That’s the thing with buying stuff and making it “better”. You are removing the value and replacing it with similar value, so that $300 neck means nothing because it’s part of the guitar, not separate. I have 20 guitars I bought and upgraded and I can’t sell them because they won’t be worth what I paid for them Before I upgraded them. The only option is to find people you like or love, and gift them the guitars, so they won’t have to spend that much money getting one. The problem with old men is that they are so grumpy that we usually don’t have many people left because we don’t like anyone.
These kids are too preoccupied with electronics,gaming,and social media to have rime to master an instrument.many are not capable of the social skills beyond texting to get a band together.i have 2 boys 10 &13. I took the oldest son's phone away and he has improved 30% and is sitting in with my band now and taken up mandolin and uke.all these gadgets are changing the market muscle cars of the 60s 70s80s are next.young Gen does not want nor appreciate them.they want new.testosterone levels are at an all time low so egos are down too.both have an effect as many young men don't want to be #1 I see it at football practice too when running 90 % of the team doesn't care if they are last.when I played even the 2 overweight guys ran to the end now 8% walk in I cannot believe my eyes.many things are going to drop in price.the times they are a changin
I donate guitars to music education charities for kids from families that can’t afford instruments and from school districts that don’t support music education. I value the space more than having many guitars. I don’t regret buying any of them because that is basically the only way to try guitars and see if they are keepers. I just accept that taking a haircut is the cost of doing business and as long as I’m not spending exorbitant amounts of money I can afford to do this. Frankly, the hassle of selling them is more expensive than the value of my time. It’s a little different with U.S. made guitars and I’m a little bit more deliberate in my decision-making so that I’m prepared to swallow the cost and hold onto them. I also don’t think that the used market is that bad, it’s just that people have unrealistic expectations about the value of their instruments when new instruments with warranties and without blemishes and play-wear only cost a little more. There is a disconnect between to what people think used guitars and amps are worth compared to other goods. For instance, it is expected that when you drive a new car off the lot that you automatically take a 20% haircut to its value. Yet some reason guitar players expect to get 90% of the value of what they paid for an instrument in spite of the fact that companies continue to keep making new ones. Unless you have something that’s really special, in some super desirable finish/color, rare configuration, or in tip top shape it is not reasonable to expect top dollar for used gear, especially when prices have gone up so much in the past five years that used guitars now go for new guitar prices before the pandemic. Guitars are a luxury and not a necessity. With inflation taking a bite out of everyone’s disposable income don’t expect consumers to be willing to foot higher prices for a nice-to-have-hobby over more important necessities.
@@chevy4x466 Thank you sir. Just trying to what little part I can play in passing along the good fortune to which I have been blessed with in the hope that it can become a good example for others to follow. As the saying goes, if generosity is contagious, let’s create an epidemic!😉
@@randrothify I have 2 kids, 16, & 13. Both play music. I have done my share purchasing equipment and lessons. Both r in school band. During Covid a nice couple who was retiring posted a piano, a nice Baldwin , we have played a lot. My youngest, we pay for piano lessons weekly. He plays percussion in his band. Well, last summer I bought my son a 4 piece pearl drum kit that was very nice. When he realized the set was going to a youngster pursuing music, he gave me a killer deal on the ride, crash and high hat. There r a lot of wonderful people like yourself helping to inspire the next generation of kids.
I actually sold that tele a couple of weeks after this video for a reasonable price. Not quite what I had in it of course but a fair price nonetheless.
Actually the best guitar players are mentally ill. It's the hobbyist who suck. It's the guy who so mentally ill he puts everything else secondary to his instrument that actually gets good enough to where you want to listen to him play.
market place is a disaster. I just gave the dam stuff away the other day. I relieved myself of the burden of having to care for the gear. They came over and got it. I been trying to sell it for two years had nothing but people waste my time. It was worth it to loose the responsibility. A little sting of pride passed right over me. I feel lighter now.
I did the same recently...clearing out the garage I just listed a bunch of stuff for free. A pile of drums, vintage organs, etc. Gone, no more worries. No regrets.
A guy with too many guitars might consider teaching folks guitar and passing a few instruments to worthy students. There is a huge need for guitar instructors I mean a real instructor that can teach folks a bit of music. I host jams sometimes and I am amazed that when I wave 3 fingers almost no one knows I am telling them a IIIm chord is comming up. Even worse! Heck they don't seem to know what a three chord in whatever key we are in would be!!! They buy, they memorize a bit but never really learn to play.
@@LA-zc9rg Quality is a subjective thang. I have worked 40+ years as a touring player and a zillion years ago I was tech ( luthier isn't the correct term) for Hoshino, C. Bruno and SLM. My main work axe for the last 4 years is an 89$ Grote with 34$ in Artec Alnicos. Nuthin' like out-,playin' a guy using an 89$ Grote. 🎸After a proper set up. They perform beautifully. And they are easy to give away.
I've been flipping instruments ever since the COVID-19 lockdowns' era. It takes patience and to not be i dire need of the money (and the space I guess). I have actually made some little profit, mostly on the low to mid end of the market. Used to do the eBay thing but it really isn't worth it, I prefer Facebook marketplace.
Thanks for sharing your story. I was in a similar situation 6 months ago and decided to reduce my guitars from ten to five. I also have at least one more amp than I need. With patience and perseverance I've sold four guitars locally on Craigslist and Nextdoor. I tried Reverb, FB Marketplace and eBay but didn't sell anything there. Had a few trade offers from FB Marketplace but that's it. I still have a very nice, mint Fender JV Modified 50's Stratocaster that won't sell for whatever reason. Craigslist has a bad reputation in some places but I've always had a good experience with it, except for a few flakes occasionally. Nextdoor is surprisingly good for selling things in my area. I guess it takes patience and a willingness to manage interactions with buyers. I establish a price range from what I'd like to get for an item down to what I'm willing to accept. I start at the higher price and slowly reduce it to the lower one. I have definitely noticed guitars being harder to sell though. I feel your pain.
FBM in Australia, as a buyer 4 out of 5 don't respond to enquiries and I'm not talking lowball offers, I'm talking genuine enquiries... very frustrating
You come to a point where you look at your collection and you think, yes too many guitars, but personally I’m attached to them all. I play live every weekend, I’m lucky and to be honest I only use one or two guitars from my collection for live gigs , the rest I just enjoy playing at home. Mostly buy secondhand especially the ‘named’ guitars, Fender and Gibson, PRS have just priced themselves out of the market tbh. I get more excited about the cheaper brands, I’ll buy those new and I’ve got some amazing guitars with great specs for very little money, Vintage, Jet, Fazely ect. Unfortunately can’t stop buying the cheaper end because such great value for money, I know their resale value is worthless , but that’s not why I buy them. My advice hold to the good stuff , the market will come back hopefully, if not just enjoy them.
Selling is a PITA no doubt. Craigslist is my go to. But nearly always an annoying process. I am trying to keep it in mind every time I’m thinking about buying something new.
I bought guitars for cheap after the Covid situation when people realized they weren’t going to learn. I bought a Fender player Strat and Tele, Epiphone les Paul, SG, and ES339, Squier cv Tele, and Harley Benton CST24 deluxe. I also have a Yamaha FG730, Seagull entourage, and inherited a Martin D18 for acoustics. I have been able to sell guitar quite easily because I bought them cheap at the right time. Surprisingly things have slowed down as much as they have considering the cost of a new guitar. People still want the post-Covid deal but those deals are gone. Amps are a different animal. I stayed out of that mess. The bedroom guitarist isn’t looking for the old high quality tube amps anymore. Not with all of the technologically advanced units out there that can be kept in a drawer. I bought and keep a used Katana 100, a Mustang 50, and a Monoprice 5 watt tube amp. Took minor losses on three other amps that were taking up space. Doesn’t hurt so much if you got for cheap to begin with. I will keep my guitars to give to my children’s children if they take lessons. I didn’t have to spend much money to obtain what I have so I don’t feel the need to sell anything anymore.
There are some LA based used guitar stores that offer for sale, "vintage" or "antique" guitars. Presumably, having been previously played for decades by some famous guitar player for a hefty price, often much expensive than the same guitar when purchased new. Most of these guitars are not refurbished, over used, worn out and old. Yet, they are sold as being "vintage". I quickly walk out of these stores.
New Sub here Dan. I get your plight sir, im from UK and i have a Eastman Juliet and a Tokai love rock for sale on Reverb (collection only) and on a site we use over here called Gumtree. (i am not getting into delivery charge nonsence and i will try to avoid paying reverb anything lol) Selling both to buy my first ever real gibson les paul (a standard or traditional in ice tea burst)...they normally are going for anything between £1400 to £1900 on reverb and i will have to buy used. its definatley a buyers market and not a sellers market for sure. You have some lovely guitars that you are considering selling, dont let them go for low ball offers though, stick with it...if they take a year to sell then so be it. Best regards to you. Wes
Thanks for the comment. Hope you’re able to get the Gibson you want and enjoy it as much as I do mine. I’m fortunate that I don’t really need to sell these guitars…just would like to reduce what I have. If no one will give me what they are worth to me, I would rather keep them and I’m OK with that.
You are spot on about the glut in the used market right now, I buy and sell used guitars regularly, and it has become a rare to find decent buyers lately. The glut of guitars has created a buyers market and now is not the right time to unload your collection. You are doing the right thing by just listing a couple at a time, and then have patience!
I’ve got a couple of guitars listed on Facebook marketplace and Reverb. I set a price for them that I’d be happy to get. If they sell, great. If they don’t, no big deal. I’m not willing to lose anymore on them then I already am. It costs nothing to let them sit on these sites.
Unfortunately, custom upgrades rarely translate into higher resale value. $500 in pickups doesn't raise the price $500. The same is true of cars and many other things, ask any old timer driving around in a muscle car. The reality is if you want it gone you're going to have to let go of what you think it's worth and sell it for what the market is willing to pay. A partscaster is never going to be sought after as anything other than a player's workhorse grabbed on the used market for a good price (cheaper than new). It's a hard truth, but there it is.
I found a locally owned pawn shop that only deals with high end items. They always offer a good enough price that I usually sell it outright to them but if not, they only charge 10% commission to sell for me. I’ve sold at least 10 guitars and 5 amps there this year alone. Maybe there is some place like this near you. Good luck!!
