Best and Worst Resale Values?

[bmc]

After buying and selling 18 basses over the years, I broke even on two sales, lost money on one, and made money on 15.

I buy used. I let someone else take the depreciaition hit. Buying low and selling high enabled me to upgrade every time without reaching into my pocket. Been doing it that way for 35 years. It works.

My experience has been that custom made basses are a risky investment. They often sell for a lot of money new and you can take a bath selling it, if you can sell it. There are, of course, many variables such as who made it, how well known he is, etc. The market in search of high end custom basses is smaller and you could end up sitting on the instrument for a long time. That's my observations.

 

[Pj,Rj,Hj]

On UK ebay a 1986 Wal mk1 resently sold for 3211 pounds. Wal would have to have the best resale value for the sum of its parts.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Just curious as to what basses the TB community thinks have the best and worst resale values?

I'm not talking about the 1959 Fender your grandfather paid $100 for and forgot about it in his closet until this year either. Current or recent stuff.

I personally think Music Man basses have the best resale. The MM basses I have bought gently used can easily be sold for at least what I paid for them and one can generally get close to new street price for a used but mint bass. Fender is also up there.

IMO one of the worst is Warwick. Most of the instruments that sold new in the $2000 range can be found for less than 1/2 of that used. As an example, I bought a used 1997 Fortress Masterman for about $700USD this year and it initially sold for well over $2000. And it is completely mint.

I have heard that the real high end boutique basses and customs are bad for resale as well.

I haven't seen used Musicman basses selling for near new prices. Fenders either unless you go back to the late 1990's street prices.

Your Warwick example is frankly odd. You bought a 10 year old bass for a lot less than it sold for new. That's normal IME.

The best resale value from new to used?Can't really think of anything that jumps out to me. OTOH buying used, after initial depreciation, lots of basses hold that value.

 

[Brad Johnson]

It doesn't say that at all. It says that people place a lot of value on new products. This is pretty much true of everything.

The only exceptions I can think of are houses and things owned by celebrities.

+1. It doesn't say anything is overpriced for the first owner. For example, I don't see people complaining about buying Alembics new.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I one hundred percent agree...because the new price for a series model is vastly over priced anyway!

Maybe for you.

But then again Alembics aren't my favorite boutique customs. Personally I'm a Fodera guy myself, so that's not to say that I wouldn't pay 11 grand for a custom bass. But I don't think any Fodera goes for as much as a series II, I think base w/o options they start at like 9 or 10 grand I could be wrong.

Yes, you could.

 

[Jagdmusik]

... is anything left-handed, assuming you can ever find someone to take it off your hands.

The other side of that coin is that buying lefties used should be a huge bargain, but you have no selection to choose from (just like in music stores, which tend to have nothing more than a lone MIM Fender or Ibanez SR300/400 in stock).

So if you play lefty and are looking for something other than a standard-issue 4-string or an El Cheapo brand, plan to buy it new and keep it forever, or plan to lose a crapload of money in the process.

But an even smarter plan is to just not play lefty in the first place.

 

[DEEPENDMUSIC]

EBMM and Rickenbacker for best.


USA Lakland and USA peavey for worst, maybe warwick too.

I don't know about Rics, but EBMM don't hold their value like you want to think. A 50% - 60% resale value that I've seen on eBay is not good.

USA Laklands don't do the best on resale but they're still way better than anything EBMM could put out.
On the other hand, the Skyline Laklands have great resale value depending on the model. The Skyline Duck Dunn have gone for about 90% of the original price. Darryl Jones really does well too as far as resale value.

 

[TheBassPreacher]

I think Fender's actually keep their resale fairly well, they have a pretty steep deep once you buy it, but from there they are pretty steady (at least the american ones are). I purchased my old '96 Am. Jazz Std. in 98 for $500 used it for years, last year put in a Audere preamp for $150, and sold it for $650 this year. So I lost $0 money and got 9 years of use out of it. I'd say that's pretty good value.

Worst value lost I think is higher end Ibanez basses, especially the Ergodyne series, but I think that's partly because they were blown out when they discontinued most of the lines.

Warwicks and MM's done keep value too much, but I think that's mainly because there's a ton out there. 4 String Alembics I don't think keep their value as much as the 5's or 6's, I think that's because the demand isn't there as much.

 

[malthumb]

best, from what I gather, probably Wals and Alembics. Although since you can't Wals them anymore, it's kinda in another league. The popular ones with a large backorder I presume.

