Old Saxophones

I'm playing on a Yamaha Custom YAS 875 and I love it. I've had it for about a year now. I bought it from a saxophone teacher at a local college. I like to say this sax has "good mojo" and I give it partial credit to getting me into the North Carolina School of the Arts. I guess I'm pretty spoiled because this is a beautiful sax, except for a couple places where the laquer is gone from too much love, the sax is in the same condition as my friend's brand new custom, if not better from the occasional tweaking. I went to a friends house, and he showed me his grandmother's "funky old saxophone." It turned out to be this beautiful silver Lyon and Healy C Melody saxophone. It needed alot of work before it could be in playing condition, but there was absolutely no corrosion on this horn. He had started to polish it up a little on the bell. Since seeing this horn, I've been all over ebay looking for old beat up saxophones because I'm completely facinated by them. I guess I'm looking for a diamond in the rough. So I'm asking what you people know about old saxophones. Are there any really old "coveted" saxophones that I could be lucky to get my hands on? What about Lyon and Healy? I've never heard of them before. What are your views on relaquering saxophones? I was always under the impression that it completely skrews with the tone of a good saxophone, and not to do it. Any information I can get I'd be greatful for. I'm really just looking for a hobby I can work on in my spare time. Learning how to fix up 90 year old saxophone could be pretty fun.

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