I've had good luck selling on ebay. It was once the go-to platform for used guitars. But there are still millions of people searching there. When my collection gets to 20 guitars, I take them down to GC and get 45% of Reverb price. I'm forever in guitar debt.
You just have to figure out your cost and deduct all the joy and happiness that you have shared with it..., take a deep breath and pass the joy on. If you're selling it to a reseller, get all you can. For me, If it's a relatively new player that might not be able to reach this financially... Maybe you can get a return that feels better than a couple bucks in your pocket. I try to lift up players when I can. But I'm not tryin to give $ away to someone who is just trying to flip it That's just how I rock and roll. ✌🏼😎
I know it's a cliche but the guitars are worth what someone will pay. I see people advertising on marketplace 20 year old second hand made in China/Mexico guitars for hundreds of pounds and i don't know what these people are smoking. If you got a made in USA Fender or Gibson its probably worth a bit, but people got to be realistic with what they got. Take the cost of what it would be brand new and think about starting at half that price. That is more realistic.
I agree. Years ago a good guide for selling would be to expect 2/3 of the new price, but I think since the end of the pandemic all those who bought on a whim, who are now offloading, are expecting way too much, as much as 90 % of new, hence the stagnation.
Early summer there were 330,000guitar listings on Reverb. Now it's 350,000. You would think prices would be dropping but it's maybe 10% of listings that drop. The problem is it's mostly collectors and resellers. Resellers can't afford to drop by much and collectors can afford to just keep it all and leave it to their kids. The kids will sell the lot to resellers for 50% and the rot continues. Most guitars in the market today will never sell. Think about that when pricing your stuff. If you want to sell the time is now, because the market won't improve in the next 5 years. I'll buy 1 more guitar and that's it forever. Maybe I won't.
There are three methods I use. Don’t buy lots if cheap crap that they market is flooded with. That includes even many Gibsons. I bought Heritage when they were cheaper. Buy bargain old guitars that aren’t so popular but are really good. Korean made 90s Epiphones for example. Build a guitar to top notch quality. Make it exactly how you want it. Then you’ll likely keep it. A Fender partscaster can be way better than any Fender.
I started selling guitars/amps/pedals I was not using a few years ago. Only way I was able to get a reasonable price was to sell locally. Market for sellers is so bad that I donated a couple of guitars to a local school music program. One lesson I learned: Do not buy anything based on future resale value. I have only 4 guitars now (down from a dozen). Those remaining are instruments I really like a lot and will keep. Ebay was ok years ago. Not any longer. As noted, shipping cost is insane. It used to be a fun hobby - buying and selling guitars. Those days are gone.
It is really hard to get what you want for stuff, but there's a sucker born every minute. Somebody just like you. Just make the listing hard to refuse.
Like cars, guitars are a liability, not an investment. I never look to make money on a trade b/c I never have. The question becomes, it is worth the loss.
Sold 2 Gibson custom shop Les Paul's on Gumtree in the UK and one Fender custom shop on eBay. You just to wait a price realistically if you want to sell. If you're greedy and want all your money back then you are in for a long wait.
Things are a little economically uncertain in the US at the moment with our upcoming election. I think people are simply holding off on buying anything that isn’t a necessity or that hasn’t been planned. I’m guessing there’s not a lot of impulse buying right now.
@@olddogguitars23 Same here in the UK. However, people who bought impulsively in the recent 'period' when prices were high are now looking to get those same prices back. Not going to happen. If you want to sell, drop the prices.
Same in Ireland. I have a Fullerton G&L, Les Paul Deluxe, Martin D15, Eastman T-386, and Les Paul Special in tv yellow and no one wants to buy them if they're not at stupid low prices. 18 months ago I sold a 60s Les Paul in 3 hours for 90% its retail price. No kidding. Now it wouldn't sell in three months for 70% retail. I'm just going to keep them and relist next year or so
Yeah it's interesting. I actually sold the butterscotch tele shortly after this video but haven't even had any interest in the other items. Not even any lowball offers or ridiculous trade proposals. It seems like things are just too uncertain in the world right now and most people are focusing on necessities.
@@olddogguitars23 Absolutely. Some people are even hoarding food in case of a Middle East or Ukraine escalation. Crazy times. All the more reason to crack open a beer and play guitar! 😄
Sold all of my "expensive" gear a few years ago. Several Les Pauls, a Custom Shop Strat, '61 SG RI, etc. Sold all my amps bigger than 5 watts. Still have a few too many, but none are worth much, and one is a partscaster. They don't eat anything, and everything is paid for. Guess I'll just sit on them.
Guitars are beginning to sell for what they are REALLY worth. Folks who buy but can't really play have driven the market for decades But guys who can't play are beginning to realize that that new guitar with that special neck is not going to make them a guitar player, just a guitar BUYER. And food and shelter are more important than 25 guitars that a guy owns but still looks at me lost when I tell him there is a II chord in the song. 🤔 The market is adjusting to the reality that as a full time musician, my 89$ Grote with 34$ in Alnicos in it will take care of 90%of ALL my guitar needs professionally.
@@rustyshackleford9557 Exactly. At the end of the day these things are wood, magnets, strings, and hardware. This is to take nothing away from the folks that craft them but prices to most people are a bit steep considering it’s a hobby with a steep learning curve and there is much more competition today from other hobbies that are cheaper and easier to learn. Companies need to do a better job making it accessible with better introductory instruments. Then, they can bring people along on the journey to when they are ready and can justify spending the equivalent of at least a couple months rent/mortgage on a premium instrument. Sellers also need to adjust their expectations for used gear. If you got enjoyment out of the guitar and had good memories playing it then you got your money’s worth. Expecting to be made whole selling a used instrument--it isn’t vintage if it doesn’t have a backstory that makes it collectible, proper maintenance, or good playability/resonance/tone-is unreasonable and not the way any other market for used goods works. And you should be buying these things to play, learn to play, and spread joy, not as another alternative investment.
It's definitely a buyer's market right now for some nice guitars and it is flooded.Some guys I know are just hoping it turns around to at least half of the value before selling.I don't see that happening anytime soon.JMO
I'm in the market as a buyer at the moment, so it's a really good market from where I sit.. but I agree with you completely about FB Marketplace. It's terrible as a buyer too. Like you, I don't particularly like dealing with people.. and you run into some real dirtballs there. People, when you're selling something, clean the damn lens on your camera. Maybe set your item where it can actually be seen. Check to be sure the serial number is in focus. And dammit, making you an offer 10 or 15% below your ask isn't insulting, it's a buyer trying to make a deal. 'Price is Firm', 'No', a counter-offer or completely ignoring the offer are all perfectly acceptable responses.
About 10 years ago I watched a vid about the Gibson factory that showed an LP assembly line. I wondered how many people out there have north of $2K to invest in an LP. How many pros and how many guys like, me, just hobbyist players who always wanted one are out there? I guess we’re seeing the answer in the glut of used high end guitars. I’ve not tried to sell any of mine (no time to play) and will gift them to the grandson of a friend who passed away in 2017 and hope he’s interested in learning to play. Guitar is not an instant gratification hobby at all, and we’re an instant gratification culture these days.
Dude, the struggle against instant gratification culture is the very reason I continue to try to play in spite of the difficulty. I realized a few years ago. I generally don’t stick with anything I find difficult and I hate that about myself. Made a commitment to try to stick with this and eventually learned to enjoy it. There’s a cool article on Substack by a guy named Ted Gioia on “dopamine culture” you might find interesting.
@@johnroberts1141I don’t play mine because I’m self employed and take care of a relative to keep her out of a nursing home. If I had 5 frickin’ minutes to myself I’d play. But I don’t have 5 frickin’ minutes to play. My late friend had planned to give her grandson a guitar for graduation because he IS interested in learning. He may have 5 frickin’ minutes to spare. I’ll be gone when he gets it, and if he wants to sell it, it’ll be his to sell. If he was lazy or stupid I’d find another beneficiary. But thanks for the unsolicited advice.
I went through this last year when things were better. I was lucky, sold everything I wasn’t using for the same or more than I paid for it. Big hits on used prices this year. Better to sit on it until it improves, if you can afford to.
@@Bliggick All on eBay, I’m in the UK, I found it the best, and only when there’s an 80% off final value fees offer. That may not be the same in the US. I only sell within the UK. Here, Facebook marketplace is a nightmare, but I hear Reverb is good too but fees are heavy.
@@Bliggick Funny, my reply disappeared. Here it is again. I sold all on eBay, but only when they have an 80% Off final value fees, with free listing offer. That way I maximised my return. I’m in the UK, Facebook marketplace is a nightmare, & Reverb fees are expensive. I’m not a dealer, just sell my own gear.
I'd suggest selling all the stuff you don't need and want; even take a hit pricewise. Then take that money from all the cheap gear and buy yourself something really nice, like a USA or Custom Shop Fender or Gibson. That will hold value should you ever decide selling it + you will most likely love it so much you'll hang on to it forever 🙃
I've sold ,bought, and traded on marketplace. I had 30 plus guitars. I traded 8 of them for a couple les Paul's. That's the best way I have found to get the most out of your gear. Guitar Center or pawnshops are a rip off. Ok to buy from them, not to sell to them.
Oh come on. Of course you're not going to "get what you put in" on any used product, especially a customized "partscaster". Why on Earth would anyone pay "what you put in" when they could build a brand new one exactly the way they want with new parts for the same price?
I travel back and forth from Chicago to Reading, PA about 5 times a year, and stopped at an estate sale near Cranberry PA back in June of 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. I found an old no-name Uke for $2 and a beat-up guitar that looked like a 000-18, It was caked w/ dirt and dust and had a broken tuning peg and I shook a dead dried up mouse and spiders out of it. I almost didn't buy it but was looking for a project since work came to a halt. I handed it off to a friend of mine that was more of a luthier than I ever was, and he came back telling me it was a 1941 00-18. I think I've seen those go for over $15,000 which was amazing! Mine was in worse condition than a lot I would guess. It needs a neck reset, new tuner button, and there was a small hard to see crack just behind the bridge. I put it in my closet for now but will get it restored once i have a few thousand to spend. This summer I decided I wanted the short scale Reverend Billy Corgan Terz guitar, so my wife made me sell my Epiphone Slash LP and Fender Player Mustang if I was getting any replacement guitars. I got DESTROYED on price on Reverb! I was complaining to my wife about it, until she reminded me that I was still way ahead with that old Martin guitar in the closet! Lol! 😆😆
I am terrible at selling guitars and gear. I think I have only sold 2 guitars in 40 years. I do try to restrain myself though, I have only amassed a collection of about 20.
