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Reverb.com browsing has become insufferable

#21
when chicago music exchange sold them to etsy, it all went downhill. Previously they had an excellent reputation, customer service, low fees, and great interface. Etsy has taken all that and thrown it out the window. it's sad. hopefully some other big music store will create the next Reverb and we'll all jump ship to go there (just like we all left ebay to go to Reverb).
 
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#22
DrBnz said:
Totally agree with them needing to get rid of all the garbage listings (REVERB BUMP). The only thing that does is BUMP all the new customers off the main page sooner. I don't see the appeal for anybody to keep piling your trash on the front porch

And the way they show the historical pricing..... I dunno..... that is a double edge sword there. So if one desperate individual sells his bass for $500 less than market value it drives down the value. And they show everybody. That drives the next sale low..... again and again..... once it happens a couple times the market value is way down. Good for buyers - not for sellers.......

Kinda..... when I'm buying a bass $500 low. Am I getting a great price or is this sold low cause it has "issues". There's no way to tell now till you're holding it. (Oh yeah, sold "as is" happens to be the norm there).

So REVERB makes a profit off both these approaches - the seller does not. Ya should probably sell on T.B. and avoid all dat.
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I Disagree on historical pricing impact on driving prices down.

I firmly believe that overall Reverb has the effect of significantly driving prices UP. Many sellers including those selling locally review Reverb listings to determine what their gear might be "worth". Lowball listings don't last long but unrealistically high listings stay up for a long time. "These are selling for $XXX on Reverb right now". But are they actually selling?

Historical selling price guide is the one thing that provides some realism. This is presumably what actually transpired, but it is somewhat hidden and I am pretty sure you need to be logged in to see it. In contrast the listed prices you see by scrolling, are always right there.

Also to increase accuracy you can filter the Price Guide by condition, for example you could filter by only excellent and mint. Assuming seller lists it accurately, but again these are listings that actually sold. And there is some accountability for inaccurate listings once sold. But not until then...

Gear is out there in all sorts of condition, and IME most sellers make pricing calculations based on the condition of the gear they are selling. Either because it's the right thing to do or because they want good reviews. Or both.

I have had 2 or 3 occasions where sellers had to make price adjusts or refunds for condition or performance. And it gives me some confidence to buy through Reverb vs Craigslist or EBay.

I almost never buy new gear through Reverb though. So that experience may be different.
 
#25
FluffyDog66 said:
I love the listings that cost more than retail, and then add shipping, Like really?
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I always look at this as people who missed the return window, and now they're trying to get some sucker to buy their overpriced items so they won't have to lose even the smallest amount of money on the deal. And the really greedy ones actually try to make a profit selling a readily available retail item for more than it's worth while offering no returns.

I learned a long time ago that when you go through the buy/try/sell cycle, you're almost always going to lose at least a little money. You just have to factor that in before you buy something, and if you buy new, return it before the window closes!
 
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#31
Matt Liebenau said:
Aww man. I don’t get over there much, I didn’t know Guitar Czar closed, assuming that’s who you meant. Pro Musician Outlet in Clearfield is shut down also. That’s too bad.
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I’ve done business with both Guitar Czar and Pro Musician Outlet and it’s really a shame to lose any local music stores. Guitar Center is fine, but they do have a stranglehold on some of the major brands so small, independent stores aren’t able to exist or succeed.

I’m hoping someday we have a “cultural correction” where actual musical instruments become “en vogue” again vs all this manufactured garbage “music” where no actual skill or talent is required.
 
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#33
Danny O Danny said:
It's an example of the enshittification that commonly occurs with online platforms as they seek to increase profits to their shareholders at the expense of providing a good user experience.
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The same fate as its new(ish) owner, Etsy. Which used to be a place to find handcrafted items but has turned into a massive flea market for Chinese factory junk. (Just like Amazon.)
 
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#35
RedHotFuzz said:
I’ve done business with both Guitar Czar and Pro Musician Outlet and it’s really a shame to lose any local music stores. Guitar Center is fine, but they do have a stranglehold on some of the major brands so small, independent stores aren’t able to exist or succeed.

I’m hoping someday we have a “cultural correction” where actual musical instruments become “en vogue” again vs all this manufactured garbage “music” where no actual skill or talent is required.
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Murphy's is a small place in Bountiful, but limited stock. Ray, the luthier is the best around though.

KSL Classifieds instead of Craig's list, but people are CHEAP here.

I'm not a big fan of Reverb, but at least I get replies to my questions. On Facebook Marketplace or Ebay, not so much. I've even offered to buy a bass on both, and crickets, and the ad stays up.....
 
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#38
Thumper said:
Murphy's is a small place in Bountiful, but limited stock. Ray, the luthier is the best around though.

KSL Classifieds instead of Craig's list, but people are CHEAP here.

I'm not a big fan of Reverb, but at least I get replies to my questions. On Facebook Marketplace or Ebay, not so much. I've even offered to buy a bass on both, and crickets, and the ad stays up.....
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Thanks, haven't been to Murphys yet but I've had enough poor experiences with Ray on a personal level & as a luthier to say hard pass.

I check KSL, CL & marketplace regularly but have not found a single piece of cool bass gear posted locally in years.
 

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