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Pulled this 1926 Conn 40K out of a farmer's shed today. The fourth valve is still in the casing - needs a stem and finger button. Neck assembly is missing as well - minimal denting, and will most likely need valves replated! No dead animals floated out after a preliminary dust-off bath....
Interested in hearing of others' unexpected joyous finds!

Whoopee! Congrats!

I know this is a tuba forum. But, I had a Buffet Superdynaction alto sax come in with a load of middle school trade-in stuff a few weeks ago. I doubt if a middle school would have ever purchased a professional sax back in the 60's and rather think it was donated to the school by some ex sax-players widow. The sax needed a little work but was basically playable as it was. My wife latched on to it and 'retired' her student Conn alto.

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Kay Model 1 string bass... in the way of a department at a local college. I suggested a loan, until they need it back or I leave employment of that institution. Agreed, nothing in writing (!), but everyone in that dept who knew anything about it left before I did.

hehehe

not my find, but my wife's. She used to be a hard core yard saler, and was out one Saturday on the prowl. Conn 14K sousaphone in a driveway. She showed "minor interest" and told the lady selling that $50 was not in her budget. Came back by later, seller suggested $25, my wife passed on it. She went back one more time, and the woman just gave it to her. Horn didn't have a mouthpiece, but had neck, bits, fully playable, no significant dents, etc.

I've been prowling the garage/estate sales, flea markets, school music depts for over 40 years. Among my "finds" are the following:
1. My daughter's 1955 Olds Mendez trumpet--guy said he used it for marching band many years ago--poor laquer but NO dents and the slides and valves were perfect. He wanted $15---I gave him $12.
2. My oldest son has a PERFECT 1920's Conn "C melody" sax. The seller said a part was missing--He couldn't get the neck to fit onto the body. It fit just fine once the metal end plug was removed. $15
3. When the school district where I worked decided to relocate its district music office,they cleaned out all of the junk that was just sitting around including a Barcone SMALL bore BBb sousaphone, three Sansone F*****horns and a small Eb tuba with a sousaphone bell added on. I kept one of the Sansones and the rest I passed on to friends and associates in other districts.
4. An old simple system oboe--Bought for only $10 because "the mouthpiece is missing".
5. When a playing colleague took over as band director she was faced with a storeroom full of disassociated instrument parts. I managed to "salvage" a 1939 King Liberty 2B trombone (which my youngest son now uses), A three valve Besson compensating euphonium (my wife currently plays) two Conn 88H trombones (which I refurbished for the school) and a whole mess of spare "pieces of brass" .
6. Same school. I traded a bunch of useable trumpets and a Horn for the remains of an old bassoon. Turns out it was a 1914 series 5000 HECKEL. My wife LOVES it (and so do her teacher and colleagues).
7. Turn of the century German cello in two pieces--they were thinking of using it as a planter (ivy out of the F holes). Got it for FREE. Beautiful chamber music sound.
8. An old Lyon and Healy Eb tuba bought from Ebay--It was listed as a Baritone and had "0" bids. $35

Many of these instruments needed considerable work to put them into playing shape. Others played well as found.

Paul

I returned home from work one day and found someone had left a tuba, abandoned, on my door step. It was in a box, well packed as though shipped by UPS and about the color of the F# key on a piano. I polished it with Hagerty's and discovered I had a Conn Jumbo Eb. It played well, when I tried it but I had Dan Oberloh do some work to straighten out some intonation problems and it works even better.

I did not know who sent it - there was no return address on the box, only a UPS label so I tracked the package and found it had come from a small town out side of Cleveland. I worked with another teacher, once (Actually, I got her the job) who was from Kent State so I took a chance and called her to ask about it. When she answered the phone, I said "Donna, I love you!" Her reply was "So, you got the tuba, hunh?" Turns out, she and her husband bought a house, in Hudson, Ohio, and found this on a foundation shelf in the basement. It had been overlooked because the corrosion was so thoroughly covering the horn it was hard to see. She just knew I would want it so she shipped it. This is me, last week-end, at the HPNWBBb rehearsal playing it.

Not a tuba but...

...A couple years back my father called me up and said he was sending a little guitar practice amp he found at a garage sale. The seller wanted five bucks but didn't know if it worked or not so my Dad offer $2.50 which was accepted.

A few days later a package arrive on my doorstep. I opened it up to find a mint condition 1957 Fender Tweed Champ. 12 watts of fun. It's been a great little studio amp for guitar and an even better box for blowing harp.

Woo-hoo!

bill wrote:I returned home from work one day and found someone had left a tuba, abandoned, on my door step. It was in a box, well packed as though shipped by UPS and about the color of the F# key on a piano. I polished it with Hagerty's and discovered I had a Conn Jumbo Eb. It played well, when I tried it but I had Dan Oberloh do some work to straighten out some intonation problems and it works even better.

I did not know who sent it - there was no return address on the box, only a UPS label so I tracked the package and found it had come from a small town out side of Cleveland. I worked with another teacher, once (Actually, I got her the job) who was from Kent State so I took a chance and called her to ask about it. When she answered the phone, I said "Donna, I love you!" Her reply was "So, you got the tuba, hunh?" Turns out, she and her husband bought a house, in Hudson, Ohio, and found this on a foundation shelf in the basement. It had been overlooked because the corrosion was so thoroughly covering the horn it was hard to see. She just knew I would want it so she shipped it. This is me, last week-end, at the HPNWBBb rehearsal playing it.