Stopped selling on eBay years ago when the started taking a % of the shipping fee! eBay refused to refund my money after purchasing an obvious counterfeit item despite sending numerous supporting photos comparing to an original. Plus sellers always backing out of the sale for frivolous reasons after auction closes. This NEVER happened in the past, buyers had an obligation to complete their purchase, and sellers were more reputable!
Facebook marketplace is the only place I list my gear on nowadays. I’m done paying for shipping and Ebay fees and PayPal fees and packing up your gear and getting it to your shipping carrier. You might as well give your gear away for the money you actually make after all that BS
A few years ago I ran into a wave of buyers breaking shyt on purpose in order to return cuz all my ads said no returns 😂 I had a couple even admit after the return was taken care of 😂 yeah f reverb/ebay. I downsized during covid. I got two electrics, an acoustic, an electric guitar amp, an acoustic amp, and no pedals. You only need one or two.
Acoustics was a big challenge to get rid of. Fortunately I did get rid of all the ones I wanted to get rid of off Marketplace and Offerup. And thankfully the ones I got from Musician’s friend I was able to return in a 45 day grace period due to playability, not what was expecting for sound or issues with the guitar itself. Sold 4 Yamahas, 1 Washburn, traded one Epiphone at a local guitar store for a Kepma with a rechargeable pickup. And now with that acoustic and 1 Taylor 114ce. I sing and several had to part with bc not sounding right with my voice. As far as my electrics I sold one Epiphone Les Paul I bought new which was my first electric and that one took forever to sell with a good custom case at that. For this one I wrestled with a strong desire to change the pickups until I picked up a MIM Strat and realized how much better it played in my hands and could get sounds out of that my Epi LP couldn’t deliver. And realized then I would have the tinkers remorse after spending new pickups in that guitar that I would never see even half its value. Got a MIM Player HSS Strat and now it’s about to be a Partscaster itself lol. But I feel better about doing that to this one and will be far more worth it in my mind vs the Epi Les Paul. It just seems that the MIM Strat resale and value is far better even with upgrades vs the China Epiphone.
I don't believe the market will ever recover, and the used market is pretty much over, budget guitars and Chinese knockoffs have gotten so good, you can basically get a two hundred dollar guitar,that's every bit as good as a $2500 guitar, with CNC machines pumping out exact specs, quality has exceeded expectations,why buy used when you can get new, with so much gear out here, hundreds of people are in the same boat,done collecting because we know it won't sale now.
@@fgoindarkgName one overseas guitar brand doing that other than high-end Japanese brands. You people are just upset you drank the Fender & Gibson koolaid and you’re paying for it. Literally.
You are absolutely correct CNC machinery has changed the guitar world forever. The Bodies and Necks are as good as they can be. The only thing left is like, do you want heated seats and a heated steering wheel lol.
I bought a 2 budget guitars and for the money they are good. But I'm not into a 12 " neck and basswood ( too heavy) . I went to the music store and they had a 2018 fender player telecaster, butterscotch and 7.5 lbs ...I got it for $350 and one of my budget guitars ‼️ I love it, I feel at home with Fender guitars ‼️ Nice color ‼️👍 Used gear cost as much as new .... so I won't waste money on an overpriced guitar, you can't eat it ( the economy is terrible) .
It is a buyers market! I have bought 3 good guitars for very low prices in the last month. 2 from Market Place and 1 on Ebay. Ebay is good but shipping prices are the deal breaker! I live rural and some great deals get away on Market Place because of the distance to pick it up. There are some upcoming big shows I am going to be going to see what else I can buy to flip in the future when the economy come back?
There are far more instruments than real players. There are far more manufacturers (of legitimate quality nonetheless). New guitars are being built and sold everyday. You cant buy a new made in Mexico and get what you got into it, even if you paid for a good set up on top. Think of any other industry tools for example - resale value not really. Power tools yes but not what you got into them. Automobiles hell no, and think of how much technology and engineering go into them. The problem is on some level the pomp and pretentiousness of the mentality of reselling equipment. Did you get your joy out of it? 95% of all material left in a will the average beneficiary dont want and dont share equal passion, when they sell they wont expect the same value. Those who do really are lucky to get a non sophisticated buyer more likely to be a sucker than enthusiast. Guitars are meant to be played not a product of over consumerism with ideas of grandeur to reap what someone paid 5, 10 ,20 years ago. It aint true vintage let alone collectors items in terms of rarity. There are those that are far more capitalistic that will never agree but its all mostly true. The spirit of music has a soul and that soul is sharing or communal at its best. You could get a kid at the right age turned on and tuned in to stay away from the streets by giving away a guitar. Especially one paid for years ago that the kid cant afford. If you really like the ax all the more reason besides the kid adding the sentimental value of receiving a gift, if he is playing a quality guitar he/she is more likely to continue. Or die off like we will and to dust it will also return like all of us. It might make firewood should a civil war break out, or war on our shores for any reason, including ww3. There are alternatives, i guarantee it wont be going to an afterlife with you. Offer to teach an adult to play and tell them you would like to gift them the guitar and watch them grow in skills. I guess you want money for that though too. You wont be teaching or playing much from the grave. It aint all about money. True value of any used product should literally be 30% of product worth is new unless it is a car or house. Or a rare and sought after item. Average fenders,gibs,name the brand 30% a partscaster or franken any monster less. 🎵
I’ve got 10 different guitars and amps listed currently. I actually sold the butterscotch tele a few days after this video. I’ve had one guy offer to trade something on half the items even though I clearly stated no trades in the descriptions. So frustrating to deal with.
Me to...from WV...but have been pretty successful selling via Reverb...BUT...it has gotten mighty slow in recent months for sure. I'm a Lefty... Buy used as much as possible as it makes selling less 'painful'. fB MP is a huge disappointment with so many 'characters' wasting my time. On the other hand...I've been able to buy my fill of used lefty Telecasters from various makers to mod and enjoy without breaking the bank.
I agree. I remember seeing Ampeg B-15's being stuck at $500 for years. Then they started to approach prices of 59 Bassmans. Even though I have lots of gear, I'm glad this insanity seems to be over
The influx of decent cheap Chinese guitars has ruined the used market for higher quality guitars. You can now buy nice roasted maple real rosewood necks for under $100 or nice birds eye maple for the same. Slap them on a nice Chinese body with decent pickups and locking tuners and you can build a very good guitar under $400 easy. The market has certainly changed !
Does anyone selling used equipment care that their potential buyers cant sell what they buy off you for what you want or what they would pay someone for it.
Your Telecaster sounds really good & I enjoyed your playing. I’d estimate that 99+% of millions of guitars are gathering dust right now. We Americans have lotsa paper money so, we gather guitars and like with everything else we bought, want to buy, or decide to sell it’s always this thing we have about the best. Jimi said in response to “you’re so famous people have said who do you think is the greatest guitarist..” and he said “I’m the greatest guitar player sitting in this chair”.. and by extension I think that applies to the guitar as well.
I dunno...I just sold a guitar for more than I paid for it a few years ago. And six months ago I sold an amp for more than I paid for it. Seems like the market is just correcting (kinda like housing) after a historic bubble of price increases.
Well, first, no doubt it IS a buyer’s market these days. I find nothing of a high ticket is moving. If things are priced right (and I’m talking abut REALLY inexpensively) you’ll have better luck. But, going in, you knew that you’d never get out of the the guitars what you put into them, especially the partscaster, that’s just the deal, and you self-describe as “I hate dealing with people.” So….I hear ya, and I get it. FB Marketplace and CL are (to paraphrase the late, great Gallagher) like “living in a bowl of granola: what ain’t fruits and nuts, is flakes.”. And that’s what I’ve found. I’d be interested in that TELE, but not without playing it first, which, obviously, is a great drawback of selling on line. Not much to be said about it, it is what it is. Hang in there, and enjoy them while you have them, and hopefully it will pick up at some point.
If my chosen hobby was golf or travelling I’d expect it to cost me. When times are hard I’d budget accordingly. Collecting and playing guitar is no different IMHO.
All the companies make good entry level Guitars now at bargain prices so markets for used Guitars unless desirable for certain reasons has just evaporated. A rebuild Guitar of various parts various models probably has small market interest at best. You might actually make more money selling it as parts.
15 years ago partscaster would/could make a profit due to the cost of materials.. now the material cost is equivalent to a pre made fender already.. sometimes (most) the partscaster are more expensive. Anything custom made is usually a loss, it’s rare to make profit etc from it. MP is a joke full of scammers
The pandemic was the best time to sell but NO I held on to my almost 90 guitars. Some people buy entire collections. I hate that the web sites now charge taxes which is wrong imo for used guitars. A 2000.00 guitar ends up being 160.00 in taxes plus 80.00 shipping which is taxed by the shipper and taxed by the web site. Double dipping mo foes ! Add another 10% for the web site and you lose out close to 400.00 ,,,,,,,,Government Greed. Maybe better to set up a tent at a festival and sell I just don't know anymore ! Yes I gave some out to family members and honest people who really want to learn. This subject is touching, Thanks for the video.
I made the same mistake.. I don't have 90 guitars but I have 10 or so that I should have sold during the pandemic.. I'm just gonna hang on to them now.. Maybe one day they will be worth something again..
I look through Ebay entries here in the UK in disbelief as to what some people ask for total junk guitars labeled as " Vintage " . I remember some of the models from my youth that were unplayable pieces of firewood that you could hardly give away now selling for £100's. Sad part is some mugs out there actually buy this rubbish thinking because it's vintage will be a better instrument , budget guitars back then were crap as opposed to today's budget instruments which are a thousand times better. Only way you should pay big money for a guitar is hand made by a respected luthier , not the overpriced Gibson / Fender stuff whose quality started going down the pan years ago.
Guitars are just nice to look at even if you are not playing, to answer your question if you are trying to sell you will not get the money you are asking. I know that vintage Guitars attracts collectors and the money is their. Rock on brother ❤.
