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Selling gear to pay bills

B

BassMoley

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May 20, 2013
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#1
I'm in a tight financial spot at the moment. I'm running short on money looking for a new job, but I have a few leads going. I'm just wondering who else has had to sell some gear for more important things like bills and groceries. I most likely won't need to sell it, but I'm sure someone out there has had to suffer the misfortune.
 
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#2
Yes. I have considered selling ALL my basses and amps, but fortunately have not yet been put in the situation where I needed to. I consider my basses investments. I own 23 or 24 of them. I much rather have that money sitting in my house, in basses, than in a bank. I purchase all my gear extra carefully too (getting the best possible bargains), so I'm certain if ever forced to sell I'd at least break even. If I chose to be patient and priced aggressively, I'd make a decent profit.
 
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#3
A few years ago I was jobless and had to sell something to pay some bills. I had picked up an early 80s bassman head with matching 2x15 cab on Craigslist for $600 a few months before, and after I lost my job (more like rage quit in the middle of a downwed economy, but that's a different story) I sacrificed it back to the craigslist gods for what I had paid. A few months later, I saw the buyer selling just the head on CL for $600, and I'm sure those things are worth more even today. I kicked myself instantly for selling it, because I could have easily hustled the $600 somewhere else.

My dad told me at a very young age, never sacrifice assets for living expenses. If at all possible, I would try to hold on your stuff and see if you can hustle the money from somewhere else. Maybe there's some oddjobs or short time help positions you can fulfill in the meantime. Last year, I did some weekend labor for a contractor for a few weekends. The type of untaxed, under the table work was great, I was paid $120 flat for an 8-hour day of pretty much pushing wheel-barrels of bricks. Check out Craigslist, if you're willing to put yourself out there a little bit, you'll find yourself in an OK position.
 
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#5
I can see doing that if you have a lot of excess gear and a temporary money crisis - one big medical bill or if you're between jobs but know a new job will kick in a month or so from now and just need to tide yourself over. But if the issue is a recurring shortfall in the budget, selling instruments is only a short-term fix and then for the long term you don't have instruments; you need to find more lasting ways to either cut expenses or find more revenue (and gigging, though rarely enough to pay the bills, is at least a potential way to help bring a little extra money in).
 
#6
They're just pieces of metal, wood and plastic. You can replace them far more easily than the important things in life.
When I was playing full time I had a bass, an amp, a DI and a few cables. There's a big difference between the gear you need and the gear you just want. Mr. Nerve makes a good point though, having a pile of stuff may not be a great return on your money but it a safe place to park a few grand for a rainy day.
 
#7
BassMoley said:
I'm in a tight financial spot at the moment. I'm running short on money looking for a new job, but I have a few leads going. I'm just wondering who else has had to sell some gear for more important things like bills and groceries. I most likely won't need to sell it, but I'm sure someone out there has had to suffer the misfortune.
Click to expand...

Well, sort of.

I sold off a bunch of gear in 2001, and again in 2009, not to finance utility bills or groceries, but to help finance
big moves I had to make. In 2001 from CA to NY, and in 2009 from NY to Greece.

When I got to Greece I regretted selling off two of my basses, so found the same models on U.S. Craigslist,
bought them, had them sent to my families house in NY, then had one sent to me in Greece, and the other
I brought back with me after a family visit to NY.
 
#8
I've done it a few times. I wasn't really playing at those times, thought I was through with it, and the stuff was low end, $200 or so new type things.
But when you are married and need groceries or to pay the electric bill you have to do whatever it takes.

Every time I've had to go bassless I start having dreams at night of finding basses in the weirdest places and trying to buy them. Once I actually bought another bass those dreams stopped. So I finally figured out it was best for my mental health to always have a bass around even if I wasn't playing it.

Russ
 
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#9
I haven't had to do that with my bass equipment (I have a Squier Affinity and a Rumble 15, so I might be able to buy lunch if I sold it), but I have sold sports equipment. I sold catcher's gear a couple of times, hockey goalie gear, and fencing equipment. I regretted it every time, but we've had some lean times. Now I am not able to play any sports anyway, so I guess it was worth it.
 
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#10
I've certainly been there and have had to sell some very sweet basses to cover my butt at times. I was never really the type that cared what the resale value was of my gear until I got in a pinch and had to sell it. I won't say it's the main reason I try buy American Fenders, but it's now something I take into consideration. A good American Standard, excluding any drastic sways of the market, is like having $700-$900 in the bank at all times. I'm sure there are a few other brands that fit this criteria as well. I'm at a point now where I don't really have to worry about it and have one good bass that I like very, very much. If I had to sell it tomorrow to feed my kids, I'd sell it in a heartbeat. There are other basses out there and another one will come along.
 
#13
I've done it many times.

I really like my gear, but I love my wife and kids, so if they are in need and my income can't cover it, I sell.

Most anything can be replaced when the money situation improves, so don't sweat it. Hell, you even get the fun of searching for and buying new gear all over again at some point.
 
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#14
Thumper19605 said:
I never sell tools I can earn money with.
Click to expand...

I've got a hammer in the tool box. Guess that means if I needed a paycheck tomorrow, I could wander onto any old construction site and they'd be happy to pay me to hammer some nails for the day so I'd get to keep my bass? I do get what you're saying here, but not everyone is full time gigging with the time or resources to acquire those gigs in the time it takes to just sell a bass.
 
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#16
petrus61 said:
I've got a hammer in the tool box. Guess that means if I needed a paycheck tomorrow, I could wander onto any old construction site and they'd be happy to pay me to hammer some nails for the day so I'd get to keep my bass? I do get what you're saying here, but not everyone is full time gigging with the time or resources to acquire those gigs in the time it takes to just sell a bass.
Click to expand...

A bass, not your only one. that is different.
If your not making money with it nor plan to, sell .
 
#19
BassMoley said:
I'm in a tight financial spot at the moment. I'm running short on money looking for a new job, but I have a few leads going. I'm just wondering who else has had to sell some gear for more important things like bills and groceries. I most likely won't need to sell it, but I'm sure someone out there has had to suffer the misfortune.
Click to expand...
Yep. I sold my beloved late sixties Mustang and a vey nice Kasino amp with 2 x 15s to help fund law school. Regret the loss of the Mustang to this day. It fit me to a tee and I loved it. I've been looking for it for five years now, and haven't found anything close since.
 

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