VMI 103 Amarillo TX

[greenbean]

Re: shipping this VMI tuba.

If I were going to buy it, I would consider having him (her?) ship it in a wardrobe box like before and ship the empty case via Greyhound. I think that would minimize the risk of damage.

[bloke]

I will definitely reactivate my account and compare.
thanks

UPS rates have gone DOWN for me in the past year. At least for the types of packages I ship - medium to large.

[bloke]

Now I see that FedExGround does 165"...but I need to figure out what's going one when I enter values like that, when trying to create a label...

...whatev'...no one's problem but mine. I'll solve it.

thnx.

[Three Valves]

Price drop to 3k.

[bloke]

same (post-hyperinflation) as pre “reset” (or whatever the ruling class chooses to call it) $1800 or so

[greenbean]

same (post-hyperinflation) as pre “reset” (or whatever the ruling class chooses to call it) $1800 or so

Right... When is the last time you saw a very nice VMI 103 go for $1800?...

[bloke]

I’ve bought several for about $1500 - $1800 bucks - over the last decade, smoothed them out/cleaned them up a little bit, and sold them to local schools for about $2500 - $2900 bucks. (I’ve had to pass over those without cases, because schools always expect to get cases with their tubas.)
I’m not one to buy things - at what the freak jury perceives as “fair market value“ - with the intention of reselling them. I’m the one who quietly picks up some of the best deals (crappy pictures, low feedback sellers, incorrect auction titles, etc.), doesn’t boast about them, fixes them up nice, and usually sells them - within one or two days of advertising them online - later.
===========
sidebar:
I have never ever bought any used Yamaha 641 tubas to flip (as I’ve seen plenty of this for sale in that same price range as well). The reason is that they are thin gauge (as with Czech tubas) and - were I to slick them out and sell them to local schools – they would come back smashed up all the time, and consume too large of a percentage of my time repairing instruments that I sold locally and - thus - would be obligated to repair. Yet another reason that I have never bought 641 tubas for resale/flipping is because their hard cases are crappy, and - thus - 641 tubas’ included cases are always torn up by the time they are offered for sale used, so there would be an additional (very high/non-starter) expense of a replacement hard case, prior to selling any of those to schools.
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Candidly, most of the “ fair market value eBay treasure” - that others buy and bring to me to fix up for them - are instruments that I passed over - due to price and condition.
=============
fiat currency:
Intentionally/by design, our rulers our continue to devalue our money to keep us off balance. When they choose to suppress us particularly hard, they’ll pull epic stunts - with our money, their narratives, and policy - such as have been pulled on us over the last two or three years.
Anyone my age remembers when (during their Jr High years) a new Miraphone 186 cost about $800 bucks, yet – by the time they were shopping for one in their late teens – the price had already zoomed up to $1800 bucks.

same (post-hyperinflation) as pre “reset” (or whatever the ruling class chooses to call it) $1800 or so

Right... When is the last time you saw a very nice VMI 103 go for $1800?...

[Three Valves]

same (post-hyperinflation) as pre “reset” (or whatever the ruling class chooses to call it) $1800 or so

Right... When is the last time you saw a very nice VMI 103 go for $1800?...

That one you were selling was....

Would have looked even better in one of your bags.

[Three Valves]

I’ve bought several for about $1500 - $1800 bucks - over the last decade, smoothed them out/cleaned them up a little bit, and sold them to local schools for about $2500 - $2900 bucks. (I’ve had to pass over those without cases, because schools always expect to get cases with their tubas.)
I’m not one to buy things - at what the freak jury perceives as “fair market value“ - with the intention of reselling them. I’m the one who quietly picks up some of the best deals (crappy pictures, low feedback sellers, incorrect auction titles, etc.), doesn’t boast about them, fixes them up nice, and usually sells them - within one or two days of advertising them online - later.

This one is only 6k.

