TubeNet

I think it's been really interesting to view the economy through the lens of the For Sale section here on TubeNet. Some things I've noticed:

-- More "I have to sell for money" posts (which I hate to read, since it's obviously people who would rather be playing)
-- More tubas are staying on the market for longer
-- A lot of really nice tubas are for sale, and for pretty good prices too
-- Seems like a lot of 5-10 year old tubas, and fewer "old and time-tested" tubas seem to be popping up (like older 186s). Maybe I'm just not noticing them though.

At the same time though, there are a lot of really nice tubas that don't take too long to sell. Things that are in demand are still in demand.

It's almost like housing -- if you have the desire and the money right now, it's a good time to be shopping. But I really hate to see people have to sell to get the money, because many of us wouldn't really feel like ourselves without a tuba of some kind.

Anyway, just a few ramblings from my mind...

Yup bloke -- that happens here too. I always like when "OBO" is part of a for sale ad; I know that I wouldn't hesitate to make an offer if buying, nor would I hesitate to entertain an offer if selling. I assume it's built into the price, within all fairness.

I also have seen some really good deals here, that I'd have definitely jumped on if I had more disposable income. And there are some that I'm surprised are still here!

Things in the 'for sale' section here on TubeNet might be reflecting the times. But... there are still horns going for stupidly high prices on the auction.

bloke wrote:...and - just like the housing market - some tubas for sale will just "sit", because some wannabe sellers simply cannot yet mentally/emotionally accept what are the current market values.

Also like the current housing market, sellers are not inclined to do what it takes to generate traffic.

There are still posts with:

-No/poor photography
-Poor descriptions
-No definitive location

I still cannot believe that people refuse to use photobucket or some other hosting service to put pics up of their horn. Also, too many people are apparently afraid of light/sun/outside/etc. and love to take pictures of their equipment in what amounts to be a dark room with little light. Also, stop with the "email me for pics" bullshit. To me, it sounds like you can't spare the time to shoot a few photos unless someone contacts you. Now if someone asks for a specific shot, like the solder seam of a leadpipe against the bell to verify redrot, that is understandable, but take some general pictures of your item and post them. Also, take your pictures outside, during the day, in decent weather. You will have far better/more light than inside with a flash and the picture will come out better, in most cases. A $100 point and shoot in good light will turn out photos that are nearly equal to the (expertly done and very detailed) photos that the gentleman that shoots for Steve Ferguson provides.

Many of the descriptions are vague and sometimes not clear. We know that 99% of tubas have pitch deficiencies. List them. Be honest. Tell the people what you have done to solve them. Also, playing characteristics are far more important than dings/dents/scratches. While I appreciate the detail of the physical/cosmetic shape of the horn, playing characteristics are more important.

Also, list the location of the horn. Some folks simply don't look under the avatar, and in the case of college students, the horn might be at home and not at school. Tell folks where it is. Folks who can play it are more inclined to buy it. There is a reason car dealers don't really mind having folks test drive cars.

I am not absolving myself from some of these "sins" but I have made an effort to do my best to move a horn. When selling, only one of my horns took longer than one month to sell. That is out of about 9 tubas I have sold over the course of my time playing.

Matthew Gilchrest wrote:.... I still cannot believe that people refuse to use photobucket or some other hosting service to put pics up of their horn. ....

I realize that posting here 'once in a while' is quite different from maintaining a 'for sale' page on a website. However, I got out of the practice of posting pictures of my items simply because I feel if someone is genuinely interested, they will send me an email and ask for pictures. Pictures only show so much, anyway.

TubaTinker wrote:I realize that posting here 'once in a while' is quite different from maintaining a 'for sale' page on a website. However, I got out of the practice of posting pictures of my items simply because I feel if someone is genuinely interested, they will send me an email and ask for pictures. Pictures only show so much, anyway.

You're in a bit of a different situation, insofar that people "know" you by your webpage and (good) reputation. Additionally, since you are a sponsor, you have a bit more credentials. I am not saying that posting a picture will guarantee a sale. However, it will drive traffic. The more eyes someone has on their items the more chances they have for a buyer. It is a probability, but not a certainty.