Consignment
The foundation of The Brass Ark is to find and re-home the finest vintage and used brass instruments. A large portion of my inventory comes from consignment sales, representing a rare trombone or used trumpet (for example) on the behalf of one of my clients and then once their instrument has sold, sending them funds minus my small consignment fee.
Why consign a horn with me? I am a professional trombonist and I know what to expect in a horn... I am a brass instrument expert and aficionado with over 25 years of collecting rare brass instruments under my belt. I started working in the music retail business when I was a wee lad in college. In addition to selling used instruments all over the world with many happy customers and a stellar reputation, I have co-designed a line of well regarded trombone leadpipes and mouthpieces under the Brass Ark brand and I curate an amazing selection of world class new instruments here at this shop that aren't available anywhere else in the USA. I’ve seen and played about every brass instrument from every maker and I have a good grasp of what the market price is for used and rare collectible brass instruments. I collaborate with legendary brass repairman and craftsman: Brad Close, who shares my shop with me in La Crescenta and Don Sawday in Long Beach. Both Brad and Don are able to repair, modify, clean and restore instruments to their top condition and top value. Each instrument I represent will be cleaned and ready to take to a gig out of the box, unless otherwise stated. Going the extra mile with my service yields happy results for both sellers and buyers!
My consignment service includes: detailed photos of your instrument and a honest description and review on my website, repair/ultrasonic cleaning services as needed, display in my showroom where potential buyers can try out horns in a professional setting and fair market pricing. I handle all of the aspects of the sale and get you paid when your instrument sells. Rest assure, my shop is fully insured and I have a real brick and mortar location with 24 hour alarm monitoring.
My passion is brass instruments and I love finding them deserving new homes. I take my work seriously and do my very best to make sure all parties are totally happy with the outcome of a sale.
Consignment services are handled on a sliding scale:
- - Items under $2500 at 18%
- - Items over $2500 at 15%
- - Items over $4000 at 10%
If you have an instrument you’d like to consign with The Brass Ark, please send me an email to noah@brassark.com and I will contact you as soon as possible. Please include: Make/Model, Serial Number, Condition, Asking price or appraisal and any pertinent photos.
Trades
I do consider trade ins on a case by case basis. If you see an instrument in my inventory that interests you, please send me an e-mail and let me know what you have to trade in. I am only interested in high quality professional brass instruments. Keep in mind, trading in an instrument will yield less money than a consignment sale, but will give you instant money towards anything in my inventory.
Sometimes, I will buy an instrument outright as well, again on a case by case basis, please let me know what you have.