Turn over time on a bass and cutting a deal

theshadow2001 · #1 05-04-2008, 08:35 PM

I put this here because its not about the bass but cutting a deal.

Theres a shop I know with a secondhand lefty stingray fretless thats been there for years. Ever since I bought my bass off of them 4 years ago and I don't know how long its been there before that. I reckon that its just something thats not really going to sell for them as fretless isn't too popular let alone a left handed one and most shops don't stock anything lefty and if they do its a cheap starter bass.

So would the fact that the bass is sitting there doing nothing for them aid me in getting a killler deal? Would they be willing to take somewhat of a loss on it just to get it out the door or would it make no difference to the shop and they will just hold on to it for as long as it takes for someone to come and buy it. I think they may have dropped the price on it recently already.

Its not a huge shop but its not mom n pop either.

Whether I get it or not makes no difference really for me. I don't need a fretless but it would be fun to have a decent one to mess around on and use in practice instead of my other bass. Which is why I would take it for a price way too good to refuse, but if it remains at the price it is (which is still quite cheap for what it is) its not going to kill me just to leave it.

theshadow2001 · #2 05-05-2008, 03:13 PM

I guess there's not too many here with instrument retail experience then.

Joey3313 · #3 05-05-2008, 03:16 PM

Just lowball them. Worst case scenario, you don't get it, which you don't care about.

Best case scenario, you get it for crazy cheap.

Most shops do want to make room for new stock, but I suppose that would depend on how much bass guitars actually account for when it comes to sales. If it's not that much, then it doesn't matter that it's rotting in the corner.

theshadow2001 · #4 05-05-2008, 03:18 PM

I guess I'm just curious what the typical reaction of a shop is to an item thats not selling. Take the loss or keep holding out with your fingers crosseed that someone will efventually buy it.

Also is minimum 4 years a long time to have an instrument in a shop.