Thanks for your responses! Unfortunately, they won’t all fit where I’m moving to (back to a studio apartment in the city). I have medical issues and need to have better access than where I’m living now. It’s the only other home I know and I have some family there, but I’ll sure miss living in the country and having the space. I also have a lot of other instruments that take up space, so I’m trying to lessen the collection to about 1 of each type. Thank you for that info about Folkcraft. I’ll do a search on there. I tend to go for the darker wood Folkcraft, but also really love the Hickory Ridge. I never went for the zebra wood, but recently I did and was pleasantly surprised. The older Folkcraft gives me some pause to sell it because it’s an older instrument now and I have some attachment for it though it’s not my favorite. I also don’t think it’s a Gary Sager based on the signature. I wonder if anyone would know if his signatures changed at some point, but I doubt it’s his. 

Second question is "Why down-size?"  After all, you only have five!!  Tune each one to a favorite tuning, like many of us do;  that's one way to avoid having to re-tune.

As Matt sez, what's the first one you grab?  

I've never heard of Hickory Ridge dulcimers, but there are hundreds, if not thousands of builders these days.  Same with "dulcimers by Gary". The only "Gary" I know of building dulcimers is Gary Sager, but I don't think he has ever signed his instruments that way.  

If you look on the Folkcraft site there should be a table telling you what those model numbers mean in terms of woods.

Well, first question, when you sit down and just want to play for a bit, which is your go to instrument?

Hey everyone, I currently have 5 dulcimers and am looking to downsize. I’m hoping to keep only one, but maybe two. I’d like some help in deciding. And if anyone has ideas on pricing, that would be an additional help. I have a bird’s eye maple and spruce from Hickory Ridge and another one that’s cherry redwood, which says HG by them. I have two by Folkcraft- one is a darker wood and model is FSHW-3629 from 2004. The other is H39W-322 from 1984. I also have a zebra wood one “Handcrafted Dulcimers by Gary” from 1991. I’m not sure of any other info about that Gary one. I created a different post asking folks if they had any info about who may have made it. I know everyone has their preferences with aesthetics and wood choices. I’d like to hear folks’ opinions and what you would do given the choices. Thank you all for your help with this. I’m really struggling in deciding here. I’d just keep all of them if I could. 

updated by @tmbl: 10/10/24 08:54:43PM