I had a few really good years sourcing Guitars locally and them selling on eBay and reverb. Then the market just died. And postal rates went from $28 to $65. But it’s really the whole musical instrument market. The bottom has just Fallon out. Younger people are just not interested.
Love the market!!! It is a "Buyer's Paradise!!!" Been a Geetar Broker for over 4 decades. The Geetar Gorilla will not allow me to sell anything, I swear!!! He has me trapped and addicted to G.A.S. & the terminally G.A.S. Pedal which there is no cure for. I am Doomed!!! 🎸🎸🎸✌🏽
Good show my buddy....Marketplace is defo the worst, if i use it i add a bit of sarcasm, i put asking $350, reserve at $325.00, that will keep out the low ballers!!!
It is a strange time here in the Uk I can sell cheap Harley Bentons on ebay and not make too much of a loss. A mint 2019 Fender Player Strat with toneriders has been on for the past 4 weeks and nothing even though its nearly £300 cheaper than list price for a new player. Very odd . As has been mentioned great time to buy but not to sell
I've thought of donating everything I've collected as I get older to a couple Animal Shelters I support and letting them sell them. Donating to good causes always a great idea.
Collapsed? Eh prices are still up. Most people aren’t realistic about what they’re selling. Good gear at the right $$ moves! If it’s low to mid level import gear good luck. That stuff is a dime a dozen and available everywhere but unfortunately too many sellers have high expectations. Partscasters ARE always a loser. Better off keeping it or parting it out. Quality high end gear is a different story, it holds up better especially if you bought it right in the first place. Moral…. Don’t buy what you don’t need and buy one quality high end piece over multiple low mid priced imports. Oh and buy used / lightly used in the first place. Let the original owner take the “new price” hit.
The used guitar market was inflated do to covid supply shortage and everyone looking for something to do while isolate. Like everything else it got way to inflated for what things used to cost. Yes, trying to use FH & even Craigslist is a hassle to deal with scammers and douche bags.
We're still getting over the 'Covid bump', but yeah with partscasters you're probably better off actually selling the parts on ebay. Sold a $500 guitar the other day, and it was $120 to ship, argh.
If you notice, alot of those sellers will list a very low price on the item and a high ship rate........it's a marketing ploy to make you notice their ad.
I have and have had great guitars, physically unable to play them for 2 years..I've practically given away a LP CUSTOM '83, as well as a Gibson SG'jr...Had to, and I still have a PRS CUSTOM 24, 25th anniversary on hand, 57Strat, reissue, early 50's Telecaster reissue..plus a kick around Squire Jaguar...Fender Champ, Orange Crush "still boxed since 2017, and a small Blackstar amp..Can't use anything presently at 70 yrs old, but who knows. Regardless, no way I will get even close to original price, let alone what they are worth 😢 We are in a deep hole brother 💯 🙏 ✝️
Quality gear retains its value. Cry once and you're done. Tom Anderson guitar works, PRS custom, Suhr guitars and amps. It's sad that it cost so much for a well made guitar. It's not like it used to be at all!. Fender inc do the worst amp builds in amplifier history, even their custom shop hand wired amps have no benefit. Never buy amps and guitars online unless you know what it is. They mark it up to the moon. A 5000.00 Les Paul can be had 3100.00. Gibson has flooded the market with Les Paul standards that are not much better than their sheity Epiphones. I looked at a new Les Paul Junior today. The neck was concave on one side and humped on the other side. 1700.00 POS. They take advantage of ignorance and always keep you on a tone search. Failure is designed into their cheap sheit. CNC & SMT only benefits them. Most Modern Pedal are SMT $12 builds, you pay 199.00 Jeremial 17:9 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. Take what you can get or donate to a teen that really has his eyes on guitar like you did.
Ludicrous 48 - 36 month interest free deals have completely flooded the market. I started playing in the early 80’s. Back then a nice guitar was something special that you searched long and hard for, worked and saved up for, and paid for up front. Or, at best had a 30 day layaway. Those insanely liberal GC return policies didn’t help matters too.
I LOVE “Those insanely liberal GC return policies….”. They’ve kept me in HEAVEN, and have allowed me to isolate and really scrutinize what works for me…
@@chrispage2782 I’m sure you do. I had a friend who loved it so much he never bought a single thing. He just kept abusing the policy until they black listed him. Btw, he was warned his return’s were becoming excessive. His MO was to buy online and to avoid being detected he would return the items to different stores all over the state. Sometimes driving hours and hours just to cover his tracks. Plus it was more than just trying things out, he would use the gear on gigs sometimes during the whole 30 day exchange window. Then dump it off. He would even use the same gear over and over until he became bored of it. Personally I thought it wasn’t a good display of character, but to each their own. Anyways I stand by my original statement that these ludicrous policies have hurt the secondary market. It has obviously hurt these stores too. Eventually GC will go the way of Sam Ash. It’s inevitable.
Logic says; everything use can’t get back the value of put together right ? I’ve been there. If you use 800 on put together you can’t get back the 800 if used. I like the guitar and I’m in the hunt for a good teli
Market's flooded with boat guitars. They're pumping guitars out of Indonesia and China. Plus, guitars aren't like cars. They don't end up in the scrap yard. They just get stuck in a closet. Is there much difference between a guitar that was made 50 years ago and today? Gibson limits production on high end guitars, keeping the demand and prices high. Maybe this is the future for American guitar manufacturers. Another thing, the guitar collections have gotten ridiculous. I'm guilty of this too. Prices for American made guitars are pretty much in line with what they were back in the 50s and 60s factoring in inflation over the last 6 to 7 decades. Used to be, you saved up and bought that primo guitar, amp and played the hell out of them. Now, we have dozens of guitars and amps. Moral of the story is we're lucky to be Americans and have the ability to have and spend our funny money on guitars and amps. God Bless the USA!
I’m in the same boat,five electric guitars, two acoustics , a couple bass’s, three good tube amps, lots of other miscellaneous,,,I’m 59, I’ve bought and sold lots of stuff, I can tell you that I have always broke even, even made money buying and selling high end used guitars, but I can also tell you that I wish I never sold any of them! Haha, miss them all
It’s great for buyers but unless you have a nice studio dedicated to hanging up your collection and playing, it becomes a hot mess real quick. I am trying to downsize to a Strat, Tele, a humbucker and a Bass. Oh,and of course I need an acoustic and a classical. 😂. It never ends. So many great deals now if you’re buying.
Not going to lie, I just literally started into this. I've had a guitar sitting in my closet that was gifted to me 20 years ago. Finally said screw it and decided to learn to play. It is an acoustic though and thought I would start on electric as everyone keeps saying that is easier. I saw some nice guitars i like, but for me there is no way I am going to spending whole paychecks on a single item. Not since the majority of brands make a lot of their stuff in countries like China who just remake them as their own brands for a lot less money. I mean is a $1K+ guitar that much more valuable to me as a new player over a $100 guitar? Nope. If I stick with it, I will probably pick up a couple of cheap guitars. I don't care about brand names. If it plays, looks good, and doesn't hurt my wallet that is all I care about. If I pick up a $100 guitar in the future that I don't like or use, I have problem getting half of what I paid for it or even less. Heck, i wouldn't mind if I donated it later to a kid that can't afford a $100 guitar but want to play. That is how i see it. I'll never see myself as a collector of these things.
It’s only terrible if you’re selling. It’s great if you’re buying!
Yeah Im a player and finally can find good deals on gear. If they want to make money I suggest stocks or precious metals.
@@sole__doubt 😂😂
That’s the thing with buying stuff and making it “better”. You are removing the value and replacing it with similar value, so that $300 neck means nothing because it’s part of the guitar, not separate. I have 20 guitars I bought and upgraded and I can’t sell them because they won’t be worth what I paid for them Before I upgraded them. The only option is to find people you like or love, and gift them the guitars, so they won’t have to spend that much money getting one. The problem with old men is that they are so grumpy that we usually don’t have many people left because we don’t like anyone.
These kids are too preoccupied with electronics,gaming,and social media to have rime to master an instrument.many are not capable of the social skills beyond texting to get a band together.i have 2 boys 10 &13. I took the oldest son's phone away and he has improved 30% and is sitting in with my band now and taken up mandolin and uke.all these gadgets are changing the market muscle cars of the 60s 70s80s are next.young Gen does not want nor appreciate them.they want new.testosterone levels are at an all time low so egos are down too.both have an effect as many young men don't want to be #1 I see it at football practice too when running 90 % of the team doesn't care if they are last.when I played even the 2 overweight guys ran to the end now 8% walk in I cannot believe my eyes.many things are going to drop in price.the times they are a changin
Only if you must sell because of financial trouble. Patients to sell
I donate guitars to music education charities for kids from families that can’t afford instruments and from school districts that don’t support music education. I value the space more than having many guitars. I don’t regret buying any of them because that is basically the only way to try guitars and see if they are keepers. I just accept that taking a haircut is the cost of doing business and as long as I’m not spending exorbitant amounts of money I can afford to do this. Frankly, the hassle of selling them is more expensive than the value of my time. It’s a little different with U.S. made guitars and I’m a little bit more deliberate in my decision-making so that I’m prepared to swallow the cost and hold onto them. I also don’t think that the used market is that bad, it’s just that people have unrealistic expectations about the value of their instruments when new instruments with warranties and without blemishes and play-wear only cost a little more. There is a disconnect between to what people think used guitars and amps are worth compared to other goods. For instance, it is expected that when you drive a new car off the lot that you automatically take a 20% haircut to its value. Yet some reason guitar players expect to get 90% of the value of what they paid for an instrument in spite of the fact that companies continue to keep making new ones. Unless you have something that’s really special, in some super desirable finish/color, rare configuration, or in tip top shape it is not reasonable to expect top dollar for used gear, especially when prices have gone up so much in the past five years that used guitars now go for new guitar prices before the pandemic. Guitars are a luxury and not a necessity. With inflation taking a bite out of everyone’s disposable income don’t expect consumers to be willing to foot higher prices for a nice-to-have-hobby over more important necessities.
This is the way. I've been trying to mod and donate one every year around the holidays to donate to either music programs or a kid who needs a guitar.
