Instrument Valuation

[Rod]

Bromptons, the London auctioneers, are drumming up business for a forthcoming musical instrument sale with the question 'Are you playing your violin or is it gathering dust ?' I wonder how many fine instruments are bought and sold in this way as purely financial investments and then continue to 'gather dust'. Perhaps it doesn't really matter ?

[Anglo-Irishman]

Bromptons, the London auctioneers, are drumming up business for a forthcoming musical instrument sale with the question 'Are you playing your violin or is it gathering dust ?' I wonder how many fine instruments are bought and sold in this way as purely financial investments and then continue to 'gather dust'. Perhaps it doesn't really matter ?

 

Rod,

Let's not assume a horde of all-devouring financial locusts behind this advertising slogan!

 

I reckon a lot of instruments are gathering dust, not because they were bought as a financial investment, but because they were inherited by non-musicians, who simply don't know what to do with them. The best thing that a non-musical heir can do is to sell his instrument to a musician. This makes sense for all concerned: the heir gets some money, the musician gets an instrument, and the instrument gets played again. I'm sure a lot of non-musical inheritors of musical instruments tread this path. For those to whom it hasn't yet occurred to do so, this auctioneer's slogan is a helpful hint.

 

I got my highest-quality instrument - a top-of-the-line Windsor zither-banjo dating from pre-1914 and in almost mint condition - from an Ebay seller of this type. The banjo had belonged to his grandfather, who had played it as long as he could before he died, so it was well cared-for and maintained. The seller had tried to learn to play it, but had failed - so he put it up on Ebay, and I got it. I play it almost daily. Just yesterday evening, I used it to entertain a good friend and her guests at her birthday dinner. And all because somebody realised that he wasn't going to play, and the instrument was goíng to gather dust, and that this was not right.

 

Cheers,

John

 

 

PS. In a truly perfect, benign dictatorship, there would be a Dust Inspector who examines old musical instruments, and if he ascertains a layer of dust thicker than the threshold value, compels the owner to put the instrument up for auction.

[Chris Timson]

Or arranged to come back at a future date to see how much progress the owner is making in learning to play ...

 

Chris

[Rod]

Bromptons, the London auctioneers, are drumming up business for a forthcoming musical instrument sale with the question 'Are you playing your violin or is it gathering dust ?' I wonder how many fine instruments are bought and sold in this way as purely financial investments and then continue to 'gather dust'. Perhaps it doesn't really matter ?

 

Rod,

Let's not assume a horde of all-devouring financial locusts behind this advertising slogan!

 

I reckon a lot of instruments are gathering dust, not because they were bought as a financial investment, but because they were inherited by non-musicians, who simply don't know what to do with them. The best thing that a non-musical heir can do is to sell his instrument to a musician. This makes sense for all concerned: the heir gets some money, the musician gets an instrument, and the instrument gets played again. I'm sure a lot of non-musical inheritors of musical instruments tread this path. For those to whom it hasn't yet occurred to do so, this auctioneer's slogan is a helpful hint.

 

I got my highest-quality instrument - a top-of-the-line Windsor zither-banjo dating from pre-1914 and in almost mint condition - from an Ebay seller of this type. The banjo had belonged to his grandfather, who had played it as long as he could before he died, so it was well cared-for and maintained. The seller had tried to learn to play it, but had failed - so he put it up on Ebay, and I got it. I play it almost daily. Just yesterday evening, I used it to entertain a good friend and her guests at her birthday dinner. And all because somebody realised that he wasn't going to play, and the instrument was goíng to gather dust, and that this was not right.

 

Cheers,

John

 

 

PS. In a truly perfect, benign dictatorship, there would be a Dust Inspector who examines old musical instruments, and if he ascertains a layer of dust thicker than the threshold value, compels the owner to put the instrument up for auction.

 

Yes John. I applaud your sentiments. All instruments deserve ultimately to be inherited by someone who has the potential ability to breathe new life into them...irrespective of financial value. Your Dust Inspector would then have to look elsehere for gainful employment.