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 Serial Numbers
Author: Barry Vincent 
Date:   2011-07-14 07:06

Every now and again I notice on the BB someone discussing this and that about their Clarinet and they will mention the serial number but they do not reveal all the numbers. Eg 123xxx. Is there a reason for this ? In past threads that I have started concerning my Clarinets I have typed in all the numbers. After all , I own the instrument/s. Am I unaware of a certain approach as pertaining to serial numbers ?

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Laurelin 
Date:   2011-07-14 07:30

That's because first three numbers of the serial will give you the year it was made, generally. If a thousand clarinets are produced a year, and you have number 5349, you don't need the last three digits. The five tells you it was the fifth year our hypothetical company was in business, and you can get a date off of that. 349 probably means it was made in ... late April? But nobody cares about that so much.

Hope that helped.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: ThatPerfectReed 
Date:   2011-07-14 12:19

..what laurelin said... : - )

websites exist to determine the manufacture date of some makers horns: a useful tool if you're not sure when you bought the instrument new, or if you bought it used, and the prior owner (who may have also bought it used) doesn't know its production information.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Barry Vincent 
Date:   2011-07-14 22:57

Thanks for the response to my tread guys.
So this means that I can go ahead with trying to sell some of my instruments on Ebay and to show that I have nothing to hide and actually own the instrument/s , I can quote the entire serial number/s.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Laurelin 
Date:   2011-07-15 00:01

I'm not sure what you mean in regard to serial numbers and actually owning the instrument. Serial numbers only tell you when it was manufactured - clarinets are not cars with an owner history attached to their numbers or software with serial keys to show you didn't steal it.

People generally only quote serial numbers on ebay - or anywhere else - to let others know the date of manufacture. It gives no other information that I'm aware of.

That said, listing the entire serial number of the instrument certainly won't hurt anything. Go ahead.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Barry Vincent 
Date:   2011-07-15 04:43

Thanks for that information Laurelin, I was only assuming that the serial number of each instrument was unique.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Lelia Loban 2017
Date:   2011-07-15 19:27

Another reason I've heard that some people prefer not to give the whole serial number online: In the past, apparently there have been some scam attempts where crooks contacted online auction sellers, produced what they claimed were original receipts and accused the dealers of selling stolen instruments (or other things with serial numbers). The scamsters tried to demand money or "return" of the items. Basically it's a protection racket. Of course the scam artist who tries that trick on someone who still has an authentic original music store receipt or other proof of purchase could get into a whole lot of legal trouble, but an honest dealer still would rather avoid this type of fight in the first place by not giving the would-be scammer the ammo.

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: tictactux 2017
Date:   2011-07-15 20:36

ACK Lelia.

I haven't ever received an original store receipt with my online-bought instruments, probably simply because they don't exist any more. So when quoting serial numbers, I also write "6428xx", and I obfuscate/pixelise part of the serials if they can be seen on pictures, just to be on the safe side.

--
Ben

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Chris P 
Date:   2011-07-15 20:51

Not giving the full seial number also safeguards any 'sellers' on Craigslist from using it in a scam, so if you have to, it's best to give just the first two or three numbers on a six or seven figure serial number, the first two numbers on a five figure serial number and the first number on a four figure serial number. If there's a prefix or suffix (A to Z or AA to ZZ), then that should be disclosed if you want to know the year it was made, but never disclose the full number, only the first couple or so digits at the most.

This is why:

Real listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260746556316+&clk_rvr_id=246989366024

Fake listing: http://london.craigslist.co.uk/msg/2476625610.html

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010

The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2011-07-15 20:53)

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 Re: Serial Numbers
Author: Barry Vincent 
Date:   2011-07-15 23:35

Now I'm getting an education, thanks again fellow BBs.

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