I salute 🫡 u. This dude should have ur same attitude, but most boomers r selfish
@@chevy4x466 Thank you sir. Just trying to what little part I can play in passing along the good fortune to which I have been blessed with in the hope that it can become a good example for others to follow. As the saying goes, if generosity is contagious, let’s create an epidemic!😉
@@randrothify I have 2 kids, 16, & 13. Both play music. I have done my share purchasing equipment and lessons. Both r in school band.
During Covid a nice couple who was retiring posted a piano, a nice Baldwin , we have played a lot. My youngest, we pay for piano lessons weekly. He plays percussion in his band. Well, last summer I bought my son a 4 piece pearl drum kit that was very nice. When he realized the set was going to a youngster pursuing music, he gave me a killer deal on the ride, crash and high hat.
There r a lot of wonderful people like yourself helping to inspire the next generation of kids.
@@chevy4x466Thank you sir. That’s exactly why I do it.
Only way to sell a Partscaster is to part it out and sell each part individually.
I actually sold that tele a couple of weeks after this video for a reasonable price. Not quite what I had in it of course but a fair price nonetheless.
Unfortunately, I haven’t even gotten offers on any of my other items I have listed. I’ve had a few trade offers, but no cash offers.
THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN A HOBBY
AND A MENTAL ILLNESS 🤔😂🤣🤤
Actually the best guitar players are mentally ill. It's the hobbyist who suck. It's the guy who so mentally ill he puts everything else secondary to his instrument that actually gets good enough to where you want to listen to him play.
@@BumPetty D.M.O.A.
Anarchy In The Colony 🤔😂
@@BumPettytrue
market place is a disaster. I just gave the dam stuff away the other day. I relieved myself of the burden of having to care for the gear. They came over and got it. I been trying to sell it for two years had nothing but people waste my time. It was worth it to loose the responsibility. A little sting of pride passed right over me. I feel lighter now.
I did the same recently...clearing out the garage I just listed a bunch of stuff for free. A pile of drums, vintage organs, etc. Gone, no more worries. No regrets.
A guy with too many guitars might consider teaching folks guitar and passing a few instruments to worthy students.
There is a huge need for guitar instructors
I mean a real instructor that can teach folks a bit of music.
I host jams sometimes and I am amazed that when I wave 3 fingers almost no one knows I am telling them a IIIm chord is comming up.
Even worse! Heck they don't seem to know what a three chord in whatever key we are in would be!!!
They buy, they memorize a bit but never really learn to play.
Most like garbage low level gear. No one is giving away quality gear.
@@LA-zc9rg Quality is a subjective thang.
I have worked 40+ years as a touring player and a zillion years ago I was tech ( luthier isn't the correct term) for Hoshino, C. Bruno and SLM.
My main work axe for the last 4 years is an 89$ Grote with 34$ in Artec Alnicos.
Nuthin' like out-,playin' a guy using an 89$ Grote. 🎸After a proper set up. They perform beautifully. And they are easy to give away.
@@rustyshackleford9557 You can't teach if you can't play. Too many "guitarists" are just collectors and gear heads.
Can't sell anything, too many listed, local guitar center won't even take consignments, they got guitars stacked in storage in the back room.
Exactly, Guitar Center will not buy any lower end guitars. I am stuck with a bunch.
Take away all the Chinese and Indonesian stuff from your local store and they have about six REAL guitars for sale.
Guitar market has collapsed. Just keep em and enjoy em.
It hasn’t collapsed, I’ve been buying trading selling gear for 40 years. It’s the same as its alway been. Buying gear “right” has always been the key.
@@LA-zc9rg even Gibson although selling have gotten cheaper. There are too many on the market
@@LA-zc9rgTotally agree, buy clean unmolested gear and it only appreciates in value. 👍
No it doesn't lol @@1999zrx1100
I've been flipping instruments ever since the COVID-19 lockdowns' era. It takes patience and to not be i dire need of the money (and the space I guess). I have actually made some little profit, mostly on the low to mid end of the market. Used to do the eBay thing but it really isn't worth it, I prefer Facebook marketplace.
That was my idea too but I ended up getting smoking deals on good/great equipment and I still have all of it. 17 guitars and 8 Fender tube amps.
Thanks for sharing your story. I was in a similar situation 6 months ago and decided to reduce my guitars from ten to five. I also have at least one more amp than I need. With patience and perseverance I've sold four guitars locally on Craigslist and Nextdoor. I tried Reverb, FB Marketplace and eBay but didn't sell anything there. Had a few trade offers from FB Marketplace but that's it. I still have a very nice, mint Fender JV Modified 50's Stratocaster that won't sell for whatever reason. Craigslist has a bad reputation in some places but I've always had a good experience with it, except for a few flakes occasionally. Nextdoor is surprisingly good for selling things in my area. I guess it takes patience and a willingness to manage interactions with buyers. I establish a price range from what I'd like to get for an item down to what I'm willing to accept. I start at the higher price and slowly reduce it to the lower one. I have definitely noticed guitars being harder to sell though. I feel your pain.
FBM in Australia, as a buyer 4 out of 5 don't respond to enquiries and I'm not talking lowball offers, I'm talking genuine enquiries... very frustrating
Don't sell partscaster. Give it to a person who will benefit from it. Preferably a family member.
Most people OVER value their gear, and UNDER value anyone else's gear.
You come to a point where you look at your collection and you think, yes too many guitars, but personally I’m attached to them all. I play live every weekend, I’m lucky and to be honest I only use one or two guitars from my collection for live gigs , the rest I just enjoy playing at home. Mostly buy secondhand especially the ‘named’ guitars, Fender and Gibson, PRS have just priced themselves out of the market tbh. I get more excited about the cheaper brands, I’ll buy those new and I’ve got some amazing guitars with great specs for very little money, Vintage, Jet, Fazely ect. Unfortunately can’t stop buying the cheaper end because such great value for money, I know their resale value is worthless , but that’s not why I buy them. My advice hold to the good stuff , the market will come back hopefully, if not just enjoy them.
Selling is a PITA no doubt. Craigslist is my go to. But nearly always an annoying process.
I am trying to keep it in mind every time I’m thinking about buying something new.
I saw a video recommendation that stated there are 30 million new guitars in storage at manufacturer wharehouses. Good times to be a new player.
I bought guitars for cheap after the Covid situation when people realized they weren’t going to learn. I bought a Fender player Strat and Tele, Epiphone les Paul, SG, and ES339, Squier cv Tele, and Harley Benton CST24 deluxe. I also have a Yamaha FG730, Seagull entourage, and inherited a Martin D18 for acoustics. I have been able to sell guitar quite easily because I bought them cheap at the right time. Surprisingly things have slowed down as much as they have considering the cost of a new guitar. People still want the post-Covid deal but those deals are gone. Amps are a different animal. I stayed out of that mess. The bedroom guitarist isn’t looking for the old high quality tube amps anymore. Not with all of the technologically advanced units out there that can be kept in a drawer. I bought and keep a used Katana 100, a Mustang 50, and a Monoprice 5 watt tube amp. Took minor losses on three other amps that were taking up space. Doesn’t hurt so much if you got for cheap to begin with. I will keep my guitars to give to my children’s children if they take lessons. I didn’t have to spend much money to obtain what I have so I don’t feel the need to sell anything anymore.
There are some LA based used guitar stores that offer for sale, "vintage" or "antique" guitars. Presumably, having been previously played for decades by some famous guitar player for a hefty price, often much expensive than the same guitar when purchased new. Most of these guitars are not refurbished, over used, worn out and old. Yet, they are sold as being "vintage". I quickly walk out of these stores.
New Sub here Dan.
I get your plight sir, im from UK and i have a Eastman Juliet and a Tokai love rock for sale on Reverb (collection only) and on a site we use over here called Gumtree.
(i am not getting into delivery charge nonsence and i will try to avoid paying reverb anything lol)
Selling both to buy my first ever real gibson les paul (a standard or traditional in ice tea burst)...they normally are going for anything between £1400 to £1900 on reverb and i will have to buy used.
its definatley a buyers market and not a sellers market for sure.
You have some lovely guitars that you are considering selling, dont let them go for low ball offers though, stick with it...if they take a year to sell then so be it.
Best regards to you.
Wes
Thanks for the comment. Hope you’re able to get the Gibson you want and enjoy it as much as I do mine. I’m fortunate that I don’t really need to sell these guitars…just would like to reduce what I have. If no one will give me what they are worth to me, I would rather keep them and I’m OK with that.
@@olddogguitars23 best way I agree Dan, I have had to thin the herd myself
You are spot on about the glut in the used market right now, I buy and sell used guitars regularly, and it has become a rare to find decent buyers lately. The glut of guitars has created a buyers market and now is not the right time to unload your collection. You are doing the right thing by just listing a couple at a time, and then have patience!
I’ve got a couple of guitars listed on Facebook marketplace and Reverb. I set a price for them that I’d be happy to get. If they sell, great. If they don’t, no big deal. I’m not willing to lose anymore on them then I already am. It costs nothing to let them sit on these sites.
Unfortunately, custom upgrades rarely translate into higher resale value. $500 in pickups doesn't raise the price $500. The same is true of cars and many other things, ask any old timer driving around in a muscle car. The reality is if you want it gone you're going to have to let go of what you think it's worth and sell it for what the market is willing to pay. A partscaster is never going to be sought after as anything other than a player's workhorse grabbed on the used market for a good price (cheaper than new). It's a hard truth, but there it is.
I found a locally owned pawn shop that only deals with high end items. They always offer a good enough price that I usually sell it outright to them but if not, they only charge 10% commission to sell for me. I’ve sold at least 10 guitars and 5 amps there this year alone. Maybe there is some place like this near you. Good luck!!
That sounds like a great deal. It’s worth at least 10% for me, not to have to deal with the buyers directly lol.
@@olddogguitars23 that was totally my thinking too!!
I've had good luck selling on ebay. It was once the go-to platform for used guitars. But there are still millions of people searching there. When my collection gets to 20 guitars, I take them down to GC and get 45% of Reverb price. I'm forever in guitar debt.
Exactly. I am with you.
three on a match! I am stuck with a bunch of acoustics.
