TromboneChat

Hi,

I have a ‘74 3B SS that’s in near mint condition.
Case is also close to new. I’m curious about what
these typically sold for in a music store when new?
I had a brass bell ‘73 that I bought new but don’t remember the price.

Big thanks,

Basie

Not quite 1974, but there's a price list for king instruments dated 1976 here:
https://www.saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/676

Lists the "3B, Sterling Bell" at $710 on the 3rd page of the catalog. The dealer may take a markup (or a markdown if you're lucky!) but I'm not well versed in pricing new instruments so unsure what that markup would be if you were looking in store.

For the curious: $710 in 1976 dollars is about $3700 in today's money.

Thanks Gil,

That’s great of you to post that. Also, the ‘today’s dollars’ is
mind boggling, even with our current inflation rate.
From having a ‘73 3B and playing it hard day in and day out I know that era was really good for King bones. The slide on mine
was so good. Even with some neglect, it kept going phenomenally well. Thanks again!

Basie

That’s about right. I bought an 88h for $400.00 in 1973 and a 42b for about the same after the 88h was stolen.

OneTon wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:16 am That’s about right. I bought an 88h for $400.00 in 1973 and a 42b for about the same after the 88h was stolen.

88H "List Price" in 1972 was $600. "Professional" discounts were available. (I purchased mine from John Coffey in Boston for $360 - 40% off. Perhaps last of the Elkharts. I still play it. Fantastic trombone!)

I bought my brass bell King 4B-F from the factory in or about 1973. Retail was $550, with my teacher's 40% discount (he played Kings professionally, helped demo prototypes, etc.) I paid $330.

Posaunus wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:29 am

OneTon wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:16 am That’s about right. I bought an 88h for $400.00 in 1973 and a 42b for about the same after the 88h was stolen.

88H "List Price" in 1972 was $600. "Professional" discounts were available. (I purchased mine from John Coffey in Boston for $360 - 40% off. Perhaps last of the Elkharts. I still play it. Fantastic trombone!)

$400.00 was a decent discount. Shields Music was near Harvard on 11th Street in Tulsa. They were giving University of Tulsa students a discount I suppose. He would let us pay $200.00 cash and the balance in 90 days, on a handshake. Those days are gone.