Sooo, I see lots of people are considering buying an oboe off eBay. Occasionally, you will find something useable off eBay, but if you`re a beginner, how will you know if it`s good or not? You can get someone to play it, but by the time you have, that usually means you`ve bought it and it`s too late anyway.
eBay is a great place for people to unload stolen instruments for cheap, or get rid of blown out junkers. If the seller says, "I don`t know anything about oboes", theyre probably either lying and know that its no good, or THEY bought it off eBay and found out it was unusable and have to sell it. There is always a reason for a cheap price. If it was a good oboe, they would have sold it at a music store. If youre just looking for a cheap plastic junker, then bid away. If you`re bidding on something without a serial number form a shady seller and don`t mind paying for stolen merchandise, then bid away. Just don`t cry about it later, and while you`re at it, don`t cry about your car being broken into, or your CD player ripped off, or your house being broken into, because buying a stolen instrument is just as bad as stealing it. I mean, you basically have paid some guy to steal what may have been someone`s livlihood. Read the IDRS archives if you want someone else to tell you why eBay is not a good idea, unless you`re making oboe lamps. Recently, there was a new seller attempting to sell brand mew english horns for $2000. Scam scam scam. He had around 50 listings, all taken down within two days. He was trying to sell them off eBay, you know, send me your money, and I`ll send you the horn. Right. Those people will never get their money back, because the payment didn`t take place through eBay. Even if it WAS through eBay, there is always a chance that you won`t get your money back. No horn, no money, nothing.
Just remember, if it seems too good to be true, you can bet its broken or stolen.
But to be fair, there are some people, usually music companies, that just can`t sell their oboes because there is no demand. Always request a serial number, and ask about a trial period. Some people offer it. Don`t just take something becasue it looks like a "good deal".

Ok here is my e bay story.
I am living in Israel. There is no oboes in Israel same as no shop
where you you can try an oboe even a student model.People go to France to buy an oboe or to the States.
I was really interested to try Buffet Greenline and did not have any resources to go anythere. So I took a chanse, I picked a Greenline on e-bay slightly used for only $2200. It`s arrived in 3 days from the USA to Tel Aviv in perfect condition! Feedback of the seller was 100% positive.He has send me bunch of close-up pictures before i payied, and we also had a phone- chat. So i would say that everything is possible, including buying blind!
I am pro player, I would never do such a thing like buying oboe on the net but for some reason I did.Simple coz it was cheap,and smelled good.
All the best, just my 2 cents/opinion

You can get them sent to you for a trial period from retailers such as charles double reeds, or I think Midwest does it... There are lots of places that will mail you an oboe or two to try out.

I`m making an oboe lamp actually... just thought it was funny. But, yes, thank you two for the tips. Just for the record, always check the feedback. and if its from a company that sells for people an ebay... then you never know. But, I do know a saxplyer who got a real deal, though I can`t quote it, and the same witha pocket trumpet.

I would like to see your oboe lamp on ebay, if you are selling it before you enlist, heard you`re joining the army saxplayer.