I have decided to sell most of my production ukuleles and stick with custom ukes. This is a beautifu Kamaka HF-3 Tenor with really nice curls in the koa. I strummed this a few times and put it away so its in new condition. Comes with the uke crazy case. Price is $1100 through PayPal.
Kamaka HF-3 Tenor
- Thread starter Joshypogi
- Start date
Beautiful grain on that ukulele! FWIW, I wouldn't even think of buying a not new Kamaka withought knowing its serial number and build date, and how it was stored (hard or soft case, humidifier, environmental conditions, etc.) while in the seller's possession.
OP
OP
Joshypogi
Well-known member
I live in Hawaii and bought this in Hawaii, humidity is not so much of an issue here. I'm sure if you ask the seller these very specific questions..more than likely you will get an answer.
Do you specifically ask these questions only on Kamakas? I'm sure most premium ukes has serial numbers...KoAlohas just have the month and year.
Do you specifically ask these questions only on Kamakas? I'm sure most premium ukes has serial numbers...KoAlohas just have the month and year.
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Looks like he did but I don't see the answers....
fabioponta
Well-known member
Here's a very specific question: Please let me know the serial number inside this Kamaka HF-3.
Could you post a photo of the serial number here?
Mahalo!
Could you post a photo of the serial number here?
Mahalo!
Coconut Willie
Well-known member
I am confused...1st you say you want to get rid of production ukes (hence you are selling this Kamaka) then you get questions about the dates and serial numbers and suddenly, the uke is now a "premium uke" I also noticed in the picture, the warranty card is attached....was it never sent in?
Also a question....what is the serial date and can you post a picture of it?
Mahalo!!
Also a question....what is the serial date and can you post a picture of it?
Mahalo!!
wickedwahine11
Well-known member
Just curious as to why so many people want the serial number? I don't remember ever seeing that many requests for that before.
csibona
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I've purchased one ukulele from this board and I asked for the serial number. I wanted to make sure that I was getting the ukulele that was pictured - and I could verify that the owner actually owned the ukulele (because I could ask the luthier directly). I felt somewhat safer making my purchase with the serial number. Your mileage may vary.
I brought up the serial number issue because when there's a way to tell an ukulele's age, I like to know how old it is. The OP is selling for an amount that isn't significantly less than the cost of a new ukulele, and a serial number (or if the ukulele was a KoAloha, the date stamp) would let me know if the ukulele was as new as the asking price suggests it is. I almost never quote Ronald Reagan, but having had a variety of experiences buying stuff sight unseen, I approach these sorts of purchases with a "trust but verify" attitude.
Often people selling ukuleles with serial numbers or build dates in this forum provide that information in their first posts. (For example, experimentjon's recent thread announcing that several of his Kamakas and KoAlohas were for sale contained build date information). I think the wave of additional serial number requests in this thread was prompted by the OP's no-serial-number-given answer to my request for the serial number.
wickedwahine11
Well-known member
fabioponta
Well-known member
I just asked the serial number to bet the lottery. Kamaka's serial number was very lucky in choosing the number of animals in the cockfight and federal lottery in my last year!!!.
Just kidding.
I like ukuleles made before 2008, before the fever of ukuleles. The koa looked more curly, generally. This kamaka looks beautiful.
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Thanks, Joshypogi.
The reason I asked about the serial number was to encourage you to provide more information about your ukulele than you were. Kamakas don't usually last very long in the marketplace, but the most successful Kamaka sellers say and show as much as they can about their ukes. It's a big purchase, and the more people know about an ukulele they won't be able to play before buying, the more comfortable they're going to feel about buying it. Good luck with yours!
For what it's worth, if I didn't already have a Kamaka tenor I love, I'd seriously consider buying this one. July 26 is the day after my birhtday, so I consider your Kamaka's build date to be a good omen.
The reason I asked about the serial number was to encourage you to provide more information about your ukulele than you were. Kamakas don't usually last very long in the marketplace, but the most successful Kamaka sellers say and show as much as they can about their ukes. It's a big purchase, and the more people know about an ukulele they won't be able to play before buying, the more comfortable they're going to feel about buying it. Good luck with yours!
For what it's worth, if I didn't already have a Kamaka tenor I love, I'd seriously consider buying this one. July 26 is the day after my birhtday, so I consider your Kamaka's build date to be a good omen.
