Let them figure it out when no one bids.
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How to Sell your Bass FAST
- Thread starter THORRR
- Start date
Let them figure it out when no one bids.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
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
The Thinker. How appropriate.
I pretty much agree with everything he said, so maybe I'll change my username to The Agree-er. The fail in the OP's reasoning is that, like The Thinker noted, not everything is all about rational decision making. My first bass was a Peavey T-40 that I all but destroyed with my foolish teenage tinkering. I've always wanted it back, so when I was in a position to do so (plenty of cash), I started looking around for them. I soon found that in addition to the common natural/maple T-40s, there were rarer colors and rosewood necks. When I found my SiennaBurst/Rosewood, the seller had it priced about $150 more than market. Being that it was local, I could play it first, not worry about shipping, and since Siennas are relatively rare, I paid the extra money and still feel like I got a good deal...for me.
My purchase was more emotional than rational. I was in a bigger hurry to buy it than the seller was to move it. He was savvy enough to know that a guy like me was bound to come along soon enough. The extra buck-and-a-half to my budget wasn't gonna starve my kids.
I did hide it from my wife for two months, so I could say, "Oh, that old thing...I've had that thing for months."
I currently have two basses for sale. One is a non-cash debt repayment and the other I just think is cool and rare. They have both been nibbled at here on TB, but not yet sold. That's fine. Sooner or later, some metal bassist and a guy who'd wrecked his Ibby as a teenager - who've been off TB for months will log on and I'll have a PayPal in 20 minutes. Until then, my son and I are enjoying our time playing them. I guess I also have more dollars than sense.
*I* sell an instrument for a "fair" or more than "fair" price. IF clueless newbs or bottom feeders get indignant...I really don't give a darn. I have varied sources to sell from, and I'm not motivated to "give" away something of quality to someone I don't know or give a hang about. I respect most of the experienced and knowledgeable folks here, so there's room for respectful discussion. Clueless newbs and bottom feeders are just that, and are always the first to go crying foul or (like the OP) how *I* should sell
IMO anyone has a right to price whatever they're selling, at whatever price they want. As a buyer, you should research & make yourself aware of the going rate, and ignore that which is overpriced. Also, if you want it, and the "overpriced" item is the only one available, then you have 3 options: don't buy it and wait for another, priced more to your liking, or, buy it at the sellers inflated price, or, attempt to bargain: sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Buying and selling...and bargaining or haggling...has been around forever, and there is no simplistic formula to make it easy for buyers...or sellers.
+1Throrrr! If someone wants to sell fast, then it should be priced accordingly. Although I like how people are nice on TB and tell the seller, nice bass, good luck with the sell, etc.. the price is just too high and thats the real reason its not sold. I appreciate Throrrr breaking the ice with this reality check for sellers. (Off subject-just saying) I also wish some "high end" bass makers who try to sell upgraded jazz copies for $5,000+ would get real in this economy. Really-- $900 dollars in parts/materials, $100 tool use, and $1,500 in labor, ad costs $100 per bass should be enough. The total should be about $2,600- not 2X cost for a kit bass bolt-on bass guitar made with extra love. (again $1,500 in labor = fair/justified) Just wanted to break that ice.
as with so many things, for sale, this is subject to a buyer's desire and his finances. If a seller's primary concern is price, he is willing to accept less than perfect quality or condition, for the "deal". it is always a compromise, when you buy/sell used. To generalize that price is the only factor is to state that an item you have for sale is not of ideal quality or condition. The compromise is finding the difference in value that both the seller and a potential buyer believe is appropriate for the item in question. Since each person is entitled to their own opinion, there is often a significant difference...
With that being said, I really do not see the reason for this thread, aside from dealing with boredom (what I am doing now).
With that being said, I really do not see the reason for this thread, aside from dealing with boredom (what I am doing now).
Students in my Econ course never seemed to really grasp that anything is only "worth" what someone is willing to pay at that time in that place. Change any of the variables (time, place, buyer) and the price will change.
I have my craigslist price, and my real price. I try to price above what I will take, so they can talk me down a little and feel good about it, while I'm getting what I actually will accept.
I'm never desperate to sell, so that helps me wait things out or sometimes just decide to hang onto the item.
S
I'm never desperate to sell, so that helps me wait things out or sometimes just decide to hang onto the item.