I like the cape...

Bill

tuben wrote:

Scooby Tuba wrote:I'll take it back now... Please....?

Could you describe it please?

RC

Oddly, it looks just like Yorks #1 and #2, only slightly different.

tuben wrote:

Scooby Tuba wrote:I'll take it back now... Please....?

Could you describe it please?

RC

Yup:

22" recording bell

3 top action pistons

Key of BBb

Clown painted on bell

K

1. Olds Ambassador tenor trombone, $60 at a junk store in western Maryland. Plays perfectly after a good cleaning. Not a super-spectacular deal, but I can't think of many of sub-hundred-buck trombones I'd rather have, except...

2. Conn 48H, found at an antique store in Lucketts, Virginia. Dates from the late 50's--the golden era for Conn trombones. Condition is good, but it could probably use a bit of finish work on the tuning slide. Handslide is fine. Price marked was $125, and I went back the next day and got it for $100.

3. The Sunday following the Army conference, Ray and I were sitting in my living room playing duets, when my wife announced that a friend of ours had seen a tuba at an antique store in Lucketts, across the street from the store mentioned above. We went, and the result was a Conn 14K in easily repairable condition with all parts for $97.

4. Holton BB-345, price in the $4000's. No, that is not a steal--it is actually a reasonable price for a rather battered but good-sounding Bb Holton. But it is still among the best finds I can report.

Rick "noting that any instrument that makes you glad you did what it took to get it is a steal" Denney

When I started teaching I wanted to pick up a cheap trombone with a trigger to keep set-up in the classroom. I found a King SilverSonic 3B late 60's model at the local pawn shop in my wife's hometown. Not knowing exactly what it was but figuring I could still get my money back later on I picked it up for $125. Had one brace resoldered for a few bucks and was perfectly happy with my acquisition. Got home and told the trombone prof at the local college what I'd picked up and the first words out of his mouth were "how much do you want for it? . I later sold it to a friend at quite a profit and purchased my bass bone. All were happy

dwaskew wrote:not my find, but my wife's. She used to be a hard core yard saler, and was out one Saturday on the prowl. Conn 14K sousaphone in a driveway. She showed "minor interest" and told the lady selling that $50 was not in her budget. Came back by later, seller suggested $25, my wife passed on it. She went back one more time, and the woman just gave it to her. Horn didn't have a mouthpiece, but had neck, bits, fully playable, no significant dents, etc.

Congratulations on the 14K! I am less sure, that I will congratulate on the wife. If she turns her negotiation skills against you, then you are up against some powerful lady.

Klaus

* Conn 44H Vocabell found in a thrift shop - $40.00. Minor repairs, sold for $400.00.
* Conn 76H (Basically a one-of-a-kind TIS 8H) - Trade for Yamaha YSL-356G to middle School. I had to save it from them!
* Conn 88H G Bass - $600.00. Best Bass Trombone on Earth!
* My first tuba, my Eb Imperial - $1,250 Canadian in 1987.

I've lucked out on many - these are the first that pop into mind, not associated with my role at a music store...

J.c.

tuben wrote:

Scooby Tuba wrote:

tuben wrote:Could you describe it please?

Well, it looks very similar to these two horns, but will a faint scent of tobacky.

Tell you what, if you can tell me where Parksville, Ky is, the horn is yours!

RC

31.5 miles Southwest of Lexington.

Did I win?

J.c.S.

It's right there!!!

Every time I see this thread, the title looks like "They're Still Out There - Your Best Friends".

Over the years I have found a number of "gems" that were lost or tucked away and forgotten.

I found at least two Conn 8D (Elkhart) double horns, one made in the early 50s and another from the early 60s, both were found in thrift stores and they cost me about $200 each. I also got a 1933 Conn Vocabell 40B this way for about $40.00.

The best finds were those picked up in antique shops; The first was a cello, early 60s nice condition with a good bow, needed a little TLC $285 (what were they thinking?). I snapped it up and turned it over to the Luthiers who made the needed repairs and found it a very happy home. The sale of this instrument took time (about three years) but when it sold, it went big.


My favorite though is a 1910-ish, Martin four rotary Eb tuba that was brought to my attention by a friend. When I went over to Renton to check it out, I found it sitting in a store propped against the wall on the second floor stair landing. it was marked at $295.00 and they were having a Wednesday 15% off sale (lucky me!)

The best of all was a find of my Dads. In a garage sale for $100, a Revere and Hawks presentation "echo" cornet. It was a gift from a Col. Watson on his appointment to the 4th Reg. band of the Irish Riffles and dated 1891. It was probably one of a set of instruments he gave to the regiment on the occasion. I was informed that it was common to do this sort of thing back then. My Dad gave it to me as a Birthday present about fifteen years ago. I hope to some day completely restore it. Treasure hunting ca be a lot of fun but ebay has made it a bit more of a challenge.

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
http://www.oberloh.com" target="_blank

My best finds would be my York tubas (see 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tuba in my signature). All found on eBay.