Resale....why such a hassle??

[Darkhorse1]

like automobiles, some musical instruments tend to depreciate.....perhaps being over priced to begin with!

As someone recently posted here, basses are a tougher sell than guitars. My local dealer has several consignment basses that are priced too high. They may never sell! Like selling a house...if priced too high, it may stay on the market for a long time.

 

[Son of Wobble]

There's a market...a buyers' market.

Riis

I actually overpaid for a bass I think, but the desire was there! I grabbed a Fender Deluxe Shur Jazz for $650 cdn. She is a player and has several war wounds, and the pots are a little scratchy. Usually I would not pay anywhere that much for a non vintage, but old bass. I think L and M priced it wrong! I think they priced it based on the last generation of Jazz Deluxe but she just has that wicked tone and plays so nice and smooth I looked the other way on the price tag.

Please pardon the mess

Maybe I should catch up on my NBD posts lol, I have a few

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You hit on a good point, which is that to a player, there is a degree to which "value" of an instrument transcends dollar amount.

As for the clutter in your photo, you earn many "accumulation points," a term a movie production designer I knew used to use to describe realist-looking clutter as is found only in real, practical locations (as opposed to on dressed sets on sound stages). So consider yourself in show biz, and remember Quentin Crisp's admonition never to fear dirt, as it reaches critical mass in the home and then ceases getting much worse after only a couple years. That, and house hold cleaners are toxic. Have a beer and reward yourself for healthful habits and accumulation points, you earned em!

 

[two fingers]

Still, most of what I've bought over the past xx years has been from here. Just gotta find the right people to deal with.

This. I have done very little buying outside of TB for quite a while. And I'm fine to keep it that way.

 

[Axstar]

Anyone else find selling used gear to be a total pain in the patoot? Lots of insane low balls and ridiculous trade offers. It's not 2002 anymore. Or 1987 for that matter. Prices have gone up.

I can get behind this, as I sell a lot of parts on Ebay.

I also see delusional sellers, unfortunately. Until a couple of years ago a used MIM P or J bass was a £300 instrument, all day every day. Now they've crept up to £400, regardless of condition or age. A 2016 MIM P bass with protective film on the pickguard is the same as a 'black logo' circa 1995 P bass with extensive dents and chips. That doesn't stop guys asking £500+ for MIM P basses.

Sometimes stuff just isn't worth that much, and the market has a knack of informing us of this!

I blame Reverb! Everybody seems to think their old junk is worth a fortune. Ebay has gone the same way. On the other hand I've had multiple buyers back out of paying for goods because, despite being grown adults with bank accounts, they over bid! Oh dear! And they tell me how my stuff is worth less than they overbid for it, and they didn't think the bidding was going to get this high...

One seller on Ebay stands out, for me. They've had this 1975 P bass body up on Ebay for a long time:

Can't think why.

And this Ibanez:

And this '72 P bass body (at 585 Euros):

And... errr.... this thing, which is £900+ and has a Gibson headstock for some reason:

 

[Adhesive_X]

I always try to make sure I can either break even or possibly make a little money on my purchases, or possibly trade up.

I know my tastes change and don’t want to lose 20% every time I flip an item.

If I’m paying top dollar I have to know it’s something I can’t live without and will never flip.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

On Craigslist there will always be lowball offers because they want to buy from you and then sell in their pawnshop or online somewhere. I’ve seen guys doing it with iPhones. They bought one from me and then were contacting two other people while i was talking to them.

 

[DavC]

the fact that lots of folks just can't comprehend " depreciation " ... or the fact some brands depreciate much more/faster than others ... or many have never worked in music/electronics retail , to get an inside look at taking trade ins ...

i never get low ball offers ... or daft trade offers .. but , i am very clear in my ads and i have a good / realistic idea of what my gear should be worth ..! ( from decades of experience )

on Ebay, the last few years, i only run 'Buy it Now' ads ...take it or leave it ... my stuff sells just fine , with no hassles ...

 

[Walking]

Some real collectible bodies there. Maybe that 72 p bass was used to record Smoke On The Water...

 

[Jeff K]

My motto: "Buy High, Sell Low"

Ha ha!! It sure seems that way sometimes.

IMO, one of the main reasons it's getting tougher to sell basses is the exorbitant rise in cost of shipping. If I'm selling locally on Craigslist, I can price it competitively at what I would deem a fair price if I was the potential buyer.

It's gotten tougher here on TB because even a fair selling price doesn't look all that great to a buyer when you (as the seller) have to add in shipping costs. A lot of TB'ers understand how the cost of shipping has skyrocketed in recent years. But generally, it does take longer to sell now than it used to. Not always, of course. Certain basses will always be in high demand. But nevertheless, most TB'er are knowledgable; so you have to price them fairly and then hope it hits somebody's "hot button"...

 

[Rapisme]

Hmm,
Just today a guy on CL was selling a bass for 18 hundy bucks, when I went to research it the very same bass sold on reverb for $620.00 plus shipping. So when I tell him; This is what he comes back with.
"Hi. Thanks for the info. I've bought and sold this model of bass several times and have researched it's selling price range also. I have seen it sold in the range that your reference below indicates and I've seen it sold in the range that my selling price indicates.

For this latter reason and because I own it already and like it a lot, I'm willing to be patient. I'm willing to be so patient that, if it doesn't sell in the range I'm asking now, I'd rather keep it since it kills live and in the studio and plays like a dream AND is so ergonomically comfortable.
In my experience, the build quality and electronics are that of an expensive bass. You can see the newer model 5 strings going new for > $2000 all over the place now and I don't see many 4 string models for sale."
Ok great reply, it's been on CL for over 6 months. Enuff said.
You have to realize what it's actually worth. If crazy profit is what you're after it ain't happening In this market..
My rant! Please go on!

