ilikethetrumpet

Hi all,
More of a general question for the horn forum. While I certainly enjoy tracking down the history of individual instruments, what do you think of ads that say this horn was owned by Phil Smith or Jim Thompson, or something similar? As a potential buyer, this is initially a hook or selling point if only as a conversation-piece. And then there's the thought, "well, if it was good enough for him..."

But then again, shouldn't this also be a red flag? If this were a great horn, the player would still be using it.

Of course, as a career moves on, tastes change, conductors and sound concepts tweak.

I'm not responding to any horn ad in particular, and I don't mean to offend anyone! I guess I just mean to ask, should "endorsements" like these sometimes be read as red flags? When selling a horn, how honest are you all about its weaknesses?