Weissenborn teardrop model at auction, FYI

[Andy Volk]

I don't know anything about this auction or whether a good deal is possible but that aside, it's a nice look at a teardrop model.

http://entertainment.ha.com/c/item.zx?s ... otNo=83015

[Ben Elder]

Intermountain wants $6K+ (post-factory tailpiece added) for one last I looked. (I'm $750 combined into my two.) I was once asked for a price estimate by a major dealer (not IM) and suggested $3500, which may still be conservative.

Easy for me to say.

[James Williamson]

Thanks for posting Andy. Teardrops are always in short supply. Could've kicked myself on that one that IM is selling per Ben's comments...I was also bidding on it and chickened out since I had other expenses going on at the time...I think it went for $3k or $4k if I recall.

Anyway, I will never again bid through Heritage as I've had a terrible experience with them on an instrument that was in very bad condition and was not described as such...I had to send it back and it was a major hassle to do so...no love lossed on this house.

I see though (to their cedit) that they describe these teardrops issues pretty well.

[Doug Freeman]

So was $2,250 (plus 20% buyer premium and exorbitant shipping) a good deal?

HA is a tricky place to deal with. Nearly impossible to get detailed or timely information. I've bought a couple things through them which have worked out fine, but they truly do not care about the buyer.

[Tony Francis]

Thanks for posting Andy. Teardrops are always in short supply. Could've kicked myself on that one that IM is selling per Ben's comments...I was also bidding on it and chickened out since I had other expenses going on at the time...I think it went for $3k or $4k if I recall.

Anyway, I will never again bid through Heritage as I've had a terrible experience with them on an instrument that was in very bad condition and was not described as such...I had to send it back and it was a major hassle to do so...no love lossed on this house.

I see though (to their cedit) that they describe these teardrops issues pretty well.

Don't kick yourself too hard James, before the one at Intermountain was on the bay, it was on another forum for $1000, and before that at a second hand store for a steal. From time to time they come up, its just the way it goes.

For what its worth, Heritage are not alone in minimalistic descriptions. That same guitar ended up at another prominent dealer without any mention of the significant issues.

So was $2,250 (plus 20% buyer premium and exorbitant shipping) a good deal?

It is neither a good deal nor a bad deal. It really depends on the extent of the work required or previously done. The ideal would be original factory condition and un-repaired. The worst case scenario could be much worse than that!

If you could find a clean original example from the premier period, you might expect to pay 6-7K for such an instrument from a trusted seller. European prices are slightly higher.

Ben, we must be numbering in the 20+ instruments by now. Have you been keeping a tally for Teardrops?

[Paul DiMaggio]

I won't buy from HA or use UPS again either. I got my Magnatone thru them and as far as condition went it was pretty good, they have that function on the website you can get close ups of all angles of the instrument.So I had a good idea of what I was getting.The problem came after the auction, they insisted on using UPS even after I explained that the nearest depot was 300 miles away. So my bid plus buyers fee came to $354 and by the time it got here it was $562. A $70 brokerage fee at the border [UPS brokers] should have been $5. I called HA to complain and got "sorry, nothing we can do" same from UPS. Both my other steels came from Tenn. with USPS/Canada Post and I never paid any fee at all.