I don't understand used prices in the current market...

[OmegaWoods]

Don't forget it's tax refund season. All the sellers know that and aren't going to move on price much for a while. Come back in May...

 

[Wildeman]

I’ve been keeping an eye out for a 2010 Gibson Firebird V for a couple years……I think they worth about $1300 and I think I saw like a 2013 the other day with an asking price of $2400! Yeah right.

Wait, i thought all Gibsons increase in value once you buy them

 

[Timbresmith1]

@Timbresmith1, In today's environment, I probably would not drive that far either. My car gets about 22 mpg, so round trip, with the current price per gallon, that would be about a $8-10 expense!
When I made the offer, it was early-mid December, and fuel prices were not what they are today. I think after 4 months, I'd consider adding the option to ship with the buyer paying shipping.

I wouldn’t on principle. Want it? Come get it. Not driving further than a couple of miles for $40.
I had a guy wanted me to drive 30 minutes to his town so he could “Look at… have lots of questions” on a $350 item. Nope.

 

[bebenavole]

check out the prices for used guitars for the European Union....insane.

 

[Cosmic Cowboy]

Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Simple as it gets.

 

[xtrajerry]

That's the problem with sites that don't charge a fee to list an item. Seller's can ask ridiculous prices for items they don't necessarily want to sell. Didn't see this before the internet when you had to pay a fee to run your add in the newspaper or buylines press.

 

[Boxla]

I guess because people are paying crazy prices. I just sold 2 Marley trading cards on ebay. I paid $5 for one and $10 for the other 15 years ago. Some guy just paid me $800 for the pair. I'd say he's crazy but I'm the crazy one because I could have gotten $3,000 for the pair. I had no idea.

What I don't understand is why, or how, something gets deemed rare and worth crazy prices while something else that's significantly rarer does not. I know my Marley memorabilia well, and I know what's kind of rare, rare, super rare and extremely rare. The guys are paying crazy prices for stuff that's kind of rare yet totally ignoring super rare stuff for a lot less money.

It's like the Pokémon nonsense or NFT's. Surely, at the end of the day a guy is going to be stuck holding a Pokémon card or an NFT that he paid 9 million for that no one else wants. Right?

 

[frisbe60]

I wonder how much of it is also the people who never played guitar, but always wanted to. The Plague gave them an excuse to buy some gear starting in 2020, and now they're trying to sell the gear and don't realize that the stuff depreciates like it does. "I mean, I paid $1500 for this, and it's barely a couple years old..."

I think there is something to this. They also think that because they are offering a new set of strings, capo, and guitar stand, that it ups the value. I spent a night messaging with someone near me selling a Gretsch G2420T-P90, asking the same as the new price because he only had it a year, and he was including stings, capo and stand. I told him to get in touch when he would take 75% of the new price. He said he couldn't take that big of a loss. Good Luck!

 

[Matt Sarad]

I paid $450 for my MIM Jazzmaster through CL.
He wanted $500 without a case or whammy bar.
I suspect I could double my money based on current Reverb prices.
$500 for the PRS H head with Paisley tolex goes for $899 and up.
I discovered years ago that vintage guitars were always worth more after I sold them.

 

[chris m.]

I didn't read the whole thread so I'm probably repeating what others have said. My thoughts:

1. People are thinking they can get higher prices during the supply chain bottleneck and inflationary period we're in. That's true, but many are listing well above what's a reasonable premium. As noted, used prices are often above brand new for the exact same item.

2. I keep accidentally running across these weird web sites that are selling new and used gear for ridiculous prices above their normal price. Something like 3x the price from Musician's Friend or Sweetwater. I wonder if they are hoping to catch an unsuspecting fish?

 

[TwangerWannabe]

I'm seeing it even more lately. Starting to see more high-end guitars for sale...vintage Martins, lots of Fender Custom shop models...

Saw an AVRI Strat and made an offer to the seller, and he promptly wrote back "it's worth more than that!" Well, if it's worth more why hasn't it sold?!

Also plenty of Fender Player Series MIM's for sale for very close to or more than retail, demanding they know what they have and know what it's worth.

Wonder if this will continue and how things will unfold when people have to keep paying more for gas and prices for things like food will start to go up even more? I'm wondering if the holdouts will start giving in and will have to start negotiating on the gear they have for sale because quite a few people will have gone from the "I don't need to sell it and I'm not desperate" to "I need money for rent and food".

