[Dixielandjazz] Grafton Plastic Sax vs Metal Sax

[Steve Barbone]

A friend in Kansas City who plays clarinet sent me the below off list.

"Charlie Parker's plastic alto was sold at a Christie's Auction in 1994 (at
today's exchange for about $184,000.   Then Mayor now Congressperson Emanuel
Cleaver authorized the purchase and the horn is displayed in the Jazz museum
on 18th & Vine in K.C."

I believe the actual 1994 price was $140,000, not too bad for a Grafton
which as Paul E. said, is highly collectible.

Bird's metal sax went for about $261,000 last year at auction. Compare those
values with the below horns which were sold last year:

A Bechet's Soprano at  $140,000

A Goodman clarinet at  $ 25,000

A Gillespie trumpet at $ 31,000.

Better buy? Seems to me list mate Tito Martino in South America bought one
of Omer Simeon's Albert System clarinets for about $700 2 years ago.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone