What was he thinking?

ksiegel

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I just stopped by an antiques store opposite the Capitol here in Madison, WI that had a banjo uke in the window. The poor thing was in sorry shape - remnants of steel strings at the head, no bridge, the head was painted with a horribly amateurish picture, and flower petals (poorly) painted on the ring all the way around. The head was plain, although someone had either painted or carved an elaborate (and unreadable) monogram right in the middle, and the first three frets had also been painted black.

There were 18 j-hooks around the ring, (15 of them connected), and the mounts for a resonator. The neck showed some wear around near the head, and the mounting hardware on the compensator was pretty heavy duty. There also appeared to be some kind of resonator mounted between the head and the compensator, It weighed about 3 pounds.

Again, not in great shape, and I was ready to offer $100- 150 for the instrument. The owner said "Oh, yeah, the antiques road show folks looked at his... its value is $1,100."

I explained why it couldn't possibly be worth that, and he said it is more folk art, that I shouldn't think of it as a playable instrument.

I left.

So, who is crazy - me,or him?

-Kurt
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. From what you describe mate, I'm not sure I'd cough up 1K for it, unless I had that much to splash around. I don't have 1000 bucks to spend on a wall hanger. Guess one man's trash is another's treasure, eh. I'd say he was crazy but will be let out of his straight jacket if someone buys it!

Maybe John Bianchi can weigh in when he reads your post Kurt as he'll probably have as good an idea as anyone and maybe help you identify what kind of banjo uke it was from your description..
 
Skeptic that I am, I'd want to see the Roadshow appraisal, photos or something more than this guy's say so.
 
You know the price of accordions went up, I am told, because people will buy an old unplayable accordion for a ridiculous price and use it as a room decoration driving up the cost of playable instruments. Go figure...
 
You could have stopped at "antiques store."

I'm sure there are reputable antiques stores somewhere, probably hidden behind the reputable pawn shops, but I try to avoid both.

John
 
I'm showing my age here but, I remember when you could get a good deal at a pawn shop.
 
Well, I bought my Stella at a pawn shop in Auburn NY thirty-something years ago - as wall art - for $30.

It's playable.

Granted, the thing I saw in the antique store was a much better (when new) instrument than the Stella, but...

Thanks for the opinions.

BTW Roxhum, my wife and I have an accordian that needs work sitting in a storage unit in California... are they even worth having fixed? This one hasn't seen the light of day for 30-40 years, until we looked at it, and said "keep!".



-Kurt
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder and it sounds like they've had one too many beer in the beer holder. Unless those hand painted flowers have provenance that they were painted by someone famous for painting flowers on musical instruments it sounds worth passing up. Tell them they're dreamin'.
 
I just stopped by an antiques store opposite the Capitol here in Madison, WI that had a banjo uke in the window.
** big snippy **
So, who is crazy - me,or him?

Howdy Kurt. I'm from Madison also (live near East High). I work just off the Square and am familiar with the "antiques" shop you described. From what I can tell about it, the "antiques" he's selling are aimed toward over-moneyed professionals looking to decorate the new condo. They don't care about the object (be it maps or ukes), just how it will fit in with the decor.

Hmmm, I have a used cricket bat upstairs. I wonder if I could get a $1K for it as an "objet d'art" ??? ;)
 
Well, I bought my Stella at a pawn shop in Auburn NY thirty-something years ago - as wall art - for $30.

It's playable.

Granted, the thing I saw in the antique store was a much better (when new) instrument than the Stella, but...

Thanks for the opinions.

BTW Roxhum, my wife and I have an accordian that needs work sitting in a storage unit in California... are they even worth having fixed? This one hasn't seen the light of day for 30-40 years, until we looked at it, and said "keep!".



