Is the BassConomy tanking?

[Jxff]

Perhaps what you observed can be more broadly attributed to this: (FYI, in case anyone doesn't know: when 1month>30years=VERY BAD... every time)

View attachment 5037329

If anyone is interested in the bigger picture, this is a quick read.
The Lost Decade: Lessons From Japan's Real Estate Crisis
Although inflation sucks, deflation due to prolonged economic contraction makes inflation not so bad. How will this effect bass prices? IMHO supply and demand will be more extreme. All the lower to mid tier basses that are everywhere will suffer in price compared to the basses most in demand. The gap will widen. Same for high end lower demand basses against basses most in demand. But again, just my opinion and an answer to the OP.

 

[Metropolis_488]

If anyone is interested in the bigger picture, this is a quick read.
The Lost Decade: Lessons From Japan's Real Estate Crisis
Although inflation sucks, deflation due to prolonged economic contraction makes inflation not so bad. How will this effect bass prices? IMHO supply and demand will be more extreme. All the lower to mid tier basses that are everywhere will suffer in price compared to the basses most in demand. The gap will widen. Same for high end lower demand basses against basses most in demand. But again, just my opinion and an answer to the OP.

Yeah extensive contraction is no good either... But the lost decade was prior to US "modern monetary theory" and all those rounds of QE (aka, tax-payer funded junk-bond buying sprees). Also, personal savings accounts in Japan grew enormously (thus the economic contraction - everyone there was saving their money instead of spending it). Here in the US? We prefer to spend every penny we hope to make 20 years from now.

 

[Jared Houseman]

Everything seems pretty stagnant to me right now.

Sellers are charging/expecting near retail for their used items and buyers are expecting items to be a quarter of the cost

In general I haven't seen many prices that are win win for the buyers and sellers

 

[Killing Floor]

Hey gang, I just now took a picture.
The luthier is named Marcus Miller.
Can't believe I got such a good deal. What to y'all think?

 

[DJ Bebop]

Bought a bass today. 5 string fretless P in surf green with a cocobolo fingerboard and sissy lines in inlaid maple.

I traced the history of the bass online and it went like this:
Namm show model, $1800 sale price.
Fire sale price $875
My price today, $750.

This bass fits a niche for me, I haven't owned any type of P in decades. If I don't like the Bartolini P pickup I'll drop in a nordy. Wife probably won't notice I have a technique of blending them in slowly.

My question is this: how are basses selling for less than half of retail in good condition? This seems to be a bad sign for the economy in general. My antique upright has been on Reverb for years!

I'm psyched about the bass, it's pretty unique yet traditional.
Is anyone worried about the BassConomy?

 

[Killing Floor]

This is what happens after 100 posts and no pictures. Time to derail.

 

[groovepump]

I agree. I think bassists are just the cheapest of the cheap. Certainly compared to guitarists, who it seems will pay any price to get "that tone."

Absolutely true. For guitarists, it's all about the hardware, and it never ends.

 

[3bc]

Bought a bass today. 5 string fretless P in surf green with a cocobolo fingerboard and sissy lines in inlaid maple.

I traced the history of the bass online and it went like this:
Namm show model, $1800 sale price.
Fire sale price $875
My price today, $750.

This bass fits a niche for me, I haven't owned any type of P in decades. If I don't like the Bartolini P pickup I'll drop in a nordy. Wife probably won't notice I have a technique of blending them in slowly.

My question is this: how are basses selling for less than half of retail in good condition? This seems to be a bad sign for the economy in general. My antique upright has been on Reverb for years!

I'm psyched about the bass, it's pretty unique yet traditional.
Is anyone worried about the BassConomy?

Very pleased you got an instrument that speaks to you. You might also be the only person on the planet that wants a 5 string fretless p bass. When I think p bass I'm thinking a 4 stringer with frets. Not a 5, or a fretless, let alone both.

No judgment here, that's just a very unique instrument with probably very few buyers.

I do think that guitar sales have leveled off though, from a lot of anecdotal evidence.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Gonna post pics, or nah?

Considering I bought it on Reverb this morning...and it's in another state and I'm in another state and UPS projects next Thursday... eventually.

