They're not going anywhere because they're way too expensive.
Keep seeing the same guitars for sale...why aren't they selling?
- Thread starter TwangerWannabe
- Start date
Mekhem
Tele-Afflicted
Ehh - I think this is a variation of a conversation that happens a lot (Market/CL/GAS/People getting crusty over pricing) and happening frequently nowadays. IMHO the simple answer is that for most people - Music gear is not a life/professional necessity. Its easy to buy or finance when things are going well and hard to justify if you are uncertain or in a position where money really needs to go somewhere else and/or have to pay in cash. Also likely that a lot of gear hounds already have most of the boxes ticked, so adding another Tele/Strat/Fuzz pedal is a "Only if the deal is real good" kind of thing...
There is a Memphis 335 on sale locally for a very good price and it hasn't sold all summer. So either its a dud, or people dont have or want to spend the extra money.
Crusty Old Man section:
Pricing in General: I kind of laugh when i hear stuff like - "If its used its worth 10% of new" - because in actual fact, in almost every major retail sector, that really is not the case in most areas. Music stores are not selling the used FCS strats for $1400 bucks (FCS pricing pre-pandemic - $2500-$3000), Wildwood is not selling their used WW10 guitars for 2k. Boss Waza Pedals are not on the market for $50-$75. 2 Year old Harleys are not being sold at $8k, off lease cars are not being sold for $15k.... I suspect most people want that to be the case all of the time, but more often its a really rare thing. I also believe that very few people that espouse that opinion actually sell thier gear for 40%-50% of retail. Pricing is based on what is happening right now and right now we are on the backside of a Boom and stuff is adjusting. What things sell for is always an intersection of what is available and what people want/can afford. Its not an intersection of what people want to pay for and what people want to buy.
If I am selling on CL or other local option - I base my pricing on what a shop or dealer will give me in trade and adjust accordingly somewhere in between what they have offered and what I suspect they will list it for (plus room for the inevitable CL haggling). If I can trade my FCS Tele in for $2200 why should I sell it to someone else for $1800, even if they get butt hurt about what I have listed it at (see above)? If I am selling on Reverb - I do the same and add the Reverb fees (sigh...reverb used to be so good....) which always leads me to a question - why do people want to enjoy/profit from the loss of someone else?
/Crusty Old Man section
There is a Memphis 335 on sale locally for a very good price and it hasn't sold all summer. So either its a dud, or people dont have or want to spend the extra money.
Crusty Old Man section:
Pricing in General: I kind of laugh when i hear stuff like - "If its used its worth 10% of new" - because in actual fact, in almost every major retail sector, that really is not the case in most areas. Music stores are not selling the used FCS strats for $1400 bucks (FCS pricing pre-pandemic - $2500-$3000), Wildwood is not selling their used WW10 guitars for 2k. Boss Waza Pedals are not on the market for $50-$75. 2 Year old Harleys are not being sold at $8k, off lease cars are not being sold for $15k.... I suspect most people want that to be the case all of the time, but more often its a really rare thing. I also believe that very few people that espouse that opinion actually sell thier gear for 40%-50% of retail. Pricing is based on what is happening right now and right now we are on the backside of a Boom and stuff is adjusting. What things sell for is always an intersection of what is available and what people want/can afford. Its not an intersection of what people want to pay for and what people want to buy.
If I am selling on CL or other local option - I base my pricing on what a shop or dealer will give me in trade and adjust accordingly somewhere in between what they have offered and what I suspect they will list it for (plus room for the inevitable CL haggling). If I can trade my FCS Tele in for $2200 why should I sell it to someone else for $1800, even if they get butt hurt about what I have listed it at (see above)? If I am selling on Reverb - I do the same and add the Reverb fees (sigh...reverb used to be so good....) which always leads me to a question - why do people want to enjoy/profit from the loss of someone else?
/Crusty Old Man section
Doesn't usually work that way in my experience. If the price isn't attractive then no one contacts you at all. The only "offers" you typically get directly are lowball offers. Way lowball.--NoTeleBob
I may have failed to explain myself correctly...when I say 'price it high' I mean within it's range...If I were trying to sell, say, a MIM tele, set the price @ $500 and see what you get, not set the price @ $1000.
I may have failed to explain myself correctly...when I say 'price it high' I mean within it's range...If I were trying to sell, say, a MIM tele, set the price @ $500 and see what you get, not set the price @ $1000.
JIMMY JAZZMAN
Tele-Afflicted
Here's my humble take. You purchased a new guitar. You performed mods on this guitar for yourself.
