Highly Modified Does Not Equate To Higher Prices

[Texican]

Not necessarily.

When I factor in the cost of my time and the risk involved with selling to randos off of CL, Music Go Round is pretty fair.

This is a good point. As a union employee, I make time-and-a-half or double time on the weekends. I can make more doing side work or taking some overtime than the money I lose by selling to a store………. Sometimes

 

[g-dude]

I could upgrade a Honda Civic to my hearts content… and it might end up being great car…unlike no other out there… but it’s still not a Porsche et al, no matter how much money I put into it. Not only will it probably not withstand the test of time, but the market for it would be very small.

And with the Honda Civic, most modifications take a perfectly good car and ruin it in some way.

Seriously, the average Civic owner is not superior to Honda’s engineering department…or really any other departments there.

 

[g-dude]

That would be on Music-Go-Round.Because I always tell them what upgrades have been done.
Coupled with the fact that most of my upgrades are visible.So.....

Yeah, they stick a price on it and call it a day.

 

[Texican]

And with the Honda Civic, most modifications take a perfectly good car and ruin it in some way.

Seriously, the average Civic owner is not superior to Honda’s engineering department…or really any other departments there.

I tend to agree, but modern vehicles are complex on a level that bass guitars are not. Having a local tech solder in a Nordstrand pickup is not the same as some high school kid buying a knock off “angry swarm of bees” muffler off of ebay and ruining his vehicle. Oh to be young again. I wonder how many cars were destroyed as a result of the Fast and the Furious movies.

 

[g-dude]

I wonder how many cars were destroyed as a result of the Fast and the Furious movies.

Too many.

 

[SteveCS]

An item is worth what someone will pay for it. That's really all there is to say about it. If someone will pay $300 more for an instrument because of mods, it's worth the price. If it doesn't move, then the buyer should lower the price. Simple economics.

Yes. And there is a reductive argument that if is worth nothing unless and until it is sold.

 

[logdrum]

since I buy to play. I don't consider some updates as a reason to dock the price. Things like upgraded knobs or pickguard or strap locks - no add to a value. Even with updates - a squire - I will price it as a squire. Some basses like certain Carvins, need certain upgrades like their bridges, and if someone did a good job on the rounding the pointy headstock. If an Ibanez had been upgraded to real Bartolinis or Nords, yeah I'd consider it but not the full price of a new Bart even if you have original Ibanez.

But I am not buying basses anymore and have been disciplined enough to not buy more after selling a few,

 

[zubrycky]

(Ironic) Basses with upgrades are sold with higher prices depending of the owner's fame and the mental health of the purchaser.

 

[seang15]

My thoughts, and I know this has generally been touched on here: Always keep the original parts. If you plan to sell, strip it of the tuning machines, preamps, bridge, pickups, and/or whatever you upgraded, and keep those parts for your next build/mods. And sell the bass for what it is. You can then choose to sell the upgraded parts, as well, if and as needed. This would give you the best total $$ overall. A bit more work (more for sale listings), but will be worth it.

 

[rogerbmiller]

Turd Polishing Syndrome is a real thing. Be careful out there, kids.

 

[wraub]

A while back I put pickups in a guitar that cost four times what the guitar cost. If I were to sell the guitar, you better believe I'm putting the stock ones back. However, I also switched the bridge and tailpiece with Gotoh parts that I may leave in place, because they're clearly superior to the stock parts. Now it's a solid guitar for not a lot of money, and, fortunately, they typically sell for more used than new, so pricing is out of my hands.
That doesn't mean I'd want the cost of those parts back, because I've been using them so they're not new anymore. If I were to sell the guitar, I'd likely mention them, and there may be a slight bump for them in the asking price, but I wouldn't go nuts on the markup. It's all used stuff at that point.
I expect that's why the partscaster I got recently was substantially less than the price of the parts- because it was properly priced for what it was.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Turd Polishing Syndrome is a real thing. Be careful out there, kids.

