Did I do a bad thing?

[Capt. E]

I dropped in Fiddlers Green here in Austin on friday just to look around. There was a lady from Florida who was looking at the mandolins as well and we got to talking. She was going on a trip to Ireland and was looking for something to take with her. I recommended the Kentucky 272 etc. Then we started looking at what else was around. I spotted a beautiful 1919 A-4 up on the wall and couldn't resist taking it down (all original with OHSC). Oh was it nice, loud, resonant, had been there for only two days and was nicely priced at $2400. We started comparing it to various other mandolins, new, used, Gibson, Pava, etc. The A-4 held its own or surpassed all of them. The lady from Florida said she had always wanted a Gibson and to my surprise decided to buy it. Am I going to regret not buying it myself? This is my wife's birthday month and I would catch it buying a big present for myself. Well, the A-4 has a nice new home and Fiddlers Green was certainly not complaining. Should have asked for a commission (a set of strings perhaps).

[Br1ck]

I've pointed out instruments to serious buyers many times as a defensive measure, one old Gibson J 45 that was rough and had a newer neck, hence was priced right. Another customer who I knew had a few bucks bought it immediately after I pointed it out to him.

More concerning would be having it leave the country.

[William Smith]

No I think you did a good deed for someone, did you really need that mando? I know I've bought so much that I don't need but want! I've also pointed out instruments for loads of people here on the cafe by answering their adds and telling them where what they want is at various shops and individuals. Just trying to be helpful and in some cases I wanted what they wanted but didn't need it so I guess being helpful is a good thing

[Tom C]

I would have bought it for my wife's birthday and if she didn't like it, I would be happy to put it to use. Worked with last gift. A bowling ball who's holes were too big and spread. Just Kidding.

[Caleb]

O to live in Austin, where one can just "drop into" Fiddler's Green...

[Br1ck]

O to live in Austin, where one can just "drop into" Fiddler's Green...

Such a conundrum. After all, if you don't live near a first rate store, you don't know what you're missing and can be happy with what you have.

Now I know what an old A4 sounds like, as well as an A2Z, and a Big Mon.

[bratsche]

I would have bought it for my wife's birthday and if she didn't like it, I would be happy to put it to use. Worked with last gift. A bowling ball who's holes were too big and spread. Just Kidding.

LOL. It's my birthday month, and my DH just bought a new lawnmower. Definitely for me. He will enjoy watching me use it, though, from his armchair in the shade. Not kidding at all. He does the thing I hate most - weedwacking, thank goodness for that.

bratsche

[allenhopkins]

...More concerning would be having it leave the country.

Well, there's always another great mandolin coming down the road; can't buy every one, and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing another buyer find an instrument that he/she really loves.

Trip to Ireland, eh? I assume the mandolin's not being permanently exported, but do the ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay run afoul of the CITES regs? She may need to get documentation of the A-4's "antique" status.

[SincereCorgi]

Eh, that sounds like a really sweet mandolin but I don't think I'd suggest taking a nice antique as a vacation instrument.

[Denny Gies]

Regret it? Nope, you done gud.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I agree with bluegrasser78 - You did a very nice thing in allowing the lady first choice,& i also agree with Allen Hopkins,there will be others !.

There's a lady Cafe member who recently posted about coming to Ireland from the US - did she mention being a Cafe member at all ?,
Ivan

[Ray(T)]

I've always seen it as my duty to release instruments from the purgatory of having to hang on shop walls. Whether they are released to me or others it doesn't really matter but it might explain why, over the years, I have acquired so many of them.

If it was that good, you should probably have taken custody of it yourself!

[almeriastrings]

Well, there's always another great mandolin coming down the road; can't buy every one, and there's a certain satisfaction in seeing another buyer find an instrument that he/she really loves.

Trip to Ireland, eh? I assume the mandolin's not being permanently exported, but do the ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay run afoul of the CITES regs? She may need to get documentation of the A-4's "antique" status.

Ebony. No.

The one area of concern would be if the nut was ivory. That really would be a big issue.

[Bertram Henze]

You mean, you found a cute puppy in an animal shelter and you gave it to a motherless child instead of taking it home to roast and eat for yourself?
Sorry, you have singlehandedly ruined a promising career in hell.

[MikeZito]

Many years ago a friend asked me to come to the music store with her, to pick out a new acoustic guitar. She had her eye on two unspectacular $350 instruments. I told her that both guitars were of about the same mediocre-quality, and that the choice was strictly going to be a matter personal preference. When she asked me what constituted a 'high quality' guitar, I pulled an amazing Guild D-55 off the wall. (I would have bought the Guild myself, but I had just purchased a nice Taylor 810-E, a very short time before.) Anyhow, to make a long story short - once she played the Guild she could not go back the other choices. At the store she cursed me out for 'making her' buy a guitar that was 4-times what was in her budget, but in the end she really bonded with that guitar, and it helped to distinctly define her subsequent musical endeavors - so much so that she even changed her e-mail address to GuildSinger. Looking back on it, it was a great musical moment.

[UsuallyPickin]

Well..... did you explain about baggage handlers and instruments and flight regulations?

[Capt. E]

Yeah, I actually really enjoyed "making" the lady buy the A-4 instead of the Kentucky KM272. Fiddler's will pack and ship it for her (better than taking it on the plane). It also saved her the sales tax ($198) being an out-of-state purchase.
Taking the A-4 with her on her upcoming trip to Ireland might be a bit questionable, but she now has an instrument for life. It really is a nice one and I have played a few.
I failed to ask if she was a Cafe member. Perhaps she will see this post.

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . Am I going to regret not buying it myself? . . .

Nope!