How to Sell your Bass FAST

[THORRR]

First thing you have to do is ask yourself if you REALLY want to sell it.....NOW.

If you do, then you must guard against acting like you're in love with the darned thing by pricing it too high
or "what you think it's WORTH" because Nobody wants to pay full value for anything.
.....and Everybody loves "a deal".

If you want to sell it fast you have to offer them a real deal.
Price it at the price you would consider a "really great deal" if you were
shopping for this particular bass. And it will sell fast.
If you don't want to sell it fast, why even bother offering it at
an impossible price? Stop wasting everybody's time including your own.

Resist your desire to price it close to retail even if it's showroom fresh new. Nobody cares.
Anybody can pay retail and get better service and a warranty that you can't offer them.

How many times have you seen an ad that reads:
"I have to get $XXXX " or "I need $XXX so I can pay for my next bass"
or "I want to get what I paid for it" or "it's $100 below what you'd pay
in a store"
Please, give us all a break! Those ads languish for an eternity and the instruments
never sell. (There is only one exception: You find an idiot who has more dollars
than sense)
The only reason anything doesn't sell is PRICE. <<<Read that again.
People sell wrecked cars and trashed houses all the time . . .for a PRICE.
When the price is right, a buyer is always there.

Face it: You're not a store. People want a deal. Get real when you have
something to sell. And if you really don't want to sell it, don't waste space
with a baloney ad for overpriced merchandise.

If your bass is not selling, your price is too high.
It's that simple. The current market won't support the price
you're asking. Right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
Whether your bass is "worth it or not" has nothing to do with it.

Either the market will support your price or it won't.
Get it?

Good luck with the sale!

 

[BookMDanelectro]

The thing that bugs me the most are the many sellers on Ebay who list basses as "NEW." They may be in great condition and lightly played, but they are not "NEW"! They are used.

Ebay describes a "NEW" item as "a brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable)."

Wish sellers would get that straight.

 

[77PBass]

The only reason anything doesn't sell is PRICE. <<<Read that again.
People sell wrecked cars and trashed houses all the time . . .for a PRICE.
When the price is right, a buyer is always there.

+1 The problem is sellers usually value their instrument greater than someone interested in buying it. I am guilty of this. I tried to sell a Nash bass and the "market" came back and offered me $200 to $300 than my asking. At that point I figured it was more valuable to me to keep rather than sell and I took it off the market.

A 30% discount to retail for most used basses IMHO is not enough for the risk in buying in a private sale.

 

[RS]

Says the guy/OP with 0 feedback...

 

[Flatwound]

Sounds like Thorrr is looking for some deals...

 

[lunarpollen]

THORRR, the real world on a micro level doesn't work that way. An individual might be pricing a bass too high, or might be pricing it just right, or might be pricing it lower than it should be, given the "market." Luck has a lot to do with it. The items I've sold on Craigslist have been priced at or just below what I felt was fair. Many of them did not sell right away. I would place the same ad week after week and get no bites. Then I'd wait a month or two and place the same ad and suddenly get a bunch of bites. The overall market didn't suddenly change in those couple of months. The economy was relatively the same as before, the things I was selling weren't suddenly declared desirable in some public forum or collector's market. It was all just a matter of coincidence.

 

[TNCreature]

Link Removed

 

[snyderz]

Of course price has the main impact on a sale, but I'll take exception to your broad statement on 'selling a bass fast'. Most of us here on TB are pretty savvy on 'market values' of basses. Thousands of basses have been sold and traded here. Most of us know what the market will bear, and price accordingly. If the economy is down, or if a bass has been listed for a while, you'll see price drops. Many times ridiculously low price drops. I agree that many craigslisters are out to lunch, and will throw up a used bass asking more than Musician's Friend. There are many more factors than price on a bass sale. The rarity of the bass, whether it be the maker or even the color. The economy in general. Or even the time of year, ie tax time. So yes, if you list an American Fender P bass for $200, it WILL sell fast.

 

[lomo]

The assumption is that the seller HAS to sell fast. Some may elect to wait and hope for the lower %age chance of selling at a higher price. That's the seller's choice. Nothing more or less. Sellers can ask whatever they want, and buyers will pay whatever they choose. There's no right or wrong here.

 

[Freddels]

No matter what I price it at, someone is going to low ball and offer. When you offer me $200 less than the price I've posted, you're basically asking if I'm willing to take $200 out of my pocket and give it to you. How about when someone does that, I just counter-offer with a price that is $200 more than the price I posted. After all, why shouldn't you put an extra $200 in my pocket? I try to price things fairly.

You can state "no trades" and someone will still ask if you'll take a trade.

A few years back, I was selling a very nice bass. I got a sob story about how this guy really wanted this kind of bass for a long time and he had saved up as much as he could. He was still shy of the asking price and asked if I would cut him a deal since he was so broke. I did. Then a week later he had the bass up for sale at a price about $600 more than I was asking to begin with and he also posted about another purchase he had made. So, everyone should just post a price for what they want for the item. It will either sell or it won't. If you want to buy it, then buy it.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

As some have said its luck if it sales , i have posted recently a ric 4003 in semi worn shape on craigs and here , i got 1200$ cash for it on craigs right before xmas , thats what i call luck , someone was wanting that right when i put it up.