Rics maybe? I think pretty much any bass you buy will loose value like mad. Some older Warwicks are still desirable. I've seen 10 years old Thumb NT selling for £1000. That's a lot.

Actually, Alembics are imho a mixed bag. New, highly customized instruments don't hold their value well. Used instruments hold their value very well. It's like after they are new, they drop down to a certain point and then just stay there or improve somewhat over time.

I've bought and sold 5 used Alembics and haven't lost a dime on them. I also haven't made as much as I could have on them, because usually I was looking to move one fast to buy another one. I also have one custom that I ordered new. Because of three price increases at Alembic over the seven years since I received my custom, the going price for it in the used market has risen to pretty darn close to what I paid for it new in 2000.


Worst resale? I'm guessing from my experience that Washburn is somewhere on that list. Not that they are bad basses (some are bad, some are really nice) they just seem to be available used at stupid low prices.

Peace,

James

 

[malthumb]

Alembics are one of the worst. Used Series models sell for less than 60% of their original price.

Ricks and Wals hold their value because of the long wait to get a new one.

Kinda to my point in my earlier post. My 2000 Series II would sell today for about 60% of it's 2000 list price. I paid about 65% of the list price when I bought it new, so if I sold it today, I'd come pretty darn close to a break even.

Oh, for what it's worth, I think Sadowsky and MTD hold value the best from new price to what they go for used.

Peace,

James

 

[petch]

Reverend resale is excellent. They often sell for the original price or more. I paid $675 new for the bass in my avatar pic, and it is extremely unlikely that I would let it go for less than that.

 

[malthumb]

Washburn has terrible resale value.....

Lakland Skylines hold pretty constant once used....a 55-02 used can be had between 750-900...but are $1189 new for non-deluxe ones..DJs seem to command the highest resale price.

......

I agree about the point you make with Skylines, but isn't that true with most instruments? There is a new price and there is a used price. If the used price is more than 50% of the new price, I consider it to be decent resale. 55-02 Deluxe can typically be bought new for about $1,250. Used go about $750 - 850. I consider that to be decent resale.

Peace,

James

 

[MobileHolmes]

Cavin and warmoth do fairly poorly (you can get the 6 string carvins for less than half of new, the 4s and 5s hold their value a little better). I don't think Alembics hold their value particularly well either, except for some of the older ones that have actually appreciated. Pedullas don't do well either. MIA fender is generally pretty solid, MM, rick,

 

[Barkless Dog]

Worst-
Carvin, Alembic, Warwick, Yamaha,


Best-
Wal, Rics, anything vintage, Gibsons

Gibsons hold their value. A Lp bass or Tbird costs around $1800 new and rarely sell for under $1200 used.

 

[waytoodeep03]

My own personal experience

MTD's, Ken Smith (however people tend to drop them unbelievable in price 1500-2000 because they are still priced out the market even used)

Also Old, old Fender's hold thier value


middle of the pack (most consistent to price)

Peavey Cirrus

Worst

Roscoe, Lakland

 

[BurningSkies]

I've been pleasantly surprised with the resale on Dingwall Afterburner basses. The higher end ones which are much more 'custom' don't seem to hold their value as much, but the Afterburner series sell used for within about 200 bucks of what they sold for new. I bought my AB-1 for 1600 and change and they definitely go for 1400 or so used.

My PRS bass...sat new in a shop for 4 years until I bought it. I kept the price tag because it was soooo funny. The initial price listed was $2200...and it got crossed out 4 or 5 times. When I bought it, it was priced at $999 and I paid 800 for it (with 8.25% sales tax included)...which is what they sell for used.

 

[GreyBeard]

Just buy used stuff, so the resale value is the same value you bought it for.

+1

 

[Marcus]

Esoteric boutique basses tend to take a beating on the used market.

That, and Carvin, Peavey, Warwick as well.

As mentioned above, Rickenbacker, Lakland Skyline, Fodera, EB/MM tend to depreciate very little because of the demand.

I guess with the exception of the pack being MM's Bongo line. Those usually go for well under what their retail tag is.

 

[glivanos]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Fodera's for best resale value.

 

[BamaBird]

Peaveys have low resale value--- thank goodness--- Ive bought some AMAZING durable great sounding USA made basses for VERY little $

ssshhh dont spread the word around though