Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

The bulk of the musical talk
Post Reply
arpthark
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1203
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:14 pm

Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by arpthark »

Considering making my alma mater an offer on an old tuba they have. Anybody have any experience with buying a horn from an institution? Not even sure if I can, but I'm pretty sure it's just sitting around and not getting used. It's a public, flagship state university, FWIW. Not sure if there is any legal rigamarole I will have to go through or what. Any experiences, comments, suggestions?
eupho
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 585
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:57 pm
Location: Endicott,NY

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by eupho »

In NYS, Instruments are the property of the State and when retired from service can be sold at a State auction.
2052sg Euphonium-
2110L BBb tuba
3/4 Conn Eb tuba
Southern Tier Concert Band(euph)]
Vestal(NY) Community Band(tuba)
Maine(NY) Community Band(conductor)
arpthark
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1203
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:14 pm

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by arpthark »

Hm, thanks for the input. I figured it would be red tape-y, but I'll send an email to the department anyway.
User avatar
bort
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 11224
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:08 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by bort »

What's the tuba?
ohrlund
bugler
bugler
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 1:18 pm

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by ohrlund »

In SD, items are given to surplus and sold at auction. The instruments don't belong to the university. They belong to the state/board of regents.
Michael Bush
FAQ Czar
Posts: 2338
Joined: Sat May 08, 2010 2:54 pm

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by Michael Bush »

I once bought a tuba from Coastal Carolina. It was very easy. Just made the low brass professor an offer, and he took it, and I gave him a check made out to the university and took the tuba. Our alma mater is a lot bigger and might be more complicated, though.
arpthark
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1203
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:14 pm

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by arpthark »

My thoughts exactly, Michael. Brett, it's an old Meinl Weston 46 that was (7 years ago) used as the "learn F tuba" tuba. The sixth valve paddle is broken off so it's permanently taped in the off position. I'm not sure it's been used in 6 years or so. It has many issues, and the university owns many more F tubas, so I'm somewhat hopeful. The current (my old) tuba prof is on his way out as well, so I'm thinking this might be my best chance to get it.
ufonium2
bugler
bugler
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:32 am

Re: Buying a tuba FROM a college/university

Post by ufonium2 »

Where I work not only would the tuba have to go through the surplus auction process mentioned above, but the music department wouldn't get the money. It would go into a general fund that would not benefit us in any way. So the only time I have gotten rid of instruments was when we needed the space they were inhabiting more than the money we might get for them (two old Hammond organs and a grand piano with a cracked soundboard).
Post Reply