How to Sell your Bass FAST

[Engine207]

I recently had an M-Audio FastTrack interface for sale both here on TB as well as my local CL. My sob story was that I thought 2 inputs would be good enough to record my son's drums with a couple of overhead condenser. Sounded like crap...needed 6 inputs. So I put an ad up for like $70 (they're about $120 new).

I get this email:

On Nov 10, 2011, at 8:03, Gerry Delacruz <[email protected]> wrote:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: craigslist | about > scams

$30 for your interface. gerry

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
​

Response:

How about $10, i deliver it to you, and I throw in my MacBook, too? Get bent, lowballer!​

Never heard back from him...

 

[Colonel129]

With a $900 BIN, that amp would have sold in a few hours on ebay.

Of course, but knowledge/education is another byproduct of fortunate circumstance.

 

[Actium]

If you want your stuff to sell in a discussion form like this one here's what you do.

Use the search to find other like products.

Post your item for a price lower then the rest.

Post the item on a Friday. Catch all those people that get paid bi-weekly that just got paid and are looking for something to buy. If you are super anal post it after 2pm but not too late. When deposited checks start showing up in bank accounts ready to be spent. Or post it within the first 4-5 days of the month to get people that get paid monthly.


Another note, follow trends, especially what lots of forumites are gassing over. This is more applicable for a forum that deals with product that comes and goes in trends. If you don't need the $ right away, then wait for more people to be gassing over the item to sell it. I do this with clothing very often on a clothing forum. I buy what's getting hyped early on. Or clothing that's always hyped but when it's on sale. And when it's at it's peak popularity amongst the gassing forum members (it's easy to predict because clothing trends change with the seasons) I re-sell the item for much much more than I could have before. And it sells instantly. I actually flip clothing that way and get some extra pocket change.

A magazine like GQ, even though they are often months behind on trends, makes it super easy to rip people off. New forum members come looking for items GQ has hyped. And guess what, I'm posting it often for more than I paid because there's loads of gassing impulse buyers swarming the forums.

On here if I were trying to predict gas I would look at recent threads. Especially picture threads for certain brands (the prob is people will be gassing over everything in this specific forum). If the thread is almost always on the front page and noticeable it's a good chance that many people are on the lookout for said items.

 

[NKUSigEp]

...My only real gripe is the people who are compelled to send you a msg/email advising that your price is too high. Oddly enough, everytime this has happened to me, the item has sold that same week for my asking price. Strange, huh?

If my, or anyone's price is too high, an email is not needed. The market will tell you that the price is too high simply by the fact that no one will purchase the item.

I'm guilty of that but it's only when someone's asking price is over the retail value (and there hasn't been any modifications or something like that done to "it"). And I would never say "You're price is too high". I would just let them know that someone can buy a brand new one for cheaper from so-and-so's website.

 

[HamOnTheCob]

It's basic economics:

As a free agent in the market, any seller has the right to price his goods however he sees fit. Also as a free agent, any buyer has the right to accept or decline the offered price. There is no coercion. If a seller is willing to accept X for a good, he is free to accept it. If he is not willing to accept less than X, he has no obligation to accept less than X. If a buyer is willing to pay X amount, he is free to pay it. If he is unwilling to pay X amount, he has no obligation to pay it.

At some point, as the price for a specific good ascends, the demand for it will decline and will eventually become zero. Conversely, at some point, as the price for a specific good descends, the supply of it will decline and eventually become zero.

As financially stable bass owners see the prices of used instruments go down, they will become less likely to list them, as the value of keeping them starts to outweigh the benefit of unloading them at a low price. When this happens, there is less to choose from on the market, and in reaction, buyers compete harder for the fewer items, which drives the price upward. The climbing prices lure more owners to sell, and when they do, the buyers have more to choose from, so they no longer have to compete over the items available, and prices go back downward. This is the business cycle.

Right now, the business cycle is askew because of the very real effect of a bad economy. A higher number than in years past are without jobs, so they are selling whatever they have that is of value in order to pay their bills. They are desperate, so they are selling at prices they would rather not. But they have mortgages or other bills to pay, and keeping one's house is a higher priority than keeping one's bass. For these folks, getting $500 out of a bass that should be $800 is enough to keep the lights on. For those of us who don't "need" the money, the low prices seem absurd, and we would never take such a hit, so we complain about low-ballers and such, but really, the market has set the floor at these low prices. Until people are finished being desperate, prices will continue to be low. Housing prices are low for these reasons.

It's a great time to buy a home. It's a great time to buy anything, including basses. Conversely, it's a horrible time to be selling anything. I'm in sales and have been since 2007 (or 1998 if you count buying and selling guitars and amps on eBay), so I can certainly remember the tail end of the "good days" when everyone had buying power, no one was hurting for money, and the market was a fun place to sell. It will recover, but for now, we have to just take it as it is.

