 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Staci
Date: 2000-06-07 19:09
Can someone tell me where I can go to get a decent appraisal on my Selmer Signet? It's about 30 years old, needs some cleaning, was totally reconditioned before it was put in storage in 1984, when I was in high school.
It's wood with what I'm assuming is nickel keys, they are tarnished, but everything else is fine, pads and cork show a little wear. The case is orignal but not in good shape. Some person at a music shop in Omaha, Ne offered me 25 bucks for it. Can anyone help me out here???
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-06-07 20:31
Twenty five bucks is a great deal --- for the store!!
Hang in there, Staci, unless you're really hard pressed for some (small) immediate cash. You'd do better with a local classified newspaper ad - or run it on eBay with a nice picture and a reasonable reserve.
ron b.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-06-08 00:48
Although I agree that you can probably do better on eBay or with a newspaper want ad, the store's $25 offer isn't all that far out of line, considering that the dealer will generally pad about half the retail value of an instrument in "as is" condition. Yours will need some reconditioning (time=money) before a shop could sell it. I bought a wooden Selmer Signet Special in basically playable condition (a couple of pads needed re-gluing) for only $35 at a yard sale. The seller, who was the original owner, hadn't been able to sell the clarinet to a dealer. Dealers in my area are overloaded with intermediate-quality instruments and they have poor resale value as a result. A lot of people will keep a plastic clarinet to play outdoors, and will want a pro-quality clarinet. The intermediate gets stuck . . . in the middle. IMHO, the *playing* value is higher than the money value. I was very happy to find this good clarinet for an everyday practice instrument. If you still play, considering how little return selling the clarinet would bring you, you might want to consider just keeping it as a practice instrument.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-06-08 01:55
I agree with Lelia. If you can't get fair price, keep it for a back-up or save it for your kids.
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Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-06-08 08:04
Willie wrote:
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I agree with Lelia. If you can't get fair price, keep it for a back-up or save it for your kids.
Or give it the local school for kids who really want to play
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Author: Staci
Date: 2000-06-08 14:39
Thanks to all who have helped me!! I don't play anymore, haven't since high school in 1983. I went on ebay and noticed alot of clarinets like mine on there for alot of different prices, so I think I will just sell it.
Again thanks for your help.
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-06-08 20:21
Donate the horn to a local shop that sponsors underpriveleged kids' music programs. My wife and I unloaded some student grade horns at the local shop for these kids. Sure, the tax write-off was nice, but somewhere in our metro area a few more kids have a chance to learn music instead of gang life or violence. This is the same shop that sold 150 Buffet E-11s in two weeks and 24 Buffet Festivals in one sale. Their charity is the instrument rehab program for local poor kids. I've seen them fix up some real beaters of horns and bring them back to life. If only we could do that for our kids, wouldn't it be nice? Think about this as a viable and worthwhile option for a good horn (or kid) that needs a little help.
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