Dead Horns Welcome
Dented, incomplete, or unrepairable instruments: thin-wall yellow brass.
BRASS INSTRUMENTS • SCHOOLS & BANDS • NO MINIMUMS
WE BUYBRASS INSTRUMENTS
Trumpets, trombones, tubas, and saxophones are thin-wall yellow brass: big, light, and musical until they are not. Schools retire them by the closet, music shops take unrepairable trade-ins, and estates turn them up by the case. If you have dead horns, that brass has a buyer.
Trumpets & TrombonesTubasSchool LotsNo Minimums
WHAT IT IS, PLAINLY SAID
Band instruments, honestly graded.
Brass instruments are made from thin yellow brass sheet, bent and soldered into trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns, and saxophones. Thin-wall means light for the size: a tuba looks enormous and weighs a fraction of what you would guess. The honest economics: playable instruments are worth more to a musician than as scrap, so sell those to players first. Dented, incomplete, or unrepairable horns are scrap brass, and that is where we come in.
School Lots
Band programs retire instruments by the closet: dozens at a time.
Light for the Size
Thin-wall brass looks big and weighs light: priced honestly by weight.
WHO GENERATES THEM
Where dead horns come from
- Schools and band programs: retirements clear closets by the dozen
- Music shops: unrepairable trade-ins and rental-fleet retirements
- Estate cleanouts: attic and basement horns by the case
- Pawn shops: unredeemed instruments that will never play again
- Marching bands: season-end retirements across the section
- Churches and community bands: donated instruments past repair
NO MINIMUMSEvery horn counts
One dented trumpet or a closet of tubas: all welcome.
SCHOOL LOTSDozens at a time
Band retirements are the biggest single source.
BIG LOTSFreight handled
On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you do not lift a finger.
WHAT TO SEND
What to send for an instrument quote
Instrument quotes are fast with a photo and a count.
- PHOTOS — The instruments together, plus types.
- COUNT — How many of each type: trumpets, trombones, tubas, and the rest.
- CONDITION — Playable, parts-only, or scrap: honest condition gets an honest quote.
- LOCATION — City and state, so bigger lots can be routed for freight.
Prefer email? [email protected]
FROM CLOSET TO PAYMENT
How an instrument deal works.
Send Photos & Count
Photos of the instruments, how many you have, and your location. One horn or a closet of them: every lot starts the same way.
Get a Fast Quote
A real number based on brass weight and current market levels. Compare it with confidence.
Ship or Schedule
Small lots ship with simple instructions. On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you do not lift a finger.
Weigh, Settle & Get Paid
Your brass is weighed in the open and priced by grade. Then quick payment by check, wire, or cash.
WHY IRONCREST
Why sellers call Ironcrest first
- No minimums: one dented trumpet gets the same straight answer as a school lot
- Honest advice first: playable horns are worth more to musicians, and we will tell you so
- Fast quotes from photos: know what the brass is worth before you haul it
- Quick payment once your lot is weighed and settled: check, wire, or cash
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174, not a department
- Your material never leaves the United States
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote and payment runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no waiting on a committee.
- FAST QUOTES — Call or send photos for a fast quote on your material.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Quick payment once your lot is weighed and settled.
- NO MINIMUMS — One bucket or a truckload: every seller gets the same straight answer.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by people holding this material.
My trumpet still plays. Should I scrap it?
Probably not. A playable instrument is worth more to a student or musician than as scrap brass. Sell players first: we buy the ones that are dented, incomplete, or past repair.
Are the valves and slides worth separating?
No. Send instruments whole: valves, slides, mouthpieces, and all. Nothing needs to come apart.
I only have one old trombone. Is it worth calling?
Yes. There are no minimums and every horn counts. One instrument still gets a fast quote.
What about the cases?
Cases are not brass and not part of the program. Instruments only: keep the cases or donate them.
Do you buy woodwinds like clarinets?
Clarinets and flutes are mostly wood, plastic, or nickel silver: not brass. The brass family is trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns, euphoniums, and saxophones.
Our school is retiring the whole band closet. Can you take them all?
Yes. On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you do not lift a finger. Send photos of the lot and the quote covers all of it.
NO MINIMUMS
Those dead horns are brass.
Send photos of the instruments, a count, and your location. You will get a fast quote and a clear breakdown before you commit to anything.
Call 312-880-8174 or email [email protected].