As I mentioned in the beginning of this guide, the Internet has radically changed the way people are buying and selling saxophones. Some amazing and unexpected things have happened as a result. This section will attempt to deal with the various ways to find and purchase a horn on-line.
A bit of history
In the beginning of the Internet "gold rush," a really interesting thing happened. Horns began appearing in Internet classifieds at the prices they were selling for in the real world. This was the first time that a widely-distributed media revealed local pricing structures that had been previously hidden by geographic and economic diversity. In plainer terms, the value of vintage saxophones varied widely depending on where you looked. Internet-savvy dealers were witnessing an enormous market opening before their eyes, where Selmers and other desirable horns were now widely available at unbelievably low prices. The public was unaware that the Internet classifieds were a radically different animal than their local classifieds. Suddenly the old reed player in Walla Walla, Washington, received calls from New York on his old saxophones instead of from across town. In these early stages, a tremendous amount of money was made and the used horn market was like a treasure chest sprung open, ready for plunder.
As with other gold rushes, the market forces in play were ultimately unsustainable. Dealers began greedily posting "saxophone wanted" ads in every on-line classified advertising section they could find. Horns were often sold the same day they were listed. While all of this was going on, more information on horn pricing became publicly available. People also became more accustomed to the idea of the Internet as a source of research material on almost any subject. It became clear that the Internet was a global market with thousands of people willing to pay lots of money for the items they were buying. Horns were suddenly worth much more money than before.
When on-line auctions began to materialize, this became painfully eveident, and the huge disparity in prices began to equalize. Dealers were forced to compete with the local-level market on the same terms as a national competitor, since the Internet provides, in one place, an equivalent and much more diverse inventory. As I write this, there are almost 300 saxophones listed every day on eBay!
Another curious repercussion of on-line auctions is the realization that some horns are not nearly as rare as dealers previously wanted us to believe. Anyone can now pick from dozens of Selmer Mark VI saxophones available 24-hours a day, every day, and at reasonable prices. Were it not for the Internet, it is quite likely that Selmer saxes would be selling for $5000 a piece no matter what their condition or quality, although there would still be regional inequalities hiding in the Heartland.
The Internet today
When searching for a new or used saxophone, there are literally hundreds of places to look on-line for it. Most major music stores and individual dealers offer Internet sites. Many of the individual dealers out there got their start from the early days of the "gold rush" and have no real business, while others had a limited national presence before the Internet.
It is important to make a distinction between these three on-line business types, because each offers a unique set of considerations.
Music Stores
Music store web sites are the on-line representation of an existing storefront, or chain of storefronts. Within this category, there are three different types of businesses: non-specialized single-store retailers, specialized single-store retailers and non-specialized multi-store retailers.
A non-specialized single-store retailer is often the music store down the street from you. These types of stores usually carry a diverse inventory, although not normally heavy in new/used saxophones. The major advantage of this kind of retailer is that sometimes pricing reflects the regional cost structure. They might offer an instrument that is worth $1000 on the national market for $300 because that's what it sells for in their local market. These stores tend to have a good connection to the community as well as a good in-flow of used instruments. The down side of these stores is that they rarely have expertise specific to any single instrument. Repairs are usually done by someone in-house who may or may not have a thorough understanding of saxophones. I have seen some great horns at small shops destroyed by inexperienced repair technicians. On the other hand, I have my repairs done exclusively at a shop like this in a small town and my repairman does the best saxophone work I have ever seen. It just depends on the individual shop.
Specialized single-store retailers offer the most comprehensive selection of inventory and expertise. These are shops like SAXQUEST.COM or TenorMadness. They are often run by one or more saxophone players or collectors who know which horns are desirable and why. Repairs are generally handled in-house or by the owner, which means the quality of the repair is usually excellent. The down side of purchasing from a store like this is that prices will be higher than other non-specialized stores, or individual dealers with little or no overhead cost. As described in earlier sections, the prices reflect value added by the business. In essence, you get what you pay for, assuming that the dealer you are purchasing from is honest and reputable.
Non-specialized multi-store retail stores, or more commonly called chain stores, are (in my opinion) generally the least desirable place to purchase a used horn. These stores often lose touch with the local music community and are staffed by people who know little about music or instruments in general. A salesperson who is working on commission (the normal means of compensation in a chain store) is more likely to say what you want to hear. In the business of saxophones, this can be devastating since there are so many variables in the condition and playability of an instrument. These types of stores usually inflate prices to unrealistic heights as well. This reflects their general misunderstanding of used instrument values and quality. If you are looking for a new horn, it can be a different story, since chain stores may have a wider selection coupled with standardized retail pricing.
Individual Dealers
Before the Internet, individual dealers offered a change of pace from national retailers. They usually had a good selection of highly desirable or collectible horns and some personality that was often missing from larger stores. These dealers typically relied on the premise that vintage horns were incredibly scarce and extremely valuable, a premise that the Internet has radically dissolved. My personal experience with individual dealers has been highly variable and usually negative, as detailed in earlier sections. The web sites of these businesses are good places to go for the research phase of your purchase. They normally allow you to look at pictures and prices and get some idea what price range you'll be looking in for the horn you wish to buy. If you do decide to purchase from an individual dealer, make sure you ask all of the questions up front and know where you stand if you need or want to return the instrument. Because they are not businesses with a storefront, your recourse in the event of a misrepresented instrument is limited at best.
On-line Auctions
Anyone who has been to an auction in some dusty barn surrounded by cool old antiques knows the rush of bidding on something you really want. On-line auctions have a similar feeling, although with a certain sterility. Above all, on-line auctions offer a dizzying array of merchandise for you to look at in an easy-to-view format. That's the good part.
The bad parts of an on-line auction are the unknown nature of the merchandise, the seller and the final price. Many times the seller is uninformed and misrepresenting the instrument they are selling. I have purchased 3 horns through eBay and 2 of them were completely misrepresented and unusable! There are many other stories of purchasing fiascos and fraud from the trenches, and I anticipate it only getting worse in the long run. There are dealers who use eBay exclusively to sell their instruments; so much so that they don't even bother having a web site! Other sellers include hobbyists, private party sellers and antique stores. The bottom line of purchasing a horn through an on-line auction is BE CAREFUL!
There are many specific things to watch for when you bid on a saxophone (or any other item). Check the feedback rating of the seller to see if it is positive. If it is positive, is it all recent, or is it spread out over a long period of time? Some unscrupulous sellers will have dozens of aliases that put feedback on each of their various other accounts. To the untrained eye, it looks like they have lots of glowing feedback, but the truth is it is all self-generated. Another feedback-boosting tool some sellers use is buying or selling lots of inexpensive items specifically to receive good feedback. Check the items they have sold or bought and make sure it relates to the item at hand. If not, they may be waiting for the right person to purchase a misrepresented item.
Pictures in an auction can be very misleading. Sellers will often take pictures that emphasize the best parts of a horn. Also, ping dents and other small forms of damage are easily concealed as are relacquered instruments. Pictures can also be digitally edited. Here is a small example:
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My final recommendation on purchasing a horn through an on-line auction is to communicate in-depth in writing with the seller, even if the auction listing has a great deal of information. It can never hurt to ask too many questions! You are about to spend a lot of money and you are in the power position.
On-line Wrap-up
Besides the sources above, there are many other ways to find used and new horns on the Internet. Included in this list are news groups such as rec.music.makers.saxophone, and alt.music.saxophone. There are also a myriad of classified sites such as classifieds2000. As with all other sites and sellers, ask the questions beforehand, and get as much information as possible.