremely sad to see it go, but needs must etc.
Thank you!
(ps, if it makes any difference, I'm in the UK)

 

[Blowhard2]

Sensible friend ! - don't let it go too cheap.

These are rare horns in UK- if you sell it , and suffer from regret, you will search a long time for another

Blowhard2

 

[dubrosa22]

I wouldn't let it go for less than $2200-2500.

Only based on prior sales here and ebay. If like in Australia, where there's next to none of these horns about, then the price could go much higher.
But these horns are pretty rare everywhere!

 

[rtm]

Ah, thanks people - you're beginning to talk me out of it... which is bad news both for my friend and my bank balance! Good to get a ball park figure, though - I shall muse :-/

 

[Alley Cat]

I have one that I may sell one day so I've kept an eye on what they've been fetching on eBay for the past few years. GM tenors in good playing order seem to sell for between £1200 and £1700 depending on cosmetic condition and originality. These horns appear to be holding their value which is more than you can say would happen, thanks to inflation, to that amount of cash if you put it in the bank.

 

[The Daddymac]

I recently saw a gold medal I silver tenor sell for US $4000. It was though in impeccable condition.

I'd say your horn would be with at lease $3000, especially if it's a good player. These are hard to find.

 

[Aldevis]

I have one that I may sell one day so I've kept an eye on what they've been fetching on eBay for the past few years. GM tenors in good playing order seem to sell for between £1200 and £1700 depending on cosmetic condition and originality. These horns appear to be holding their value which is more than you can say would happen, thanks to inflation, to that amount of cash if you put it in the bank.

I would say the same, on this side of the pond, assuming it is in good conditions. I have an alto that looks like its brother, but I paid much less, due to poor conditions. It plays a dream, though.

 

[leogleog]

I have an early silver plated Gold Medal (158xx), and there's NO engraving on it, other than the SML logo, not even on the pantsguard. I've read that some of the silver plates weren't engraved, but the pics above show a fair amount of engraving. Was this one plated after it left the factory? Any ideas?

 

[dubrosa22]

Very unlikely it was plated after the fact. SML did produce Gold Medals sans engraving I'm fairly sure (check the saxpics.com galleries).
'Standard' models - silverplate and lacquered - generally were just stamped, no engraving, plus some other missing features.
Your tenor is stamped 'Gold Medal' under the SML brand?

V

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[leogleog]

Yep...I have read that some were made with no engraving, just haven't seen many examples of that. The one that's the topic of this thread DOES have the engraving so it made me doubt mine a little.

 

[dubrosa22]

Post some photos and we can salve your doubts

Btw the first SML I ever saw in person was a 'Rev. D' tenor around the 9,xxx serial (my teacher's horn), and it had no engraving anywhere - just the SML stamp logo. It was silverplate.

V

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[B Flat]

I have a Rev A alto which for all intents and purposes is a Coleman Hawkins special in every way bar the Hawkins engraving.
In fact it has some additional keywork that even some of the Hawkins specials are lacking.
I tend to believe that these "special" SML's such as the Gold Medal and Hawkins specials were likely in production prior to being called or given these names.
I thought I read that the Gold Medal was just the rev D re-named after winning the Gold Medal?
I was once in the bidding for a Gold Medal tenor until is went over $3000 US.
And about 12 months back saw a Rev A Coleman Hawkins Special tenor sell in excess of $4000 US.
Condition on both accounts was very good though.