One man's turd is another's diamond.Look at MGR's bass inventory.
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[IanStephenson]

Does a '94 Ford Thunderbird increase in value by thousands of dollars because you put in a new engine, transmission, exhaust system, catalytic converter, radiator and five sensors? No. It just looks like a rebuilt, worn out, run of the mill Ford from the '90's. Same with basses.

 

[lokikallas]

I bought a highly modified bass (MIJ duff style) fender for a steal here last year. It was sitting on the classifieds for a while because it had an odd paisley pickgaurd, strap locks, a goofy sticker and some geezers installed. As far as mods go that PG basically destroyed the value as most people looking for the JBS want the no guard look. For me, it was perfect and I got a great deal. I would have put in geezers and Schaller strap locks anyway. Sometimes the mods will add to the value but most time it’s a huge turn off. I mod all my squiers in bass rat rods, but I’m not planning to sell any. It would be pointless and better as part outs.

 

[sonojono]

Bottom line: I would prefer a virgin over someone who was trained by someone else, lol.

High mileage will always be a turn off to consumers

 

[manchego_eggo]

I'm split on this. Like if you put hand wound Fralins in a Squier, go away and charge more. Or maybe take them out and sell separately if you're gonna get mad. But if you put like a SD 1/4 pounder in there, not worth adding money for that since those a dime a dozen and readily available.

Anecdotally, if I were to sell my Mustang with an upgraded Nordy pup ($80), I wouldn't charge anything extra. If I were to sell my EHB1005SMS with custom sized Big Singles ($300 iirc, but I got them used), which I know is a highly in demand upgrade for that bass, I would def charge more than I paid, because I know there's a market for it.

 

[Killing Floor]

Lol


Good luck with your acquisitions. I’m sure you’ll find a great deal.

Hey, I like Fralin pickups and bone nuts and all my Teles have Electrosocket jack cups because stock ones are awful. I do it so I will enjoy playing them more. If I sell it I understand what it really does to the sale value. I also understand that used basses are not worth more than new ones. I never have difficulty selling.

You are free to list your items for any price you feel is appropriate. Nobody on TB can tell you what to do.

 

[JRA]

The problem with threads like this is that their are a bajillion different scenarios to consider, but we always just think of one and then form an opinion that we treat as absolute.

To everyone else they’re modifications. Which always detract from resale.

see @Texican's post, above. in the real world = it depends!

it's also to view "modded" as "tarnished" and in some cases that's true.

and in some cases it's not true. again, it depends.

(Ironic) Basses with upgrades are sold with higher prices depending of the owner's fame and the mental health of the purchaser.

there are folks on this forum who'd pay more for a completely stock ax just because a particular person played it for 30 minutes....or just touched it!

 

[2F/2F]

Yup. In most cases, mods, even good mods, leave value reduced or unaffected. The people who push modded Squiers at increased prices give themselves away as being very "green," and unaware of the guitar buying and selling market.

My approach:

"Hello,

"Do you have the original parts for this instrument?"

If the answer is no, I say thank you for your attention, but I'm going to pass, and good luck with the sale. Sometimes this begins a discussion that is eventually fruitful.

If the answer is yes, the discussion begins, usually with me asking if they would consider including the original parts instead of their mods, at a reduced price.

 

[cataract]

Yup. In most cases, mods, even good mods, leave value reduced or unaffected. The people who push modded Squiers at increased prices give themselves away as being very "green," and unaware of the guitar buying and selling market.

My approach:

"Hello,

"Do you have the original parts for this instrument?"

If the answer is no, I say thank you for your attention, but I'm going to pass, and good luck with the sale.

If the answer is yes, the discussion begins, usually with me asking if they would consider including the original parts instead of their mods. That's a good discussion opener without getting aggressive about the topic – and it's sometimes fruitful.

Green? Lol, okay. I’ve sold more than a few gently modded Squiers/MIM Fenders for higher than normal at the time used market value— guess I’m the greenest guy here! Hulk Smash!!