Best sale/trade I never made

Have you ever tried to sell/trade an instrument, had no takers, and then glad the instrument never left?

Have been housebound a couple weeks since recent surgery. Am a bit more mobile now, so went rummaging through the "instrument closet" since most of the time the last couple weeks has been limited to two ukes.

Resurrected my Amahi C-220 concert from the back of the closet. The Amahi hasn't seen any playing time for quite a while. Previously had it up for sale/trade ($100 range) and had no serious takers. So, back in the closet it went. It has Aquila Red strings (for looks) and a tuner/preamp/pickup I installed.

Whether it just "opened up" a bit or the strings stabilized right (or both), I don't know. What I do know is that the Amahi now sounds brighter and sweeter than before it was buried in the closet. It was okay before, but now is pretty darned decent. It's like getting a new instrument!

The Amahi is now getting quite a workout and responding quite well. Best sale/trade I never made!

I live it when things like that happen. It's kind of like getting an old winter coat out and finding $20 in the pockets.

I haven't experienced that with a uke but did with a guitar.

I had a lot of interest in it but as seems to be the way in the used market, I think people were seeing how far I'd drop my price...basically reverse bidding against myself.

I pulled it and a few offers came in later at the first price I'd listed it at....no go, I dodged a bullet almost selling it and it will stay.

I considered selling my Collings UT2 Doghair at one point because I was playing soprano and concert a lot and felt like I couldn't justify two super nice tenors. I'm so glad I didn't because I play it a lot now. I try to give all my ukes quite a bit of play time and it certainly gets its share and then some lately.

That's a cute little uke, I hope it brings you much joy!

For a while I felt a little pressure from my wife to "thin the herd" (as they say here) and tried to sell my Boat Paddle. I found a buyer here on UU, but unfortunately the uke's unusual shape meant I use a mandolin case to keep it and I couldn't find a box large enough to ship it in to the prospective buyer in the United States.

Since then, the pressure to thin the herd has abated and I am glad I didn't have to sell the Boat Paddle, which remains an excellent instrument for sound and looks. It is also historical as it is the very first of such A-style tenor that Jerry Hoffmann (who now brands his ukuleles under the label Hoffmann Lutherie) built.