 

[boris bubbanov]

I empower the seller by not buying it and contacting them. I'm doing the most.

I think the "silent treatment" is the best.

I think if you contact them, you're just encouraging them - they think they must be close. If they're not close, ghost 'em. IMO you're confusing them if you make contact.

 

[twangking]

I think the "silent treatment" is the best.

I think if you contact them, you're just encouraging them - they think they must be close. If they're not close, ghost 'em. IMO you're confusing them if you make contact.

It should have said not contacting them. Whoops

 

[kuch]

It used to be that the market price for used instruments would be closer to "wholesale", 50% of new retail. In the past year or so asking prices have drifted(??) or taken off like a Jeff Bezos missile headed for space towards new retail. As the saying goes, it's worth what someone wants to pay for it. There's a guy selling a ASAT in our area that's asking OVER retail-????? The biggest drop in used prices happened after the last big crash in 08 when people needed cash more than "luxuries" like musical instruments. I'm not saying that I want another big recession.... I just hope prices would jump off of the rocket ship and come back closer to earth. I know I'm not paying anything close to retail for used......

 

[chris m.]

We should be getting at least a mild recession in the next year or so as monetary policy tightens to curb inflation. Sell now, wait to buy if you can wait.

 

[wstrnswingster]

Try selling steel guitars, nothing but tumbleweeds! I've got a couple that spend too much time in the cases and figured I'd move them on. A super clean, nicest one I've ever seen, 1950 Fender D8 that I'm not using but can't decide if I want to part with it yet. Seeing what they're advertised for I'm tempted though. It's not a Broadcaster, it's early enough it might have been a 2pup Esquire, but if it was jaws would drop. Listed a nice clean 50's triple 8 Magnatone on the local CL with free delivery, within reason, don't really want to ship it. Reasonably priced, OBO, nice clean guitar and case. All Quiet on the Western Front!
Last thing I sold on eBay cost $17 on a 99 sale and they take a piece of shipping and tax which I never really understood as it's not part of the actual sale price. Been kicking around the idea of starting a Reverb shop but I don't have a revolving array of stuff anymore. Some of the reviews I've read were bad also.
I've listed Tele specific stuff here but never actually sold anything, or any of the similar Forums.
Maybe it's time for a new online site?

 

[Timbresmith1]

I wouldn’t on principle. Want it? Come get it. Not driving further than a couple of miles for $40.
I had a guy wanted me to drive 30 minutes to his town so he could “Look at… have lots of questions” on a $350 item. Nope.

Just sold it to a guy that drove here from FURTHER away, that was happy to get it and didn’t even bother to haggle.

 

[Dik Ellis]

The internet is the great equalizer now, but let the buyer beware. Do your homework and you may find your deal.

 

[TwangerWannabe]

Deals are still happening. They're up very briefly - ya gotta POUNCE

There will still be exceptions to the rules and outliers, but on average peopel have some very unrealistic expectations of what they think they can get for their used gear right now.

As mentioned earlier, I picked up that American Vintage Strat in mint condition for $900. Have no clue why it was up for sale for so long with no takers.

 

[Masmus]

What I don't understand is why, or how, something gets deemed rare and worth crazy prices while something else that's significantly rarer does not. I know my Marley memorabilia well, and I know what's kind of rare, rare, super rare and extremely rare. The guys are paying crazy prices for stuff that's kind of rare yet totally ignoring super rare stuff for a lot less money.

I didn't read the whole thread so I'm probably repeating what others have said. My thoughts:

1. People are thinking they can get higher prices during the supply chain bottleneck and inflationary period we're in. That's true, but many are listing well above what's a reasonable premium. As noted, used prices are often above brand new for the exact same item.

2. I keep accidentally running across these weird web sites that are selling new and used gear for ridiculous prices above their normal price. Something like 3x the price from Musician's Friend or Sweetwater. I wonder if they are hoping to catch an unsuspecting fish?

I have a rare Ibanez from 1980 that less than 100 were made. That doesn't make it valuable, with certain guitars it is a factor but it's more desirability and the rarity affects supply and that affects price not the rarity itself.

I have seen this with cars in my lifetime a hand full of times starting with the VW Rabbit when it was introduced in the US, that used cars sold for more than new. There was limited supply and for people who wanted it now were willing to pay a premium to buy it from someone that was willing to flip their car. If there are 100 new guitars are for sale at $500 and 2000 people want them some of those 1900 that can't get the new one may be willing to spend $550 for a used one.