May be around a while...

https://www.tubaexchange.com/collection ... 4-bbb-tuba

[bloke]

Today, that store’s price is about (properly/appropriately adjusted for hyperinflation) what half that amount was three years ago. Anyone who embraces the narrative that the inflation rate is only what their television sets claim is very (OK… Not “silly“, but) gullible person. All they have to do is to go out into the world and shop for most anything to discover that – predictably (as with ever since there was “news“) – what they are being told on television is a pack of “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” lies.

As to the 103 instruments, I’ve always thought that they are a very sturdy/well-made utility instrument, but a downgrade from the (previous design) handmade 16-inch-bell instruments which featured horizontal main slides and that trademark B&S open loop in the #4 circuit (vs. the crowded #4 wrap in the back of the 103).

original version:
I have actually played a few of those which I toyed with the idea keeping for myself.
103 version:
fine reliable instruments to offer for sale to schools

[Three Valves]

Today, that store’s price is about (properly/appropriately adjusted for hyperinflation) what half that amount was three years ago.

It appears to be NOS as well.

It would have to be to command that price.

It's the highest priced one I've seen (Over 2k higher) since taking an interest in them.

[bloke]

I have no criticism to offer of anyone's ask price of anything in particular.

[bort2.0]

Ok, so I guess I was confused... I had thought all along that the tuba in the Reverb ad was the VMI 3103:



But, it's not. It's probably the same exact tuba, but the 103 has a smaller bell (17.5") than the 3103 (19"). My experience has been with the 3103, and I very much liked the way it sounded. I'd have to assume, but probably not incorrectly, that the 103 is probably very similar.

Here is another VMI 103. Free market economy!

https://www.tubaexchange.com/products/u ... 4-bbb-tuba

[hrender]

The Musica BBb that Dillon's has for sale is a better deal, IMO. There are some other 101 stencils up on LeBay for less (i.e. current bid), but they're in much worse condition.

[hrender]

Looked at the current version of the ad, and it now indicates shipping is now an option. FWIW, I think the 3NNN numbering scheme is a newer thing for export market: 101-->3101, 103-->3103, etc. Bell size in the ad (17.5") is smaller than what's on the catalog page, although it may be an older model (i.e. pre-3NNN). Still likely a good horn, and though not a screaming deal, price is decent if the valves and all are in good shape. Dent is unfortunate but likely mostly cosmetic.

[Three Valves]

Dent is unfortunate but likely mostly cosmetic.

Anyone know if that requires upper bow separation or something less drastic to correct??

[bloke]

It depends on how deep it is. The picture of the dent is straight on, so only two dimensional. If the picture was from the side, there would be better perception of depth.

If (??) I believed that I could remove it without taking off the bow, I would still take off the keel - and put it back on when I was done.

I’m chuckling, because I remember quite a few years ago when a longtime friend messed up the bottom bow on their tuba and - for some reason -it was covered by insurance. Someone local - to where they were living at the time - quoted for removing the bow, repairing it, strip/replace lacquer, blah blah blah blah blah.

He brought it to me (back in his hometown), and I managed to repair it beautifully without taking the bow off, and accepted the allotted money from the insurance company - quoted by the other person. When the other person saw the repair, they told my friend that I had cheated him, because I didn’t do all of that invasive work (work which screams “PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED !!!”) and all of that lacquer-stripping to affect the repair.

…It’s funny how people don’t mind a bit when some guy sitting at a desk drinking coffee makes a 3 to 5 thousand(s) dollars markup when they sell them a tuba (sending an email, and ordering a sold tuba drop-shipped from a warehouse to a buyer’s destination), but - if they think a repair guy is making more than a hundred bucks an hour successfully wrestling with their damaged instrument - some of the same people get all pissed off.

[hrender]

Price dropped again: https://reverb.com/item/51065960-vmi-103-bbb-tuba

[Three Valves]

I don’t need another one of these… do I??

[bort2.0]

I don’t need another one of these… do I??

Keep one at home and one at the beach!