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Guitar Show Tips?

elderdawg

elderdawg

Apr 28, 2023
92
210
Asheville NC
reverb.com
#1
I am selling off, hopefully, most of my collection of "non-bass" musical instruments. I am 76 years old and most of my collection, started in 1965, is in cases stored in a large closet. So I have been dragging my feet with selling one at a time online so decided to rent a $400 10'x10' booth at The Carolina Guitar Show. Probably will have 20+ instruments with "upper end" around $1000, down to $200. Mostly acoustic steel strings, and electrics, 1 bass, couple of banjos, resonators, and mandolins. I will only be holding back 6 basses, and a couple of classical guitars.

This will be my first guitar show as a "dealer" (have I gone over to the dark side?). Any tips on pricing or displaying?
 
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#3
I went to a guitar show a couple of months ago. It seemed like everything was WAY overpriced. There were still a LOT of instruments for sale at the end of the day. It's a buyer's market, at least around where I live. It's been quite a few years since I've been able to flip good bargains for a small profit. Unless you are OK with hauling your gear back home again, consider pricing it to sell. Or at the very least, price it fairly. Search the "sold" listings on eBay and Reverb to see what people are really paying.
 
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#4
MonetBass said:
Displaying: Make sure every instrument is fully visible and clearly labeled, including the make, model, year, and asking price.
Pricing: Kind of a crap shoot, but using resources like completed sales on eBay and Reverb will give you at least an idea.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I have been checking eBay and Reverb sold listings. But trying to figure how much their high shipping fees, and also sales taxes, should be considered in my "no shipping fee" sell prices, along with no sales tax collected. Don't have a tax#.
 
#5
Twice a year, Larry Briggs from Tulsa, and associates, roll into the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, and I’m always there. Here’s a few pix from over the years to show how they do it…
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Here are some videos by others…





You’ll find that there’s often horsetrading between dealers. Yes, everything is overpriced, to cover “wiggle room”.
 
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#6
Bullitt5135 said:
I went to a guitar show a couple of months ago. It seemed like everything was WAY overpriced. There were still a LOT of instruments for sale at the end of the day. It's a buyer's market, at least around where I live. It's been quite a few years since I've been able to flip good bargains for a small profit. Unless you are OK with hauling your gear back home again, consider pricing it to sell. Or at the very least, price it fairly. Search the "sold" listings on eBay and Reverb to see what people are really paying.
Click to expand...
Do you think things were overpriced to allow haggle room?
 
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#7
Long time lurker, new member here. Just my 2 cents, but I usually figure the Reverb sold prices minus 10% for cash, in person, cash sales. Then you don't have to screw with shipping and Reverb fees and the buy saves 7% or so on taxes.
 
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#13
bassicmike said:
Do you think things were overpriced to allow haggle room?
Click to expand...
Considering that I saw a lot of basses that have been littering my local Craigslist for months, if not years, some of the dealers don't appear to be in the mood to haggle. Or sell anything. Ever. To the OP, I'm just saying if it were me trying to move a bunch of stuff in one day, I might be willing to price it aggressively.
 
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#14
In my area (Pacific NW) there seems to be two types of shows. One is expensive to get a table and is mostly occupied by guitar stores and small manufacturers. The prices are what you would expect if you walked into a brick'n'mortar store. Sometimes they bring instruments to show off but are not for sale.

The next type has cheaper tables and is usually occupied by individuals. I like the second type because those guys are selling off stuff they have lying around in their basement. I like hunting for parts, pieces, and projects. Those items are usually priced to move. Big and/or heavy items have lots of wiggle room because guys don't want to schlep them back home.
 
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#15
Have guitar stands to display , I assume you have guitar cases/gig bags . Price to sell ,you do not want to bring anything home and most importantly are you set up to accept payment through some electronic services like PayPal , ect ?
 
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#17
jimmydean said:
Have guitar stands to display , I assume you have guitar cases/gig bags . Price to sell ,you do not want to bring anything home and most importantly are you set up to accept payment through some electronic services like PayPal , ect ?
Click to expand...
I have lots of gig bags and HS cases but wondering if I should include them with the pricing or make them add-ons, especially the hard-shell cases.

I need more stands. But instead of spending $60-90 for half dozen, I might buy a 9 guitar stand for $40 on Amz. I would put my '81 Daion 12 string in the middle spot facing out, and then place 2 on either side skipping slots and have them angled out to display them better. Would also be harder to knock off the stand than the individuals.
 
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#18
elderdawg said:
I have lots of gig bags and HS cases but wondering if I should include them with the pricing or make them add-ons, especially the hard-shell cases.
Click to expand...

Good question. For me as a buyer, I have no use for a hardshell case and have a couple nice gig bags for everyday transport. I don't want to spend more to get a case or bag I won't use. Other buyers will have different ideas of course.
 
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#19
Last guitar show I went to MANY years ago, everything was priced 2-3x higher than market. And thusly, no one was really buying anything. No one was really walking around holding a guitar.

I’m not sure if I’d have the patience to deal with manning a booth at a guitar show trying to sell my gear.
 
#20
So Anyway, our local community radio station had a 'Musical Yard Sale' many years ago. Me and my buddy rented a space and sold a lot of gear we no longer were using. We priced things to sell, and we didn't have to negotiate.

Is your event collecting a percentage of your sales? If so, you might get an offer to sell something 'off-site' with the buying getting the discount. You should have a response ready for this.

If every instrument you own has a corresponding case, I'd include the case with the sale.
Good Luck To You!
 
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