Armstrong Saxophone - What is it worth?

[Jackle]

I got a Armstrong Sax from back in 6th grade when I used to play. My step pops gave it to me. Well I'm trying to clean out my room and make space and I came across this. I havent played in years I have no desire to start again so I figured I'd put it on ebay or somethin.

Just wanted to get a ball park of how much it's worth.

I believe it's a Armstrong Alto Saxophone. I attached a pic of it if it helps.

There arent many others on ebay but there is a "Armstrong Alto Sax" that has a buy it now price of $850. Is it worth that much?

[xero]

I've owned several different saxes (My current horn is a Selmer Paris Series III Alto worth well over $4k used) of all different varieties and brands, but I'm going to need more specifics.

Saxes are like cars. They depreciate drastically the first time they get played, though the price cut is a much higher percentage for lower end horns.

Armstrong is not really one of the highest respected brands, so it's probably worth 50-60% of its new value if it looks and plays exactly like it did when you bought it and has been recently serviced.

Here are some questions you can answer:

Are the pads in good condition or are they rotting? If they are rotting, do you plan to replace them? You need to check and make sure every pad closes tightly in every key configuration.

Is there any growth inside the bell from saliva? If it's that old, there is probably a greenish tint to the inside of the horn. Does the horn have a weird smell to it? If it does, you need to clean it.

Hows the laquer looking? Selling a horn for a high percentage of its original value hinges almost entirely on how good it looks. The common places for laquer wear for an alto sax are the neck, the back of the horn that touches your leg when you play (when sitting), the fitting for the neckstrap, the very bottom of the horn, and the underside, rim, and slightly inside the bell. There's nothing you can do to repair laquer problems, because getting a horn re-laquered is usually more expensive than just buying a new one.

Does it have any bent keys, guards or springs? If so, are you willing to fix them?

Is the cork on the neck in good condition? The cork should be PERFECT for the life of the horn. A chipped or rotting cork is a huge dealbreaker. And overly-greased cork is also bad too.

What kind of condition is the case in? Is the case made by the manufacturer of the horn? Does it still have all parts and accessories (with the exclusion of any spit cleaning cloths, neckstrap, and mouth piece, and reeds -- you keep that)? Is the inside of the case spotless and recently cleaned? Does the inside of the case have a funny mildew smell?

Based on the picture alone and assuming the horn is in fair to good condition, I personally would not pay more than $400 for it.

[Jackle]

I am not a expert in the area but I tried to examine the shape it is in:

1.) The pads seemed to be in good condition. They weren't chipped away at all and when I felt them they were kinda soft, not all brittle or anything. They also look to be healthy no discoloration or anything.

2.) Couldn't see much growth. I did see a very small amount of green tint. But it didnt have any funky smell. So I will clean it to be safe.

3.) I think the keys, guards and springs are ok. I used all the keys and they went down easily and returned to the original position once released. I dunno the exact way to test this.

4.) The cork seems perfect. No chips or rot whatsoever.

5.) The case is made by a "Pro Tec International". It is in good condition. It has no smell. And I plan on cleaning everything before selling.

I even put on a clean reed and tried it out and it still sounds pretty good :)

Like I said I am not an expert so I probably should take this to a music shop or something and let them tell me. But I just dont want them to tell me stuff is wrong with it just so they can get some business

[xero]

If the pads, keys, springs, etc are as good as you say they are, the horn is probably worth $400-500 if you sold it on Ebay and $150-200 if you pawned it. Many music stores that sell instruments do not buy them (at least here they don't), so what you may want to do is find a chain of music stores that does not buy horns, and have them give you their opinion because they don't have an interest in swindling you.

Another way to consider selling it (aside from finding a music store that buys horns back or Ebay) is to go to the band halls of your local middle schools and high schools and post flyers. Many parents are unknowledgable about the value of horns, so if you start high...say $550-650, and then leave a note that you're willing to haggle on the flyer, you may get a quick buyer who's willing to pay at least $400 for it. Most band directors will gladly let you advertise the horn in their office, because they can get that horn into the hands of some of their younger students who probably don't have $3k or more to buy an almighty Selmer Paris or Yamaha Pro Custom.

A lot of high school kids also buy shitty horns for a few hundred bucks to use during marching season so that they don't have to march with a 4 figure concert horn.

[Tone-Loc]

I finally gave my old crappy Bundystein (Bundy II + neck from god knows what other make) that was in such sad condition... I felt bad for letting it get that way, even though it was about the cheapest horn ever made.

Just think of a cheap sax, that hadn't been played since the spring of 1991 (roughly 15 years) and was kept in a case that was bent in places that kept it from really "sealing" (in as much as cases "seal"), so it might has well had not been a case at all.

Yeah, it was pretty shameful... :(