PRICING DUE DILIGENCE for Price setting with the Ocarina
Some player comments indicate that even subtle audible or playable variances exist between Wood / Clay / Plastic Ocarinas. I would adamantly disagree.
In my opinion the FEEL of wood has value, as does its smell and taste. Tone can be significantly modified by wood selection & design in the guitar world.
I am not a player myself, this listed instrument has just been sitting pretty for decades now.
Finding an exact match/make of my listed vintage instrument is a NO GO!
The selling, dealing or hand-making of these instruments is very limited
as follows: 1 low end unit/kit seller, 1 auction seller (not a dealer turns out the Oc sold by them was donated) and 2 handmade instrument makers pricing and sales.
(1) Low end units and kits are selling between the $30-$48 range regularly on eBay.
The $43.97 version
The $49 version
(2) Charlie Hinds Ocarinas w/case and paper manual sell on average at $133 (excluding S&H fees).
— Quality of material and design do not match that of this listed instrument
— Those selling however are his lower end units (he gets very experimental in his designs so I suspect he is “The GUY”.
— His higher end Ocs are listed upwards of $500.
— see: http://hindocarina.com/ocarinas/
The avg Auction $133 version
(3) A late April 2021 eBay auction sold at $458 (very dark wood, likely cherry).
— It brought in 18 bids with 3 over the $300 mark.
— This is the closest unit in terms of material and design quality to mine.
XXXXXX I DIRECT REQUESTED PHOTO FROM THE SELLER, LOL, I kept ALL the info except the photo XXXXX (will return to provide later)
(4) North Country Workshop sells 3 standard Ocs at $165, $180 and $210 (excluding S&H fees) are on an unknown break period from shipping their handmade instruments.
— Quality of material and design do not match that of this listed instrument
— see https://sites.google.com/site/doubleocarinas/ocarinas
The $280 version
Using this information I was able to comfortable set the price at $199 (however realize I could likely run an eBay auction and get upwards of $400).
Being I just opened the store overseeing what kind of activity we get for or initial 10 items (which are placeholders for our primary product). I ordered materials this morning to arrive 7/5.
CASE CLOSED. Next!
