How much did they pay "back then?"

ConnCoprion · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 1620

I was just curious if anyone knew how much people paid for brand new top of the line trumpets back in the ole' days...?

I know that some of you have old catalogs from way back when...what were the prices of the vintage goodies that we have today?

Prices of the old Conns, Bachs, Martins, Getzens etc?
_________________
Philippians 1:6

Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Someplace I still have the receipt for my old Bach Strad, #37, lacquer, 1972. I think it was $380 (might have been $480, the local music shop was steep). - Don
_________________
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

pipedope · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:36 pm Post subject:

In 1973 my Bach Strad set me back something like $385, and that was with a big discount.
That was basically a full summer of working in the corn fields and a bit more.

As I recall gasoline was something like $0.25/gallon give or take.

ConnCoprion · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 1620

Cool! Talk about inflation! Keep em coming......if only I could go back into time...and grab some...then *zap* back to present day........now where did I put my time machine....
_________________
Philippians 1:6

trumpet cat · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject:

My Dad bought me a new Strad for $300....somewhere around 1968. I still have it too...

TC
_________________
John Hines
NY freelancer

Skip · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:19 pm Post subject:

I sure wish that I had bought a Bach instead. Our band director was big on Conn. My Connstellation was about the same as your Bach's, $380-$425, as I remember.

trptsbaker · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject:

I paid $350 cash, and traded my Getzen Eterna, to Ren Schilke for my Schilke B6 in 1970. Wish I still had both of those horns. T.

Fleebat · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject:

I worked in a restaurant the summer before my junior year in high school (1973), then cut back to four nights a week for the school year. I think I was making $1.85/hr. By March, I had enough for my brand new silver Benge 5X. I think I got it in a new Bach case, for some reason. Never had the Benge case. Anyhow, it was $365.00.

The following August (this'd be '74), my folks loaned me enough to make up the difference between what I had saved and the cost of my new Bach 229L C (silver also). In a Schilke triple case, that set me back about $425.00, I think. By then I was making about $2.35/hr. Somewhere I have a snapshot looking down our street toward the corner - I think it was the summer of '74. You can see a gas-station sign that advertises regular for 0.23/gallon. Woof.

Rusty Russell

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

Marion IN. (halfway between Indy & Ft. Wayne)

My 1971 silver Severinsen trumpet (no trigger) retailed for $400. It would have been $425 if I got the trigger. I don't recall if a saddle was as option on the Severinsens. This was shortly after they started using Amado keys.

That was back when Severinsens came standard with both a .460 and .458 tuning slides. The next year they included a post card in the case and would send you, free of charge, the .458 slide if you wanted it. 2 years later they eliminated the .458 slide offer completely.

I wasn't playing well enough at that time to notice any difference between the two slides.

A silver Strad in 1971 was the same - $400, $425 with a saddle or trigger.

My teacher, who was very good friends with Ren, got me a silver B7 for $400 in 1972. I think retail on Schilke's at that time was $650 - $700, with the usual Schilke policy of no case or mpc. I used the case from my Severinsen, which was a pretty stout case!

You really had to shop around or know someone in the music retail industry to get any kind of a discount back then.

In 1975 a buddy bought a Schilke 4-valve picc...I think he paid $950 for it.

A 4-valve Eterna silver flugel was around $450 in 1973, and came with the double case.

I think Couesnon flugels were going for $175 or so. Now they're what.... $1500 for one in new condition?

Yeah - sign me up for one of those time machines, too!
_________________
Tim Wendt

www.trumpetherald.com/marketplace.php?task=detail&id=146827&s=The-Best-Trumpet-Lead-Pipe-Swab-EVER--

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWAJqghk24&feature=youtu.be

Greg Livingston · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject:

For comparison-my 1870's Czech double bass cost my Dad $800 in 1969, and it's just been appraised for $16K

Dick S · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject:

Good 'ol #50782 Strad cost me $340 in 1970.
Has a home for life

_________________
Dick S
Temecula, CA
Holton "Don Ellis" Quarter tone

rockford · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:14 am Post subject:

Silver Bach ML37 #83901 in 1973 $353.00
_________________
Bill Siegfried
NY/Mt. Vernon Bach trumpets. Yamaha flugelhorn and piccolo A/Bb, Monette and Hammond mouthpieces. Fender and Peavey Cirrus Bass Guitars. Ampeg and Genz-Benz amps. Embraer 170/175/190.