 

[shaggy45]

My problem is very few understand the concept of haggling anymore. Sellers should always expect a haggle and set the starting price higher than what they'd expect to sell, with the expectation being it'll get haggled down to a price they're happy with. The first offer is a throw away to gauge how much the seller is willing to move. If a guy asks $500 for a bass, I'll offer $250. If he counters with $490 then I'll know he's not willing to move much. If he responds $400, then I'll know there's some wiggle room. I've gotten many great deals this way in the past, especially on eBay. More recently I've noticed more and more sellers walk away after one offer, not even willing to haggle. It's strange to me because the whole point of the Make An Offer feature is to make offers and counter offers. If you're not willing to haggle, don't let people make offers.

This right here. I don't low ball on talk bass though, because I find the price is often good enough already. Now on reverb it's a different story. If there's a make an offer button, I'm using it. I've gotten some good deals this way. The only down side is you will run into people that will make one counter offer and then ignore your next offer and you have to wait 24 hours before it's up. Keeping you from moving on.

 

[Hambone70]

IMO, it’s basic economics. Supply and demand. It’s a system that works, and not just for bass guitars. Goods and services naturally seek balanced value to both buyers and sellers.

 

[fhm555]

When you are a buyer the price is always too high. When you are a seller the price is always too low.
I’ve been doing a lot of buying and selling of different things the last few years and what i’ve seen is a steady market for some items and a wildly fluctuating market for others and a nonexistent market for stuff that was hot just a few months ago.
If you are selling tools the market is always good and you can get a good price for quality tools in good condition. If you are selling flea market junk you’ll be lucky to get a call but Snap-on, MAC and other quality brands don’t last long if you have a fair price.
Funiture is another decent seller if you can keep up with trends of have a lot of antiques, otherwise give it to Goodwill. Musical instruments have always been seasonal for me. They do well when school starts and as christmas approaches. They sell at other times but not like they do then.
Buying and selling is not a pain unless you make it that way. Have realistic expectations and don’t let the gwakers and tire kickers get you down and it can actually be fun.

 

[Kmonk]

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.

I disagree that value is ultimately set by the buyer. While it's true that anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay, the value is ultimately set by the seller. If the seller doesn't like the offer, they do not have to accept it. If they accept a low ball offer, they are dictating the market, not the buyer.

I have found it more difficult to sell gear in the last couple of years than I did 5 or 10 years ago. I think the main reason is that fewer people are playing instruments and the market is flooded with used gear.

 

[lowplaces]

I've never had an issue selling gear on my local Craigslist. I never buy used gear unless it is a no-brainer price and I know I can flip it without losing money and hopefully making a few bucks. I just state the price I have to get for it and note that the price is firm. Low ballers are not an issue because if someone contacts me to come check out the gear I remind them that the price is firm.

I rarely sell gear I bought new. Taking a hit on price is a given in that case.

 

[bassplayer9512]

Reverb is the fastest I sell gear. my longest item lasted 10 days. Everything else goes in 2 days Max. Have also traded lots of gear on this site. if you take quality pictures of things that people look for to show condition and can type a to the point ad with the essential info. not specs

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Anyone else find selling used gear to be a total pain in the patoot? Lots of insane low balls and ridiculous trade offers. It's not 2002 anymore. Or 1987 for that matter. Prices have gone up. Maybe it's just where I live, maybe there's just not much of a market. But boy is it a hassle.

I'm going to be unpopular here.......

Most people over value their instrument and likely believe they received a great deal when purchased. Couple that with the desire to buy their next instrument and you have a recipe for disappointment.

Your instrument is only worth what someone will pay for it. It takes work to find a buyer and most sellers don't have a venue that has the "eyes" to see it for sale and purchase it.

Trades bring in those people who believe the second paragraph about their instrument while believing the third one about yours.

I hate bickering. Shoot me your best price, if I don't like it, I walk.......even if you come back cheaper because.........YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDNT GIVE YOUR BEST PRICE.

Maybe you should think about keeping something long Term?

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Two factors seemed to being influencing pricing the most.

1) As previously mentioned the glut of used gear on the market in large part caused by the second.

2) New gear with 0% interest financing which seems to have taken the place of deeper discounting.

It may be tough for some to come up with $1200 cash for that new bass or guitar but $50 per month for 24 months won't raise many question from a spouse who shops on her own credit daily. Then all the buyer has to do is promise to put the one the new gear is "supposed" to be replacing up for sale thereby adding one more used whatever to the over supply and peace is maintained.

So yes. Prices have weakened and the selling cycle can be much longer unless a seller is willing to take a big hit.

Nothing I like better than a good glut.

 

[Slevage]

I love a great deal. And I assume every price I see is set to go down a certain percentage. But the 50% off stuff is crazy.

50% off is about right for most (not all)
general musical stuff that’s used.
This doesn’t include high end instruments or stuff in pristine condition.
For me, if stuff is only 20% cheaper than new, like a $500 amp for $400, I’ll spend the extra 20% in the new amp to make problems easier to solve should they arise. Chasing issues with a private sale can be challenging.

 

[Mike Sorr]

Anyone else find selling used gear to be a total pain in the patoot? Lots of insane low balls and ridiculous trade offers. It's not 2002 anymore. Or 1987 for that matter. Prices have gone up. Maybe it's just where I live, maybe there's just not much of a market. But boy is it a hassle.

I buy and all all the time, mostly here on FB. If you’re patient and not desperate to sell (or buy), you’ll eventually find a buyer so long as you’re being reasonable.