When to stop Buying

[Charlie C Chowder]

As you know, I have been collecting musical toys most of my adult life. Now at the tender age of 69, and with the corvid 19 making me a possible statistic, I had to think real hard about buying a new toy. [Just a beautiful Buffet Crampon Super Dyna action Tenor saxophone.] Will I be around long enough to justify the money spent. I hoping to hit 100 years of age, but my physical strength is going to go down hill someday. How much time do I have left to play? I cannot justify that my kids and/or grandkids will play them. None of my kids really play. So after I croak, they will be sold or donated to whom ever. It is just me who enjoys them. So should I stop?

I did get the sax as the price was very good, and its value should increase. And I did not have a modern tenor with the bottom keys on the right of the bell. But I think I need to stop collecting anything. I am running out of space as well. It is kind of sad to think about, but I have been very lucky in my life,

Charlie C. Chowder

[tbonesullivan]

NEVER. However it is also nice to think of those who will stand to inherit items should you pass away. I've kept a full listing of serial numbers and instruments since I was 30, so that in the event I pass in an accident, hopefully they will be able to use that information to sell the items.

[WC8KCY]

In the Escanaba City Band, we had a tubist, Rene, who marched not with a sousaphone, but with his Meinl-Weston 4/4 tuba.

He was still doing this at age 89.

[mikebmiller]

One of the tuba players in our community band passed away of a heart attack about a month ago. He was 85 and playing right up until his passing. He had just bought a new horn from Mack Brass a year or so ago. One of the last thing he did was play the tuba part to Semper Fidelis as part of our band video that we put together. He was the only tuba player that bothered to participate.

Music can be a literally life long activity. If you are not worried about the money, go for it. I plan to annoy my wife with new horns and constant practice until I croak.

Here is our video with my friend Charles Wethington featured front and center in his last performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgTYcinIoVM

[Ernieball]

If I had all the money I've ever spent on musical instruments... I'd spend it all on musical instruments.

[Matt G]

One of the tuba players in our community band passed away of a heart attack about a month ago. He was 85 and playing right up until his passing. He had just bought a new horn from Mack Brass a year or so ago. One of the last thing he did was play the tuba part to Semper Fidelis as part of our band video that we put together. He was the only tuba player that bothered to participate.

Music can be a literally life long activity. If you are not worried about the money, go for it. I plan to annoy my wife with new horns and constant practice until I croak.

Here is our video with my friend Charles Wethington featured front and center in his last performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgTYcinIoVM

This is a great story and wonderful tribute.

I’m still somewhat of a youngster around these parts. Tuba playing and collecting is something I’ll be leaning on as a hobby as I move forward. I’m dealing with my own parents as they age with limited hobbies and it’s somewhat frustrating. I’d rather they enjoy the remainder of their time here as opposed to being thrifty when money, for them, is not an issue.

Even if someone in your immediate family doesn’t benefit from your estate of musical instruments, maybe a friend or extended family member will. Maybe they will be able to use an instrument to help someone out that can’t afford a rental but has a talented child. You never really know.

[Charlie C Chowder]

As to the Corona stopping all of the groups I played with, until two years ago, I did not. I have, since collage, played all by myself. Playing classical guitar tends to be a singular event. I am very self contained. So the lack of playing with others is not a factor for me.

CCC

PS I did find a new mouth piece I really like, but what is a hundred bucks give or take. My family drinks canned soda pop, I don't. I return the cans. Free money.

[Donn]

Playing classical guitar tends to be a singular event.

Does it lead to a need for guitars, like it does for popular music guitarists? My perception of guitarists, they'd have no problem thinking of what to do with the extra money, but that's a different type of guitar.

[Charlie C Chowder]

Yep. Most of them classical, My most expensive toy is a Jeffery Elliot classical built in 1976. The year I got out of the Navy. Had to retire before I could afford one.

CCC

[mikebmiller]

I just bought a Casio keyboard, although I have no idea how to play it. Never had a piano lesson in my life, but I am starting them next week. I have tried to learn trumpet, but the mp is too small for my face.

[anotherjtm2]

I just bought a Casio keyboard, although I have no idea how to play it. Never had a piano lesson in my life, but I am starting them next week. I have tried to learn trumpet, but the mp is too small for my face.

I'm working on trumpet, too. The mouthpiece is too small, but it's actually getting more possible with practice, so I have some hope.

