Klarinet Archive - Posting 000061.txt from 2003/12

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] C-Clarinet Alert
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 10:12:49 -0500

Forest Aten wrote:
>It is very, very unlikely that I would pursue the purchase any clarinet
from
>the 1950's....and yes, "that kind of price" for most any clarinet from the
>50's is way out of touch. What people pay on eBay is irrelevant. I could
>sell dirty old socks on eBay for more money than I paid for them new.
>(Well....I'd even wash them and call them "in mint condition")(I might even
>sell them the ones without holes ;-)

Ah, but you'd probably make a lot more money on the socks unwashed, *with*
the holes . . . the authentic, vintage holes. Any chance they might
qualify as *antique* holes? And naturally the photo should include a nice
little write-up about where the holes came from, with scholarly notes on
the precise geographical origin of the vintage dirt, as well as the ethnic
particulars of the vintage dried sweat and the vintage toejam.... Any
hangnail residue would, of course, add considerable value.

I'm not altogether kidding, since more than one flea market dealer has
assured me that some alleged clarinet, actually a misbegotten marriage of
plastic Bundy parts comingled with wooden no-name parts, is worth extra
because it comes with a case (yes, and the case comes with mildew and
centipedes, at no extra charge!) and because "this one's not missing the
little bamboo part that most of them are missing" (yes, that "little bamboo
part" is the reed).

Speaking of flea markets, did anybody see any clarinets worth buying at a
flea this season? I didn't. We had record-setting rain here (Washington,
D. C. area) that included rain nearly every weekend; so maybe I think I'm
seeing a trend when I'm really seeing dealers with enough common sense not
to expose anything of value to damaging weather. Still, it does seem as
though more of the musical instruments and other worthwhile items now go
straight to eBay.

Lelia Loban
E-mail: lelialoban@-----.net
Web site (original music scores as audio or print-out):
http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/LeliaLoban

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