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"Local pick up only" (Reverb) rant...

M

Mr Wilson

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Feb 21, 2022
31
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#1
Whats with the trend of everyone making all their reverb ads "Local pick up only ?
I'm assuming its the ever rising Fees involved ,but man Its really preventing my deals.
I really want a second Jazz 24 to back up my #1 . Theres 4 on reverb that have been there a while. One is too expensive ,the other 3 are "Local pick up only " . I am in upstate NY and no where near any of these guys . I have messaged 2 of the sellers saying Dude I'm Legit ,will you ship the thing ? and they both said "no local pick up only " . I mean do you guys not wanna sell these things ?? If not dont list it . :nailbiting::rolleyes::)
 
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#2
Agreed, that's weak sauce.

While shipping is increasingly expensive and no small hassle, IMHO it's really table stakes if you're going to market your kit on a platform with national reach. And anyone shopping there should be ready to pony up.

I think we can all agree there are exceptions -- too heavy, too fragile, too unwieldy. But when a seller can get a right-sized box through Reverb and do all the work of packing and shipping at home, there's no excuse to insist on local p/u.
 
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#4
I have never sold on reverb but on other platforms , anything bigger than a pedal is going to be local pickup only . Anything that a courier can break , they will . I am not prepared to put up with the hassle . I know that it limits my market and some stuff goes unsold but it's my choice . I try to avoid any hassle that is avoidable in my life . I am in the UK so distances are not what they are in the US , but have driven from one end of the country to the other to pick stuff up that has cost barely more than the diesel to get there and back .
I appreciate that it is less than perfect for buyers , but there are plenty more fish in the sea .
 
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#6
Mr Wilson said:
Whats with the trend of everyone making all their reverb ads "Local pick up only ?
Click to expand...
First World Problems are just the worst, yeah? :D

Anyway.... When was the last time you shipped a bass? Shipping rates have significantly increased in the past year or so. It can cost well over $100 to ship a bass.

And y'know what? If someone doesn't want to ship it, that's their choice. That's pretty much how markets work.
 
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#7
ClusterFlux said:
First World Problems are just the worst, yeah? :D

Anyway.... When was the last time you shipped a bass? Shipping rates have significantly increased in the past year or so. It can cost well over $100 to ship a bass.

And y'know what? If someone doesn't want to ship it, that's their choice. That's pretty much how markets work.
Click to expand...
AH I am a Receiver at a Distribution warehouse for my day job . So yeah I ship alot of stuff that size ,Daily .

"Thats there choice " ? Ok Thanks for "your Help " ....:rollno:
 
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#8
Mr Wilson said:
Whats with the trend of everyone making all their reverb ads "Local pick up only ?
I'm assuming its the ever rising Fees involved ,but man Its really preventing my deals.
I really want a second Jazz 24 to back up my #1 . Theres 4 on reverb that have been there a while. One is too expensive ,the other 3 are "Local pick up only " . I am in upstate NY and no where near any of these guys . I have messaged 2 of the sellers saying Dude I'm Legit ,will you ship the thing ? and they both said "no local pick up only " . I mean do you guys not wanna sell these things ?? If not dont list it . :nailbiting::rolleyes::)
Click to expand...

I find that frustrating too, but mostly because we all know it's a nationwide/world source so what are the chances that your one of a kind item will be shopped by someone that actually can pick it up?

Anyway, in the greater order of things I don't find it to be anything to lose sleep about but I usually scroll passed items marked that way.
 
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#14
"Why then are you/them posting ads on a Far reaching Forum (Reverb ) if you only wanna sell it local ?? I am looking for a specific bass that has long been discontiued ,but they did sell a bunch back in the mid 2000's , and They are so "not cool" now . Disliked by the masses .So a bunch of guys want to sell theirs . There is none in my state (NY) state or even the northeast . I'll delete this thread after this . Didnt think it was such a crazy post . It's bait and switch is what it is . "Hey look , I got exactly what you need".........yeah can't have it . I figured on here ,a bunch of bass players ,would get that ,apparently I'm weird ....
 
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#16
Not saying I personally would create a local pickup only listing on Reverb - I would use Craigslist for such a thing - but I do understand why some people might.
  • Once shipping is an option, there is increased risk of damage occurring to the item while in transit. Yes you can buy insurance, yes there are things that can be done (e.g. repair), but a damaged item creates additional hassle, stress, and logistics. The buyer is expecting YOUR bass, intact, not your damaged bass. If you collect insurance and get it fixed, you still have a lost sale and a damaged instrument to attempt to resell. Local pickup avoids this.
  • A local pickup and cash only sale, protects the seller from online fraud. Yes there are built-in options (e.g. Reverb electronic payment, PayPal) to protect from this, but the additional risk is still there.
  • It could help to reduce "tire kickers" and "window shoppers". A person who is willing to drive somewhere to meet for local pickup, is more likely to be a serious buyer, IME.
  • The new/changed tax policy for items over $600.
Again, I would probably use Craigslist (and the reasons above are why I actually use Craiglist INSTEAD of Reverb). But... I do understand why some people might insist on local pickup.
 
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#18
Mr Wilson said:
Whats with the trend of everyone making all their reverb ads "Local pick up only ?
I'm assuming its the ever rising Fees involved ,but man Its really preventing my deals.
I really want a second Jazz 24 to back up my #1 . Theres 4 on reverb that have been there a while. One is too expensive ,the other 3 are "Local pick up only " . I am in upstate NY and no where near any of these guys . I have messaged 2 of the sellers saying Dude I'm Legit ,will you ship the thing ? and they both said "no local pick up only " . I mean do you guys not wanna sell these things ?? If not dont list it . :nailbiting::rolleyes::)
Click to expand...
You say you already have one of the basses you are looking to buy?
Close Reverb, go play said bass then spend some of that money on a nice dinner with your missus! :hyper:[/QUOTE]
 
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#19
Mr Wilson said:
"Why then are you/them posting ads on a Far reaching Forum (Reverb ) if you only wanna sell it local ?? I am looking for a specific bass that has long been discontiued ,but they did sell a bunch back in the mid 2000's , and They are so "not cool" now . Disliked by the masses .So a bunch of guys want to sell theirs . There is none in my state (NY) state or even the northeast . I'll delete this thread after this . Didnt think it was such a crazy post . It's bait and switch is what it is . "Hey look , I got exactly what you need".........yeah can't have it . I figured on here ,a bunch of bass players ,would get that ,apparently I'm weird ....
Click to expand...
It is to the seller’s advantage. They just need to find one person locally who wants what they’re selling. And if it’s priced as low as you say, they will likely find that person.
 
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