Has the time finally come? Part Two

October 3rd, 2023

Top five things which help a bassoon sell

Last month we published an article about selling your bassoon on commission. This follow-up article looks at the bassoons which make good candidates for obtaining the best prices in the shortest times.

Here are five things to bear in mind during your ownership so that, when the time comes, your bassoon sells closer to the top end of that model’s price range rather than near the bottom.

Nice-looking bassoons command the best prices

The better a bassoon looks the more it catches the attention of potential buyers - which is why we put so much effort into photographing bassoons on our website. A bassoon with no, or minimal, scratches, dings and chips is always more attractive to buyers. For really old bassoons age- and wear-related patination is fine, but scratches, gouges and worse aren’t.

See some of the things we can do to make your bassoon look as good as possible.

Poor condition is a barrier to sales

Tenon cracks, moisture damage, and bent or damaged keywork and the like are always a potential barrier to a sale. Anything which may mean remedial work during the new owner’s ownership is always a problem. The sooner these types of issue are dealt with during your ownership the less expensive they will be to sort out, and the cost may well be recouped on the sale.

We can handle almost anything thrown at us; we have never had a bassoon yet which we have had to turn down as unrepairable!

Lovely-playing bassoons sell more quickly

People buy bassoons in order to play them. So, in any given price bracket, the bassoon which has the better intonation, smooth-action keywork, a lovely tone from top to bottom, and so on, is always going to sell more quickly for a better price. Servicing your bassoon regularly ensures that not only you, but the next owner, get the best from the bassoon and it will ease the sale.

After having serviced probably thousands of bassoons by now, and focusing on bassoons and nothing else, we know how to return a bassoon of any make or age to the way it played when new.

Cases and crooks are important

A decent case or gig bag with back straps is always a bonus and will help smooth a sale. Smelly, dirty or broken cases won’t. Smells are caused by putting damp bassoons away without swabbing them or letting them dry out naturally, and are one of the biggest turn-offs for a bassoon purchaser. Cases are so important to securing a sale that we often recommend replacing them if they are seriously deficient.

Crooks need to be undented and match the bassoon. A well-matched crook is a significant contributor to how a bassoon plays. Substituting a good crook for one you have lying around somewhere upon sale is always going to be counter-productive! If you don’t have a good, well-matched crook we will recommend putting a different one with the bassoon.

We always have new gig bags and cases in stock plus a range of second hand crooks to match virtually any bassoon.

Leave us to close the gap

Apart from the newest, shiniest bassoons (and we do sometimes have in bassoons which are nearly new and have only been played half a dozen times) there is always a gap between how a bassoon is prior to sale and how it needs to be to secure an early sale for the best price.

We have the resources and expertise to close that gap better than almost anyone else, so if you have a bassoon you are thinking of selling bring it to us as it is. Don’t get it serviced elsewhere first by a local woodwind repairer (say), as inevitably we will need to re-do a lot of the work to bring the bassoon into top condition ready for sale.

Through long experience we have carefully worked out what to do to make a bassoon attractive to a potential purchaser and have everything needed to do it. Whether that be re-finishing, re-plating, tenon repair, moisture-damage treatment, keywork repair or more run-of-the-mill servicing and regulation.

In addition, of course, we also have an established name and high profile to give the best exposure to the bassoons we sell, plus huge experience in helping customers choose their next bassoon. 

Is it worth going through us for the preparation work and handling of the sale? We think so; we are confident you will obtain a better return than you would through handling the sale yourself, and with less risk and hassle. 

So, when the time finally comes to sell your bassoon, leave us to do the work of preparing it for sale and then selling it for you. Get in touch now to find out more about selling your bassoon through us.