Klarinet Archive - Posting 000623.txt from 2000/06
From: mus_ldj@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: WW/BW
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 01:09:26 -0400
Thank you Prof. Lacy!!!
There is a lot of sagacity in what you're stating. For myself the price I
paid for that beginner horn is a steal, but the value of it to me is a dream
come true! I've been playing that horn and breaking it in everyday this
week. No less than 4 hours per day. One collegue of mine ( a choral prof )
made the statement that instrumentalists spend the big bucks on horns, but the
sound and quality of that horn is produced from the player. Well the point of
me saying that is just what you're talking about, the value of the instrument
itself to the player.
I am a pretty good player and I realized that once I learn my "horn" I can put
maybe a different mouthpience on it and work on intonation better over the
years, but basically appreciate the long-term investment into my livelihood
and passion in life.
Thanks for this marvelous insight. I'm going to print this out and keepsake
it.
"Edwin V. Lacy" wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Jun 2000 peter.stoll@-----.ca wrote:
>
> > I also called up Muncy Winds when I had a great pro bass for sale, was
> > offered such a ridiculously low price I laughed! It was like talking
> > to a used car lot, I think they would have understood "Bundy" better
> > than Selmer 33.
>
> I don't find that surprising. Like any other retailer, they are in the
> business of selling instruments, not buying them. And, when you take into
> account their overhead, including taxes, salaries and benefits, utilities,
> facilities, and much, much more, they couldn't possibly make a profit on
> an instrument unless they could sell it for something like 30% to 50% more
> than they paid for it. And, don't forget that they have to sell the
> instrument at a price that is lower than the price for a comparable new
> instrument, or no one would be interested in buying a used one.
>
> What we are getting at here is the *value* of an instrument to the player,
> which is not always the same thing as the price of the instrument in
> dollars. I have a few instruments which are in the higher-level
> professional category. For example, I have a Fox model 601 bassoon. The
> list price of that instrument, according to the factory, is somewhere
> around $19,000 or $20,000. Naturally, I paid quite a bit less than that
> for it, but it has a very high value to me, because it is part of what
> determines my livelihood. If I wanted to sell it through a dealer, I
> would expect that the dealer would in turn have to sell it for less than I
> paid for it. Otherwise, why would a buyer want to buy mine rather than a
> new one at a similar discounted price? I expect a dealer would put such
> an instrument on the market for something in the $10,000 - $12,000 range.
> And, I wouldn't expect to be offered much more than half of that by the
> dealer. So, I would be in the position of having to decide whether to
> sell an instrument which in my mind is worth something around $20,000 or
> more, for an offered price of maybe $5,000 or $6,000. If I were a dealer,
> that is the most I would expect that I could offer someone for a
> professional quality instrument. In other words, the value of the
> instrument to me, the dealer, would be very different from the value to
> me, the performer.
>
> But, if I wanted to sell that instrument for something more nearly
> equating with what I regard the value of it to be, I would have to try to
> find a potential buyer who would have a conception more nearly like my
> own about the value of the instrument. In other words, I would have to
> find out how to get in touch with another professional player or teacher
> or a student who wanted to upgrade to an instrument in that category.
> That's a lot of work, but it isn't really reasonable to expect a dealer to
> do that work for me.
>
> I should add that a dealer who has public relations in mind is placed in a
> very difficult situation when a professional offers to sell a high-quality
> instrument. It's almost impossible for them to offer a price that will
> satisfy someone who has what they regard as a high-end instrument. And,
> most often, the potential seller won't understand why the price they are
> offered is so low. What the dealer probably won't do is say what I have
> said in this message - "We're in the business of selling instruments, not
> buying them." But, that's probably what they are thinking.
>
> Ed Lacy
> *****************************************************************
> Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
> Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
> Evansville, IN 47722
> el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
> *****************************************************************
>
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