S
- Jun 3, 2009
- 3,330
- 399
- Disclosures
- Bassgearu, Music Industry Consulting and Sales. Tech 21, NBE Corp, Sonosphere.
Interesting topic, however, I don't completely subscribe to the advice.
I have been trying to sell my home for a while now. The market sucks. I've had realtors tell me to keep dropping my price. The problem is that the realtors just don't understand how ti really sell now that the market requires you to SELL the house, not just talk to someone who wants to buy.
My home is priced slightly lower then all the comparable SALES in the past six months, is younger, in better condition and in the best lot in my town (not what I believe, what several realtors have told me). A home three doors down from me sold for only $4000 less last month, and it was smaller, older, needed a lot of work.
Yes, if I wanted to I could sell my home for half its market value and sell it tomorrow in a second. the problem is that everyone, no matter what you are selling, is beginning to think everyone needs money so bad they will sell for a fraction of its value.
I've had offers for my stuff on TB, and while most have been done respectfully, I've had many that were clearly just people trying to score something for nothing. If you offer me $600 for my near mint Kubickis, I don't think so. If I listed them for $800 I bet I'd sell everyone today within a minute of putting up the add. However, they are worth more then $800.
My point of view. Yes Thor, make the price cheap enough and people will buy crap they don't need or really want. But that is just a way to drive the entire market down and destroy the value of everything.
I have been trying to sell my home for a while now. The market sucks. I've had realtors tell me to keep dropping my price. The problem is that the realtors just don't understand how ti really sell now that the market requires you to SELL the house, not just talk to someone who wants to buy.
My home is priced slightly lower then all the comparable SALES in the past six months, is younger, in better condition and in the best lot in my town (not what I believe, what several realtors have told me). A home three doors down from me sold for only $4000 less last month, and it was smaller, older, needed a lot of work.
Yes, if I wanted to I could sell my home for half its market value and sell it tomorrow in a second. the problem is that everyone, no matter what you are selling, is beginning to think everyone needs money so bad they will sell for a fraction of its value.
I've had offers for my stuff on TB, and while most have been done respectfully, I've had many that were clearly just people trying to score something for nothing. If you offer me $600 for my near mint Kubickis, I don't think so. If I listed them for $800 I bet I'd sell everyone today within a minute of putting up the add. However, they are worth more then $800.
My point of view. Yes Thor, make the price cheap enough and people will buy crap they don't need or really want. But that is just a way to drive the entire market down and destroy the value of everything.
Guess what? The builders that are staying in business and doing well are apparently able to get $5k each regardless of what the parts are worth. If you could sell something for $5k, have a backlog of buyers lining up to get one, and have the buyers walk away happy about their purchase, it would be ridiculous to charge less.
We all have "more dollars than sense", since we'll spend anywhere from $200 to $6500 on basses that, at the end of the day, are just pieces of wood and metal glued together! That said, I adore my basses even though they are just hunks of wood and metal...
How about that magical phrase that clouds up the crystal clear waters of CL, Ebay and TB Classifieds? O.B.O. In an attempt to come across as a reasonable seller, I've included this phrase before only to have someone offer me a Hartke kickback amp and $400 for my Mesa 400+ priced at $800. Some guy just contacted me and offered to buy another amp that I had on CL for $15 less than I had it advertised for (Crown XLS 602 for $200). I won't be nickel and diming myself for this sale, pony up the extra $15 (or 3 Starbucks latte's)!
Bargain hunting...always an adventure!
How about that magical phrase that clouds up the crystal clear waters of CL, Ebay and TB Classifieds? O.B.O. In an attempt to come across as a reasonable seller, I've included this phrase before only to have someone offer me a Hartke kickback amp and $400 for my Mesa 400+ priced at $800. Some guy just contacted me and offered to buy another amp that I had on CL for $15 less than I had it advertised for (Crown XLS 602 for $200). I won't be nickel and diming myself for this sale, pony up the extra $15 (or 3 Starbucks latte's)!
Bargain hunting...always an adventure!
I love the potential buyer's question "What is the lowest you will take for it? "
I often answer this with the response "It really is not in my best interest to answer that, knowing that is the number you will use to try to start bartering from!"...
Also I usually factor in an "irritation factor", just to deal with the F***wits who will inevitably make insulting lowball offers
I often answer this with the response "It really is not in my best interest to answer that, knowing that is the number you will use to try to start bartering from!"...
