To be fair, I could be slightly biased since I run a saxophone shop. However, from an as neutral angle as possible, we do see there are a number of obvious advantages in dealing with a saxophone shop over buying through sites like Ebay, Craigslist, Reverb or similar. And this is especially true if you are shopping for a Selmer Mark VI and older vintages which are generally of higher value.

Here are some considerations and some things to look out for when you are shopping for a vintage saxophone online from sellers that is not specifically a saxophone shop.

If you shop around and compare prices, you will soon realize that Ebay prices, for instance, are often less of a bargain than you think. Sellers have large fees that they are trying to roll into the listed price (Buy it Now or Starting Price) and often there is little price differentiation and adjustment made for serial number and condition.

Additionally, if a saxophone will need an overhaul to bring out its full potential, you are looking at putting in at a minimum $1,000 on top of the purchase price. And then you will still need to find out if you actually like the horn or not.

Nowadays sellers are aware that a vintage Selmer saxophones are relative high value items and can fetch a high price. They are usually asking for a high price for these horns even though they may be selling them without accurate knowledge of the actual condition – both playing and physical condition.

More importantly, as a consumer, apart from price, I am more concerned with if I will really be getting what I paid for. Often times I see some sellers claim the saxophone is original, but from the pictures I can see evidence that make me somewhat suspicious. And that is when the pictures used in the listing are of good quality so I can actually have a good look at it. Often times the pictures are not showing the details needed to determine for instance if the lacquer is original or not.

Then the next thing I would be concerned about is how careful the seller is with shipping the saxophone safely to me. Not everyone has the knowledge and experience in really knowing how to pack a saxophone safely for shipping.

There has been unfortunate incidents where customers came to us and asked us to evaluate the saxophone they just bought online but was damaged during transit. This is a very real risk that everyone should be aware of.

Being a repair person, I can adjust the horn and therefore the exact playing condition is less of an issue for me. But if you are not in the same position, then one should budget in some money for additional adjustments when buying directly online. When you do not get to try the saxophone first before committing, you are certainly taking a chance.

Some sellers may have a reasonable return policy, though often times the return policy is not favorable to the buyer. Definitely something where you make sure to read the “fine print”.

Now, tooting our own horn 🙂 Here are some advantages I see from buying from a saxophone shop.

First, two things to note:

1) By “saxophone shop” I mean a saxophone specialty shop that really knows about the brands/models/vintages you are interested in. Quite different from a general music store.

2) The advantages I mention here apply to honest, knowledgeable and reputable saxophone shops around the world.

Guidance – there should be an experienced person (preferably with real playing experience) to help guide you through the saxophones available for you to try and possibly point you towards those saxophones that you would love to play within your budget.

Playtesting – Who doesn’t want to try it first before committing to the purchase? Even better, take it home and try it. Well, actually some shops do offer something like that – our shop, for reference, offer a 7-day return policy with a reasonable restocking fee. So it is not the end of the world if you change your mind.

And for those who cannot visit a shop and try out the saxophone (like now in 2020 when we are living through a pandemic), it becomes even more important to deal with an experienced saxophone specialty shop that provides you with honest and detailed information and has a good trial & return policy.

Shipping and Returns – a shop should have a good return policy, and they should have lots of experience in shipping a saxophone safely and securely to you.

Shop reputation – Longevity and a solid reputation are big plusses in my book when evaluating a business. If any shop wants to stay in business, you would want to develop a great reputation. So when it comes to buying from a shop, look for a reputable shop who will post honest and complete descriptions, pictures and videos, so you know exactly what you are getting, as opposed to one that tries to gloss over a previously dented bottom bow or an old setup, etc.

Setup – a shop should be ready to provide you with a professional setup that will last. And if you need some personal customizations like key heights or spring tensions, etc, they should be able to do it for you before you receive the horn. Yes, you can buy a saxophone from anyone that comes with a fresh overhaul. On that, I would suggest to inquire which shop did the work because overhaul qualities vary. What one repair person considers an overhaul, another may consider a re-pad.

To conclude, buying a saxophone, particularly vintage Selmer, is a considerable investment both financially but in fact also emotionally – we want to find that saxophone that we connect with in a way that best allows us to express our music and gives us joy to be playing on for many years to come.

Good luck with your search!