After awhile you wished to sell this guitar with the mods still intact and at a modest loss. No way am I
touching that. People have to understand supply and demand, and once you start changing a guitar
from what it was new, to "your" preferences, you'd have to come way down to unload "your" guitar.
Greed case number:0123
After awhile you wished to sell this guitar with the mods still intact and at a modest loss. No way am I
touching that. People have to understand supply and demand, and once you start changing a guitar
from what it was new, to "your" preferences, you'd have to come way down to unload "your" guitar.
Greed case number:0123
marc2211
Tele-Afflicted
I have a stack of stuff for sale, at really fair, if not bargain prices... nothing is shifting at all 
RhythmFender
Tele-Holic
I’m thinking of selling a couple of things, but know it’s not a good time, so haven’t moved on it yet. This thread got me to start comparing over at the used reverb listings and the price I was gonna start at (negotiable obviously) was lower than all the comparables. Maybe I should try to sell after all.
teletail
Friend of Leo's
It aint rocket science. If your guitar isn't selling, you're asking too much. Something is only worth as much as someone else will pay for it.
jvin248
Doctor of Teleocity
.
The thing with guitars .... Hold it long enough and inflation will creep up to the big price you wanted where the guitar looks like a bargain and you sold for more. Everyone Wins!
.
The thing with guitars .... Hold it long enough and inflation will creep up to the big price you wanted where the guitar looks like a bargain and you sold for more. Everyone Wins!
.
Blackmore Fan
Friend of Leo's
At the end of the day, the only correct answer to why *anything* isn't selling is "price".
Would "it" (whether "it" is a guitar, a car, or a house) sell for $1? If yes, would it sell for $2? If yes...keep asking the question until until you reach a "no". At THAT price, the item is not correctly priced, assuming a proper "marketing time" is allowed.
That gear would sell...if it were correctly priced.
Would "it" (whether "it" is a guitar, a car, or a house) sell for $1? If yes, would it sell for $2? If yes...keep asking the question until until you reach a "no". At THAT price, the item is not correctly priced, assuming a proper "marketing time" is allowed.
That gear would sell...if it were correctly priced.
Blackmore Fan
Friend of Leo's
No offense intended, but if you were *truly* "slightly below market value" and on a site with proper traffic and allowed a decent marketing period, it would have sold.
sax4blues
Poster Extraordinaire
My experience is location can be a significant factor.
When I lived in San Francisco Bay Are there are 7 million people within 1 hour drive. And the income/wealth level probably the highest in the nation. I bought and sold with little wait time and reasonable prices.
Now living in Colorado Springs there is about 750,000 within 45 minutes and about 4 million within 2 hours. The income/wealth level in the 45 minute range is lower than SF Bay Area. Sales take much longer here even when priced lower than SF Bay Area. Also there is not nearly the number of listings for cool higher end gear.
When I lived in San Francisco Bay Are there are 7 million people within 1 hour drive. And the income/wealth level probably the highest in the nation. I bought and sold with little wait time and reasonable prices.
Now living in Colorado Springs there is about 750,000 within 45 minutes and about 4 million within 2 hours. The income/wealth level in the 45 minute range is lower than SF Bay Area. Sales take much longer here even when priced lower than SF Bay Area. Also there is not nearly the number of listings for cool higher end gear.
Nah. None of them are selling. And that’s ok. People aren’t generally looking for 74lb, 100 watt, 2x12 Marshall combos right now. At least not around here. I didn’t list it on reverb or eBay, cause there’s no way I’m messing with shipping it. It would just be dumb. So it is what it is. Like I said, I don’t need to sell it, I just don’t need it anymore. As much as it hurts me to say so out loud. Doesn’t matter. I have room, and I don’t need the money. I’ll keep it for now. At some point, it will be worth it to someone.
Nightclub Dwight
Friend of Leo's
I buy more gear than I sell, but I pay attention to pricing in the various online and in-person venues. When buying or selling used I'll look at the Vintage Guitar price guide, or the Blue Book price guide, check Reverb etc. A lot of those sources price high in my opinion, so I'll make an educated guess and price accordingly. I think I do pretty well.
We give a lot of household stuff away for free on the facebook Buy Nothing group. I don't facebook, so my partner handles all that stuff. This past summer I sold a few household items on Craigslist. A neighbor gave me an electric lawn mower when she moved. Its not convenient for my yard so I listed it on CL. Same with a pretty cool old geography globe on a stand with a light inside it. Both items were free to me, and I posted them both for $75 each. Since I didn't have any money invested, I figured I'd list them for $75 each, and if someone offered a lower price I'd take it. Heck, I'd go all the way to zero if they were polite and had a good reason why they needed it. In both instances I got my full asking price. I was almost disappointed that no one asked if I'd take less. Lesson learned, its always worth it to politely inquire whether there is any room for a discount or if the price is firm.
