Finding used guitars outside ebay?

[nosuch]

Sorry for that "everything was better back then" tonality – I'm asking myself where I can find used equipment nowadays - except on the internet. Like 10 years ago all the shops had a load of second hand equipment to try out, there where even shops that specialized on it. If a shop has some second hand department now it only holds junk.
I don't wanna buy a used guitar on ebay, I want to take it in my hands and play it to find that magic one!

[3 Chord Hippie]

Oh aint it the truth?

[studio1087]

Pawn shops and guitar shops with odd brands tend to take more used inventory (they can draw in more customers with a variety of gear).

[TeleDrifter]

Flea markets, garage sales, auctions ect

[maestrovert]

www.gbase.com imho is the only real web alternative to e-bay....though you can use 'em to search locally too....
craig'slist is ok as well....

outside of the 'net, Mom n' Pop/brick n' mortar music stores are goin' the way of the Dodo sad to say....

[Jeri]

Trouble with music stores selling used gear is they have to buy it cheap from someone to make a profit.. Over the years that someone was mostly me... I ain't gonna sell em no more stuff when I can get double off ebay than a music shop will pay..

Everything better back then ? I don't think so

[JohnQ]

I really believe that places like Ebay have damaged local guitar trading (as well as trading of other used goods)
People are a lot more likely to put something they want to sell online than they are to take it to a pawn shop- at least in this area. Sure, you still get some elements taking stuff to pawn shops but it's rarely the quality gear that it used to be. In my mind pawn shops are becoming more like the old "five and dime" stores(by selling ultracheap merchandise) than they are pawn shops anymore.

That said- I do believe there are some great deals to be had on Cragislist though. Riskier and a pain sometimes, but there can be good rewards.

[danelectro]

One problem with average eBay prices is it has local guys thinking they can get auction type of money for gear sold locally. I used to eBay thing to flip used gear because players in other countries paid good money for stuff they couldn't buy locally or get shipped from an online retailer. Just because I was able to get $750 from a guy in Spain a slightly modded 69 Thinline Classic doesn't mean the local market bears that. But there are still deal out there. I look at craigslist everyday and there is always at least one guitar I wish I had extra $$ buy. I just saw a 1972 SG on there today for $750, I'm pretty sure there is money to be made on that one but the funky economy has me keeping my $$ in the bank.

[Tdot]

I'm hooked on scavenging through CraigsList.