Used bases aren't selling well.

[StevieMac]

It looks like you haven't gotten an offer of $200-500 for a set of antique chairs appraised at $3800. I've gotten a few, and I'm not asking anywhere near the appraisal price. That's priced to give away, not sell.

Same goes for the Warwick BC40 I've had listed since they came out, so it's not just a cheap rich folk thing.

Even yard sale prices have cratered around here.

That is definitely a scenario I am not likely to ever encounter but fair enough.

 

[Rich Terry]

I just sold a MIM jazz that I have been trying to sell for about 6 months. Got what I wanted but If you need the money don't hold your breath.

Besides, Musicians don't have any money.

 

[Johnny Crab]

The lower energy/gas prices, for those NOT in a confiscating state(i.e. Kalifornia), will give those not forced to pay more for insurance a few extra coins to spend. Used basses sell but they do not instantly turn into the cash expected.

 

[OutToPlayJazz]

Besides, Musicians don't have any money.

That's the truest thing anyone's said all day! If I had it all to do again, I'd have been an accountant, a lawyer, or something that had a decent pay check. But then again, I wouldn't have had the amazing playing life I've had as a professional musician.

Then again, some regular money would have been nice!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Things usually slow down at the beginning of the year. Resolutions to spend less, diet and exercise, pack your lunch, etc. By the time tax refunds start coming out, things will pick up again.

 

[Rich Terry]

I need to start playing more and collecting less.

 

[Gully Foyle]

The lower energy/gas prices, for those NOT in a confiscating state(i.e. Kalifornia), will give those not forced to pay more for insurance a few extra coins to spend. Used basses sell but they do not instantly turn into the cash expected.

Unfollowing thread, suggest you move to somalia, no taxes, regulation, a paradise

 

[Root 5]

I think things are cyclical. You could barely give an acoustic guitar away in the early-mid 80s and then the market exploded. It'll come around.

 

[Kmonk]

Most of the ads I've seen the sellers are asking too much. The current bass market is a lot like the housing market here in Massachusetts. Houses under $400,000 and houses over $1,000,000 are selling. Houses priced in between are sitting on the market longer. Lower priced basses such as MIM Fenders and higher end basses such as Alembic are selling well. Those priced in the $600 to $1,500 range do not seem to be selling.

 

[Quilbert]

Great news, because I'm buying.
In fact, I've never regretted buying a bass, but I've regretted selling or giving away every one I've ever parted with.

I've had some pigs I was glad to see the back of.

 

[GregC]

Most of the ads I've seen the sellers are asking too much.

Agreed! When people ask more for a used instrument than you could buy it for new with a 15% or 20% off coupon, of course it's not going to sell.

 

[Joebone]

Much like the thread about Canadians complaining about their devaluing dollar, the depressed used bass market is simply a reflection of the larger worldwide economic conditions. The manipulations of the oil market from Saudi Arabia coupled with the state frictions between Russia and the USA are going to set off a chain of events that may end up bringing the planet closer to nuclear Armageddon. Not being able to sell your used bass will be a minor problem in comparison.

Not sure I see Armageddon as an inevitable consequence, but deflation certainly seems to be in the air.

 

[okcrum]

So, how were the after-Christmas end-of-year sales figures this year? There used to be quite a spike before things tailed off 'till tax time (in the US). Maybe I'm living in a cave, but I haven't heard word one about that. It's not just basses, or just used things. Invalid Link Removed for 2014 seem mixed, depending upon who you read, but at least somewhat better than 2013.

 

[okcrum]

Agreed! When people ask more for a used instrument than you could buy it for new with a 15% or 20% off coupon, of course it's not going to sell.

Example: When you're asking $100 for something MF sells for $230 (today), and it's been listed for almost a year, I don't think that's the whole reason.

 

[PullThePlug]

January isn't exactly a booming month for sales of any kind. Work a season in retail - you'll get a good feel for it.

 

[jd56hawk]

I've had some pigs I was glad to see the back of.

I did have a walnut Univox Les Paul bass that wasn't exactly a dream to play, but it looked great and I still wish I had it even if it just stayed on a stand.

 

[Rich Terry]

Basses, Guitars, Pedals, etc have become commodities.

Retail 2000.00
Sale Price 199.00

Who are they kidding?

 

[okcrum]

January isn't exactly a booming month for sales of any kind. Work a season in retail - you'll get a good feel for it.

Or have a decade or so selling online to compare to. Seriously, sale prices are all down, the last couple of years. Both the peaks and troughs in the yearly sales curve have dropped. Online is the place that's supposed to be growing.

 

[Quilbert]

I did have a walnut Univox Les Paul bass that wasn't exactly a dream to play, but it looked great and I still wish I had it even if it just stayed on a stand.

5 string mim fender jazz bass, acoustic fender cm-100 (I think), both were heaps of junk.

Regrets: warwick standard fretless - big mistake selling that.

 

[Iridescentone]

I've noticed a lot of basses being listed in the classifieds, many at good prices, that just aren't selling. Do you guys think the used market is down or has it been this way for years?

A couple things...

Ya, the market is down, but not dead.

Like it or not, TB classified ads must compete with ebay, price-wise. In many cases TB classifieds asking prices can easily be 20-40% higher than actual selling prices for the same items on ebay. "Good deals" get snatched up quickly around here, so there are plenty of potential buyers, but the numbers have to make sense. Very difficult to sell gear that is priced at/near the high end of market value.

Additionally, buyers and sellers like to use Paypal. Buyers with "Paypal Select" accounts (like me) cannot use their credit cards with their Paypal payments here anymore. Not having that extra layer of protection is a definite buzz kill, and for some buyers it's a deal killer altogether.