Not trying to get on a soap box, but we should be careful not to fault desperate people for driving prices down - they are just doing what they can to survive. I am reasonably sure that any one of us would similarly do whatever we had to do to get by if we were in their shoes. Let's all hope everything turns back around so we can go back to having G.A.S. and being able to buy and sell to our hearts' content!

Cheers
Jacob

 

[Freddels]

Posting on a Friday weeds out (at least for the weekend) all those that can't seem to afford their own computer and only have internet access while at work.

 

[JB36]

If you want your stuff to sell in a discussion form like this one here's what you do.

Use the search to find other like products.

Post your item for a price lower then the rest.

Here's some sound advice. there's so much gear moving through this forum that fair prices are already established. You either are in the classifieds regularly or you can search and find out what sold for what price and how long it took. I usually ask a few bucks lower than this price point. Not because I'm a low baller, but because I like to feel warm and fuzzy about the deal. The seller always has the right to counter if not...no big deal.

Most of the time, if the seller states FIRM, I will not offer unless it is priced very well. I like it when people find a great retail blowout deals and buy up stuff or buy low on the forum and flip it a week later with a FIRM price. It's like only they have a right to a good deal. This certainly within peoples' rights to do so, but I just couldn't allow myself to buy in this instance.

 

[cchorney]

I like it when people ... buy low on the forum and flip it a week later with a FIRM price. It's like only they have a right to a good deal.

Behavior like that certainly seems against the spirit of this community. I know people do that sort of thing here on TB but I expressed my opinion of them earlier in this thread, so I won't repeat myself here.

 

[cassius987]

What does capitalism have to do with a person being a sleazy bullsh*tter?

Let's not go there, OT. You can PM me if you actually want to talk about that.

 

[Stumbo]

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

What's the highest price you'll pay for it?

If the potential buyer would answer that question, then I'll answer his/hers.

 

[lowstrung5]

I love it when a buyer will ask the seller if he will sell it for xyz (which is already lower than advertised in the ad) and the seller says "Yes I'll do that". Then the buyers reply is........."Hmmmmmmm I'll have to think about it"

Just basic ettiquette would go a long way. Then I have to remind myself that most so-called musicians I know are equal parts flake, bull___t artist, and ego-centric aholes.
Know your demographic!!!

Of course I'm not directing that to anyone specifically............

 

[tuBass]

it's not CL, but it freaking steams me when guys put a for sale ad here on TB, but then won't respond to a PM about it.

I wrote somebody this: "I am very interested in your bass, do you still have it?" (older ad, about a month old)

he's logged on twice since then, never bothered writing back. the Ad is still up, no closure. the least he can do it either close the damn ad or write me back

 

[Apple2Root]

I have posted my 4 string Music Man Bass three times on ebay and where I have a bunch of people watching the thing I am not getting any bites?

I bought it two years ago and have not had the time to play it as much as i would like due to promotions at work... It's mint condition, has two pickups which I found it's not something that is commonly found on ebay, youtube... The tones you can get with it are amazing and I don't care what you plug it into it sounds great.

So I bought it local and talked it down based on the price for the same Bass on musicians friend. I paid $1,650.00 +tax for it. I have the hard shell case as well.

I tossed it up for $1,350.00 and then just dropped it to $1,200.00 free shipping.I have a bunch of pics with the post and you can clearly see it is flawless. I think someone in the market would be enticed to get the bass for $450 less than they would new for a virtually new bass?

I can't see dropping it any lower, I mean, I'm happy to just keep it, maybe the right person just hasn't looked at it? likes the bass but not the color...?

Any pointers? Is that not a good price? It's only been up for three weeks and x-mas is close. Maybe x-mas is the reason it's not selling?

Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to BSing about music, basses N stuff.

Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Man-StingRay-/141122184217?pt=Guitar&hash=item20db89a419

 

[Engine207]

I have posted my 4 string Music Man Bass three times on ebay and where I have a bunch of people watching the thing I am not getting any bites?

I bought it two years ago and have not had the time to play it as much as i would like due to promotions at work... It's mint condition, has two pickups which I found it's not something that is commonly found on ebay, youtube... The tones you can get with it are amazing and I don't care what you plug it into it sounds great.

So I bought it local and talked it down based on the price for the same Bass on musicians friend. I paid $1,650.00 +tax for it. I have the hard shell case as well.

I tossed it up for $1,350.00 and then just dropped it to $1,200.00 free shipping.I have a bunch of pics with the post and you can clearly see it is flawless. I think someone in the market would be enticed to get the bass for $450 less than they would new for a virtually new bass?

I can't see dropping it any lower, I mean, I'm happy to just keep it, maybe the right person just hasn't looked at it? likes the bass but not the color...?

Any pointers? Is that not a good price? It's only been up for three weeks and x-mas is close. Maybe x-mas is the reason it's not selling?

Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to BSing about music, basses N stuff.

Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Man-StingRay-/141122184217?pt=Guitar&hash

You can't advertise a bass here that's on eBay unless you're a supporting member and it's been listed here for over a week (or a month or whatever). Best $20 you'll ever spend, and someone here will probably snap it up.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/payments.php

 

[Iridescentone]

I have posted my 4 string Music Man Bass three times on ebay and where I have a bunch of people watching the thing I am not getting any bites?

I bought it two years ago and have not had the time to play it as much as i would like due to promotions at work... It's mint condition, has two pickups which I found it's not something that is commonly found on ebay, youtube... The tones you can get with it are amazing and I don't care what you plug it into it sounds great.

So I bought it local and talked it down based on the price for the same Bass on musicians friend. I paid $1,650.00 +tax for it. I have the hard shell case as well.

I tossed it up for $1,350.00 and then just dropped it to $1,200.00 free shipping.I have a bunch of pics with the post and you can clearly see it is flawless. I think someone in the market would be enticed to get the bass for $450 less than they would new for a virtually new bass?

I can't see dropping it any lower, I mean, I'm happy to just keep it, maybe the right person just hasn't looked at it? likes the bass but not the color...?

Any pointers? Is that not a good price? It's only been up for three weeks and x-mas is close. Maybe x-mas is the reason it's not selling?

Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to BSing about music, basses N stuff.

Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Man-StingRay-/141122184217?pt=Guitar&hash=item20db89a419

Pics look good, but you only have 6 feedbacks. That makes buyers reluctant sometimes, unless it's a total steal of a deal. So basically your price is too high for what the market is willing to pay, or it would have sold already. Still, you may yet find the perfect buyer who is looking for that exact bass. Good luck.

 

[Maxdusty]

I've sold 45 basses on CL in the past 2 years. I'm not a store, but a bass player with a hobby of collecting basses to try them out and keep only what I really want. This all started from an Amazon gift certificate I received and little money on my part- just kept rolling the profits and picking up garage sale buys and anything that would catch my fancy on CL. Profit not really being my intent, but just to try as many models as possible.
A few bits of advice in posting on CL- If it's a bass like a Squier, price it less than a used bass you see at pawn stores or online, ideally below $100. (I also make sure I don't buy it for more than I sell it for so I make some profit, just not that much).
Next, lower the price to as low as you're willing to go, make the gig bag optional...say something like this in the ad..." price is $100, but willing to knock down the price to $90 if you buy it without the gig bag"...It gives the buyer options and will feel that it's at the lowest price possible without the frills.
Most important of all, do your work and be realistic about your price- the current market for used instruments is lower than norm due to the recession so the blue book value does not hold true. Keep in mind the state of the local economy - a $100 bass will probably sell for $120 in a smaller town as opposed to the city due to lower availability and the fact that fewer people are willing to drive to the big city to pick up that $100 instrument if they can buy one for $20 more just nearby). Good luck.

My small town in Michigan, now has some amazing bass guitars floating around, I would drive to Detroit (I have other business there anyway) and pick some up and sell it here, not everyone has transportation nor willing to go far to pick up a buy, so in a way, I feel that I'm doing some kind of community work here for the local musicians. ... once again, not making much profit at all, but doing it for the fun of trying out basses.

Edit: Also, if money is not critical, you can get a heck of a better deal if you consider trades. I've traded basses before and had gotten scooters for example that are worth more, but the buyer was willing to do the trade as they really wanted the bass and perhaps the scooter was no longer important to them.

 

[smcd]

.

I tossed it up for $1,350.00 and then just dropped it to $1,200.00 free shipping.I have a bunch of pics with the post and you can clearly see it is flawless. I think someone in the market would be enticed to get the bass for $450 less than they would new for a virtually new bass?

I can't see dropping it any lower, I mean, I'm happy to just keep it, maybe the right person just hasn't looked at it? likes the bass but not the color...?

Any pointers? Is that not a good price? It's only been up for three weeks and x-mas is close. Maybe x-mas is the reason it's not selling?

You're asking too much. Period. Basses like yours are selling on eBay for under $1,000 with free shipping.

 

[barebones]

If you really want to sell fast, six words:

Three day no reserve penny auction.

Unless you have a really obscure, difficult to value item, or something that not many people want or need, almost everything will settle out at it's true current market value price. (Note: This price may be different from the price at which YOU value your item, but that's irrelevant if you're truly looking to sell quickly.)

There's other stuff to be aware of, of course, such as the timing of your auctions and buyer psychology in the auction format, but I don't think I've ever gotten less than my own honest valuation of an item, and I've frequently gotten more.

Auction fees have gone up, which is frustrating, and your buyers don't care. Again, this is simply the fastest way I know of to sell your item at the true current market clearing price, a.k.a. what buyers are actually willing to pay right now.