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Original Post By:
J Boy Shyne
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Date: 1/10/2015 8:08:37 AM |
| To me, there's nothing better than finding a quality instrument at a bargain price. Even better is the gift of a quality instrument. I'm not a collector, I play and enjoy my instruments. With the popularity of the ukulele increasing, it's getting harder and harder to find a great deal on a vintage uke or any uke. You know, you're at a garage/house sale and you find an old "The Gibson" selling for 20 bucks. It's happened, unfortunately not to me. So, let�s hear from those who were gifted or have found such gems for pennies on the dollar. |
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Posted By:
Ukulele Rob
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Date: 1/10/2015 12:36:41 PM |
Sadly, I've never been as fortunate as to find one of those "I'm not sure what it is, only that it's old, so how about $20?" vintage ukes. But then, I'm not much of a garage-sale hound, and I suspect that since the start of the Third Wave there are more and more knowledgeable folks combing through grandma's attic to make sure she doesn't make a mistake. But I've heard great stories from some collectors.
I was fortunate with the Mike DaSilva I bought a few years ago. Not exactly "pennies on the dollar," but the moment it popped up on Elderly's vintage email feed for a price significantly less than what Mike would charge to build another I telephoned Mike to verify its lineage and then called Elderly (both at very early hours of the morning). In the end it came out win-win-win for the seller, for Elderly, and for me. (And maybe even for Mike. The 'uke gets out regularly in public, including at festivals where Mike's set up a vendor table, and in response to frequent compliments on its sound and looks, I always tell folks, "Go over to Mike's table and order your own!" And seeing the uke arrive from Lansing MI in three days vs. waiting 18 months or more for Mike to build one? Priceless.
For a deal that goes on giving I hark back to a high school friend with whom I still play music from time to time. It was the middle 1960s, and he decided he needed a better guitar than his Montgomery Ward plywood model. Mind you, this was before the day of the vintage market, and C.F. Martin had lost some brand luster due to bad moves by the current CEO's father. In a pawnshop in a small town about two hours' drive from home he found a pre-War Martin D-28 (with "low milage"). The pawnshop owner considered it just "another old guitar" and parted with it for $35. My friend still has that guitar and has cared for it very well (a well-known luthier has serviced it a time or two). These days he uses it only at home, for recording, and for local gigs, traveling with a newer dreadnought. But 50 years down the line his purchase amortizes out to about 70 cents a year to own and play a guitar that these days you'd be hard pressed to find at a price south of $10K.
By the way, J Boy, if you start to run out of room for all of those $20 finds, give me a ring, and I'll gladly pay you double what you paid, just to take it off your hands!
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Posted By:
J Boy Shyne
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Date: 1/11/2015 6:06:32 PM
(Updated: 1/12/2015 9:04:02 AM)
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I have a friend who found one of them '50s plastic TV Pal ukes at a garage sale for $5.00, which incidentally is all I think they are worth. Oh, a friend once sold me a Kala concert, with hard case and stand for $20.00, because he decided he just liked sopranos.
Gift wise, I've received a well made 1970s Japanese baritone uke from a friend, and a Bushman Jenny tenor from a fellow uker who took pity on my band after a Bushman representative made certain promises to my band that were not fulfilled. He gave the uke to the front man of the band who traded it with me for a $20 Mahalo.
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Posted By:
Doug Skinner
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Date: 1/12/2015 12:07:02 PM |
I used to find cheap ukes years ago, before all you young punks drove up prices. I bought my first Kamaka for $10 at a Goodwill in San Francisco, back in 1980.
But you can still find bargains. Last year, I found a lovely Favilla baritone at a flea market. The man wanted $60, but as I checked it out, he dropped the price to $50. I didn't find a TV Pal for $5, but I did find one for $10; it even has the original pick.
Secret haggling tip: if you look dubiously at the instrument, and tell them the strings need to be replaced, they sometimes knock the price down.
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Posted By:
joe persons
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Date: 1/13/2015 8:38:10 AM |
On a slightly different vein, I haven't found any thrift store or garage sale bargains, but I have won three nice ukuleles in contests. The first was here on the FMMBB back in 2009. I won a Uke Can Change The World soprano Flea with rosewood fretboard (with soft and hard cases plus a signed copy of Jim's book on ukulele history). The next one was a Mighty Uke concert Kala with embroidered gig bag. Lastly, I won a tenor KoAloha in their May Day Ukulele Giveaway. Probably close to a couple grand worth of ukes and gear all together, cost...zero
Peace through ukulele,
joe
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Posted By:
AlanJ
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Date: 1/14/2015 11:03:39 AM |
| eBay used to be a fine place to look for deals, particularly on ukes that no one had heard about. I found a Gibson soprano for $80, purchased my Rutan model 2 for around $100 and bought a Swagerty Treholipee for $45 because it was intact with all the pegs in good shape. Even at the time, I thought the prices I paid were great.
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Posted By:
Ukeguy
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Date: 1/14/2015 7:55:15 PM |
| Last Sunday, a dear friend who's a luthier, presented me with a Leonardo Nunes soprano as a gift. What a gift!
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Posted By:
East Mountain
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Date: 1/24/2015 2:04:14 AM |
I found a Vita uke in a pawn shop for $40. Resold it for almost $300.
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Posted By:
cfiimei
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Date: 1/24/2015 1:34:19 PM |
| I once bought a Kamaka gold label soprano for $80 on eBay as a basket case (in pieces). The restoration was pretty easy and now it looks at least as good as any other I have seen. that's the best deal I have found. I keep looking for that elusive Martin sold as a "kid's guitar" at estate sales.
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Posted By:
Dave in Petaluma
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Date: 1/24/2015 3:33:32 PM |
Used to look for basket-cases because I couldn't afford the good stuff. Also was searching for the mythical No-name Player. Found it and let it go, my one big regret.
The garage turned into a repair/rescue ukulele waiting room. A 20s Kamaka Pineapple, several Martins and about 30 others passed through it and are now in others hands. I now have the right amount (just one more)
I've noticed that the vintage or Pre WWII are selling for lower prices than even I paid. Many of them are Sopranos, I guess this is a result of the preference for Tenors, also the imports have gotten better.
Personally I think that the wood in the 70+ year old ukuleles is much superior to most of the manufactured imports and the construction is on the heavy side with over bracing and thick fretboards that translate to a bigger bridge and saddle. The bling on the new stuff is hard to beat for the price.
The hunt for holy grail of strumming is often more fun than the find. So it continues.
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Posted By:
tonelar
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Date: 1/23/2016 2:43:27 AM |
Found a black Polkalaylee at the San Jose flea market today. Guy wanted $100 for it. Came with the original box.
I handled it and looked at the tuners... two are in excellent shape, the other two would not budge...
I left and came back on our way out, it was still there. I offered the seller $80 and I took it home.
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Posted By:
Diesel
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Date: 1/26/2016 4:06:43 PM |
| Best I ever found was a 1960's Gold Label Kamaka soprano at an antique store. I saw the chipboard case under a pile of neglect and figured I'd scored a case; never thought there'd be a uke inside, but there it was. Pristine, too. Carrying it up to the counter some wag asked me if I played 'violin'. "Nope." Best $65 uke I ever bought.
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Posted By:
Diesel
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Date: 1/26/2016 4:07:01 PM
(Updated: 1/26/2016 4:08:05 PM)
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| Finger stutter... Blame it on the arthritis...
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