I think we in the UK have lost our ability to barter. In Medieval times it was a necessity. I have found that this small fact has helped me with GAS. ( or probably better described as changing something, not really better, just different) I have a Gear 4 music tenor which for unexplained reasons I feel the need to upgrade, for no other reason than to somehow fit in with my Custom Yamaha Alto and Yanagisawa Soprano. But this Tenor that i only paid £123 for is playing and looking more than adequate, but getting back to the point. To curb the GAS. I now look on eBay for Tenors with an offer along with a starting price. To illustrate my point, a YTS61 came up recently, price £1200 with offers, I submitted an offer of £800 which was accepted, I then arranged to try the instrument, with the idea that a well respected Yamaha tenor would run rings around my Gear4music instrument. Well this 61 was a real disappointment, in a condition that no top line horn should ever reach, and made my Gear4music Tenor seem like a top of the range horn. Now getting back to the barter question. I make an offer of about, just over half of the given price or starting bid, and find mostly a declined offer. Isnt it all about a counter offer, not closing the door. (BTW I am going to try the instrument to make sure it turns better than than the 61) but if I as a seller, get such an offer why don't I counter with a, or what I consider to be a fair price/offer in return, instead of getting sulky about the whole process. Now getting back to the point of curing the Gas. Simples, sellers who need to list there sax, a few times before they realise what the true value is ie. what someone will pay, and I as a buyer will go a long way to curing my need to change a perfectly good Tenor, until something appears on eBay that is worth changing for my current Tenor. GAS problem solved. But it's in our nature to never be content with what we have. So I suppose GAS will still rear it's head, but at least I will be comforted by the fact, that i will get a Tenor that is what I want for the price that I am prepared to pay to upgrade my present Tenor. I suppose you deep thinkers will be thinking. Well is it. !!!! !!!! Yes for sure, otherwise we would be still living in caves.
Jamesmac
Jamesmac