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KimosTherapy
Well-known member
JFYI: When I sell an instrument, I go to great lengths to describe in detail everything about the instrument. I mostly sell on eBay and have found through experience that by being very descriptive, the prospective Buyer knows what they're getting and will be completely satisfied once they've received the instrument and will have no desire to ask for a refund because they got exactly what was described.
It really saves the headache of being badgered with questions because of lack of information. Just my 2 cents.
It really saves the headache of being badgered with questions because of lack of information. Just my 2 cents.
OP
OP
Joshypogi
Well-known member
I try answer most questions, but you have people that likes to disrespect the sale. If more information is needed I'll be glad to provide it but sometimes people are impolite no matter what.
By the way this Kamaka is not bright sounding.
By the way this Kamaka is not bright sounding.
Thanks for the pics. However, any potential buyers should take note of the following from Kamaka's website:
"Warranty Information
Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. provides a Limited Warranty that comes with each new Kamaka ukulele. A Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. warranty is not transferable from the original owner to a subsequent owner. If your ukulele develops a problem you believe is covered under warranty, please see your dealer. The warranty card must bear the name of the original authorized dealer in order to be valid.
Upon purchasing your new Kamaka ukulele, you will be provided with an Owner Registration card. Although filling out and returning an Owner Registration card is not a condition of the warranty, this information can help confirm that you are the original purchaser."
Give the guy a break...If he listed for significantly lower, he could have one pic and no description and it would have sold less than 5 mins. How many of you commenting had serious interest in buying it? The serious buyers would PM him. Good luck in the sale
soupking
Well-known member
Agreed. It's my opinion that, regardless of why the information is being requested, if the commenter doesn't have any serious interest in the purchase of the uke, he or she ought to butt out of the conversation. It really is a nuisance to the seller. If there's a serious inquiry regarding the uke in question, it should be handled through pm.
I only bring it up here to suggest that there should be some kind of forum etiquette rule adopted that discourages this type of (what I would personally consider to be) thread-bashing; due to the fact that it could possibly give potential buyers the perception that the seller is withholding information, when that usually is not the case.
Edit (for clarification purposes): Not too long ago I had a uke up for sale here. No less than five minutes after it was posted, someone requested a sound sample of the uke, which for me, someone who doesn't really get along too well with technology, and additionally, someone who would prefer not to showcase his putrid uke talents for the world to see, was a real PITA; especially since after I listed the info on the thread where to find the sound sample, I heard NO feedback from that poster who requested it.
Now, maybe that person didn't like the sound sample, or maybe he wasn't interested in buying the uke in the first place; I don't know. However, it's my opinion that the sound sample request, and my slow reply to the request (due to the hassle of having to put together the clip) might have potentially led to a lack of interest in the uke. This may or may not be the case.
Is it within a potential buyers rights to request a sound sample? Absolutely! But it ought to be done via pm out of simple respect/etiquette.
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coolkayaker1
Well-known member
Perhaps, as the last two posters noted, there should only be discussion by PM on sales. That is, the sales threads locked automatically and the seller PMed (like Flea Marketplace and EBay). Let's face it, questions (although they are very valid in this case) from those not actively buying need not be asked publicly.
90% of the posts on Marketplace are not from Buyers or potential buyers.... they are from others saying "Hey, if I hit the lottery, I'd buy this in a moment," or, "I have one of these and love it, I can't believe this hasn't sold yet." Come on, get a life, people (okay, I admit, I might have said that once or twice).
Replies locked out completely would also serve the purpose of keeping recent for sale items at the top of the thread, and older ones drop to the bottom. Now, the ones with the most comments or controversy, typically not from potential buyers, stay at the top of the thread inappropriately. With a locked system, a Seller could relist if falls off the thread and no sale after, say, a week or so.
SOme will say, I like the interaction of these threads, or we've done it this way for years. That doesnt mean its best.
90% of the posts on Marketplace are not from Buyers or potential buyers.... they are from others saying "Hey, if I hit the lottery, I'd buy this in a moment," or, "I have one of these and love it, I can't believe this hasn't sold yet." Come on, get a life, people (okay, I admit, I might have said that once or twice).
Replies locked out completely would also serve the purpose of keeping recent for sale items at the top of the thread, and older ones drop to the bottom. Now, the ones with the most comments or controversy, typically not from potential buyers, stay at the top of the thread inappropriately. With a locked system, a Seller could relist if falls off the thread and no sale after, say, a week or so.
SOme will say, I like the interaction of these threads, or we've done it this way for years. That doesnt mean its best.
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