Brass collectors surf for bargains on the Net

By Sheila J. Clark

Brass music enthusiasts who take their love of the music beyond the ears into the collectors realm could possibly find their proverbial pot of gold on the Internet.

Auction sites, such as eBay at www.ebay.com may hold the treasures these brass lovers hope to find. With a simple click on the Music link from eBay's homepage and the adventure begins.

The Music index features auctions covering music memorabilia, instruments and printed or recorded items. Within each category under these, a potential buyer can find items broken down into genres.

At times, items are placed in category areas where one would least expect to find them. With that in mind, the search box can offers users a chance to find an item using a global site search.

Anyone can search for items on eBay for free. However, to participate in an eBay auction, one must register for free and acquire an online indentity. This identity will be used to create your feedback profile which is used to help eBay users decide whether or not to participate in an auction. Feedback on both buyers and sellers is posted to their individual profiles and is accessible to all eBay users.

The music section of Yahoo! Auctions at http://auctions.yahoo.com/22152-category.html provides additional opportunites for brass music lovers to find those hard to locate items. Users can find instruments and equipment, sheet music and more in this section.

In addition to auctions, brass music treasures can be found in many other spots on the Web. A simple search on Google at www.google.com can render a listing of Web sites with the potential of providing a collector with just the lead they need to find their ultimate treasures.

The Free Sheet Music Guide at www.freesheetmusicguide.com features "a comprehensive directory of free sheet music on the Internet." Site visitors can browse the Free Sheet Music directory by category. The site also offers downloads of public domain works and links to various music-related sites.

Mailing lists can also provide great things for a music collector. Subscribers of the Free Sheet Music Digest at www.freesheetmusicguide.com/subscribe.htm   receive a bi-weekly e-zine featuring selected reviews of the Web's most useful free sheet music collections.

So, before you give up searching for your musical treasures, try some of the Internet spots mentioned above, don't keep your pot of gold waiting.