Is there a site that tels you how much a musical instument is worth, kind of like Kelly's blue book for cars?

Question

I have a Holton double French horn that I would like to sell but have no idea what it is worth. It is about 15 years old but in good shape in case anyone knows.

Answer 1

There's a couple resources, but your best bet would be to take it in to a music dealer and get it appraised...

There's the Orion Blue Book, which online hooked up with usedprice.com... you can enter in the manufacturer (Holton) and type (french horn), and it will look up all the instruments relating to that.  

http://www.usedprice.com/dropdown.php?ca...

You also have the option of entering your serial number, but that usually brings their results to "0"... the down side to this site is that you have to pay for the results of each valuation (search)... it costs $4.00 for 1 search, and they will try to get you to sign up for a year subscription... rat b******s...

ANYWAYS... you can also buy the Orion Blue Book book at Amazon... I think the most current is the 2005 edition... it is released every 5 years or something, since the makes and models don't change as much as cars do.  The downside to this:  the price!!!  $250 for a book that will be out of date in 2 years is a LOT of money... http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Blue-Guitars...

So, if you don't mind spending $4.00, you could look it up online, but again, I would take it to a dealer... they will also be able to adjust their estimate for scratches, dents, and general wear.  

Good Luck! :)

Answer 2

you can look on the maker's website, some have serial number lookups, but other than that or google, i'd suggest finding a forum with lots of knowledgable french horn players and asking them.  odds are someone will either know something about that model, or at least be able to tell you how much they would sell or buy it for...

Answer 3

You can do some research on various web sites. The only complication I know of is that sometimes the plungers need tune ups and this may cost some to do it right...