Posted by Joe Baker on February 22, 2002 at 11:24:46:
In Reply to: Re: Purchasing my kid a tuba posted by Mike on February 22, 2002 at 01:03:02:
This has come up numerous times in this forum, and I've just never had the time to respond before. Please don't take it personally that I chose you, as this is really to the dozens of folks who have bristled at this question.
I don't think you should take the question "why are you selling it?" -- or any other question -- as an affront. People don't know you or their horn, and they deserve to try to learn as much as possible about both before shelling out the big bucks for a tuba. About the only grounds for getting your money back on such a purchase is if the item is not 'as advertised'. Legally (in my state, anyway, and I suspect in others) it is up to the buyer to demonstrate that he has used due diligence in asking questions to determine if there are problems. The more times they can get you to say the horn has no problems, has perfect intonation, etc., the stronger their case if it turns out to be a dog. In other words, people asking this sort of question are not assuming that the horn IS trash, but just doing their best to protect themselves in case it turns out to BE trash.
Another valid reason for this line of inquiry is that people want to know what negatives there are on a tuba. Even if there are no negatives per se, even the best instruments have trade-offs. Maybe the horn is fantastic, but has a brighter tone than you really wanted. Or it plays beautifully, but it takes hands like Andre the Giant to reach the valves. There may be something about the horn that causes it to not be right for you, but just right for the buyer. Or it may be that the same thing that makes it NOT right for you will also be a problem for the buyer. Since the buyer is at least going to be out shipping or a lengthy drive in most cases, isn't it reasonable to ask any question that might help avoid pointless hassle and expense?
Joe Baker, who thinks that sellers should graciously answer any question if they want to make a sale.