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Low ebay prices for CSV Yamaha

Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-05-25 18:16

Every once in a while I check Ebay to see what Yamaha CSV Bb clarinets are selling for. I thought I got a great deal for a nearly new one with an unused 4CM mouthpiece, cap and ligature and brand new Protec single clarinet case. I got mine from a local pawn shop and jumped at it for $1,100 out the door. For a long time I thought I was a great bargainer talking him down $400 from asking price. Recent Ebay sales show reapeated failed attempts to sell nice CSV's for prices like $1,800, $1,700, $1,500 or even $1,400 for an OK one in one instance. Albeit, Ebay sales are chancey in that you can't get to try out the horn and have to be willing to just roll the dice. This tends to cause people to be willing to pay less than they would if they got to play the horn and inspect it for a half hour the way I did.

Bear in mind that these clarinets list for $4,000, and regularly sell new for $2,600. For a nearly mint example, shouldn't a CSV sell quickly for about a thousand dollars less than the discounted new price? Perhaps the newer Custom CSG's and SV's have been the main draw for Yamaha.

I had to look a long time to find a clean R-13 for under a thousand dollars, but at least I know I can always recoup my money for this instrument in that R-13's hold their value well. My CSV is not really less of an instrument than my R-13. Why are used Yamaha's such a hard sale?

Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com

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