The first catalog states that Olds had set out to produce instruments 12 years earlier, or 1913.

Please let me know if you have any early Olds literature. I have never seen any earlier promotional literature but I would assume that they would have, at a minimum, printed a price and/or model list previous to this. These late 18As basically 'set the standard' for most Conn cornets to come up into the late 1990s, as the valves/valve casings, threads, braces, 3rd slide rings, and other parts remained mostly the same for a long time.These are likely the first three full catalogs published by Olds (click links below to download. The braces also change to more modern-style ones, instead of the old 'telescoping' ones, with Amado water keys becoming standard by 1982-3, possibly changing back during the Henkin-to-UMI/Abilene-to-Eastlake conversion. Note that the marching men are still in the trapezoid seen in the 'semi-floral' bell. The later model 18A is the more familiar version that removes the 'semi-floral' pattern and 'CONN' below the marching men, and replaces it with 'Director / C.

A perfect example of these transitional 18A/Bs is an 18B trumpet (serial HE012004) with modern-style (non-telescoping) braces, semi-floral bell pattern, and ordinary water-keys, and Bach-type valves shown below. Note that the 18A, which first came out in 1980, was essentially a renamed late model 16A-the serial number system, the bell engraving, and leadpipe wrap were the same, with '18A' stamped on the mouthpiece reciever instead of '16A'. ^ Conn 16A late style with Olds Ambassador/conventional leadpipe wrap-made from ~1978 ^

1974 olds ambassador trumpet value