Buyers market
You just have to figure out your cost and deduct all the joy and happiness that you have shared with it..., take a deep breath and pass the joy on. If you're selling it to a reseller, get all you can. For me, If it's a relatively new player that might not be able to reach this financially... Maybe you can get a return that feels better than a couple bucks in your pocket. I try to lift up players when I can. But I'm not tryin to give $ away to someone who is just trying to flip it
That's just how I rock and roll. ✌🏼😎
There's no World where building parts casters for profit is a thing. (Not a profitable thing anyways)
Nope. You have to disassemble them and part them out and be VERY patient during that process.
There’s not much profit in much of anything these days…
I know it's a cliche but the guitars are worth what someone will pay. I see people advertising on marketplace 20 year old second hand made in China/Mexico guitars for hundreds of pounds and i don't know what these people are smoking. If you got a made in USA Fender or Gibson its probably worth a bit, but people got to be realistic with what they got. Take the cost of what it would be brand new and think about starting at half that price. That is more realistic.
I agree. Years ago a good guide for selling would be to expect 2/3 of the new price, but I think since the end of the pandemic all those who bought on a whim, who are now offloading, are expecting way too much, as much as 90 % of new, hence the stagnation.
Early summer there were 330,000guitar listings on Reverb. Now it's 350,000.
You would think prices would be dropping but it's maybe 10% of listings that drop.
The problem is it's mostly collectors and resellers. Resellers can't afford to drop by much and collectors can afford to just keep it all and leave it to their kids. The kids will sell the lot to resellers for 50% and the rot continues.
Most guitars in the market today will never sell. Think about that when pricing your stuff. If you want to sell the time is now, because the market won't improve in the next 5 years. I'll buy 1 more guitar and that's it forever. Maybe I won't.
There are three methods I use. Don’t buy lots if cheap crap that they market is flooded with. That includes even many Gibsons. I bought Heritage when they were cheaper.
Buy bargain old guitars that aren’t so popular but are really good. Korean made 90s Epiphones for example.
Build a guitar to top notch quality. Make it exactly how you want it. Then you’ll likely keep it. A Fender partscaster can be way better than any Fender.
I started selling guitars/amps/pedals I was not using a few years ago. Only way I was able to get a reasonable price was to sell locally. Market for sellers is so bad that I donated a couple of guitars to a local school music program. One lesson I learned: Do not buy anything based on future resale value. I have only 4 guitars now (down from a dozen). Those remaining are instruments I really like a lot and will keep. Ebay was ok years ago. Not any longer. As noted, shipping cost is insane. It used to be a fun hobby - buying and selling guitars. Those days are gone.
Moral of the story, don’t buy crappy guitars on impulse and don’t ever expect MIM partscasters to be worth a damn thing.
It is really hard to get what you want for stuff, but there's a sucker born every minute. Somebody just like you. Just make the listing hard to refuse.
Like cars, guitars are a liability, not an investment. I never look to make money on a trade b/c I never have. The question becomes, it is worth the loss.
Sold 2 Gibson custom shop Les Paul's on Gumtree in the UK and one Fender custom shop on eBay. You just to wait a price realistically if you want to sell. If you're greedy and want all your money back then you are in for a long wait.
Things are a little economically uncertain in the US at the moment with our upcoming election. I think people are simply holding off on buying anything that isn’t a necessity or that hasn’t been planned. I’m guessing there’s not a lot of impulse buying right now.
@@olddogguitars23 Same here in the UK. However, people who bought impulsively in the recent 'period' when prices were high are now looking to get those same prices back. Not going to happen. If you want to sell, drop the prices.
I have never once heard a guitarist mention politics when deciding whether or not to purchade a guitar.
Same in Ireland. I have a Fullerton G&L, Les Paul Deluxe, Martin D15, Eastman T-386, and Les Paul Special in tv yellow and no one wants to buy them if they're not at stupid low prices. 18 months ago I sold a 60s Les Paul in 3 hours for 90% its retail price. No kidding. Now it wouldn't sell in three months for 70% retail. I'm just going to keep them and relist next year or so
Yeah it's interesting. I actually sold the butterscotch tele shortly after this video but haven't even had any interest in the other items. Not even any lowball offers or ridiculous trade proposals. It seems like things are just too uncertain in the world right now and most people are focusing on necessities.
@@olddogguitars23 Absolutely. Some people are even hoarding food in case of a Middle East or Ukraine escalation. Crazy times. All the more reason to crack open a beer and play guitar! 😄
@@teodelnorte I’ll drink to that
Sold all of my "expensive" gear a few years ago. Several Les Pauls, a Custom Shop Strat, '61 SG RI, etc. Sold all my amps bigger than 5 watts.
Still have a few too many, but none are worth much, and one is a partscaster.
They don't eat anything, and everything is paid for. Guess I'll just sit on them.
Guitars are beginning to sell for what they are REALLY worth.
Folks who buy but can't really play have driven the market for decades
But guys who can't play are beginning to realize that that new guitar with that special neck is not going to make them a guitar player, just a guitar BUYER.
And food and shelter are more important than 25 guitars that a guy owns but still looks at me lost when I tell him there is a II chord in the song. 🤔
The market is adjusting to the reality that as a full time musician, my 89$ Grote with 34$ in Alnicos in it will take care of 90%of ALL my guitar needs professionally.
Collectors and gear heads have pushed to market to greatly inflated prices. That game is over.
@@rustyshackleford9557 Exactly. At the end of the day these things are wood, magnets, strings, and hardware. This is to take nothing away from the folks that craft them but prices to most people are a bit steep considering it’s a hobby with a steep learning curve and there is much more competition today from other hobbies that are cheaper and easier to learn. Companies need to do a better job making it accessible with better introductory instruments. Then, they can bring people along on the journey to when they are ready and can justify spending the equivalent of at least a couple months rent/mortgage on a premium instrument. Sellers also need to adjust their expectations for used gear. If you got enjoyment out of the guitar and had good memories playing it then you got your money’s worth. Expecting to be made whole selling a used instrument--it isn’t vintage if it doesn’t have a backstory that makes it collectible, proper maintenance, or good playability/resonance/tone-is unreasonable and not the way any other market for used goods works. And you should be buying these things to play, learn to play, and spread joy, not as another alternative investment.
It's definitely a buyer's market right now for some nice guitars and it is flooded.Some guys I know are just hoping it turns around to at least half of the value before selling.I don't see that happening anytime soon.JMO
Buyers are all dead. No one cares about guitars anymore.
I'm in the market as a buyer at the moment, so it's a really good market from where I sit.. but I agree with you completely about FB Marketplace. It's terrible as a buyer too. Like you, I don't particularly like dealing with people.. and you run into some real dirtballs there. People, when you're selling something, clean the damn lens on your camera. Maybe set your item where it can actually be seen. Check to be sure the serial number is in focus. And dammit, making you an offer 10 or 15% below your ask isn't insulting, it's a buyer trying to make a deal. 'Price is Firm', 'No', a counter-offer or completely ignoring the offer are all perfectly acceptable responses.
About 10 years ago I watched a vid about the Gibson factory that showed an LP assembly line. I wondered how many people out there have north of $2K to invest in an LP. How many pros and how many guys like, me, just hobbyist players who always wanted one are out there? I guess we’re seeing the answer in the glut of used high end guitars. I’ve not tried to sell any of mine (no time to play) and will gift them to the grandson of a friend who passed away in 2017 and hope he’s interested in learning to play. Guitar is not an instant gratification hobby at all, and we’re an instant gratification culture these days.
Dude, the struggle against instant gratification culture is the very reason I continue to try to play in spite of the difficulty. I realized a few years ago. I generally don’t stick with anything I find difficult and I hate that about myself. Made a commitment to try to stick with this and eventually learned to enjoy it.
There’s a cool article on Substack by a guy named Ted Gioia on “dopamine culture” you might find interesting.
Don't give a guitar to anyone who is not interested in playing. They won't play it, just like you don't play it.
@@johnroberts1141I don’t play mine because I’m self employed and take care of a relative to keep her out of a nursing home. If I had 5 frickin’ minutes to myself I’d play. But I don’t have 5 frickin’ minutes to play. My late friend had planned to give her grandson a guitar for graduation because he IS interested in learning. He may have 5 frickin’ minutes to spare. I’ll be gone when he gets it, and if he wants to sell it, it’ll be his to sell. If he was lazy or stupid I’d find another beneficiary. But thanks for the unsolicited advice.
I went through this last year when things were better. I was lucky, sold everything I wasn’t using for the same or more than I paid for it. Big hits on used prices this year. Better to sit on it until it improves, if you can afford to.
How did you sell your gear?
@@Bliggick All on eBay, I’m in the UK, I found it the best, and only when there’s an 80% off final value fees offer. That may not be the same in the US. I only sell within the UK. Here, Facebook marketplace is a nightmare, but I hear Reverb is good too but fees are heavy.
@@Bliggick Funny, my reply disappeared. Here it is again. I sold all on eBay, but only when they have an 80% Off final value fees, with free listing offer. That way I maximised my return. I’m in the UK, Facebook marketplace is a nightmare, & Reverb fees are expensive. I’m not a dealer, just sell my own gear.
@@denbodg9311 Thanks.
I'd suggest selling all the stuff you don't need and want; even take a hit pricewise.
Then take that money from all the cheap gear and buy yourself something really nice, like a USA or Custom Shop Fender or Gibson.
That will hold value should you ever decide selling it + you will most likely love it so much you'll hang on to it forever 🙃
I've sold ,bought, and traded on marketplace. I had 30 plus guitars. I traded 8 of them for a couple les Paul's. That's the best way I have found to get the most out of your gear. Guitar Center or pawnshops are a rip off. Ok to buy from them, not to sell to them.
Oh come on. Of course you're not going to "get what you put in" on any used product, especially a customized "partscaster". Why on Earth would anyone pay "what you put in" when they could build a brand new one exactly the way they want with new parts for the same price?
