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I've combed the archives and can find no trace of this. Someone posted about once finding a marzan hanging from the ceiling of a nautically-themed antique store in southern Florida. I contacted the poster and got all the information about the store, and left all the info at home when I left for Florida! I'm on the sunshine state now and u want check the store out...could the original poster please contact me and take pity and send the store details again?

It's called Stone Age Antiques and is in Miami.3236NW South River Drive,305 633 5114. A bunch of the low brass on a Ray Charles concert went over and I bought a Marzan and a Conn 21(upright bell) J for like 400.00. I'm not sure it's still there which is why I included the phone number. It is in a kind of rough part of town so it would probably be smart to make sure it's still there before you go. They also had a diving bell and a stuffed polar bear, it's a very cool place. Good luck, Ed

Thanks,Ed!
If it's in a rough part of town I'll just buy the stuffed polar bear and position it in the passenger side of the van...then no one will mess with me!

This is not James Jenkins' stolen tuba, is it? Someone should notify James, just in case.

Hi Randy, The Marzan I got down there was one of the smaller ones and it was about 15 years ago. Thanks to the coverage of this site I think if and when James' Marzan resurfaces he'll know about it. And I hope it happens sooner than later. Ed

Hey Ed, I owe you a phone call. My son ships out today for Marine Boot Camp so that's my lame excuse but I will try and drop a dime in the next few.

On the subject of Stone Age, I went down there once, many years ago on Ed's suggestion. I only found a few tubas that were even remotely serviceable hanging from the ceiling. A few 20Js and such. However, in search of the mythological Marzan, I asked the owner if he had anything else. He said there were a few tubas in one of the attics but he wasn't going to let anyone up there. So, of course that meant I needed to go the Bodega down the street and buy another case of beer to replace the nearly empty one sitting at his feet (11AM). I did and offered up said tithe and guess what? Now the attic is open. I went up there and only found one horn worth a damn, a Marzan front-action BBb like the one Ed had. I bought it and re-built the horn over the next 4-5 years while a student in Juilliard. I de-dented it, stripped all of the silver off, and replaced the valve-set with a valve-set Matt Walters had from another Marzan. My final year in New York, I had gotten the thing completely re-built except for the leadpipe and was offered a chance to buy my first of Many Nirschl York tubas. The problem was I had no money. I took every horn I owned down to Dillon Music and told Steve my sob story. I had about 6 tubas. I put a few of them on consignment and Steve offered to buy outright the rest so I could make the nut on the Nirschl. The Marzan stayed at Steve's that night and later was completed by Matt with a leadpipe. It sold quickly and has made many trips up and down the Eastern seaboard until settling with a current owner who is very happy with it. By all accounts it is a great tuba.

I really regret having to sell that tuba because Ed had one that was probably the best ever made and I wanted one just like it. To be clear, Ed's had a detachable bell and mine was a fixed bell. If you go down to Stone Age, make sure you are actually talking to the owner and NOT the Polar bear. They look the same and have similar personalities. The only clue is the empty case of beer next to him. (Remember, stop at the bodega FIRST for an attic-admission-application)

Let us know if you go there and good luck!
Chris Olka

Great story! What were some of the other tubas you saw in the attic? Any other interesting instruments there besides tubas? Any gongs? ; )
In regards to the neighbourhood, is it really that bad? Would it be a mistake to take my 9 year old son with me if we go during the day?

Well, it has been at least 13-14 years since I went down there so I don't know what they have now. But, the horns I saw in various states of existence were 20Js, 20Ks, various Olds 3 valve horns, a few Yamaha 321 BBbs, Baritones, trumpets by the pound, stacks of trombones, saxophones, bassoons, a few bass clarinets. This guy would buy entire lots from public school auctions. I have no idea if the inventory is still like this. Most of the instruments I saw were in this attic I had to bribe my way into.

As far as taking your boy, I don't know. As Ed stated, it's a pretty sketchy area, or was when I lived in Florida. If you are seriously going to try and make a haul, I would go by myself. If you are just going to experience this place and don't care if you find any great treasure, then I think it would be fine.

By the way, if you have ever wondered where seafood restaurants find all of those wooden fish carving plaques that they hang on every square inch of their walls (ala Dead Lobster) it's apparently from this place. I must have seen 10,000 wooden fish carvings on the walls.

Hope this helps,
Chris Olka

Thanks,Chris! One last question; what is the tithe beer brand of choice?

goodgigs wrote:tubahed, check it ot cool slide show!
http://www.stoneage-antiques.com/index.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Is that a Marzan I see in the top left corner of slide #7?

Sweet merciful crap!!! Is there anything that guy doesn't have?? That place is a propmaster's dream!

tubahed wrote:Thanks,Chris! One last question; what is the tithe beer brand of choice?

whatever is closest to the back of the store...covered with dust and cheaper than the "SALE" priced beer.....

Decided to take the plunge today and drove all the way down to Stoneage in Miami from Sarasota. I'm glad that I didn't take my son with me, as the long drive down the 75S would have bored him to tears (although I did see a total of four gators swimming during the "Alligator Alley" part of the journey). I enjoyed the couple of hours I spent at Stoneage...I took a plethora of 3D pictures and video (even one of the fabled polar bear), and I was even allowed to go upstairs (they adamantly insist it's NOT an attic) without paying the customary beer tithe! Alas, I'm afraid that the Golden Age of the Stone Age (as far as band instruments are concerned) has long passed. There are plenty of wall-hangers there, but not much of interest, unless you're looking for a bell-less 20k, or a bell and main branch from some sort of Getzen. I was shown where the instruments USED to be stacked up years ago, and I was told about a local sculptor who came in and bought 25-30 band instruments to melt and weld together into an artistic expression. Reportedly, he gets about $10,000 for each band instrument installation... Still, there was much to look at and take in and enjoy. About a block away there was a great Latino Cafe,
and I had incredible homemade fare and a nice (albeit sweet) espresso. And oh, the counter help! ; )