But like always I state no trades and FIRM many times and what do i get? lowball offers , i got at least 4 people asking me to sell it for 1000$ and many trades, even ig a price something fair some vulture comes along and tries to pick your bones some more.

So yeah if you wanna give a bass away it will sell fast

 

[amimbari]

How to Sell your Bass FAST
look around and if it is worth 500, sell it for 150. you'll sell it quick enough.

...if I want my unit to sit on ebay for 9 months until someone buys it, that's my problem eh? Guitar stores do the same thing, they set a price and it sits.... You don't like my price and you can find the same thing for less...go buy it.

I'm not looking for a buyer to get all in a tizzy just because all they have to spend is XXXX dollars and they can't justify spending that amount on MY unit and then slam me publicly because "they" think my price is way out there.

good for you if you find that item for a good price, but I'm not selling it so someone can gain the bargain of the month out of the goodness of my heart, and at a financial loss I'm gonna give anything away.

I'm looking to get what the thing is worth. - that is all.

 

[The Thinker]

When I've wanted to sell a bass fast, then yes--I've posted an aggressive price. But remember that not every bass in the classifieds is a "need to sell fast" item.

Usually I don't need to sell fast. So rather than taking a bath on something, I am willing to wait out the right buyer. If my needs change I can lower the price later. But in many cases I'm content to let the bass sit until the right buyer comes along.

Also, for an unusual bass I have no problem letting people know up front that the bass is worth more to me than what many may consider "market price." This saves everyone time--I don't have to deal with offers below what I'd consider, and buyers only willing to pay "market price" don't waste their time wheeling/dealing with me. In these cases, I'm waiting for a collector or someone with an irresistible jones for the bass I am selling. People pay over "market price" all the time . You just need to be patient.

I have bought basses at above market value, so I don't agree with your contentiion that "it's all about price." Non-commodity markets don't work that way, so basses that are uncommon/out of production can sometimes fetch prices above "market." For instance, I found a bass recently that's been on my GAS list for years, but doesn't pop up very often (and when it has, I've had other priorities). This time I had plenty of cash, nothing else I needed/wanted more, so I bid well above market on ebay to make sure that bass was MINE. The money was worth less to me than the assurance that I'd get what I wanted. In your book, apparently I'm an idiot with more money than sense. In my book, I'm smart enough to earn enough money to make sure I get what I want, when I want it

 

[Bass4LifeRS]

The only reason anything doesn't sell is PRICE. <<<Read that again.

I think you're on to something

 

[Joe Nerve]

While I don't agree that the OP applies in every situation, I must admit that what is written there is almost word for word the exact thoughts that go through my mind whenever I see someone post an ad for a bass that's just a few $$ less than new.

If you want to sell a bass, even if it's mint, rare, and "the best one of it's type that you've ever played and it's killing you to let it go", it really needs to be (IMO) at least 25% off of what the going new price is. And even with that it's probably going to take a while. If you're trying for higher, which we all have every right to do, it's probably going to take some time to sell. Most new basses can be bought with a 20% discount new, if we just wait around for the right promo code.

 

[BBox Bass]

Someone needs to clue in the Ebay seller who is attempting to unload a used Ibanez GSR100 with a starting price of $250. Forget that you can get a brand new starter pack for $180, because this one is special! Here's the description:

Ibanez GSR 100 Electric Bass Guitar with custom paint. Lots of upgrades! I ship within 48 hours of receiving payment. This guitar is also on sale locally, so I reserve the right to cancel the auction if necessary. As always, I'll be happy to answer any questions I can. If you wish to offer me a lower figure than the opening price, the answer is "NO".

Ibanez GSR 100 Electric Bass Guitar with Custom Paint! | eBay

Disclaimer: I have no idea who this person is.

 

[edt844]

Every instrument has a going price that the "market" is willing to pay. On Ebay for the past 2 months, Warwick Corvette basses are going for about $350 to $400, fretted & fretless, made in Germany. That's it. The buyers that make up this market is setting the price. The ones liisted for $700 and up keep getting relisted. All very interesting from an economic point of view.

Ed T.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Every instrument has a going price that the "market" is willing to pay.
That's it. The buyers that make up this market is setting the price. The ones liisted for $xxx and up keep getting relisted. All very interesting from an economic point of view.
Ed T.

Yep. This is the same for every brand(I've been watching about 10 brands for over a decade).
I was VERY fortunate to unload my less-played, "expensive" basses before the economy dove into the toilet.
ALL of them started at $0.99 on eBay.
Some folks got "deals", some did not.

 

[Nev375]

The only reason anything doesn't sell is PRICE. <<<Read that again.

I can think of other reasons. The seller being a jerk is a big one in my book.

 

[JxBass]

I've had the opposite experience than described in the OP. More than once I've sold an item at an attractive price, usually pretty quickly, only to have the (TB) buyer flip it for a profit. This has happened with basses, cabs, and amps. Though a tad bothersome, my goal hasn't been to make money on a sale. I determine what bottom line price I'm comfortable with and let it go, usually to fund a recently purchased item. Luckily I don't overdo it and I chalk it up to the cost of my avocation.