So what do you do with basses you can't sell

[Altitude]

I don't assume anything about the OP, but in general I see a ton of listings where the seller has the instrument priced as if new but with a coupon. Like, 10% or 15% less. I just don't think those listings sell.

A used instrument with no unusual defects sells at new less 25% to 30%. Possibly less if it was a custom or an obscure brand. Not counting vintage.

Suggestion - if you aren't ready to take a 25% haircut on a bass you don't connect with, consider not buying it.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

I once traded a bass for a bag of pot. It was the night I transitioned into my life as a professional musician.

Was the dude "trading" the pot in a red suit with horns?

 

[Barisaxman]

Ultimately, if I want to move a piece of gear and just "get what I can", I'm putting it on Ebay with a $1, no-reserve auction. Even with with fees, it's amazing how I've actually gotten more for many items than if I'd simply kept posting it at higher prices on multiple other sources. There's still a ton of people on that site browsing for deals and all you need is the right few people to see the auction and you will generally end up with something close to a "market" price.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

He wasn't selling pot. It was another kid I knew. He had some pot, I had a crummy bass. I came out "a head" on that transaction! Plus I joined a working band that night. They took me through high school and are some of my closest life long friends.

 

[songwriter21]

I have the Squier CV 60s P bass listed. I'm not shipping so that adds an issue.

Try Pirate Ship. I've done it numerous times at like half the cost of normal shipping prices.

 

[jimmydean]

Just trade the bass(s) in at a local music store , hopefully you have some good shops in your area .

 

[bdplaid]

I'm in the same boat. I've got a bass on Reverb and TB Classifieds with not a single reply. I can see some people on Reverb are "watching" it, but no action yet. Now, it's a fairly common bass (SBMM Ray5) and it has a couple of minor imperfections. But I want it gone. So we'll see.

May just have to reorient my standards for the price I'm willing to set.

I had trouble selling my Stingray Special as well. I think they just don't sell. They're expensive, and I realized they have a lot of initial depreciation. I kept lowering the price until it went.

It's all about the price.

 

[prowla]

I haven't really grasped the context of selling kit - do people do that?

 

[KellyC]

Try Pirate Ship. I've done it numerous times at like half the cost of normal shipping prices.

Yep, I recently had a Subway 2x10 cab sent to me in Arizona from N Carolina for about $130. We split the cost, so it was small potatoes for both of us.

 

[KellyC]

I haven't really grasped the context of selling kit - do people do that?

I kind of feel the same way. It's my kid's problem after I'm dead.

 

[Pilgrim]

It has been said, but if you can't sell something, you're asking too much. Lower the asking price.

The definition of what something is worth is: what someone will pay for it.

 

[tb-player]

No one seems interested on a few different sites. So what do you do? I just stare at it and mumble you should be goooooooonnnnneeee.

But it continues to sit there.

Give it away to a young player who needs a good bass.

 

[AndyLES]

I've donated a few instruments to school of rock, public and private schools, and other such places, and I've received tax deductions that were often equal to the MSRP value of the instrument (but more than what I would have gotten by selling).

 

[bikeplate]

Either there is no market for what you are selling or your asking price is more than what the market will bear.

 

[Swipter]

So I'm just going to keep it. If I want something music related, I'm buying used.

 

[KellyC]

So I'm just going to keep it. If I want something music related, I'm buying used.

It's the only way to go unless you've already got the album deal signed and the tour booked.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

I kind of feel the same way. It's my kid's problem after I'm dead.

Me too! Much better at buying than selling! I did just sell an amp though, to someone I knew, that seemed like the perfect person to make use of it. It was a quality of life sale, if that makes sense. The original poster may personally know of someone who could use a bass. If possible don't worry too much about the dollar amount, although that is often easier to say.

 

[KellyC]

Me too! Much better at buying than selling! I did just sell an amp though, to someone I knew, that seemed like the perfect person to make use of it. It was a quality of life sale, if that makes sense. The original poster may personally know of someone who could use a bass. If possible don't worry too much about the dollar amount, although that is often easier to say.

For sure, I'll sell to a friend at friend prices if I think they're the right home for something I'm not using.
I'm currently looking for the right match for a pre-CBS black face Super Reverb that's collecting dust, but it's not for sale!

 

[peteybass]

Trade, Trade, Trade Partial Trade..

 

[jid]

Another +1 for pirateship.com . Didn't believe it until I used it. So much better…