Looking at used basses is just so depressing lately...

[FishDub]

Before I speak, no offense to my TB people. Its just so sad whats happening with USED pricing nowadays. I dont want this to get political please but I am just so discouraged with what the used pricing has turned into. So many examples to cite but:
A year ago--
800-900 for a US Fender P or J, now 1200-1800.
200-300 for a Squier CV p or J, now 500-600.
1800-2500 for an Alembic Spoiler, now...no comment.
2200-2800 for an XL/L2, now 3800-5k
1200-1400 for a Spector Euro 4, now 2k+
500-700 for a USA MMSub, now 1100-1200
I get these are asking prices and there are some good deals to be had, and I can go on and on but man this is getting ridiculous..

 

[westrock]

Just be glad you're not looking for a used car or truck.

 

[Spidey2112]

Just be glad you're not looking for a used car or truck.

... or that lamp, over there.

 

[4SG]

I feel you. I've always wanted to buy a birth year bass, in my case 1963. Although I can afford a pre-CBS Fender I'm not sure I can justify it anymore.

 

[B-Mac]

Before I speak, no offense to my TB people. Its just so sad whats happening with USED pricing nowadays. I dont want this to get political please but I am just so discouraged with what the used pricing has turned into. So many examples to cite but:
A year ago--
800-900 for a US Fender P or J, now 1200-1800.
200-300 for a Squier CV p or J, now 500-600.
1800-2500 for an Alembic Spoiler, now...no comment.
2200-2800 for an XL/L2, now 3800-5k
1200-1400 for a Spector Euro 4, now 2k+
500-700 for a USA MMSub, now 1100-1200
I get these are asking prices and there are some good deals to be had, and I can go on and on but man this is getting ridiculous..

No depression here…bought 7 basses since beginning of 2022.

Look for deals and make offers.

 

[Solarmist]

Just be glad you're not looking for a used car or truck.

That's the mess I'm in being my truck got stolen in January, and I must have a 4WD for snow where I live. I got a good settlement, but I'm still going to pay a helluva a lot with these prices in this new economy.

15K-20K for used Toyota/Nissan 4-6 cylinder 4WD trucks between 2000-2010 years.

 

[P. Aaron]

If one's doing decent paying gigs, the gear pays itself off that way. But yeah, the inflation has hit every aspect of the market and basses are no exception.

At least the starting-low-end basses are playable, and one can make them quite competitive with preferred USA builds doing sensible mods BUT, yeah, having to pay more and many times settle for, instead of getting exactly what one wants at retail, is monetarily painful.

 

[Riff Ranger]

I would add U.S. Peavey basses to your list. They strike me as a particularly egregious example since nearly all asking prices have doubled or even tripled, and an essential part of the attraction was that somehow they were made in the USA, good to very good (if not usually fancy), and affordable—that last bit really setting them apart from just about everything. For a while there, a T-40 seemed like a good candidate for a birth year bass (1980), but not at the prices sellers suddenly seem to expect.

I'd really like a 1980 Ric (having been born days before Ace of Spades) but I think that particular pricing ship set adrift from reality sometime ago.

This is almost purely a feeling, but it seems like asking prices on much of the bass gear I regularly check have calmed down a bit in recent weeks. I hope I'm not just getting used to ridiculous prices!

 

[songwriter21]

Before I speak, no offense to my TB people. Its just so sad whats happening with USED pricing nowadays. I dont want this to get political please but I am just so discouraged with what the used pricing has turned into. So many examples to cite but:
A year ago--
800-900 for a US Fender P or J, now 1200-1800.
200-300 for a Squier CV p or J, now 500-600.
1800-2500 for an Alembic Spoiler, now...no comment.
2200-2800 for an XL/L2, now 3800-5k
1200-1400 for a Spector Euro 4, now 2k+
500-700 for a USA MMSub, now 1100-1200
I get these are asking prices and there are some good deals to be had, and I can go on and on but man this is getting ridiculous..

This re-hit me the other day..."Roll with It, or get rolled over."

