Why can't I sell this bass?

[Jazzman]

John, I don't think it has much to do with the bass or your price...music gear just isn't selling right now. Especially used music gear. There are tons of great deals out there because nobody is willing to part with their hard earned cash. Good luck.

 

[jlepre]

Reasons not to have kids.

this coming from a KID. Geesh!

Thanks all for your opinions and congrats on the upcoming birth. I might have to bite the bullet, and find a way to accept Paypal for this one. I really can't see how lowering the price can make any difference. I mean I can't justify lowering to the $1000 range as a few of you have expressed.

 

[Rickett Customs]

Reasons not to have kids.

Famous last words, he, He........

 

[LilRay]

this coming from a KID. Geesh!

Thanks all for your opinions and congrats on the upcoming birth. I might have to bite the bullet, and find a way to accept Paypal for this one. I really can't see how lowering the price can make any difference. I mean I can't justify lowering to the $1000 range as a few of you have expressed.

Out of sheer curiosity John, what is your discontent with Paypal?

Bad dealings?

God Bless, Ray

 

[ashtray]

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.

Uh - not quite. Depending on your tax bracket, even if you make very decent money and itemize your deductions, You're probably looking at a 28% federal benefit, and maybe 8% state. So even if you claim the full retail value (which you shouldn't), you'd see 36% of that as an actual cash benefit - in this case, roughly $700. And when you donate to a charity, they aren't giving the item to needy children, families, etc (unless you're donating toys or clothes or food that is specifically requested for their needs). They auction/sell the item. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they took it to a "I sold it on ebay" store to try to sell it on ebay.

As for this bass - if it costs $2k new, realize that many places have been having sales of 20% off, so the gap between your used price and the new price is less than you perceive. Also, Guitar Center was clearing out their Bongos not too long ago (last year?) - which makes the market a bit soft on them. People were buying cheaper 4 string models for $7-800 new. (they did the same thing with their Warwicks recently, and now it seems I keep seeing standard Corvettes for sale for $500 with no bites - when years ago that would have been a steal)

So - why isn't it selling? For all the reasons people mentioned - and especially the economy. At the moment, discounting to 50% of the new price is usually the starting point, and then you have to work your way down from there. It's not a seller's market!

 

[jlepre]

I am currently disputing a past due balance from a dealing with them a couple of years ago. It's a long story, but lets just say they mislead a few of my customers from a past EBAY business, and I refuse to give them any MORE of my money. I feel that there should be other services like Paypal, so that there would be less of a monopoly.

*Steps down from his soapbox*

 

[BurningSkies]

this coming from a KID. Geesh!

Thanks all for your opinions and congrats on the upcoming birth. I might have to bite the bullet, and find a way to accept Paypal for this one. I really can't see how lowering the price can make any difference. I mean I can't justify lowering to the $1000 range as a few of you have expressed.

I guess then you're not really a motivated seller.

Really this is the gamble of a lot of gear we buy. We bank on the fact that we can turn it around without too much of a loss, but it doesn't always work out that way, and the market for such goods tends to be fickle. You can of course leave your bass up and see if anyone bites for that price...eventually. Or if things get very very tight in the future, you might change your mind on your pricing floor.

 

[Dolflundgren]

Oh, by the way...



Cleverly veiled spam ftw.

 

[GregC]

Lesson that I have learned from TB, NEVER buy new unless you KNOW you are going to keep it.

+1, and that really goes double for an environment like this one. Unless you're getting a screaming deal, buying new and selling within a few weeks or months is just asking for a financial pounding right now. That may sound harsh, but it's true.

Congrats on your upcoming bundle of joy, and good luck with the sale.

 

[tplyons]

I said the same thing about a few basses I tried to sell over the year... ended up dropping the prices to absurd levels before they sold.

Even worse in this economy.

 

[MichaelScott]

If you really want to sell it you'll put on ebay starting a $1 with no reserve. It will sell at a price the market deems it is worth.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I really can't see how lowering the price can make any difference.

A lower price makes the BIGGEST difference. Even a few hundred dollars less brings in another level of customers, and it often pushes the guys who already could have afforded it over the edge, as the idea of "getting a steal" adds a lot of appeal to a bass.

 

[groooooove]

A lower price makes the BIGGEST difference. Even a few hundred dollars less brings in another level of customers, and it often pushes the guys who already could have afforded it over the edge, as the idea of "getting a steal" adds a lot of appeal to a bass.

agreed.

i think the reason that a bass like that one cant sell is that theres a bunch of little things that could turn people off.

the color, the whole bongo thing, 5 strings, fretless, unlined. some people might not buy it due to any one of those reasons, and on top of that nobodys buying music equiptment all that much lately.

if it helps, if that thing had one more string, i'd go for it

 

[smcd]

John, I don't think it has much to do with the bass or your price...music gear just isn't selling right now. Especially used music gear. There are tons of great deals out there because nobody is willing to part with their hard earned cash. Good luck.

Gear is selling. It depends on what kind of gear it is, and - as others have pointed out directly above - how much. Price is everything.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Gear is selling. It depends on what kind of gear it is, and - as others have pointed out directly above - how much. Price is everything.

Yup- just look at all of the closed threads in the classifieds forums. Even in a poor economy, gear sells like crazy. It just depends on the kind of gear and the price.

 

[groooooove]

Yup- just look at all of the closed threads in the classifieds forums. Even in a poor economy, gear sells like crazy. It just depends on the kind of gear and the price.

but sometimes, the price has to be rock bottom for it to sell.

i just sold an overdrive/distortion pedal, for $50 shipped. i paid $120 for it, used.

 

[jlepre]

I'm in the process of working out my problem with PAYPAL. If all goes well I should be able to now accept PAYPAL. I hope this helps...

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

but sometimes, the price has to be rock bottom for it to sell.

i just sold an overdrive/distortion pedal, for $50 shipped. i paid $120 for it, used.

Sure. That's part of the deal- the less wanted your product is, the more you'll have to discount it. It sounds like you might have overpaid for it though

 

[BurningSkies]

Sure. That's part of the deal- the less wanted your product is, the more you'll have to discount it. It sounds like you might have overpaid for it though

This is a great cautionary thread for anyone who is concerned about their 'investment' in musical gear.

Over the years I've done well...with the pieces that I'm specifically interested in for their value. Others I buy knowing I'll take a bath if I want to re-sell (some stuff you just have to WANT and know that you're in for the ride). Sometimes it will be a toss up.

 

[king_biscuit]

Yup- just look at all of the closed threads in the classifieds forums. Even in a poor economy, gear sells like crazy. It just depends on the kind of gear and the price.

+1 You are simply too high on a bass with limited marketability. The fact that it's unlined fretless adds noting to the resale value (that's not even an upcharge new), and neither does the discontinued -- but very common -- gold color. The piezo really sounds great on fretless, but most people don't really know what it is, and would not pay much if any extra for it. Used private sale on this bass should be $800.00 to $1000.00. If this was an unlined Fretless Stingray with piezo, then I'd hold out for $1100-$1200.00. All IMHO.