TubeNet

Use a snipe service to avoid bidding wars and doing something stupid, like the sellers want you to. I use EZ sniper: https://www.ezsniper.com Your bid goes in during the last minute, and you don't have to hang around the computer. It only bids up to your maximum, and only bids enough to win. If you get cold feet during the auction, you can cancel with no hassle, unlike a direct eBay bid.

Eric "used to pay too much" L.

WakinAZ wrote:Use a snipe service to avoid bidding wars and doing something stupid, like the sellers want you to. ....

shhhhhhhhhhh.

Greg wrote:Is the standard fee for a snipe service $.10?

Yup, EZ Sniper starts at 10 cents. They have a free trial. More info here: https://www.ezsniper.com/questions.php3

As with buying used anywhere, look for a quality brand and a known model. On eBay, find someone with lots of good feedback and a return policy.

As far as the new horns, the quality of the Chinese and Indian instruments is still so highly variable, you should avoid them unless it's a shop that has risen to the top of this dubious heap (Dalyan, JinBao[sp?]). To make things even trickier, the actual manufacturer is almost never mentioned on these eBay listings, but rather some made-up, familiar-sounding brand name (Maestro, Schill, etc.)

If you want cheap and new, the Allora line from Brasswind has proven to be among the best of these Asian imports. You get a known shop with a dedicated tuba specialist (Roger Lewis) standing behind the product.

You can help us help you more by being more specific about your needs.

Shameless plug: I know a guy who will sell you a Yamaha YBB-105 for less than what they are going for on eBay: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29505

EricBay

Well, I know less about euphs than the little I do about tubas. I would check Dillons and Baltimore Brass.

Eric

I got quite a few great antique tubas on eBay. The prices were just right.