-Dimebag Darrell

 

[9c1ny]

That 8.5% inflation thing is a lie, in my experience it's 20-30% - 400% depending on what it is

 

[jamro217]

It depends on what side of the purchase you're on. If you can get $5k for a used Squier... Ka-Ching!!!

I just bought a like new (included the manual and original box. Perfect condition.) Ibanez AF95FM jazz box for under $600. Fantastic guitar. The notes just seem to jump out of it. Anyone in the market for a killer archtop, this is it. They're out there and may not be cheap for long. Happy hunting!

 

[foal30]

When I was a boy I had 50 cents

Bought a house and a car and put 17c in the bank

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I have personally watched the same Alembic basses flipped to the point of having doubled (or more) in 3 years. I could cite several examples. I used to bitch about it until I realized it was only hyperinflating the value of mine.

At the same time, I have found that if you avoid playing the online marketplace game, deal in cash, cut out the fee grabbers and deal person-to-person, there are plenty of deals to be had.

See, you can ask anything your imagination can dream up online... and it's so easy to buy. Click a couple buttons, money moves, you never see or count it, and a bass gets shipped. if somebody's willin' to pay that jacked-up price... then the next guy thinks; why not me? I can't blame him. Got a half a mind to sell high myself. I think it's a bubble.

 

[micguy]

For every buyer that thinks the situation stinks, there's a seller with a grin on his or her face.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

The one year ago prices seem a bit low,five years ago maybe.
But yes I was looking at a bass new price 700 in some places,some have a new price 800....used 750

 

[Durham52]

I have personally watched the same Alembic basses flipped to the point of having doubled (or more) in 3 years. I could cite several examples. I used to bitch about it until I realized it was only hyperinflating the value of mine.

At the same time, I have found that if you avoid playing the online marketplace game, deal in cash, cut out the fee grabbers and deal person-to-person, there are plenty of deals to be had.

See, you can ask anything your imagination can dream up online... and it's so easy to buy. Click a couple buttons, money moves, you never see or count it, and a bass gets shipped. if somebody's willin' to pay that jacked-up price... then the next guy thinks; why not me? I can't blame him. Got a half a mind to sell high myself. I think it's a bubble.

^^Some clear common sense there and yeah, it probably is a bubble. I think there will be a fair few people posting in a couple of years about how they feel burnt that the bass/car/ whatever they paid a *^$# load for in 22, is now only bringing 60-70% of that in 24, or whenever.

If people are willing to keep buying stuff at the inflated prices today, then people will keep asking those prices. Sure someone who needs a car is stuck with the current situation, but for non essential items, maybe try waiting?

The fact is there are still people with plenty of disposable income, (or not yet maxed out credit cards...) who have decided they can't wait, so they pay the asked prices, or some deal close to them.

Not everything is attracting crazy prices though, and some of those prices certainly are what could be called ambit claims. The other day I wish listed several bass pickups on a site, all at prices only a few percent higher that a year ago. Within a few hours I had offers of 10 or 15% off on most of them. Sure some stuff has become near unobtainable, but for those things I'll wait. Some folks can't or won't.

 

[J Wilson]

When I've decided to buy online and I'm looking for a used piece . . .

I never get in a hurry.

I study the price range they're selling for, so I can gage how good/bad a deal I'm looking at.

I ONLY buy online from a real brick and mortar store, never an individual. Businesses are more rational, have policies, than some guy with some axes in his spare bedroom .

Stores tend to be more realistic and in line with the market. I tend to see more irrational prices from individuals who think their item is worth way more than it is, and they'll never back down to reality.

This can take a while, but that's partially the idea, keeps me from GAS-ing out and helps me find the deals, and they're still out there.

 

[lfmn16]

In every economy there is opportunity. You just have to look for it.

 

[Kmrumedy]

Same here. Finally saved enough for a USA Ken Smith neck-thru which were easily had in the in $3.2K-$4K range. Now they start $7500. Stupid money.

 

[john_g]

well, on the other side...my wal has more than tripled in value...=)