I usually run into a decent number of lower ball offers however what I find more is people who are (very) interested one day and then the very next are not aka flake. However I generally never have an issue selling something eventually. I stick to my guns on the price, which is fair anyways, and I don't let the flakes bother me. I may lower the price a bit if I am looking to sell something a little quicker. If someone wants what I am selling bad enough they'll make it happen. You can always sell to a chain like Guitar Center but most times they'll screw you on what they'll give you for it, especially in cash value.
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Resale....why such a hassle??
- Thread starter Jscriv
- Start date
Thats pretty much the standard in my part of the world, With a small new market and dismal used market.
Most adds are "Bought 3 years ago, Sells new for 799+ tax at Long and McQuade. Save the taxes, $800 firm"
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I don't even bother any more. I just go to the local shop and sell it to them for store credit. I'm sure I take a little loss but I only lose 5-10 minutes in the process.
I've given up selling my used gear as it is now TABOO to own such things. A combo amp that weighs 100lbs doesn't interest anyone (Yorkville bassmaster 400 115). Last time I tried to sell it I had ZERO offers. I almost posted an ad saying that I'd pay 50 for someone to come take it. I stopped when I realized someone might actually take me up on it. I'd rather set it on fire while playing the star spangled banner before I just give it away.
As a buyer(more than a seller) within reason(and thanks to folks here for pointing the price premium built into reverb), I can usually get a fair idea of an asking price range. while browsing, I see all kinds of beautiful basses that I cannot afford(marriage wise and most likely financially). Sometimes, I look because the bass is so fantastic but that is it.
Within my price range on TB, if I see a clean bass I like and the price is reasonable(and the seller has good reviews), I may not haggle at all. Offer $50 less on a fair price? Nah....I am not rich(retired, fixed income) but I feel the seller is being fair in their pricing.....AND I WANT THE BASS.......lol.
Within my price range on TB, if I see a clean bass I like and the price is reasonable(and the seller has good reviews), I may not haggle at all. Offer $50 less on a fair price? Nah....I am not rich(retired, fixed income) but I feel the seller is being fair in their pricing.....AND I WANT THE BASS.......lol.
A guitar playing friend made a very good point to me...think about how many used instruments are in the market now compared to 10-20-30 years ago. With each passing decade the market is flooded with more and more used instruments. If you wanted to buy a used Precision in 1985 there was no where near the amount out there as is there is today...then factor in the internet and the scales are tilted way in the buyers favor.
Multiple factors, as others have said cheap products from overseas flooding the market. Less disposable income. I think the great recession was and still is responsible for most of that. Jobs are more abundant than they were back then, but with lower salaries due the pay adjustments people were forced into then to keep their jobs. Number of jobs has bounced back, salaries and pay have not, mostly.
Shipping expenses for basses have also gone up substantially, which leads me to believe buyers are seeking local options to avoid inuring those additional costs.
Shipping expenses for basses have also gone up substantially, which leads me to believe buyers are seeking local options to avoid inuring those additional costs.
Methinks your expectations are too high, OP. Value is ultimately set by the buyer. You don’t have to sell, but complaining about it when the buyer has spoken is on you.
I’ve never had a problem selling equipment when I want to move it but I try to price it at a point that will make it reasonably attractive. Might not what I’d like to get for it but the point is to sell it.
What? I thought value is set by the market. Then if you go to any store and ask them to sell you their products for .99 they have to because you think, want your heads price?????
And the market is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay. If nothing gets sold, then the price is too high. If too little of your product gets sold (to stay in business) then your price is too high. If you’ve produced a product that has to be sold at a price that is above what market will support then shame on you, your price is too high.
Of course, we are mixing apples with oranges just a bit because we’re only talking about used instrument values. But the concept is the same.
And the market is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay. If nothing gets sold, then the price is too high. If too little of your product gets sold (to stay in business) then your price is too high. If you’ve produced a product that has to be sold at a price that is above what market will support then shame on you, your price is too high.
Of course, we are mixing apples with oranges just a bit because we’re only talking about used instrument values. But the concept is the same.
So this means I need to pay someone to take my older "heavy/taboo" gear? I'll pour gas on it first!
In 1973, I was going back and forth on 48th St. in Manhattan between a new Rick 4001 for $325 and a "used" mid-60's P-Bass for $350 (I think it was a '65). I liked the narrower Rick neck and "saved" $25. Oh well. In terms of today's resale market, I definitely made the wrong choice!
