Hi All, this is one of the things I love about the Internet ...

It's time to teach my boys how to play the trumpet....so I joined to look for some forum advice on horns. I'm not too keen to let them drop my Strad so I'm checking out eBay and Pawn shops.

Welcome to TM! There is all sorts of information here - most of it good, but some is referred to as 'BE' (Bovine Excrement). However, there are a number of threads that relate specifically to suitable horns for beginners and also what to look for when buying horns on ebay. The general sense is that ebay can be an excellent source but it is also full of potential problems.
There are several things to consider here. First, how old are your boys and how eager are they to learn to play? I bought many of the horns you see in my signature block on ebay - some for my own use in my comeback attempt and others for my grandkids. I currently have 5 who are interested and they range in age from 6 to 12. I had decided that cornets were the best way for kids to start because they are generally easier to blow, easier to hold, and harder to damage. The problem is that several of them came with some cosmetic problems which were not apparent on the ebay listing and the older kids are quite sensitive to the peer group reaction to them having a horn which comes in an old beat-up case and has worn lacquer, or dings. The younger ones don't seem to notice and they are not playing to impress their friends anyway.
So, unless you are an experienced ebay buyer and know how to identify a good purchase, buying from a store, a yard sale, or a pawn shop where you and the kids can see, touch and play the horn is a more secure way to go.
If you are going to buy on ebay and they don't care too much about the cosmetics, a cornet of just about any brand is likely to be a decent player. Every one of the ones on my list plays wonderfully - Conn, King, Holton, Olds, Blessing, Yamaha - it doesn't seem to matter. They all are great starter horns for my grandkids.
Good luck with your search and with your boys starting out.

Very welcome to TM, jogrblack!

ComeBackKid ... thanks for the input. Good thoughts on the cornet. I checked local brass shops and pawn shops. The pawn shops had totally unrealistic $$ ideas ... U$550 - 600 for used YTR 2335s in good to great condition. The music shops were more realistic, but still over U$100 more than similarly 'described' items on eBay.

I ended up purchasing a Yamaha YTR 2320 from eBay. It should arrive shortly so we'll see what kind of shape it's in.

The boys are 9, 11 and 11. We did our first lesson a week ago ... mostly mouthpiece buzzing and trumpet care / handling using my own Strad and the neighbor brought his own Bach TR300.

JB

Thanks for the update on your plan. That's the same way I started out my grandkids. They seemed to like the different aspects of handling the instrument. One of the things that fascinated them all the most was applying valve oil. It was almost like they felt that they were being trusted to do a very adult thing by actually unscrewing and removing parts of a REAL device - rather than some plastic toy - and putting oil on the valves was like they were working on a car or something. Anyway, they all now seem very serious about taking care of the instrument and they NEVER walk away from it unless it is securely in the case.

It is interesting what you found at pawn shops. I thought they were pretty reasonable but maybe they are trying to pay their rent on one sale to you. I have purchased horns on ebay that were auctioned by pawn shops and they were under $150 so they don't always receive the big bucks for one. If you have not already done so, you might try Craigslist in your area. I have seen some good deals there and they are generally within driving distance so you can actually see the condition.