Are people high... or just stupid? (Used guitar price content)

That’s really cool information. Thanks very much. It’s a quirky little bass and now I actually understand the name. I thought it was a goofy carton name.

 

AI have a CAR 60s Baja in excellent condition and with a beautifully figured rosewood board on CL for $500. That's a fair price.

These are the offers I get>

1. I am a Fender Tele Collector & player ..... I can pay $ 225.00 for the guitar .... Not low balling ... just letting you know my budget ....



thank...............

.......................................................

2. 100 cash
.....................................................


3. Hi - I am interested in the guitar, but not willing to spend more than $100. I will be in long beach tomorrow. If you are interested email or text me



So, you tell me. Who is high?

 

Same for the Bonamassa Firebird I Treasure that only came out 2 years ago. I see them posted for $1200 everywhere, not that theyre being sold. People seem to be getting MSRP prices for them still.

 

Funniest Reverb listing I’ve seen was a guy selling a Modern Player Tele that he had refinished with spray-can nitro. There were a couple of small runs, but nothing too noticeable. And it wasn’t very glossy because he got bored with polishing it. Price: $700. Apparently, a third-rate refinish doubles the value of a guitar.

 

Reverb takes the time to insure the buyer and seller both have a good experience. EBAY does not do much for either party but has become hard on sellers. I will not, and many others, use EBAY. Reverb really defines the market better.

 

You probably don't need the Joan Jett model today, so just keep looking and one day you will be the first responder on one reasonably priced and get it. Patience is a virtue. Life will go on while you are looking for one ... usually.

 

Sellers are savvy. If it has Gibson on the headstock they will go high.
if you're stupid- you'll pay it.

 

I see people on CL, eBay, etc trying to sell Melody Makers (vintage in this case), for $1200-$2000 and up. It's crazy, and just because it's vintage and says "Gibson" on the headstock, these sellers think they are holding gold. I have had a couple of Melody Makers, vintage, and modern reissues, and I can tell you this....they are fun to play because they are very light, and the short scale they practically play themselves.

BUT, a stock "vintage" or modern Melody Maker sounds like real crap through an amp. They aren't very good looking either, so if you can sell it for that much, good for you. I wouldn't pay more than about $250 personally. The Joan Jett Model I understand has better electronics than the "run of the mill" MM's, but I'd much rather have a worn satin SG or something like that, than a vintage Melody Maker anytime!

 

I didn't rad the whole thread so this may be redundant -

But ASKING prices on Reverb are not indicative of actual selling prices. I know of dealers who post high asking prices to simply try to drive prices up, then drop the price 30% months later hoping some sucker will jump on it thinking it's a "deal" - without doing any research. It happens just about every day.

Actual selling price history is hard to find on Reverb and it's organized weirdly - but some is there. "Sold" prices on eBay are helpful. But the best starting point is usually the Vintage guitar Price Guide. It's fairly accurate because it is compiled from actual sales data, then factored for the next year's market projections. It only lists price ranges for "excellent" condition, so it's important to read the grading information and understand the details. But every vintage, high end and boutique guitar player, dealer or collector who "shops" or sells on a regular basis uses it as a primary reference guide.

The only ones I'm aware of that use the "Blue Book" are pawn shops.

 

I respect your opinion even though I don’t get it. Joan doesn’t sound like crap. I have several MM’s and they don’t sound like crap. Here’s one of the common reissues. Does this sound like crap?



This a 2003 MM with a bridge like Joan’s. Let’s see where it ends.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/153171570026

 

A. I didn't say Joan sounded like crap, the pickup in her MM is different than the single coil most MM's come with.
B. Both of my MM's one, 1960 a vintage single, the other a 2007 2 pickup, and to MY ears, both sounded like ice picks, and the result of adjusting the EQ became muddy.
C. My point was supposed to be that I think people trying to sell vintage MM's for thousands is nuts, and I wouldn't pay that for a beginners guitar, when I can get a much better sounding guitar, (also Gibson) for less money.
D. I loved playing those MM's, but unplugged on the couch noodling.
E. The tone is in the ear of the person playing, and it's just my .02 cents, I expect a lot of players to disagree with my opinion, I just hated the pickups that's all.

 

What about people paying what 50s Les Paul Standards go for, even on the low side of average?

 

Case in point (what are they smoking?):

https://reverb.com/item/13593253-first-act-custom-shop-delia-cola-burst

 

FA had a US custom shop and were selling higher end guitars in the beginning, this looks like one of them.
FA decided to take up the very attractive Walmart sales order waved under their noses and had the instruments contract built to price points from Asia. Imagine the millions of dollars thrown around at that deal. However, the result massively destroyed their brand value.

With a little fret work and some other touch ups the low price FA retail guitars can play well like Squier gets handled. Because the brand is hated they can be found cheap. I bought a practically new one used for $10, leveled the frets, removed the pickguard, and fixed the wiring (wire from the pot to the jack shorted at one end intermittently) which are problems I've seen on even $1,000 guitars.


I'm suspicious that the new overlord owners of Gibson will chase volume dollars over brand and risk the same path. Maybe they have heard of the First Act story and will choose not to go down market but it's difficult to resist when guitars priced over $2,000+ represents under 5% of the whole market in unit sales which they split with Fender and the boutique makers. Picking up another point of market share would be huge money for them.

.

 

I would disagree, most people are stupid, and the smart ones get high so they can get along with all the morons in the world. No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average consumer. People will buy stuff that tracks them, breaks easily and they can't afford or could be spending the money or actual necessities, the IPhone comes to mind. APPLE didn't become a trillion dollar company because people are so bloody smart they had to have what everyone else had.

just one example, most folks are drones and don't know it. cause they don't have the smarts to figure out whats goin on. it keeps the machine workin though, and thats what we all love, being a cog in the great machine. Cogs don't think they just spin.

same with guitars, change the color and sell them the same thing they bought last year. No one can accuse the world of having an overabundance of genius. Just try to get along and don't point it out or they get angry.

 

This reminds me of selling a nice Epi SG Custom late last year. I was just looking at my Reverb inbox & re-read a message I received that said something to the effect of " will be a buyer at $xxx plus your stated shipping" (half of what I was asking). Guitar sold 2 days later at my asking price.

I don't mind people attempting. My prices are fair. Just don't try to persuade me with nonsense.

As far as these sellers being discussed? I just glance at the price & move on.

 

Stupid. And I don't mean that to be mean. It's just what I consider to be a realistic assessment.

 

Which would you rather be? Reminds me of the Churchill anecdote: "My dear you are ugly, but tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be ugly."

 

Why has no one written here 'a thing is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it'

People's whims don't make sense. Economics is irrational