 

[groovepump]

My goodness - I pretty much get what I want....I don't need permission...
My wife and I have a mutual respect that we don't question each other's buying habits as long as it doesn't effect our monthly required outcome.....my bass acquisitions are a little more these days because of my youtube channel...what I stated was a joke, a textual meme if you will..........I'm hoping there are folks who read that post and find the humor that was intended in it

Same here. My wife encourages me to buy hardware she hears me talk about. Never says "no". She also knows I am careful about spending money, so it's not too risky for her to encourage me. She's a great supporter of my music interests.

 

[groovepump]

I am one of those not many.

And I wish I could be one of those not many. . .

 

[Liam Wald]

Here's the thing about anecdotes, they're not a good basis for broad conclusions. Someone looking only at a graph of the selling prices of Serek basses could ask, "Is the BassConomy growing faster than ever?"

So true. As the old addage states, "one event does not make a trend".

 

[Lardass5000]

- Get empty bass case.
- Make sure wife sees you leave your home with empty bass case not knowing its empty. "Be back in a little bit, going to the music store"
- Go to town. Purchase bass and put in case
- Return home with new bass in no longer empty bass case

oldest trick in the book

On a similar note; I have gone so far as to take an empty shipping box to my truck, claiming I'm going to FedEx. In reality I just go get a sandwich and come back, sneak empty box back into garage and my wife is so proud of me for thinning the herd.
I like to think of it as "social engineering" cuz "lying" just seems harsh.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Those look fantastic. I am sure Most, if not all, NAMM basses are pretty great. The few that I was interested in were just priced too high for what they were. I couldn't justify almost twice the price just for the NAMM designation.

Fortunately, none of those basses were priced at "NAMM Show" prices. And only one of those was actually purchased at a NAMM Show.

 

[Thegreatzambini]

Bought a bass today. 5 string fretless P in surf green with a cocobolo fingerboard and sissy lines in inlaid maple.

I traced the history of the bass online and it went like this:
Namm show model, $1800 sale price.
Fire sale price $875
My price today, $750.

This bass fits a niche for me, I haven't owned any type of P in decades. If I don't like the Bartolini P pickup I'll drop in a nordy. Wife probably won't notice I have a technique of blending them in slowly.

My question is this: how are basses selling for less than half of retail in good condition? This seems to be a bad sign for the economy in general. My antique upright has been on Reverb for years!

I'm psyched about the bass, it's pretty unique yet traditional.
Is anyone worried about the BassConomy?

The market is flooded with fenders, especially precisions so of course you're gonna find crazy deals like that

 

[logdrum]

Considering I bought it on Reverb this morning...and it's in another state and I'm in another state and UPS projects next Thursday... eventually.

Is this the one? There was one for sale locally and it wasn't so great to me. Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay Fretless Bass - Sea Foam Green | Reverb

Hopefully will shut everyone up about the pics. It was not an NDB after all

To take an adjustable screen clip
Windows 10 = Shift+Windows Key + S
Mac=Shift+ Ctrl + Command Key + 4

Click Hold and Drag and Release

You are welcome

View attachment 5037526

This is what happens after 100 posts and no pictures. Time to derail.

 

[MCF]

Bought a bass today. 5 string fretless P in surf green with a cocobolo fingerboard and sissy lines in inlaid maple.

I traced the history of the bass online and it went like this:
Namm show model, $1800 sale price.
Fire sale price $875
My price today, $750.

This bass fits a niche for me, I haven't owned any type of P in decades. If I don't like the Bartolini P pickup I'll drop in a nordy. Wife probably won't notice I have a technique of blending them in slowly.

My question is this: how are basses selling for less than half of retail in good condition? This seems to be a bad sign for the economy in general. My antique upright has been on Reverb for years!

I'm psyched about the bass, it's pretty unique yet traditional.
Is anyone worried about the BassConomy?

Congratulations!

But to answer the question, No. At least for the prices of my main interest, Thunderbirds. Big increases for Gibsons, Epis, Grecos, BaCHs and Orvilles. About 30% or more since 2019. Not including the now near $200 it costs to ship a bass and a case cross-country.

But I do see what look like fair deals in the classifieds on here for other basses these days. Especially fivers.

 

[majbass]

The hell are "sissy lines"?

 

[DJ Bebop]

The hell are "sissy lines"?

Lines on a fretless...

 

[HelpImaRock]

Lines on a fretless...

View attachment 5037792

Bireli is a sissy? LOL