[Harp-L] RE: amps on Ebay

["Laughton, Bob" <LaughtonB@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rainbow Jimmy:

> Do people buy amps on Ebay? How do you know if the amp works? 

I've bought two Pignoses on eBay, both were great (and cheap!)

> How do you know what it sounds like? Same with mics. Any instrument really.

I've bought 3 mikes, 5 banjos, a guitar, a B/C button accordion, at least 50 harmonicas (don't tell my wife!:-) and 2 mandolins.

> It would scare the heck out of me to spend any money on something like that.

To buy successfully on eBay takes practice, a feeling for who the seller is (grammar and spelling are often helpful clues), and checking their feedback is paramount. Someone with 100 or more positives and no (zero,0,nada) negatives in their feedback, in my experience can be trusted, once you suss them out. Someone with 0 or 1 feedbacks can be a new and/or inexperienced seller, or a scam artist. Then you have to play it by ear (an area where we harp players excel!)

eBay actually has a lot of web pages with tutorials and help files to guide the anxious and inexperienced. And start small, build your confidence with some keys you may be missing in your diatonic collection. If I am contemplating bidding on a used harmonica, I always email the seller and ask if it is a 'non-smoker's' harmonica. I learned that one right away...

I also never buy 'store' items, unless it is something rare - I just keep searching until I find a private party that decided they didn't really need that Chromonica in C# after all. Both the Pignoses were 'new, but slightly used' from private parties.

Good luck, let us know what you find.

Bob