It's not just GC. EVERY reseller works the same way. They have a book value for purchases that they consult. And the price they will pay is not pretty. Don't get offended, It's not personal, it's business.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Trade in Trade up....Joke
- Thread starter M@ddest_H@tter!
- Start date
the promotion is a joke, like the title of the thread says... roughly translates to...
"we're sorry that we can't offer you a decent price on your used gear, you should sell it yourself, but if you are impatient or too lazy to do so, we'll give you what little bit we can but to make it up to you, we'll knock 15 percent off of our prices"
"we're sorry that we can't offer you a decent price on your used gear, you should sell it yourself, but if you are impatient or too lazy to do so, we'll give you what little bit we can but to make it up to you, we'll knock 15 percent off of our prices"
Maybe we should ask ourselves, if we were to go to GC and find the used stuff we traded in for sale, what would we be willing to pay for it? The way I read it, nearly everyone wants GC to give them 75% of what it cost them new, and THEN sell it back to them for 25% or less of new cost. But how long could they last doing that?
Last month at GC I saw they had two Modulus sixers, a brand new one for $3400 and a used one in near-mint condition for $1900. But I know I can direct-order that new one for $3100 or less. So is $1900 a good deal? Seems a bit high for a used bass...but someone paid $3400 for it, and probably only got $1500 or so in trade, maybe less.
I think this GC promotion is a Bad Idea, commercially speaking. Nearly everyone thinks their used gear is worth a lot more than it is, and nearly everyone thinks someone else's used gear is way overpriced. A lose-lose situation for GC.
Last month at GC I saw they had two Modulus sixers, a brand new one for $3400 and a used one in near-mint condition for $1900. But I know I can direct-order that new one for $3100 or less. So is $1900 a good deal? Seems a bit high for a used bass...but someone paid $3400 for it, and probably only got $1500 or so in trade, maybe less.
I think this GC promotion is a Bad Idea, commercially speaking. Nearly everyone thinks their used gear is worth a lot more than it is, and nearly everyone thinks someone else's used gear is way overpriced. A lose-lose situation for GC.
I agree... I hope I didnt come across as sounding like I thought GC's buying policies were unfair. I've noticed used items that the have that hang on the wall LITERALLY for years. I've seen them have to drop their price on used stuff to where they get nothing out of it at all.
Its just the promotion that I disagreed with, they make it out like trading in is such a great idea, when they know its not
I took my Yamaha TRB-JP John Patitucci Signature Mint with the case and they offer me $700,i sold it on Ebay for $1500.
They told me they wouldn't take my pedal because "they were selling for 20 bucks on ebay"/ I check later, they weren't. There were two on there for 80 bucks.
I agree. It'll likely piss more people off than do anything positive. I saw it and based on what I know about retail dismissed it out of hand. It's pretty much a given that you make out better selling your gear yourself.
It really depends on when they looked at ebay. It's entirely possible that someone did a no reserve auction and that happened.
I got a brand new Roscoe 7 string on ebay that way for $1375. Anyone researching Roscoes around that time would've found that sale, which was by no means a real comp for what they should sell for... but it looked like it.
Maybe it was an exaggeration, but why would any retail outfit want to give you top dollar for a pedal? Like others have said, they have to buy low enough where they can make a profit. You have to remember they buy new items at wholesale. The pedal that sells used for $80, may sell new for $120. They may pay something like $45 for it BRAND NEW wholesale. Why would they give you anywhere close to that for a used one?
You do realize they are in the business of selling gear rather than buying gear, right? They buy gear when they can get it so cheap that they feel they can turn as much profit on the used gear as they do on new gear.
Go buy a new car or house and then go to someone else and see what they'll buy it for... you'll take the same beating.
Go buy a new car or house and then go to someone else and see what they'll buy it for... you'll take the same beating.
Its not brand effing new. Its used. It might be mint condition, sure, but its used. You paid $299.00? That value probably dropped at least 50% as soon as you took delivery.
True cheeze, but i would have glady taken 30-40 for it. I'm not expecting 80 or above. They wouldn't even give me any offer though!
Mine was UGLY. Here we go:
Traben Neo Standard 4. 2007 model, 9/10 condition with Dimarzio click-locks. $400 brand new. Wanted to possibly trade up to a Geddy Lee jazz.
Guess what Musician's Friend's offer was? 85 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
Traben Neo Standard 4. 2007 model, 9/10 condition with Dimarzio click-locks. $400 brand new. Wanted to possibly trade up to a Geddy Lee jazz.
Guess what Musician's Friend's offer was? 85 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
What I hate about GC's policy is just the grandstanding "we pay top dollar" nonsense...but that aside, I'm sympathetic to the reality of retail -- if they can't profit from an activity, it hurts their business, which in turn hurts a lot of musicians who get their gear there...it is what it is...
But as for the Traben -- can I play devil's advocate? 400 new means the street on that is only 200 -- 85 is only slightly below 50% of that...which, all things considered, sounds about right since they're going to resell it, offer some kind of limited warranty on it, let it take up space on their showroom floor...
Consider this too: what's your time worth? Sticking with the Traben as an example -- you post ads for it a dozen times, you show it to three or four tire kickers, you don't use it for fear of damaging it before a sale, you finally have to drive somewhere to meet a dude to sell it too -- so you get 200 instead of 85...but maybe you spent 5 hours of your time doing it. So $115/5 = $23/hour (factor in gas too if you had to drive somewhere). That's what you got paid for that effort, in a sense...so maybe it was worth it. Maybe not -- and that's why someone MIGHT accept 85 for the bass...
I can understand that they are in the business of selling new gear, but to say that they pay top dollar for used gear is crap. I've just decided to keep the bass, after some playing and thinking. I like the sounds I can get out of it, and I can just buy a fretless form rondo.