[CaptainNemo]

I just bought a Casio keyboard, although I have no idea how to play it. Never had a piano lesson in my life, but I am starting them next week. I have tried to learn trumpet, but the mp is too small for my face.

I'm working on trumpet, too. The mouthpiece is too small, but it's actually getting more possible with practice, so I have some hope.

I've been working on my mom's old cornet for a while, and my horn is in the shop so I'll be getting some quality time on it. I've found that busting my chops on the cornet makes my tuba playing far more focused the next day - I'm exercising muscles I didn't know I had and finding that I can put them to good use on the bigger horn as well.

[Charlie C Chowder]

Too small for your face? You have not seen some the great trumpets player of the past. Many had big faces, lips and cheeks! Most of there were black as well. It is just training the right muscles.

If you wet my lips, you could stick me to a mirror.
CCC

[bort]

I think the best thing you could do is to keep an updated will, so your family knows what to do with your stuff that you leave behind. Keep? Sell (how, and for how much)? Donate?

I guess it would be polite to them to not leave a mountain of hoarded stuff behind, but that's nothing I could ever answer...

"you only go around once," as an old tuba friend once told me, shortly after he bought his dream tuba, an MW Fafner (I believe he was well into his 70s by that point...)

There's also the attitude of "you can't take it with you...", which can be viewed in one of two ways:
1) At some point, selling parts of your collection yourself may make sense, or
2) Do what you want with your money while you are able to do it.

No real answers here. I do hope you live to be 100+ years old.

[mikebmiller]

Too small for your face? You have not seen some the great trumpets player of the past. Many had big faces, lips and cheeks! Most of there were black as well. It is just training the right muscles.

If you wet my lips, you could stick me to a mirror.
CCC

I bought a trumpet a few years ago and spent about a month over Christmas break trying to play it. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. I could have probably gotten better with more practice, but it was taking away from my bone/euph time, so I ended up selling it. I do envy those folks who can play all the brass instruments well. It seems like it would be easier to go from small to big than the other way around.

[anotherjtm2]

yeah...

A friend of mine (an extraordinarily fine oboist) has very large lips...beautiful sound...amazing facility, etc.

I had a go with an oboe for a couple of weeks one summer. It was fun, but I hated how I couldn't whistle afterward. Bassoon was a much better fit.

[MaryAnn]

I just bought a Casio keyboard, although I have no idea how to play it. Never had a piano lesson in my life, but I am starting them next week. I have tried to learn trumpet, but the mp is too small for my face.

Even fat lips can play....if you really want to learn, get the Balanced Embouchure method. It will show you how.

Me....most of my stuff is gone. The stuff I still have, I want it sent to New Mexico State's music department even though I didn't study music there. They could use the help and the school got me my second career. I have no offspring nor family that needs any money.

[Ann Reid]

Having realized that I was born to be a brass player and not the woodwind player who attempted to enter my fingers for a period of time in my youth, I am presently making up for lost time.

I have learned, in my eighth decade, that “...a nice little F tuba....” doesn’t literally mean “LITTLE” and that experimenting with second hand tools can be a GREAT learning experience.

My grandson will have access to a nice meuphonium when he learns to pronounce it, and I have no intention of stopping.

[Rick Denney]

In your will or trust, you don't have to name a single executor or trustee. It makes sense to identify a "musical executor" whose job is to dispose of the instruments. My executor (assuming my wife is not available) is a musician, and she knows what to do (and who to call), so I don't have to name a separate musical executor. And my wife knows to call the local radio-club guys, and the GMC Motorhome owners club, and so on.

But most of my stuff? 1-800-Got-Junk. I don't want the instruments disposed of correctly for the sake of my heirs. I want them disposed of properly for the sake of the instruments--most of them are uncommon and, at the least, interesting.

I've seen to many folks decide they were too old to mess with stuff, and get rid of it all in the interest of simplifying their lives. And without anything to mess with, they only messed with the TV remote. That is a grave error. My wife has an uncle who is 88. Instead of checking himself into a retirement community, he hired a former student (he taught airplane mechanics as his third career) to come every day and help him finish the projects he's always starting. He describes his paid helper as his "assisted living". And it's cheaper than long-term care. I think I want to be like him when I grow up.

Rick "who didn't buy the stuff for the next generation" Denney

[humBell]

Another thread i don't have the courage to respond to...