I travel back and forth from Chicago to Reading, PA about 5 times a year, and stopped at an estate sale near Cranberry PA back in June of 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. I found an old no-name Uke for $2 and a beat-up guitar that looked like a 000-18, It was caked w/ dirt and dust and had a broken tuning peg and I shook a dead dried up mouse and spiders out of it. I almost didn't buy it but was looking for a project since work came to a halt. I handed it off to a friend of mine that was more of a luthier than I ever was, and he came back telling me it was a 1941 00-18. I think I've seen those go for over $15,000 which was amazing! Mine was in worse condition than a lot I would guess. It needs a neck reset, new tuner button, and there was a small hard to see crack just behind the bridge. I put it in my closet for now but will get it restored once i have a few thousand to spend. This summer I decided I wanted the short scale Reverend Billy Corgan Terz guitar, so my wife made me sell my Epiphone Slash LP and Fender Player Mustang if I was getting any replacement guitars. I got DESTROYED on price on Reverb! I was complaining to my wife about it, until she reminded me that I was still way ahead with that old Martin guitar in the closet! Lol! 😆😆
I am terrible at selling guitars and gear. I think I have only sold 2 guitars in 40 years. I do try to restrain myself though, I have only amassed a collection of about 20.
Two points really: 1: Don’t alter a guitar- immediate issue on re sell and 2: Parts is a fun thing but not a business.
Stopped selling on eBay years ago when the started taking a % of the shipping fee! eBay refused to refund my money after purchasing an obvious counterfeit item despite sending numerous supporting photos comparing to an original. Plus sellers always backing out of the sale for frivolous reasons after auction closes. This NEVER happened in the past, buyers had an obligation to complete their purchase, and sellers were more reputable!
If you need a tax deduction you could donate some of it to a school. Check with your CPA.
Facebook marketplace is the only place I list my gear on nowadays. I’m done paying for shipping and Ebay fees and PayPal fees and packing up your gear and getting it to your shipping carrier. You might as well give your gear away for the money you actually make after all that BS
Truth about Ebay…what a joke….
A few years ago I ran into a wave of buyers breaking shyt on purpose in order to return cuz all my ads said no returns 😂 I had a couple even admit after the return was taken care of 😂 yeah f reverb/ebay. I downsized during covid. I got two electrics, an acoustic, an electric guitar amp, an acoustic amp, and no pedals. You only need one or two.
First world problems...
Acoustics was a big challenge to get rid of. Fortunately I did get rid of all the ones I wanted to get rid of off Marketplace and Offerup. And thankfully the ones I got from Musician’s friend I was able to return in a 45 day grace period due to playability, not what was expecting for sound or issues with the guitar itself. Sold 4 Yamahas, 1 Washburn, traded one Epiphone at a local guitar store for a Kepma with a rechargeable pickup. And now with that acoustic and 1 Taylor 114ce. I sing and several had to part with bc not sounding right with my voice. As far as my electrics I sold one Epiphone Les Paul I bought new which was my first electric and that one took forever to sell with a good custom case at that. For this one I wrestled with a strong desire to change the pickups until I picked up a MIM Strat and realized how much better it played in my hands and could get sounds out of that my Epi LP couldn’t deliver. And realized then I would have the tinkers remorse after spending new pickups in that guitar that I would never see even half its value. Got a MIM Player HSS Strat and now it’s about to be a Partscaster itself lol. But I feel better about doing that to this one and will be far more worth it in my mind vs the Epi Les Paul. It just seems that the MIM Strat resale and value is far better even with upgrades vs the China Epiphone.
I don't believe the market will ever recover, and the used market is pretty much over, budget guitars and Chinese knockoffs have gotten so good, you can basically get a two hundred dollar guitar,that's every bit as good as a $2500 guitar, with CNC machines pumping out exact specs, quality has exceeded expectations,why buy used when you can get new, with so much gear out here, hundreds of people are in the same boat,done collecting because we know it won't sale now.
The Chinese are now asking over $2000 for those $200 guitars.
@@fgoindarkgName one overseas guitar brand doing that other than high-end Japanese brands. You people are just upset you drank the Fender & Gibson koolaid and you’re paying for it. Literally.
You are absolutely correct
CNC machinery has changed the guitar world forever.
The Bodies and Necks are as good as they can be.
The only thing left is like, do you want heated seats and a heated steering wheel lol.
I feel your pain! I have a top of the line, Esteban and the guy at Guitar Center laughed at me when I brought it in.
I didn’t know there WAS a “top of the line Esteban” 😂😂😂
haha maybe if you throw in the Estaban mask and tutorial vide?
I just hope you are taken A piss here bud, but either way F'ing Hilarious
Humor ark ark 😂
I bought a 2 budget guitars and for the money they are good. But I'm not into a 12 " neck and basswood ( too heavy) . I went to the music store and they had a 2018 fender player telecaster, butterscotch and 7.5 lbs ...I got it for $350 and one of my budget guitars ‼️ I love it, I feel at home with Fender guitars ‼️
Nice color ‼️👍
Used gear cost as much as new .... so I won't waste money on an overpriced guitar, you can't eat it ( the economy is terrible) .
When we had yard sales , my mom sold stuff real cheap and at the end of the day, mom had a wad of money ‼️
It is a buyers market! I have bought 3 good guitars for very low prices in the last month. 2 from Market Place and 1 on Ebay. Ebay is good but shipping prices are the deal breaker! I live rural and some great deals get away on Market Place because of the distance to pick it up. There are some upcoming big shows I am going to be going to see what else I can buy to flip in the future when the economy come back?
There are far more instruments than real players. There are far more manufacturers (of legitimate quality nonetheless). New guitars are being built and sold everyday. You cant buy a new made in Mexico and get what you got into it, even if you paid for a good set up on top. Think of any other industry tools for example - resale value not really. Power tools yes but not what you got into them. Automobiles hell no, and think of how much technology and engineering go into them. The problem is on some level the pomp and pretentiousness of the mentality of reselling equipment. Did you get your joy out of it? 95% of all material left in a will the average beneficiary dont want and dont share equal passion, when they sell they wont expect the same value. Those who do really are lucky to get a non sophisticated buyer more likely to be a sucker than enthusiast. Guitars are meant to be played not a product of over consumerism with ideas of grandeur to reap what someone paid 5, 10 ,20 years ago. It aint true vintage let alone collectors items in terms of rarity. There are those that are far more capitalistic that will never agree but its all mostly true. The spirit of music has a soul and that soul is sharing or communal at its best. You could get a kid at the right age turned on and tuned in to stay away from the streets by giving away a guitar. Especially one paid for years ago that the kid cant afford. If you really like the ax all the more reason besides the kid adding the sentimental value of receiving a gift, if he is playing a quality guitar he/she is more likely to continue. Or die off like we will and to dust it will also return like all of us. It might make firewood should a civil war break out, or war on our shores for any reason, including ww3. There are alternatives, i guarantee it wont be going to an afterlife with you. Offer to teach an adult to play and tell them you would like to gift them the guitar and watch them grow in skills. I guess you want money for that though too. You wont be teaching or playing much from the grave. It aint all about money. True value of any used product should literally be 30% of product worth is new unless it is a car or house. Or a rare and sought after item. Average fenders,gibs,name the brand 30% a partscaster or franken any monster less. 🎵
I live in West virginia and I have a terrible time selling anything, I just donate. Good luck, Ebay is turning to china
I’ve got 10 different guitars and amps listed currently. I actually sold the butterscotch tele a few days after this video. I’ve had one guy offer to trade something on half the items even though I clearly stated no trades in the descriptions. So frustrating to deal with.
Me to...from WV...but have been pretty successful selling via Reverb...BUT...it has gotten mighty slow in recent months for sure. I'm a Lefty... Buy used as much as possible as it makes selling less 'painful'. fB MP is a huge disappointment with so many 'characters' wasting my time. On the other hand...I've been able to buy my fill of used lefty Telecasters from various makers to mod and enjoy without breaking the bank.
Terrible? The prices finally are where they are supposed to be.
I agree. I remember seeing Ampeg B-15's being stuck at $500 for years. Then they started to approach prices of 59 Bassmans. Even though I have lots of gear, I'm glad this insanity seems to be over
Prices are still way too high, covid bubble high. Collectors are not healthy people. Their egos are bound up in the "value" of their stuff.
"it's not the having it's the getting". Elizabeth Taylor.
The influx of decent cheap Chinese guitars has ruined the used market for higher quality guitars. You can now buy nice roasted maple real rosewood necks for under $100 or nice birds eye maple for the same. Slap them on a nice Chinese body with decent pickups and locking tuners and you can build a very good guitar under $400 easy. The market has certainly changed !
■■■...what is the name of your used instrument store?
Usually, the only people who respond to ads are people looking to flip things for a profit.
Does anyone selling used equipment care that their potential buyers cant sell what they buy off you for what you want or what they would pay someone for it.
Your Telecaster sounds really good & I enjoyed your playing. I’d estimate that 99+% of millions of guitars are gathering dust right now. We Americans have lotsa paper money so, we gather guitars and like with everything else we bought, want to buy, or decide to sell it’s always this thing we have about the best. Jimi said in response to “you’re so famous people have said who do you think is the greatest guitarist..” and he said “I’m the greatest guitar player sitting in this chair”.. and by extension I think that applies to the guitar as well.
I have a 6-string acoustic, a 12-string acoustic, a 6-string electric and a bass. Why do I need more than that?
this is nature way of punishing you for your unchecked gas
I dunno...I just sold a guitar for more than I paid for it a few years ago. And six months ago I sold an amp for more than I paid for it. Seems like the market is just correcting (kinda like housing) after a historic bubble of price increases.
Well, first, no doubt it IS a buyer’s market these days. I find nothing of a high ticket is moving. If things are priced right (and I’m talking abut REALLY inexpensively) you’ll have better luck. But, going in, you knew that you’d never get out of the the guitars what you put into them, especially the partscaster, that’s just the deal, and you self-describe as “I hate dealing with people.” So….I hear ya, and I get it. FB Marketplace and CL are (to paraphrase the late, great Gallagher) like “living in a bowl of granola: what ain’t fruits and nuts, is flakes.”. And that’s what I’ve found. I’d be interested in that TELE, but not without playing it first, which, obviously, is a great drawback of selling on line. Not much to be said about it, it is what it is. Hang in there, and enjoy them while you have them, and hopefully it will pick up at some point.
If my chosen hobby was golf or travelling I’d expect it to cost me. When times are hard I’d budget accordingly. Collecting and playing guitar is no different IMHO.
Heard, I have more guitars and amps then I have fingers but I play them and and I enjoy the heck out of it, so whats the problem
All the companies make good entry level Guitars now at bargain prices so markets for used Guitars unless desirable for certain reasons has just evaporated. A rebuild Guitar of various parts various models probably has small market interest at best. You might actually make more money selling it as parts.