I've sold about 10 basses in the last few years, several this year. I usually price at the low-mid end of reported sales; I'm not trying to squeeze an extra $50-$100 out of the deal and I want the thing to be gone. I rarely have to deal with hagglers because I've found buyers pretty fast. The only bass that really held or improved on its value was a Rob Allen. The mass market basses, ya gotta take a hit. But I never think about what I "lost". I think of it as: I rented the bass for x years for x dollars -- then it seems like a good deal.
On the other side: I've bought a few used basses online and have gotten some good deals; and one terrible deal where I overpaid based on a false description (non-working truss rod), got a small accommodation from the seller, and kept it because I got the neck to an acceptable condition. Beware impulse purchases. I still prefer buying in hand, but it's so hard these days. I love Atomic Music in Beltsville MD; check it out if you can, old school used gear shop with a lot of inventory.
And the market is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay. If nothing gets sold, then the price is too high. If too little of your product gets sold (to stay in business) then your price is too high. If you’ve produced a product that has to be sold at a price that is above what market will support then shame on you, your price is too high.
Of course, we are mixing apples with oranges just a bit because we’re only talking about used instrument values. But the concept is the same.
No what a buyer is willing to pay. Mostly what potential buyers could pay. I get your point. But stating that price is settle by buyer is the same as saying that price is settle by seller. Theres a market for everything. When you have one and only one particular thing nobody else has then you can as seller ask whatever you want because theres no correlative item to put against to.
Lol. It may come to that. Heavy stuff is hard to move because of lower demand. The only option for creating demand is to fluctuate the price to garner interest. Why lower demand? Easy to move equipment available at attractive pricing.
We can agree to disagree.
Potential buyers are worth $0 if the real intent is to complete the sale. Everyone is a potential buyer... but they aren’t buying because of why, exactly?
I did say if the asking price is in the ball park which in some cases is subject to personal opinion. But yes, if a seller's asking price is far above average MV then you may be right and a 50% offer may be reasonable to you. The question though is how will the seller view it because to takes two to tango. He many disagree with you.
If your objective is to show him his price is far above market you may never get that chance if your offer is ignored. IME many auction buyers are looking for the lowest price they can buy at and what I'm selling may not be the very lowest in price. Auction sellers also tend to be more motivated because an auction will result in sale.
Whenever I research a price I will use Reverb's more recent previous sales vs using Ebay auctions since the former is a negotiated price whereas the latter isn't. I'll look at both the range of prices that item has sold for and the average price and set my asking price accordingly. Shipping costs also enter into it.
While buying via auction may or may not get a buyer the lowest possible price typically those buyers are not my target so I don't concern myself with them. I don't sell via auctions and there are also buyers who never bid on or buy via auctions as well. If I'm selling something via CL or Reverb it's always done on a negotiated basis.
As for the last sentence, it cuts both ways. It's just opposite sides of the same coin when a seller isn't forced to sell either. That's why I don't use auctions. I don't need to sell immediately whereas an auction seller may. In reality the auction market may be seen as slightly differently than the market for a negotiated transaction.
Of course all of this is only my own opinions but it's also what guides me when I decide to sell something. I'm a patient seller and I'll wait for my buyer if necessary. And if it won't sell for my minimum price or above I have no problem simply closing the listing and waiting for better days. Selling gear is not my livelihood.
Exactly. Or put another way....
Serious Buyer "Joe" is ready to buy a certain model used bass off ebay, Reverb, etc. He's found three listings for what appear to be the same exact model he's interested in. All are priced the same, but one listing is exhaustively described and photographed. The other two listings....not so much, and they include the typical "if you have any questions, please ask". Well, Serious Buyer "Joe" does have questions, and plenty of them because Joe has some trepidation about buying online, and two of the listings don't include enough info to answer them. But Joe has decided to take the plunge anyway. Which listing is likely to get Joe's business? I think we all know the answer.
Exit questions:
How bad do you want to sell your items?
What is the importance of "preventing lowball offers" when they cost you nothing?
As a seller, does it matter that a buyer has confidence in you?
Does it matter that your buyer enters into a transaction with both eyes open, with no "surprises" upon arrival?
My one and only objective in making an offer is to buy a product I desire at a price I think is a good value for me. The end.
Absolutely. The seller is welcome to ignore my offer, counter offer, or just stick to their price. They are under no obligation to sell, and I'm under no obligation to buy.
Any offer I make is just a revealing of my valuation of the object - the seller is welcome to value things differently. It is not a comment on respect, nor does it contain any moral component or judgement. It's just business.
What I hate is when the seller copies and pastes marketing crap from the manufacturer in their ad. I don’t want to read that!
"Dear Sir, you insult me! Do you think my rugs are not the finest?"
