Value of 1938 Super Olds and 1955 Burbank Benge?

lonelyangel · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 8:06 am Post subject:

Can any of you E-bay experts help me with a rough guess on the likely price I might expect to achieve on these two instruments. I am considering 'downsizing' my collection in the near future and whilst I love both these horns, I can't think of any occasion at which I might prefer to play them rather than my current horn of choice, the Eclipse, and I feel that they deserve to be played regularly rather than sitting sadly in their cases at my house.
The Olds is serial number 11***, made in LA in 1938. It is finished in laquer and in A1 condition with no dents, dings or modifications with an original Olds case and two Olds mouthpieces, a 3C and a 7C.
The Benge is a fantstic horn which I played for 20 years, serial number 4*** stamped Burbank Boulevard. It is a ML but there is no number to identify what the bell is (1,3,5 etc as I have seen on some other Benges). It is in silver plate and I had the first valve slide converted to a thumb shunt several years ago. There is no case. I believe that this trumpet was the first Benge to arrive in the UK in the mid 1950s and has had only one previous owner, namely Bernard Brown a fine orchestral player, a scholar and a gentleman and my first teacher at the Guildhall School of Music back in 1982.
Any ideas/offers? Thanks in advance. Noel.

PS before anyone asks about pictures - I am sad to say that its beyond my technical ability to post any here myself, but I am working on it.

[ This Message was edited by: lonelyangel on 2003-08-27 11:11 ]

TrentAustin · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 8:34 am Post subject:

Hi Noel!

Hope all is well across the pond!

Try Alan's Olds Central Site.... with particular note of the 2003 Ebay auction prices:

http://rouses.net/trumpet/Olds_ebay_prices03.htm

I'd do an http://www.ebay.com search on Benge horns and see what comes up... maybe some "Bengecats" can help you out there!

Take care, and I REALLY hope we can meet soon.

Best,

Trent
http://www.trentaustin.com
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Jarrett Ellis · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Posts: 649

Ok guys... I have played that Olds and I want it , what do you think I should offer Noel>?
-Jarrett
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wardsd · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 504

I'll throw out some approximate numbers. I purchased an Olds Super in original condition but with quite a bit of lacquer wear, serial number in the 19,000's, for a few dollars over $400. This trumpet came with four extra third valve finger rings, which is why I bid on it and may have sold higher because of it. On the Benge, I sold one in rough shape from the late 60's - significant silver wear to the point of even wearing away some of the brass - for $695. You didn't really say what condition yours was in, but $750 is probably a good expectation. It may go a little higher if it is a 5X. The number for that is on the connector where the bell connects to the first valve.

Steve

jhatpro · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 9:53 am Post subject:

Last year bought a 1937 Olds Super from another guy in London and paid $750 for it. Very nice horn.
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livertwist · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 9:53 am Post subject:

Jarrett,

The prices of Olds Supers are going up and up. Especially old ones and especially Supers. That being said, a quick check of eBay (both current and completed items) and Alan's listing of Olds prices for 2003 indicates that Supers from the 50s (the majority of the horns are from this era) go for $350 - $500. Alan's site averages them at $351, eBay's Completed items have several in the $450-$500 range. Since it's from 1938 and it has the original case, if it's in great shape, I would say that an offer anywhere from $500 - $600 would be about accurate. Of course, I'm no expert and could be off the mark. Perry D'Andrea and Jim Hatfield and Tom Turner and Alan Rouse himself would likely also have a pretty good idea. Good luck!

Oliver

BeboppinFool · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 10:59 am Post subject:

I paid $571.00 for a 1940 satin-silver Olds Super trumpet earlier this year. I had the valves redone and the plating touched up for a mere $540.00 . . . I'd only considerselling this horn for about two grand at this point.

Bottom line: A horn is only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. I can't believe how high some eBay prices go for lesser horns, and some great-looking Supers go for surprisingly low. There's also a misconception out there that the Olds Recording is a better horn than the Super . . . they were actually a notch below on the Olds scale.

Hope you do well with it . . . actually, I suspect that if you let it go, you'll one day regret it.

Rich
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UsedBits · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 3:41 pm Post subject:

There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the early Burbank Benge except that it was likely made by Eldon, himself. Eldon horn prices do not differ much from post-Eldon horns (circa 1960).

The model number is stamped on the ferrule connecting the bell to the 1st valve. If it isn't stamped then it is of the original Burbank design before he experimented with different bell tapers and diameters. I don't know at what point the different models began, and I don't know if the original model is a 1x.
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wardsd · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 504

I thought that the question posed above by usedbits was an interesting one. I was told the following:

All Chicago trumpets are either 3x (.460) or large bore (.468)

All other models... 2x, 3x+ (.464) 4x and 5x are Burbank trumpets.

The 4x first made in 1963. It is a 5x with a different lead pipe.
The pocket model first made in 1970.
The others were developed between 1952 and 1960.

Hope you Benge fans find this interesting.

Steve

[ This Message was edited by: wardsd on 2003-09-04 11:35 ]