A brand new saxophone – just like almost all brand new things, will always have a certain devaluation as soon as you start using it as your horn. A rough guide would be to say it is worth around 80% of the original new price, even if it looks like new.
You will have the advantage if you are buying, for instance, a new Yanagisawa, that the saxophone setup and build quality is extraordinarily good and you won’t have to worry about repairs or adjustments for a long time.
In this respect, it is on par with a properly overhauled vintage saxophone.
Highest quality vintage horns like the vintage Selmer saxophones will hold their value very well and generally slowly appreciate over time. This has been the trend for many years and even in the face of recessions, the value over time seems to go up. The vintage Selmers (Mark VI and earlier) are considered legendary instruments and highly regarded by sax players and since they haven’t been made for almost 50 years by now, they are also slowly becoming more rare.
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