Christian K. Peters · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:58 am Post subject: How much did you pay

Hello all,
Couldn't help to respond on this one. I entered college in the fall of '75. Was thinking of buying either a new 1976 Mustang with the 302 and 4 speed, or some trumpets. The trumpets won out, as they were cheaper. $1650 plus or minus bought a Schilke B1, Schilke C4, Yamaha pic and a Bach Quad case. The Schilke pic at the time had a 9 month wait and I needed instant gratification, so he sold me on the Yammy. about 3 months after that, I picked up a Yamaha D/Eb for $400. The only thing currently owned, is the case...As for the small block and 4 speed...Settled on a '64 Falcon.
_________________
Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976

beel40 · Veteran Member Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 129

I bought one of the pre-UMI King models in the early 80's for $400. In 1979 I paid like $7 for lessons...

mffan · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:34 am Post subject: old days costs

I bought an early import Yamaha trumpet in 70 for $320. Added a trigger later. The 84 Strad I had was around $700, I guess. Other horns my dad bought for me were a 55 Committee cornet and 60 K mod, I didn't know the costs, but evidently they were of the quality I couldn't appreciate until recently. He was a reed player and had Selmer Paris tenor, alto and clarinets for his jobs.

Dave Rafferty
07 Barrington trumpet
55-60 Besson 8-10 trumpet
67 Besson 8-10 cornet
? age Gretsch Pathfinder long cornet
P.O.S. Marceau cornet

Member: Bugles Across America
_________________
Dave Rafferty Devillier Stencil (German) Besson 609
1960's B & H Embassy Trumpet, Besson 2-20,
Barrington trumpet.

www.kalamazooconcertband.org

lmf · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:04 am Post subject:

Hi,

In 1962, I purchased a Conn Director Cornet for $350.00 new. After playing it for four years, In 1966, I traded it in on a Reynolds Contempora Cornet. I believe it cost me another $350, but it was a far better horn which I enjoyed playing very much. I had no idea if the $350 was a good price, but I was single then and making good money. I didn't sacrifice much to purchase the Contempora which I played for fourteen more years before giving it away.

What is ironic, is that in 1993, I purchased a Conn Constellation Cornet (used) for $350 which I still have and prize along with my other horns.

It appears that "$350" was the number for all three horns which seems strange.

Best wishes!

Lloyd

maynard-46

Worked all summer doing construction work in 1962 to buy a brand new, lacquered Selmer K-Modified trumpet. It cost me $325 at a local music store in my town and it came with one of those nice, zippered Chesterfield cases. I was a sophomore in HS and had to wait 3 months for it to arrive as they ordered it direct from France! Kind of wish I had that horn now!!!

Butch
_________________
TRUMPE: SCHILKE B7 / Legends .585 "CatMaster" Top / KT "RT1" BB / Reeves #5.75 Sleeve.
FLUGELHORN: ADAMS Custom "F1" / Legends .585 "CatMaster FL.

trumpetgeezer · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:52 am Post subject:

Bach Strad in '66, King Silver Flair in "67, $375 a piece. Still have the King, wish I had also kept the Bach, but I was young and stupid....

Bill Dishman · Heavyweight Member Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 1174

Depends on what one considers the "old days".

For myself.... 1st Bach Strad Bb (1972) $285.00

I'm looking at the cancelled check as I am typing.

1974 Bach C trumpet $315.00

1975 Bach Eb/D (used) $225.00

Bill Dishman
Gainesville, Florida

plp · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject:

Bought a one year old Bach 37 in 1980 for 475.00, and traded it and 200.00 for a brand new Bach 43 in 1981, so the 43 would've retailed for around 550.00, more or less.