by "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
Published 08/17/2017 at 20:14
by "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
Published 08/17/2017 at 20:14
Tags: outgunned
STARS: 2
Some of you may be aware that I am searching for a baritone horn (actually euphonium) for my nephew with a little help from my friends (especially ttyymmnn). Well, I found a good one at a great price that I thought I’d bid on. I was the only bidder when I put in mine with 5 min. left on the clock.
Well, I thought I was home free when, at less than 30 seconds to go, some cocksucker fine upstanding citizen slipped in under me with his bid, and before I could counter, the clock ran out.
May his valves stick and the lacquer peel off in a week.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
08/17/2017 at 20:19, STARS: 2
To that slimey eBayer
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
08/17/2017 at 20:20, STARS: 1
That sucks.
I like BaTs system much better. The clock resets to 2 minutes after every new bid.
So you can’t lose an item just because someone has quicker fingers than you.
"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
08/17/2017 at 20:35, STARS: 0
5 minutes left, way too early. Seven seconds is the figure, put in your best price and that’s it. I honestly have no idea why anybody bids before there’s 7 seconds left.
"Wacko" (wacko--)
08/17/2017 at 20:38, STARS: 1
But that’s what maximum bid is for on eBay.
"unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)" (unclevanos)
08/17/2017 at 20:42, STARS: 2
What a brasshole.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/17/2017 at 20:53, STARS: 1
Totally!
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/17/2017 at 20:54, STARS: 1
Seems like it would make more money for the seller too.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/17/2017 at 20:56, STARS: 1
I figured with no other bidders I should put something in because I was making dinner and didn’t want to get caught out. Next time I’ll do it differently.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/17/2017 at 20:57, STARS: 0
Yeah, and I know that. I’m just suspicious of the auto bidding function and tried to do it manually.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/17/2017 at 20:58, STARS: 0
Yes! Thank you!
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
08/17/2017 at 21:38, STARS: 1
Yeah. Much more critical when you’re talking about a $50k car, but still.
BaT auctions often run 15-20 minutes overtime with the back and forth. So whoever wants it most gets it.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/18/2017 at 08:07, STARS: 1
If you are looking on ebay, I recommend make sure you know what the comparable market price is so you can pick your number and feel OK if you win or loose. I did a quick search and found this site LINK and it looks like you can buy a nice used one for $700. So - if you think that is the basis, if you see one as nice, and you bid $650 as your max bid you ought to feel ok with your purchase whether you paid $511 or $650.
BTW, the horn I found is being sold by a music store and is probably an ex rental. Like rental cars, they are pretty good options as they are only a couple years old and have been looked after. I would pay a premium for it vs a horn from a pawn shop (stolen) or from someone that had low number of sales and you don’t know what you are getting.
I don’t know this seller, and I don’t know if this is the actual instrument being sold. I would talk to them and confirm if it is and if not request pictures before buying.
Ps, you might also drop by your local music store as they all have rentals and may just be willing to let one go for a similar price.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/18/2017 at 12:37, STARS: 0
This is all good advice, and what I did when researching my daughter’s flute. In fact, when I use eBay, I almost never get into auctions. I look for a Buy It Now price that I think is a good value and I’m willing to pay. The horn I posted above didn’t have that, so I decided to take a stab at bidding. When I can’t see and play it first, I look for a seller with a defined return policy. That tells me they are likely to be more conscientious about not foisting garbage on me.
Rental instruments, like rental cars, have been beaten on mercilessly by countless little kids. However, they are usually maintained. My local music store, however, charges too much for the privilege of buying them. See, as long as they are still serviceable, they can keep renting and getting money for them, and their rent to own program goes to full retail price, even though the horn is well used. On the other hand, sellers like the link you put above are reasonable, and that’s a decent price. Thanks for putting in the effort, I will check it out.
"Jayvincent" (jayvincent)
08/18/2017 at 22:54, STARS: 1
Euphoniums rock! (although you will spend a significant portion of your life telling people “it’s not a tuba” and explaining why they should be able to spot the difference...)
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/18/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 1
Yep, there not the best known brass instrument. No one ever sang “76 euphoniums led the big parade...” Still have a great sound in concert. My nephew made a solid choice.
"RacinBob" (racinbob)
08/19/2017 at 10:04, STARS: 1
Keep in mind that every store is different. What you are looking for is a store that turns their inventory every three years. Just like a major rental car place. Since the instrument looks new when rented, there is a strong incentive for the kid to keep it that way and or buy it when the kid decides to keep playing. That’s how they make money.
Sure there are probably the mom and pop places that turn them slower as you describe, but the one pictured in the ad, assuming that is the actual instrument for sale seems to be from a store that doesn’t keep the horns forever. If that is the case, it is a near new instrument for 40% the price of new.
You can’t go wrong with Yamaha. Another brand to consider is Jupiter. Built in Taiwan, judging from the people around me that are playing them, they are quality instruments from my impression.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
08/19/2017 at 13:50, STARS: 0
Yeah, my nephew is renting a Jupiter right now. I hear mixed things about them. They’re definitely low end, but not as low as other anonymous Chinese brands. Ttyymmnn’s friends are not fans. Like with most instruments, Yamaha is a safe bet. Sometimes a Besson or the like comes into range. TTyymmnn is trying to set me up with some musicians and store owner network contacts that I will be getting into, and the link you provided seems to be a good possibility. If you or anyone else has any more leads, I’ll be happy to collect more info.
And thanks!