Am I over pricing this bass?
 

So I have had this bass up for sale for awhile and some buyers have told me, "What a steal!" while I had one pm me today and tell me that it was overpriced. Can anyone give me some advice as to what this bass should be priced at? I just want to be fair.

Here is the link: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/f...se-5-a-942805/

In my mind your price is fine. There has been a slowdown on buying here, probably due to the holidays and the like. Have faith. According to the President the economy is picking up....

It doesn't seem overpriced to me. Keep in mind that Status basses do not sell easily in North America (there was a Streamline that sold very quickly yesterday or today here on TB but that was a rare exception). I sold a Status S2 on TB a couple years back and I had to drop the price to way below what I thought it was worth for it to move. One suggestion: I wouldn't use the term "get rid of" when trying to sell a bass. It's a subtle thing but, to me, "get rid of" makes me think of discarding junk. Just a thought...

Your current price looks fine. I think most people just don't have bass funds at the moment. I WISH I had money to spend in the TB classifieds. Sadly, that is not the case.

And no matter what price you put, there will always be people asking for a lower price. Not really problem with that. Everyone likes to get a deal. You always have a choice, to adjust or remain firm. No problem with either decision you choose.

Thanks for the info and advice guys. I appreciate your honesty. I had a guy offer me $520 for the bass which is nearly $300 off marked price and that just seems awful desperate for me to let go of it that low, especially if $799 is fair. Would you guys accept the offer?

What? You WON'T HAGGLE? :eyebrow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u75XQdTxZRc

+1 / Poor choice of words in the way you describe the bass, how you got it and why you want to sell. Get rid of and picked up in a trade etc... doesn't sound like you are putting the bass or the deal in a very favorable light. You are assuming the buyer knows all about the bass and your description doesn't matter. Salesmanship does count. Be honest but put your best foot forward.

Things always sell slowly this time of year. Many people are short of cash from christmas. I'd suggest a few things:

1. Clean the bass up, getting rid of all fingerprints
2. Take good pictures. Outside on a slightly overcast day is best.
3. If you have any specs on the bass, post them. Many US buyers haven't ever heard of them before.
4. Link the pictures directly in the thread. Don't make people click a link.
5. Post the weight. Not because any serious buyer will want it, but because it will keep someone who has no intent of buying from asking the question. ;)
6. Add more details. I see a scratch....tell us about it. How do you plan to ship? What sort of payment do you want?

I'll sometimes ask if a seller will accept an amount lower than I'd be willing to pay, and usually get a middle-ground response that's a lot closer to the minimum the seller would part with the item for. If you don't think the $520 is fair, maybe present a counter-offer?

lowball.
:scowl:

I have sold around 200 basses in my life and I can tell you that just about everytime there is someone trying to get something for nothing. Be polite and decline, its worth hanging onto a bass rather then losing a huge chunk of cash. It has been very slow in the classifieds lately,my guess is people buying in general will start picking up this month but the month before , during and after xmas is always slow.

Keep in mind too that saying things like "It would have to be insulting for me to turn it down" might prompt some pretty low offers.

But of course every question asked is a free bump, as is your response to said question!

You are stuck now in the period between Christmas and tax returns. You probably just need to be patient.

Ken

Great advice guys! I'm listening and I see your points. I may just delete the thread and try again using better wording, more in-depth description (including weight), better pics (without a link), and be prepared to set on it awhile because of the slow bass sells. Think its a bad idea to start over?

Just delete the old thread and start fresh. No harm in that.

Anyway I'm not a status expert, but here in the UK the non-graphite necked ones are pretty cheap; the graphite-necked ones go for a lot.

You can call it what you want but it is an offer, and an offer of $520 is better than an offer of nothing. The price isn't terrible but it depends on whether you want to sell the bass or you want to hold out for a higher price. No need to get insulted, just say no. It is business not personal.

Take it to a pawn shop or any guitar dealer see what they offer you. I'd be surprised if they offered you $520 trade-in let alone cash in hand.

I have had to sell basses for a good deal merely because I got tired of sitting on a bass I don't play over $100 or whatever it may have been. I would rather the bass is getting used than collecting dust personally. I have bought stuff for half of what people ask sometimes, you never know what the seller is willing to accept. Cash in hand can talk.

Don't forget that everyone's paycheck just took a hit with the new taxes. I think $520 is low for that bass, but you did kind of set the stage for getting some low offers. If you're wanting to move the bass quickly, decide now what your lowest acceptable price is and make an appropriate counter-offer.

and he'd certainly not want to mislead us, now would he..

i'll wait for proof of this speeding up economy.

until then, keep dropping the price till your bass moves. or ebay it with a $1 NR auction, they'll determine the value.

I ended up selling my wood-necked Status for a lot less than I felt it was worth. The market for them kinda blows, even though they are amazingly nice instruments.

FWIW, when you first started the listing, I felt it was a bit high.
I think $800 is much more reasonable. But I wouldn't take $520 for one, that's for sure!

Good pics (outdoors, indirect sunlight) help a lot.