Monday 23 June 2014

Tips For Buying Vintage Saxophones

By Ina Hunt


Although the market is generally small, there are still people who look for old musical instruments to buy. Vintage saxophones are included in these antique instruments. If you are looking for one of these saxes to purchase, you should have some ideas of where to look and how to choose.

One of the most common and possibly easiest ways to locate antique saxes is through the Internet. Similar to most other online purchases, you need to take extra precautions to protect yourself against scams. It can be hard to check if a sax is not counterfeit or has been appraised without documentation. For online shopping, you will need extra pictures of the sax for sale, the manufacturer, and year. You should also find out if there is a satisfaction guarantee or refund policy.

Make sure you know precisely what you are looking for. You need to be informed on what attributes a counterfeit sax would have and what a genuine one should look like. Saxes can vary from one year to the next. It is also important to learn the differences between alto and tenor saxes, not just in their appearances but also in their sounds.

It is quite common to find antique saxes that have gone unused for awhile and have accumulated some dust. This can lead to damaged, non-working parts that affect the complete function of the sax. If you have the opportunity, physically examine each of the saxes you are considering. Certain parts may be irreplaceable or unrepairable and should not be broken or missing, such as the neck screw and octave pin.

Do some price checking before you buy the sax. Contact other collectors or experts to determine the actual value of the sax. If it seems that the seller is asking too much, you can try to negotiate for a lower price or just pass on the purchase and find another one that is in the right price range. After you have checked around for price averages, create a set amount to spend and stick to it.

Choose a seller that knows what they are doing. You may occasionally come across an individual person selling a sax they own, but most sellers will be dealers or large collectors. Avoid doing business with dealers who are not credible. They should be a member of some type of professional group or organization, such as the Better Business Bureau or something related to antiques and antique instruments.

Sellers should have licensing and some kind of certification from a related organization. While this is not applicable for an individual person, dealers should have a proper business license for sales. Always ask for licensing information and verify it. Do not settle for excuses or vague answers when you request this information.

When you are a new collector or buying an antique saxophone, it is natural to get overly excited. It is important, however, to remember this is likely going to be a fairly expensive purchase and should not be taken lightly. Counterfeit saxes are out there and knowing what to look for can help you avoid a huge mistake.




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