It really surprises me that the Mark VI's bring as much money as they do. They are a good horn, no doubt; especially those from the 50's. When you look at the modern Selmers, or any other horn, the earlier Mark VI's were just built with so much more precision, and better metals were used. It's like comparing the cars of the 50's to those today. The old 50's cars were built like tanks, and they were considerably heavier than the cars we have today. But just like the cars of the 50's lack some of the modern conveniences found on cars today, so do vintage horns. While the lack of a hi F# key, adjustable spatula keys and thumb rest may not make a difference to some players, others are going to require them. Clearly vintage horns are not for everyone. At the moment, there the Mark VI is in high demand, but I really doubt that the Mark VI will increase much more in value over the next 5 years. I could be wrong, but I think that newer horns like the Reference 54, Yanagisawa 991, Yamaha 82Z, Keilwerth SX-90R and the Cannonball Big Bell Global Series are going to be the preference of younger players; having started on more modern horns. As for Selmer recreating the Mark VI? I believe that they have come about as close to doing so as modern technology and metals will allow with the Ref. 54. Selmer Mark VI the Stradivarius of saxophones? It would seem so to an extent. The Mark VI has been one of the most popular saxophones ever among professional players. It all depends on your style and the type of music you like to play. The old Conns, Kings, Martins, and Bueschers also have great tone!

Connsaxman, I've been saying that the Mark Vls won't increase much in the next five years for at least 20 years, yet every year they go up in price. In a perfect world there would be better new horns being made and the demand for all the old Conns, Kings, Martin, Bueschers and Selmers shouldn't be like it is. I've given up on finding a new sax that plays as well as my Mark Vl. I have a yamaha 62 tenor that I use as backup. The Yamaha is a good tenor and I play it when I think my Selmer might not like the humidity or on a gig that isn't that interesting anyway. A good repair man can keep a vintage horn making music for a long time. They won't be around for ever and I'm glad I have an Mark Vl Alto and Tenor that I really like.........Kelsey

Everything's going up in price. I've especially noticed the increases for the Mark VI, Buecher Truetones and TH&C 400s, and Buffet Superdynaction horns over the past year or two.

Have you seen the prices of The martin, aristocrat and 10m's lately !! they are going up drastically, lucky i have a good supply of them . Word is getting around of how good they are Dave

I just think that the Selmer Mark VI's have reached their peak as far as price. I don't think the prices are likely to come down any either. For many players in my age bracket who have been playing for 15 years or more, the Mark VI is somewhat of a "Holy Grail" when it comes to saxophones. They have been identified as one of the best saxophones of all time (although I favor my Conn 10M). We have played with musicians who have been playing Mark VI's since they were new, and we have drooled over their horns hoping to be able to afford one in nice condition someday. We're the ones who are paying the outrageous prices for vintage Selmer Mark VI's. My logic is that players over age 50 probably already have a Mark VI, or another horn that they are well satisfied with. Those players under age 25 are likely to play a Mark VI and think that it's a little too "antique" for their liking, and prefer something like a Cannonball, Yamaha 82Z, or a more modern horn with a High F# and modern advantages. It's those players who are ages 30-45 who are buying the vintage Mark VI's, and driving up the prices. Still, as Dave said, a lot of younger players are looking into vintage horns. Many of the American horns, like Conn, Buescher, King and Martin a great value, and sound great too! Sometimes owning a vintage horn is like owning a piece of music history and connecting yourself with an era when sax was king!