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Why can't I sell this bass?

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#23
Pilgrim said:
That bass just doesn't appeal to most of the market.

Anything will sell if it's priced right - evidently you haven't found the price. Try 1/2 of retail and see what happens. To me, used basses are worth about 1/2 of retail in pristine condition.
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...or less. it's a buyer's market and this market decides what the bass is worth, not the seller ...
 
#24
I can agree that the Bongo has it's fans, and is an aquired taste, but I have to disagree that they aren't selling in the used market. Just last month I sold a Stealth Bongo 4 for $900. Granted it IS in the price range that you mentioned, but THIS Bongo is a 5 string with ALOT more options (Piezo Bridge, Unlined Board). It is also in a discontinued color, but I guess that doesn't matter to everyone.

Thanks for all of your responses...I am leaning some things this morning.
 
#25
jlepre said:
I can agree that the Bongo has it's fans, and is an aquired taste, but I have to disagree that they aren't selling in the used market. Just last month I sold a Stealth Bongo 4 for $900. Granted it IS in the price range that you mentioned, but THIS Bongo is a 5 string with ALOT more options (Piezo Bridge, Unlined Board). It is also in a discontinued color, but I guess that doesn't matter to everyone.

Thanks for all of your responses...I am leaning some things this morning.
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As Smallequestrian said, the options you have picked arn't "value add" options. They are things that people just don't pay extra for in the used market. Certainly its the case that Bongos are selling in the used market, but they are selling for quite a bit less than you are offering the bass for. I think you need to weigh up how much you want to move the bass vs how much you want the price you think its worth. Ultimately the market will dictate the value of the bass, but,as you know, the market for a used unlined fretless Bongo is pretty small (it could be 2 or 3 people on TB tops) and so you pretty much will have to bear the price they are willing to pay if you want to sell it now.
 
#26
Pilgrim said:
That bass just doesn't appeal to most of the market.

Anything will sell if it's priced right - evidently you haven't found the price. Try 1/2 of retail and see what happens. To me, used basses are worth about 1/2 of retail in pristine condition.
Click to expand...

Agreed, you are listing it for roughly 30% of list, retail is probably 90% of list (or maybe you listed retail, I saw that price on MF), and if you can't sell it for 50% off retail for it being like new then I'd wonder, but don't think you are there.

Lesson that I have learned from TB, NEVER buy new unless you KNOW you are going to keep it.
 
#27
Congrats on your new bundle o'joy!

+1 to everything said. I've been in your shoes with gear that I personally thought was amazing/awesome/perfect/etc., only to discover I was the only one who felt that way when I tried to sell. That's why I never buy new. No surprise, I own a Bongo, too!

Maybe you can find another way to get the money up, unless you really really really need to unload the Bongo. Easier said than done, I know. But it sucks to take a bath if you don't have to. It also makes seller's remorse feel worse.

Good luck to you, friend.
 
#28
Another option is to donate it to a charity. My ex used to work for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, non profits are always looking for donations of any kind to raffle off. Chances are they will give you a tax write-off for more than you will get for it. If you are really nice they may give you much more. Plus you may make a child very happy to have an instrument to start on.
 
#29
Mark Latimour said:
As Smallequestrian said, the options you have picked arn't "value add" options. They are things that people just don't pay extra for in the used market. Certainly its the case that Bongos are selling in the used market, but they are selling for quite a bit less than you are offering the bass for. I think you need to weigh up how much you want to move the bass vs how much you want the price you think its worth. Ultimately the market will dictate the value of the bass, but,as you know, the market for a used unlined fretless Bongo is pretty small (it could be 2 or 3 people on TB tops) and so you pretty much will have to bear the price they are willing to pay if you want to sell it now.
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+1. It's like the used car market-pay an extra 1200 for a better sound system when new, and it only adds 100 bucks to the used price. I also agree that 50% off list is usually the sweet spot for selling used gear. Otherwise why not try something new, even if it's not exactly the same, with a 45 day warranty? That return policy has saved me thousands of dollars on gear that seemed sweet during the infatuation phase, but failed to produce a lasting bond.
 
#30
jlepre said:
I can agree that the Bongo has it's fans, and is an aquired taste, but I have to disagree that they aren't selling in the used market. Just last month I sold a Stealth Bongo 4 for $900. Granted it IS in the price range that you mentioned, but THIS Bongo is a 5 string with ALOT more options (Piezo Bridge, Unlined Board). It is also in a discontinued color, but I guess that doesn't matter to everyone.

Thanks for all of your responses...I am leaning some things this morning.
Click to expand...

Even though this bass has more options, those options won't necessarily transfer to the used market. For instance, if you pay a premium to have a bass painted blue, that doesn't mean that you will get a percentage of that on the used market. You just have a blue bass for sale. Same with the unlined fretboard. You paid more for that apparently, but to some that makes its value less.

All that being said, that is a nice bass and I am not a Bongo fan typically.
 
#31
Agreed to most of the above posts, but I have to add--it's gold! A lot of people are going to be turned off by a gold finish, especially on a "weird-looking" bass. That's why the "stealth" one mentioned above sold as quickly as it did--a lot more people like black, and a lot more people are willing to consider the Bongo if its unusual looks don't stand out so much.
 
#32
John, you got your answer to this from AussieMark , when you posted the same question on the Ernie Ball forum about the problem selling the white Sterling HH.

You refuse to accept PayPal

Alot of people have PayPal credit card, so while they might not have the '' cash '' funds in their account, they can charge it.
 
#33
bongomania said:
Agreed to most of the above posts, but I have to add--it's gold! A lot of people are going to be turned off by a gold finish, especially on a "weird-looking" bass. That's why the "stealth" one mentioned above sold as quickly as it did--a lot more people like black, and a lot more people are willing to consider the Bongo if its unusual looks don't stand out so much.
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You're right! 2/3 of the MIM Fenders on CL are black, it seems! I think the Bongo just begs to have a unique color. I was a little disappointed that the one I bought was Sapphire Black until I saw it first-hand.

The Bongo really is a cultish bass. Which makes me think: the MusicMan web site has great forums (it's like Bongo World HQ) -- I wonder if it's allowable to peddle your bass there?
 
#34
EBMM7181 said:
John, you got your answer to this from AussieMark , when you posted the same question on the Ernie Ball forum about the problem selling the white Sterling HH.

You refuse to accept PayPal

Alot of people have PayPal credit card, so while they might not have the '' cash '' funds in their account, they can charge it.
Click to expand...

I understand what you mean, but please keep in mind that I have sold about 7 basses in the past year, and not ONE was sold using Paypal. I have my reasons for not using it, and others have understood. I can see yours and Marks point about using a CC.

EDIT: Oh BTW I did sell my Sterling HH without Paypal.
 
#35
EBMM7181 said:
John, you got your answer to this from AussieMark , when you posted the same question on the Ernie Ball forum about the problem selling the white Sterling HH.

You refuse to accept PayPal

Alot of people have PayPal credit card, so while they might not have the '' cash '' funds in their account, they can charge it.
Click to expand...

That would be a big negative for me too.
 
#39
Let's just say this bass is selling on MF for $1925 and I listed for over $600 less.

What you don't know is if MF is SELLING any of them at this price?

Tough selling anything right now unless someone is looking for your rig and has some bucks to spend. Keep at it, you will find a buyer.

Congrats on the baby!
 
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