Also I usually factor in an "irritation factor", just to deal with the F***wits who will inevitably make insulting lowball offers
Seems like many people didn't read the very first lines of the OP:
If you don't, then obviously none of what he said applies.
I agree completely with his post. I've sold lots of used items. Some of them I have wanted to get a fair return on and wasn't in a hurry to sell, so I priced as close to what I could figure the "market value" to be. They all sold, eventually, with a little bargaining on price. Other items, I wanted to turn around quick, so I priced them very low, sometimes close to half of what I would have wanted to get for them, ideally. And even then, got bargained down. But if I wanted cash quickly, and I wanted to get rid of them fast, he's entirely right - that's how you do it.
If you don't, then obviously none of what he said applies.
I agree completely with his post. I've sold lots of used items. Some of them I have wanted to get a fair return on and wasn't in a hurry to sell, so I priced as close to what I could figure the "market value" to be. They all sold, eventually, with a little bargaining on price. Other items, I wanted to turn around quick, so I priced them very low, sometimes close to half of what I would have wanted to get for them, ideally. And even then, got bargained down. But if I wanted cash quickly, and I wanted to get rid of them fast, he's entirely right - that's how you do it.
Price is the only consideration if you want to sell fast. Luck doesn't enter the "fast" equation.
A couple months ago I had a friend call me and tell me he needed to sell his '74 Marshall Artiste combo "right now". I know he paid $1,500 for it a year before, and told him if he wanted to sell it today he would have to ask $900 for it. He said fine, I called a friend and told him about it, and in 2 hours he sold the amp.
A couple months ago I had a friend call me and tell me he needed to sell his '74 Marshall Artiste combo "right now". I know he paid $1,500 for it a year before, and told him if he wanted to sell it today he would have to ask $900 for it. He said fine, I called a friend and told him about it, and in 2 hours he sold the amp.
You should buy the parts/materials and start selling your own basses. You'll make a killing. Or at least a fair/justified living.
Or not.
$100/bass? You think that will cover overhead? Clearly you've never run a business. Where is the money for rent? Insurance? Utilities? Advertising? Shipping?
For me the only minus to selling on TalkBass is that everyone expects free shipping but doesn't want to consider actual shipping costs in the selling price when they buy things. If I ship a bass to California in a case and insure it, it will cost $100 or so. So you get low ball offers that offer half of your asking price and want free shipping. I used to just ignore those, but one guy ended up buying the item at the listed price. So now I'm a little more tolerant of them, and come back with a counter offer and a little humor.
I also hate when people list that they hate to sell this bass because it's the best bass they've ever played and the only reason they're selling is so they can afford the kidney transplant or raise bail money for their mom. As soon as there is something personal attached to the sale, I either feel like I'm ripping them off or they may misrepresent what they're selling just to get the money. Anytime there is a sob story associated with the sale you know that the money will leave their PayPal account the second it arrives. So I always pass on any item with a "story" attached. Even if it's a killer price, someone else can grab that.
I've gotten some good deals on here, so when I sell items I tend to list what I consider to be a good deal. Not so good that people will snag them just to resell, but a good price if I know that someone is really going to use it. Hell, I've given away things - but that's one of the hardest things to do. Much easier to sell at a lowball price or let Guitar Center rip you off.
I also hate when people list that they hate to sell this bass because it's the best bass they've ever played and the only reason they're selling is so they can afford the kidney transplant or raise bail money for their mom. As soon as there is something personal attached to the sale, I either feel like I'm ripping them off or they may misrepresent what they're selling just to get the money. Anytime there is a sob story associated with the sale you know that the money will leave their PayPal account the second it arrives. So I always pass on any item with a "story" attached. Even if it's a killer price, someone else can grab that.
I've gotten some good deals on here, so when I sell items I tend to list what I consider to be a good deal. Not so good that people will snag them just to resell, but a good price if I know that someone is really going to use it. Hell, I've given away things - but that's one of the hardest things to do. Much easier to sell at a lowball price or let Guitar Center rip you off.
Price too high you'll never sell. Price low and you'll certainly sell faster, but you'll cheat yourself out of some cash. Price right and be patient and everyone involved will likely be satisfied. At least, that's the way I see it.
Actually the ads that get me are the "have to sell to raise funds for xxx..."
And then towards the end, "will consider trade for yyy...."
And then towards the end, "will consider trade for yyy...."