-Kurt

Hi Kurt, No way of telling what it would cost to fix up your accordion. They are complicated buggers with few professionals up to the task of working on them. If you are serious take it in to be assessed. It could easily cost $2,000, but a good quality new one would cost three times that much. Good luck. Roxanne
 
Hi Kurt, No way of telling what it would cost to fix up your accordion. They are complicated buggers with few professionals up to the task of working on them. If you are serious take it in to be assessed. It could easily cost $2,000, but a good quality new one would cost three times that much. Good luck. Roxanne

Oh also Kurt, Accordions like to be played. Get the air moving on those bellows. the longer an accordion sits in some storage unit the higher the risk of mold and/or melted wax which is what holds the reeds in place. Unlike a ukulele safely sitting in a case untouched for 30 years isn't really a good thing.
 
Bums me out a bit every time I see an instrument that's being used for decoration rather than music. But many no longer playable instruments remain beautiful to the eye, so it's understandable.

One thing I love about UU is nearly everyone here is excited about PLAYING ukulele.
 
Aloha Kurt,
Go back in six months and it will be there..ha ha even two years..He should wake up by then...lol and make him and offer...it is only worth what somebody is going to pay for it..
and if it sits, so will his money....I'm sure he just escalated it to an unreasonable price.. yup in his dreams..ha ha Good Luck MM Stan
 
Hmmm, I have a used cricket bat upstairs. I wonder if I could get a $1K for it as an "objet d'art" ??? ;)

Only if you paint some flowers on it.
 
As a fan of Antiques Roadshow I've learned that the market for folk art and outsider art is huge and growing. So an unplayable instrument could easily be worth a lot of money. But the show also emphasizes that value is directly related to condition. So it's hard to see how that thing could be valuable even as folk art.

Of course the wonderful thing about a free market is that every thing is worth exactly as much as someone is prepared to pay for it.
 
I had a similar experience in an antique store that had a few dozen old song sheets. I buy these on eBay anywhere from $1 to $5 each, but often have bought large lots at even less. The antique dealer had them priced at $20-$50 each. Some were pieces I had in my collection already, and all my efforts to talk him into a reasonable price failed. Sigh. I've picked up most since for a fraction of the price he wanted. But your story makes me think maybe I can sell my antique banjo ukes and retire in luxury....
 
Howdy Kurt. I'm from Madison also (live near East High). I work just off the Square and am familiar with the "antiques" shop you described. From what I can tell about it, the "antiques" he's selling are aimed toward over-moneyed professionals looking to decorate the new condo. They don't care about the object (be it maps or ukes), just how it will fit in with the decor.

Hi, Blender.

I don't live in Madison, just here for the weekend. (Feminist Science Fiction Convention) But I have to admit, I really like what I see of the place- just hate the politics and majority politicians. (Disclaimer: I am a retired IAFF Local 28 Firefighter - Raised in a Union Household, and have seen what a difference Unions can make. In other words, if we didn't need them, they wouldn't exist.)

The shop does have several interesting items - stuffed lioness, some interesting furniture, old toys, postcards from the Russian Revolution, but overall... well, I guess just a Junque Shoppe.

-Kurt
 
ATTENTION EVERYBODY!!!!!!

I have just purchased 10 Lanikai LB6-s banjo ukes. I ripped off the bridges, loosened the brackets and strings, dragged them around the yard a few times and let my grandkids draw on the heads. I, personally painted flowers on the side of the rim and carved my initials on the head stock. I am selling them for a mere $1000.00 apiece. I will beat any Antique store price. guaranteed.

Let me see here...........ukulele investment = 2,690.00
paint, crayons,etc. = 1.79
--------------
total investment = 2,691.79 NET PROFIT 7,308.21 YAHOOOOO


Contact me now with your money................................Hello......................I'm waiting..................Is this computer on?.............Come to daddy...........
..........They are going fast, I only have 10 left..................Designers, call now........C'mon collectors......Antique Roadshow beleivers?........uh ho.............

(hi honey, what? the bank called? overdrawn? Huh? banjos? Oh.....these banjos? ......funny story.....sit down) ( ouch! quit hitting me! Don't smash those, they're priceless. Hey, open the door, it's cold out here.)
 
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