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Do you let resale value...

#21
martyman5000 said:
I've sold so much stuff in my life and its always at a loss even if its a little. Anything old that you paid $350 and 30 years later is worth $1500 is like a lottery win in my books.
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You need to be careful when you're buying...

As an example, in the past few years I found a Fodera Emperor 5 for $2500, a '78 Jazz for $850, a 55-02 for $500, Fodera Victor Wooten for $3000 and few others... I'm quite sure that I can sell them for these prices, can't I? If I'm selling a bass and can't find the price I want, I sell it overseas...
 
#24
I did let resale value affect my buying decisions a couple years ago, when I was going through my buying/selling frenzy, trying out as many different brands as I could. I actually made quite a profit on quite a few basses and a couple amps that I bought and later sold.

Nowadays, I've pretty much nailed down what I like and don't like, so I really don't care much about the resale value of a bass or amp. There are still a few things that I want to try out, so when the time comes, I'll make sure I get a deal where I can flip it and break even on them. But otherwise, I'll just buy what I want, with the intention of keeping it.
 
#26
no thou I usually find the deals like my T-40 for $100. 3 of my basses are parts basses and I would never get my money back out of them.

Just finishing a Geddy Lee body, Warmoth black blocks maple fretboard neck, Nordstrand MM4.3 in bridge and NJ4 in neck, J-Retro preamp, Hipshot Ultralites and Badass III. Presently in shop being Plecked and having a series/parallel switch being put in for the MM4.3. Not a chance of recouping my investment but love the bass and probably just take it to the grave.
 
#28
As an example, in the past few years I found a Fodera Emperor 5 for $2500, a '78 Jazz for $850, a 55-02 for $500, Fodera Victor Wooten for $3000 and few others... I'm quite sure that I can sell them for these prices, can't I? If I'm selling a bass and can't find the price I want, I sell it overseas...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't qualify you as the average joe the plumber buyer. You have to have capital and risk when you do what you do. We used to have a great store called Songbird music that only sold used instruments here in Toronto and it was very difficult to find a quality bass or amp from what people traded in.
 
#29
I definitely make a conscience 'future' decision in what I buy.
For the first 10yrs of my bass playing career, I didn't care, and accepted taking a bath when selling for needing to 'upgrade' to different or better basses back then.
But during the last 10yrs I realized I could have better trading or money-back potential if I considered value, and have lost very little money in doing so.

Now I wish I didn't have to think about selling anything off, but my efforts paid off when my wife was unemployed this year and let some things slip. Those valuable basses I sold kept me afloat. I didn't want to sell, but I had to.
 
#31
Honestly, when I am buying a bass...resell value never comes into the formula! I buy them to play, not to sell. And if I do sell it years later.....well what I get for it is what I get. If it gave me pleasure for the time I owned it, well then it was worth every penny even if I lose money on it when reselling.
 
#32
Ryan L. said:
I did let resale value affect my buying decisions a couple years ago, when I was going through my buying/selling frenzy, trying out as many different brands as I could. I actually made quite a profit on quite a few basses and a couple amps that I bought and later sold.

Nowadays, I've pretty much nailed down what I like and don't like, so I really don't care much about the resale value of a bass or amp. There are still a few things that I want to try out, so when the time comes, I'll make sure I get a deal where I can flip it and break even on them. But otherwise, I'll just buy what I want, with the intention of keeping it.
Click to expand...

If its any consolation Ryan I'm still going through the same thing and I've decided I like P-Basses and tubes. I wonder what else I like.:p
 
#33
martyman5000 said:
I wouldn't qualify you as the average joe the plumber buyer. You have to have capital and risk when you do what you do. We used to have a great store called Songbird music that only sold used instruments here in Toronto and it was very difficult to find a quality bass or amp from what people traded in.
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Store? No...

I found my basses on ebay, Guitar Center's used website and Craigslist. Yes, you need to have money and time available...
 
#35
Unless you have some special custom need like a custom string spacing, etc. my experience is if your willing to give it a little time it will always become available used for less bread. I bought my Metro new because metros had just come out and used ones weren't available. But if you watch the market you can get a feel for what the going value is. You should always be able to find a used instrument for a price you can sell it for later if it doesn't work out. With some basses (Alembic and Carvin) the differences can be huge. Also many new custom basses have waiting lists. You don't have to wait if you by used.
 
#36
"Never buy new and you'll never get hurt" is true to a certain extent, but you can get burned on used too if you don't look around first and determine what average re-sell prices are.

I inherited my dad's frugality (aka cheapness) and always reasearch as much as I can with any major purchase. That being said, I paid $450 for my first bass, a MIM Jazz that, from the serial # later on, determined it had been sitting in the music store for at least 5 years. I knew I got ripped off pretty good on that one, so I modded the heck out of it and plan on keeping it forever.
 
#38
allexcosta said:
You need to be careful when you're buying...

As an example, in the past few years I found a Fodera Emperor 5 for $2500, a '78 Jazz for $850, a 55-02 for $500, Fodera Victor Wooten for $3000 and few others... I'm quite sure that I can sell them for these prices, can't I? If I'm selling a bass and can't find the price I want, I sell it overseas...
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity how/where did you stumble across a 55-02 for only $500. Thats a steal. I've never seen a used one go for that low yet.
 
#39
I ALWAYS take resale into consideration when buying a bass.

Not that I view basses as investments but I like to try new things constantly and wouldn't be able to afford to do this if I always bought a) new or b) gear that has huge depreciation on resale.

I would think completely differently if I ever decided on a DREAM BASS that I knew I would keep forever, but lately that just isn't me.
 
#40
I look at my basses as investments. By investments, I mean that I shelp them to gigs every week and use them to make money by performing. As someone else said, I buy basses to play, not to trade like commodities. That's what financial securities and property is for. If I'm considering an instrument and how much I'll stand to make if I sell it, then maybe I shouldn't be considering that instrument in the first place.

I can understand if buying used off of Ebay without playing it. Then it's possible to sell what you paid for it. But when demoing, I can generally tell you whether I like a bass or not within five minutes of playing it.

With all of that said, instruments hold too much sentimental value for me. Selling a bass or a guitar isn't like selling an amp or a cabinet. It's an issue of more than money. That's why I'm not too nervous letting my cab sit in my car unattended, but my basses are always within my line of sight when I'm somewhere.
 

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