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Lets talk about 'Mint'

#61
Mastermold said:
I like how Elderly rates their vintage guitars and basses:

MC Mint Condition : when we say mint, we mean mint. No wear, like new out of the box.
EC Excellent Condition : Very clean, might have some minor wear, dings, scratches, or finish cracks, but otherwise very close to new condition.
VGC Very Good Condition : Basically clean, might have some deeper scratches, pick wear or missing finish. Nothing real serious, no cracks, unless otherwise stated.
GC Good Condition : Solid playing condition, may have one or more repaired cracks or other cosmetic flaws.
FC Fair Condition and PC = Poor Condition : Indicate that the instrument may have some problems, usually described.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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Elderly was my home away from home growing up.
 
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#66
Thanks for all of your feedback guys, I appreciate it.

Yes I knew there were a couple of marks on it from their photos and descriptions but as described they sounded like fair genuine long term storage marks.. Acceptable to me.

However, the marks on the bass, no these are usage marks.

I can say I did not pay the $4k they were originally asking, but yes there was a premium.

Can I ask from you guys.. Considering it is in excellent condition in general, is very light weigh, plays very nicely.

What WOULD you pay (and I'm asking real world here).

Thanks
 
#67
As usual there's two sides to every story and the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle.

Firstly, the OP misrepresented the issue. The ad clearly says "near mint" vs the OPs claim that the ad said "mint".
Secondly, the very experienced and crafty seller over played their hand and built expectations of the bass up too high by calling it "near mint" vs grading it as EC- , which would have been more accurate.

The seller knows the term "near mint" is a very broad and undefined statement. How near mint is it? They chose that term because it allows the buyer to imagine how good the condition is on the high side while giving the seller a little wiggle room on the actual condition.

I've personally used the term "near mint" very loosely when describing gear here on talkbass, and its a term thats accurate enough in just conversation. However, it is no where near accurate enough in commerce. When it comes to selling gear mint is mint period, no flaws. When buying gear always be weary of the term "near". Its just a weasel word used by sellers to get your imagination running wild on just how good the condition might be. In this case the seller over played their hand and the buyer has remorse. I'd return it and find another dealer to work with in the future.
 
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#69
Templar said:
Not "mint" by my understanding of the term.

It's obviously in astoundingly good condition, and I could think of loads of glowing terms to describe its condition, but "mint" is a bit of a stretch.
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Great way to say it. Nice bass. But not mint.

OP, you are, in fact, crazy, simply because you're here. :thumbsup: But your thoughts about this bass do not add to the proof of such a claim.
 
#70
The frets are a problem. A bass this good would have been worth a premium fret leveling, with crowning and polishing. They didn't even polish the flat tops they put on this. Dumb....And the nylon strings raise another flag. Nylons are very forgiving of bad necks and frets, and mask a lot of buzzes and rattles. I bet if you put a fresh set of metal flats or rounds on this bass, it is gonna buzz like crazy at anywhere near comfortable action heights. As far as what I'D pay for it? $2,800 max, IF it were dead mint.
 
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#73
GBassNorth said:
As usual there's two sides to every story and the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle.

Firstly, the OP misrepresented the issue. The ad clearly says "near mint" vs the OPs claim that the ad said "mint".
Secondly, the very experienced and crafty seller over payed their hand and built expectations of the bass up too high by calling it "near mint" vs grading it as EC- , which would have been more accurate.

The seller knows the term "near mint" is a very broad and undefined statement. How near mint is it? They chose that term because it allows the buyer to imagine how good the condition is on the high side while giving the seller a little wiggle room on the actual condition.

I've personally used the term "near mint" very loosely when describing gear here on talkbass, and its a term thats accurate enough in just conversation. However, it is no where near accurate enough in commerce. When it comes to selling gear mint is mint period, no flaws. When buying gear always be weary of the term "near". Its just a weasel word used by sellers to get your imagination running wild on just how good the condition might be. In this case the seller over played their hand and the buyer has remorse. I'd return it and find another dealer to work with in the future.
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No it was listed on reverb as 'mint', I'm not misrepresenting it at all.. I did not purchase it through ebay. The seller is not an individual but a store (or claim to be)

Reverb has guidelines to conditions. As stated, I was aware it had some minor marks from long term storage and general handling. That is entirely different from ground frets and bare timber/through lacquer impacts.

There's no buyers remorse here, it's a great instrument.. But there is the sting of misrepresentation. I don't deal in vintage gear usually so I wasn't entirely sure if I was being unrealistic in my expectations.. From reading the feedback on here.. I'm not
 
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#77
mr.mow said:
No it was listed on reverb as 'mint', I'm not misrepresenting it at all.. I did not purchase it through ebay. The seller is not an individual but a store (or claim to be)

Reverb has guidelines to conditions. As stated, I was aware it had some minor marks from long term storage and general handling. That is entirely different from ground frets and bare timber/through lacquer impacts.

There's no buyers remorse here, it's a great instrument.. But there is the sting of misrepresentation. I don't deal in vintage gear usually so I wasn't entirely sure if I was being unrealistic in my expectations.. From reading the feedback on here.. I'm not
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Well then, I guess I stand corrected.
An earlier post was claimed to be the ad and it clearly said near mint. If in fact the ad you saw said mint then it was clearly misrepresented.

A mint 1975 Fender P bass with the original case and case candy all in mint condition is probably worth $4000 right now. In the cosmetic condition that bass is in I'd say its worth about 30% less than mint, bringing it down to about $2800. But if you factor in some of the unknown issues around the frets and authenticity of the case candy and dealer honesty I'd take another 20% off of that bringing the final offer to around $2240. If the seller won't go below $2300 I'd send it back.
 
#79
Im not one to lust after vintage fenders... BUT I do occasionally fancy one. Given its ACTUAL condtion, I wouldnt consider anything over $1800 for it and thats only after having it in hand and making sure it was a "good one". Some would pay more, as with anything, but not me on that one. IF it really WAS mint, AND I really fancied a 75, I think anything over $2800 is excessive, but some have more of a craving for them. For the record, Ive never spent over $1850 on a bass and that was a tough decision on a smoking good deal (normally valued at $3100). I dont have the wallet elasticity some on here do. ;)
 
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