15 years ago partscaster would/could make a profit due to the cost of materials.. now the material cost is equivalent to a pre made fender already.. sometimes (most) the partscaster are more expensive. Anything custom made is usually a loss, it’s rare to make profit etc from it. MP is a joke full of scammers
The pandemic was the best time to sell but NO I held on to my almost 90 guitars. Some people buy entire collections. I hate that the web sites now charge taxes which is wrong imo for used guitars. A 2000.00 guitar ends up being 160.00 in taxes plus 80.00 shipping which is taxed by the shipper and taxed by the web site. Double dipping mo foes ! Add another 10% for the web site and you lose out close to 400.00 ,,,,,,,,Government Greed. Maybe better to set up a tent at a festival and sell I just don't know anymore ! Yes I gave some out to family members and honest people who really want to learn. This subject is touching, Thanks for the video.
I made the same mistake.. I don't have 90 guitars but I have 10 or so that I should have sold during the pandemic.. I'm just gonna hang on to them now.. Maybe one day they will be worth something again..
My Facebook marketplace is swamped with used guitars. Great prices too.
Take away all the Chinese and Indonesian stuff ... about six REAL guitars for sale.
I look through Ebay entries here in the UK in disbelief as to what some people ask for total junk guitars labeled as " Vintage " . I remember some of the models from my youth that were unplayable pieces of firewood that you could hardly give away now selling for £100's. Sad part is some mugs out there actually buy this rubbish thinking because it's vintage will be a better instrument , budget guitars back then were crap as opposed to today's budget instruments which are a thousand times better. Only way you should pay big money for a guitar is hand made by a respected luthier , not the overpriced Gibson / Fender stuff whose quality started going down the pan years ago.
Guitarist buying guitars, used guitar, China guitar ,and guitars , the price of 5 cheap guitars you got one good guitar
Guitars are just nice to look at even if you are not playing, to answer your question if you are trying to sell you will not get the money you are asking. I know that vintage Guitars attracts collectors and the money is their.
Rock on brother ❤.
I had a few really good years sourcing Guitars locally and them selling on eBay and reverb. Then the market just died. And postal rates went from $28 to $65. But it’s really the whole musical instrument market. The bottom has just Fallon out. Younger people are just not interested.
Love the market!!! It is a "Buyer's Paradise!!!" Been a Geetar Broker for over 4 decades. The Geetar Gorilla will not allow me to sell anything, I swear!!! He has me trapped and addicted to G.A.S. & the terminally G.A.S. Pedal which there is no cure for. I am Doomed!!! 🎸🎸🎸✌🏽
Good show my buddy....Marketplace is defo the worst, if i use it i add a bit of sarcasm, i put asking $350, reserve at $325.00, that will keep out the low ballers!!!
I wouldn’t mind a nice Tele like that one.
It is a strange time here in the Uk I can sell cheap Harley Bentons on ebay and not make too much of a loss. A mint 2019 Fender Player Strat with toneriders has been on for the past 4 weeks and nothing even though its nearly £300 cheaper than list price for a new player. Very odd . As has been mentioned great time to buy but not to sell
If you can afford it consider giving some of it to a young prodigy. Alternatively you can reverse the part casters and part them out.
I've thought of donating everything I've collected as I get older to a couple Animal Shelters I support and letting them sell them. Donating to good causes always a great idea.
This is the way
Heck Yes as I age I plan to give away 80% of what I have and keep on the stuff I cherish the most
Mediocre gear = mediocre prices.
Agreed I am not seeing pro gear for pennies on the dollar
Collapsed? Eh prices are still up. Most people aren’t realistic about what they’re selling. Good gear at the right $$ moves!
If it’s low to mid level import gear good luck. That stuff is a dime a dozen and available everywhere but unfortunately too many sellers have high expectations. Partscasters ARE always a loser. Better off keeping it or parting it out.
Quality high end gear is a different story, it holds up better especially if you bought it right in the first place.
Moral…. Don’t buy what you don’t need and buy one quality high end piece over multiple low mid priced imports. Oh and buy used / lightly used in the first place. Let the original owner take the “new price” hit.
The used guitar market was inflated do to covid supply shortage and everyone looking for something to do while isolate. Like everything else it got way to inflated for what things used to cost. Yes, trying to use FH & even Craigslist is a hassle to deal with scammers and douche bags.
We're still getting over the 'Covid bump', but yeah with partscasters you're probably better off actually selling the parts on ebay. Sold a $500 guitar the other day, and it was $120 to ship, argh.
Totally agree! With shipping and Ebay commission...it is like how much money have your lost today!
Ebay has some insanely high shipping rates now along with reverb.
If you notice, alot of those sellers will list a very low price on the item and a high ship rate........it's a marketing ploy to make you notice their ad.
I have and have had great guitars, physically unable to play them for 2 years..I've practically given away a LP CUSTOM '83, as well as a Gibson SG'jr...Had to, and I still have a PRS CUSTOM 24, 25th anniversary on hand, 57Strat, reissue, early 50's Telecaster reissue..plus a kick around Squire Jaguar...Fender Champ, Orange Crush "still boxed since 2017, and a small Blackstar amp..Can't use anything presently at 70 yrs old, but who knows. Regardless, no way I will get even close to original price, let alone what they are worth 😢 We are in a deep hole brother 💯 🙏 ✝️
The Gibson SG'jr was 50 yrs old, but not gold when it was time to unload😢
Quality gear retains its value. Cry once and you're done. Tom Anderson guitar works, PRS custom, Suhr guitars and amps. It's sad that it cost so much for a well made guitar. It's not like it used to be at all!. Fender inc do the worst amp builds in amplifier history, even their custom shop hand wired amps have no benefit. Never buy amps and guitars online unless you know what it is. They mark it up to the moon. A 5000.00 Les Paul can be had 3100.00. Gibson has flooded the market with Les Paul standards that are not much better than their sheity Epiphones. I looked at a new Les Paul Junior today. The neck was concave on one side and humped on the other side. 1700.00 POS. They take advantage of ignorance and always keep you on a tone search. Failure is designed into their cheap sheit. CNC & SMT only benefits them. Most Modern Pedal are SMT $12 builds, you pay 199.00 Jeremial 17:9 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it.
Take what you can get or donate to a teen that really has his eyes on guitar like you did.
Lessons learned. Enough never seems to be enough, they always want more then they want it all.
That’s why I bought ten.
Ludicrous 48 - 36 month interest free deals have completely flooded the market. I started playing in the early 80’s. Back then a nice guitar was something special that you searched long and hard for, worked and saved up for, and paid for up front. Or, at best had a 30 day layaway. Those insanely liberal GC return policies didn’t help matters too.
I LOVE “Those insanely liberal GC return policies….”. They’ve kept me in HEAVEN, and have allowed me to isolate and really scrutinize what works for me…
@@chrispage2782 I’m sure you do. I had a friend who loved it so much he never bought a single thing. He just kept abusing the policy until they black listed him. Btw, he was warned his return’s were becoming excessive. His MO was to buy online and to avoid being detected he would return the items to different stores all over the state. Sometimes driving hours and hours just to cover his tracks. Plus it was more than just trying things out, he would use the gear on gigs sometimes during the whole 30 day exchange window. Then dump it off. He would even use the same gear over and over until he became bored of it. Personally I thought it wasn’t a good display of character, but to each their own. Anyways I stand by my original statement that these ludicrous policies have hurt the secondary market. It has obviously hurt these stores too. Eventually GC will go the way of Sam Ash. It’s inevitable.
Logic says; everything use can’t get back the value of put together right ? I’ve been there. If you use 800 on put together you can’t get back the 800 if used. I like the guitar and I’m in the hunt for a good teli
Market's flooded with boat guitars. They're pumping guitars out of Indonesia and China. Plus, guitars aren't like cars. They don't end up in the scrap yard. They just get stuck in a closet. Is there much difference between a guitar that was made 50 years ago and today?
Gibson limits production on high end guitars, keeping the demand and prices high. Maybe this is the future for American guitar manufacturers. Another thing, the guitar collections have gotten ridiculous. I'm guilty of this too. Prices for American made guitars are pretty much in line with what they were back in the 50s and 60s factoring in inflation over the last 6 to 7 decades. Used to be, you saved up and bought that primo guitar, amp and played the hell out of them. Now, we have dozens of guitars and amps. Moral of the story is we're lucky to be Americans and have the ability to have and spend our funny money on guitars and amps. God Bless the USA!
I’m in the same boat,five electric guitars, two acoustics , a couple bass’s, three good tube amps, lots of other miscellaneous,,,I’m 59, I’ve bought and sold lots of stuff, I can tell you that I have always broke even, even made money buying and selling high end used guitars, but I can also tell you that I wish I never sold any of them! Haha, miss them all
It’s great for buyers but unless you have a nice studio dedicated to hanging up your collection and playing, it becomes a hot mess real quick. I am trying to downsize to a Strat, Tele, a humbucker and a Bass. Oh,and of course I need an acoustic and a classical. 😂. It never ends. So many great deals now if you’re buying.
I don't buy anything I don't plan on keeping but I only buy vintage guitars and gear
Not going to lie, I just literally started into this. I've had a guitar sitting in my closet that was gifted to me 20 years ago. Finally said screw it and decided to learn to play. It is an acoustic though and thought I would start on electric as everyone keeps saying that is easier. I saw some nice guitars i like, but for me there is no way I am going to spending whole paychecks on a single item. Not since the majority of brands make a lot of their stuff in countries like China who just remake them as their own brands for a lot less money. I mean is a $1K+ guitar that much more valuable to me as a new player over a $100 guitar? Nope. If I stick with it, I will probably pick up a couple of cheap guitars. I don't care about brand names. If it plays, looks good, and doesn't hurt my wallet that is all I care about. If I pick up a $100 guitar in the future that I don't like or use, I have problem getting half of what I paid for it or even less. Heck, i wouldn't mind if I donated it later to a kid that can't afford a $100 guitar but want to play. That is how i see it. I'll never see myself as a collector of these things.
Almost all Fenders are "parts" guitars by design. Whats the Les Paul studio? Im looking for one!
I'm not finding many in my immediate area willing to sell any good guitars cheap, especially not anything that may be a good financial investment