When a client has a valuable vintage mouthpiece and asks about refacing, 
my rule of thumb has been:

- Let's fix it up if you're going to play it, or if you're going to sell 
it to someone who will play it before buying it.
- Let's leave it alone if you just plan to sell it on ebay (or online).

To an ebay buyer (buying based on make/model/vintage/description), I'd 
think that it would generally be more desirable in original condition 
unless it's been worked on by a well-known refacer (which I am not). 
Regardless of how it plays. Common sense or hogwash?

Dan T

Except for correcting flaws or damage, it makes little sense to me to buy a vintage mouthpiece and then go to the expense of modification. They're only original once.

This is not to say that balancing the rails etc. Is inappropriate....anything that helps the original design reach it's full potential should be encouraged.

There are too many choices readily available to justify some of the significant modifications I see.

Sent from my iPad

STEVE  GOODSON
Saxophone Guru and Visionary
New Orleans
www.nationofmusic.com



On Aug 21, 2011, at 2:12 PM, Dan Torosian <dtorosian@...> wrote:

> When a client has a valuable vintage mouthpiece and asks about refacing, 
> my rule of thumb has been:
> 
> - Let's fix it up if you're going to play it, or if you're going to sell 
> it to someone who will play it before buying it.
> - Let's leave it alone if you just plan to sell it on ebay (or online).
> 
> To an ebay buyer (buying based on make/model/vintage/description), I'd 
> think that it would generally be more desirable in original condition 
> unless it's been worked on by a well-known refacer (which I am not). 
> Regardless of how it plays. Common sense or hogwash?
> 
> Dan T
> 

This html message parsed with html2text ---------------------------I'm not really talking about modifications, just fixing uneven rails, obvious
flat spots or high spots on the facings, or not-so-flat tables. And if they're
bringing one of these mouthpieces to me, it's because it doesn't play well, so
there's a good chance it has those flaws. In practical terms, it makes perfect
sense to fix these things, but I don't want to decrease the sales appeal of a
piece. "Refaced by Dan Torosian" doesn't have the market cachet that would add
value to a sight-unseen purchase.  
  
Worth more as "original condition", or as "table flattened, rails evened, and
facing optimized"?  
  
On 8/21/2011 2:22 PM, Steve Goodson wrote:

> Except for correcting flaws or damage, it makes little sense to me to buy a
> vintage mouthpiece and then go to the expense of modification. They're only
> original once.
>
>  
>
>
> This is not to say that balancing the rails etc. Is
> inappropriate....anything that helps the original design reach it's full
> potential should be encouraged.
>
>  
>
>
> There are too many choices readily available to justify some of the
> significant modifications I see.  
>  
>  Sent from my iPad
>
>  
>
>
> STEVE GOODSON
>
> Saxophone Guru and Visionary
>
> New Orleans
>
> [www.nationofmusic.com](http://www.nationofmusic.com)
>
>  
>
>
>  
>
>
>  
>  On Aug 21, 2011, at 2:12 PM, Dan Torosian
> <[dtorosian@...](mailto:dtorosian@...)> wrote:  
>  
>
>

>> When a client has a valuable vintage mouthpiece and asks about refacing,  
>  my rule of thumb has been:  
>  
>  \\- Let's fix it up if you're going to play it, or if you're going to sell  
>  it to someone who will play it before buying it.  
>  \\- Let's leave it alone if you just plan to sell it on ebay (or online).  
>  
>  To an ebay buyer (buying based on make/model/vintage/description), I'd  
>  think that it would generally be more desirable in original condition  
>  unless it's been worked on by a well-known refacer (which I am not).  
>  Regardless of how it plays. Common sense or hogwash?  
>  
>  Dan T  
>

I generally agree with the "worth more as original." Although I would add that I think it really depends on the piece as "vintage" covers a lot. There's quite a spread between a vintage Link double ring selling for $1500  and a vintage Masterlink for example. Also, there will be only moderate interest in small tip openings of say 4 for tenor. In other words, the double ring may be worth more in original condition, but the Masterlink may be worth more opened to a more modern/playable tip.

Name recognition most definitely  has an impact on value as well. Certainly opened by Brian Powell or Theo Wanne will command a higher price than opened by Matt Voss.

That said, with the exception of say mpc cafe or sakshama, I think there is a real void in the marketplace for alternatives to vintage pieces despite the panopoly of copies. Don't get me wrong, I think there are great manufacturers like Phil Barone and Ted Klum making fantastic pieces, but if your client is going to play the piece and appreciates those intangibles it is perfectly appropriate to open the tip of that vintage piece.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Torosian 
Sender: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:51:20 
To: 
Reply-To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MouthpieceWork] Vintage mouthpiece strategy

  
 
 
 
 I'm not really talking about modifications, just fixing uneven rails, obvious flat spots or high spots on the facings, or not-so-flat tables.  And if they're bringing one of these mouthpieces to me, it's because it doesn't play well, so there's a good chance it has those flaws.  In practical terms, it makes perfect sense to fix these things, but I don't want to decrease the sales appeal of a piece.  "Refaced by Dan Torosian" doesn't have the market cachet that would add value to a sight-unseen purchase.
 
 Worth more as "original condition", or as "table flattened, rails evened, and facing optimized"?
 
 On 8/21/2011 2:22 PM, Steve Goodson wrote:   
 
Except for correcting flaws or damage, it makes little sense to me to buy a vintage mouthpiece and then go to the expense of modification. They're only original once. 

 
This is not to say that balancing the rails etc. Is inappropriate....anything that helps the original design reach it's full potential should be encouraged. 

 
There are too many choices readily available to justify some of the significant modifications I see.
 
 Sent from my iPad 

 
STEVE  GOODSON 
Saxophone Guru and Visionary 
New Orleans 
www.nationofmusic.com  

 

 

 On Aug 21, 2011, at 2:12 PM, Dan Torosian  > wrote:
 
 
   
 
When a client has a valuable vintage mouthpiece and asks about refacing, 
 my rule of thumb has been:
 
 - Let's fix it up if you're going to play it, or if you're going to sell 
 it to someone who will play it before buying it.
 - Let's leave it alone if you just plan to sell it on ebay (or online).
 
 To an ebay buyer (buying based on make/model/vintage/description), I'd 
 think that it would generally be more desirable in original condition 
 unless it's been worked on by a well-known refacer (which I am not). 
 Regardless of how it plays. Common sense or hogwash?
 
 Dan T