When selling gear I try to keep in mind something I remember @Toto'sDad wrote here a while back. He said there is an ass for every seat that is for sale. At a certain intersection of price and value, someone will buy it.
We give a lot of household stuff away for free on the facebook Buy Nothing group. I don't facebook, so my partner handles all that stuff. This past summer I sold a few household items on Craigslist. A neighbor gave me an electric lawn mower when she moved. Its not convenient for my yard so I listed it on CL. Same with a pretty cool old geography globe on a stand with a light inside it. Both items were free to me, and I posted them both for $75 each. Since I didn't have any money invested, I figured I'd list them for $75 each, and if someone offered a lower price I'd take it. Heck, I'd go all the way to zero if they were polite and had a good reason why they needed it. In both instances I got my full asking price. I was almost disappointed that no one asked if I'd take less. Lesson learned, its always worth it to politely inquire whether there is any room for a discount or if the price is firm.
When selling gear I try to keep in mind something I remember @Toto'sDad wrote here a while back. He said there is an ass for every seat that is for sale. At a certain intersection of price and value, someone will buy it.
ReverendRevolver
Friend of Leo's
The good stuff at reasonable prices sells. The mediocre stuff at fire sale prices sells.
The "pro assembled 19XX style partscaster " that some dudes trying to get $900 on CL in Central Ohio has been there for ages. He has 2 different ones, and I think a Peavey classic 30 listed at $550 or something. If you can buy a used US tele for roughly the same price, a partscaster that doesn't have a fender neck isn't going for that much. And I think C30s were $600 new last year. For sure, used price is sub $500, and the C50 4×12 is about 5.
But people who list overpriced gear are either:
1. Out of thier mind
Or
2. Telling thier wife that they're trying to sell it, and showing her proof, but obviously not *actually* trying to sell it.
Pricey gear lasts longer (fewer buyers) than cheap or average gear.
There's a red US tele for $1k and a nice duesenburg semi hollow listed at $2500 today on CL Columbus.
That tele wont last a week. The superb semi hollow will probably hit reverb and sell, because that's high for non-tax time CL buyers.
The "pro assembled 19XX style partscaster " that some dudes trying to get $900 on CL in Central Ohio has been there for ages. He has 2 different ones, and I think a Peavey classic 30 listed at $550 or something. If you can buy a used US tele for roughly the same price, a partscaster that doesn't have a fender neck isn't going for that much. And I think C30s were $600 new last year. For sure, used price is sub $500, and the C50 4×12 is about 5.
But people who list overpriced gear are either:
1. Out of thier mind
Or
2. Telling thier wife that they're trying to sell it, and showing her proof, but obviously not *actually* trying to sell it.
Pricey gear lasts longer (fewer buyers) than cheap or average gear.
There's a red US tele for $1k and a nice duesenburg semi hollow listed at $2500 today on CL Columbus.
That tele wont last a week. The superb semi hollow will probably hit reverb and sell, because that's high for non-tax time CL buyers.
And I think the above should've been the extent of this whole thread.
James824
Tele-Meister
I recently elected at add another Tele to the stable.
Searched CList and reverb. Was surprised that "mint to excellent" guitars were priced very close to MAP pricing for new ones from dealers. As I narrowed my search discovered a 70th Anniversary Esquire may be a fun addition as well.
Found a few "used" on Reverb. Prices seemed okay, but with shipping and uncertainty about buying from someone I did not know, elected to throw a few offers to Fender dealers that had new ones left to sell. To my surprise several dealers responded with offers . I ended up with a new light weight Esquire , approx. 600 off MAP + free shipping + generous return options.
Searched CList and reverb. Was surprised that "mint to excellent" guitars were priced very close to MAP pricing for new ones from dealers. As I narrowed my search discovered a 70th Anniversary Esquire may be a fun addition as well.
Found a few "used" on Reverb. Prices seemed okay, but with shipping and uncertainty about buying from someone I did not know, elected to throw a few offers to Fender dealers that had new ones left to sell. To my surprise several dealers responded with offers . I ended up with a new light weight Esquire , approx. 600 off MAP + free shipping + generous return options.
Sure, and that has a definite effect on sales, but the people doing the buying there for a while were not really affected by interest rates.
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