Selling Instruments: Is There A Formula For This PITA?

[knockwood]

Man, I hate the idea of selling a guitar. Not that I'm worried about missing the thing. It's just the potential - and guaranteed -headaches. Things about selling that piss me off or make me anxious or both:

 

1) How the hell do I price the thing?

2) Will the buyer be an anal, idiosyncratic lunatic who will find microscopic flaws to bitch about after he receives the git?

3) Will the buyer be a crook who will somehow suck money back out of my PayPal account after he receives the git and then post pics of my erstwhile 000 shot on an unmade motel room bed for a Florida Craigslist ad?

4) #2

5) #1 (Exactly how bad should I be taking it up the a**, price-wise? Is it just gut? If it's gut, I'm screwed. I have absolutely the worst buy-high, sell-low instincts ever)

 

Whale, Hud: How do you do this crap all the time and make it seem so easy?

 

mini-spam: going to put my 000-16RGT up in the HC for sale joint, i think

[Cripes]

I can't reassure you or remove the gut-wrenching-nightmare you've painted but I wil tell you what I've done.

 

Complete and utter honesty, in detail, will win the day - or at least be your starting point. When I sell an instrument - 8 in the last 2 years - I take the absolute best detailed photos my camera is capable of. There will be imperfections and the smallest blems imaginable that I will describe in the ad text also stating that I tried to capture them in the pics but the (million mega-pixel) camera would not pick them up due to their small size. Then, I price it over the top and put the word "negotiable" in the ad. The buyer wants your git.

 

If I know the person I will give them the opportunity to have and hold to be sure before they take their vows. If they decide against the buy, they pay the freight back and I wait to receive the instrument back in the same condition it left before I buy it back. That is how I transact with folks I know - like forumites I feel pretty sure about. Otherwise, the deal is transacted - period. The buyer is usually a serious person to pony up that kind of money so your prefessionalism in completely describing the guit's blems is of utmost importance.

 

As far as pricing, figure what you want and pad it a bit for negotiating. Can you take a 50-100.00 hit to close? If the guit is blem-free you should get your asking price. If not, don't be gun-shy of haggling. You don't need to sell the thing and that just might come out in your communications with the prospective buyer.

[knockwood]

Thanks, Scripes. Excellent advice, all of it.

[learn'r]

wished ya didn't sell it. I have sold a couple this year and regret one of them. It's the down the road regrets I'm thinking of when you say you are letting it go.

 

Wish you luck though. If I had the bucks, I might have made an offer. I would know it was a cared for guit.

[recordingtrack1]

I am understanding how you feel. I have my Tele posted on the HC for sale forum. Everytime I get an email with questions about it, it kind of creeps me out. Mainly because everybody is afraid you're trying to rip them off.

 

Geeeez!!!!

 

RT1:freak:

[Hudman]

I prefer Ebay.

 

I research the completed listings before setting my selling price goal. I also look to see what the high sellers did well and what the low sellers (or no sellers) did wrong.

 

I always describe my items as honest as possible. I usually include 8 - 12 pictures. Another tip is picking the best time to start your auction. Do it during prime time. Many people make the mistake of starting their auctions at 3:00 AM. That means it will end at 3:00 AM. Very few people are on Ebay at 3:00 AM.

 

I have 176 transactions recorded with a 99.4 % rating. I have 1 negative rating. It was from a nut that bought a $8.00 CD from me. Immediate payment was due at the close of the auction. I sent him a nice email reminding him to pay me several days later. He went nuts. Big deal. I don't sweat the small stuff.

 

Here's a list off the top of my head of guitars I sold on Ebay with no problems:

 

Peavey EVH Wolfgang (my first Ebay transaction)

Seagull S6

Carvin Bolt (Strat copy)

Gibson J-185

Washburn WD56SW

Ibanez SZ320

2004 Fender American Series HSS Strat

Larrivee L-03

Alvarez RD20S

2006 Fender Jimmie Vaughan Strat

 

Every customer was extremely happy.

[knockwood]

Learn'r,

Thanks for the kind words, man. I'd keep everything I've ever bought, if I could. Not that it's all perfect, but there is invariably at least some element I end up missing.

 

RT,

Yes! It's the whole dance that I find unnerving. This awful "Man, I hope this guy knows I'm not trying to screw anybody over" / "Man, I hope this guy isn't trying to screw me over" kabuki {censored} that has me just holding my breath and spazzing until the whole thing is over...

[recordingtrack1]

EXACTLY the words I was trying to say! Makes me feel kind of greasy.

 

[Hudman]

 

Learn'r, RT, Yes! It's the whole dance that I find unnerving. This awful "Man, I hope this guy knows I'm not trying to screw anybody over" / "Man, I hope this guy isn't trying to screw me over" kabuki {censored} that has me just holding my breath and spazzing until the whole thing is over...

 

 

I never feel that way. I feel like I am giving them a good deal on a well taken care of guitar, set up and ready to play well out of the box.

 

It starts with an honest description of the guitar. I list every flaw (pick marks, small dings, etc.).

[riffmeister]

I've sold 12 guitars in the last 10 years. It's always been a PITA. I made money on 2 and lost money on the rest. 3 guitars were sold on consignment, the rest I sold myself, 1 of which was on ebay. I've always provided a very detailed description, taken lots of pictures, and packed the guitar very well when it was shipped. The only payment I will accept is a cashier's check. So far, everything has worked out well (except for the figure in my bank account!)........knock wood!

 

 

 

.

[Dan Hall]

OK Knock:

As you know, I just sold two guitars to finance last months guitar (Heritage H-535) and get started on my Jeff Sigurdson custom. I bought the ES-135 off Ebay for $750 shipped, got $870 plus shipping for it. I bought the Les Paul Deluxe for $1325 shipped, sold it for $1300 plus shipping.

 

Photographs are the most important part of any Ebay transaction. I'm a 168 with 100% positive. Do not use Ebay's posting of pictures. They are too small and lack resolution. You can't see poop in them. Host your pictures on Tinypic or Photobucket or someplace, 1024X768. On the ebay listing software you can select self host for pictures. The first one posted should be a frontal shot with side lighting, no flash! and tripod held if you got one. If you don't have a tripod get a cheapy, really, all of your pictures will be much clearer. Clear pictures make happy bidders. Everything Cripes said about anal presentation is vitally important. If you kind of follow this formula it can be a rewarding experience and you can make money off Ebay.

 

Price the thing according to a search of completed ebay transactions. Try a high reserve price and a low first bid price so that bidders can get their feet wet. If you are still not sure of what reserve price to use, think of a percentage of what the lowest Internet price for a new one. This will pull them out of the wood work. Go to the store you bought the Hog from and get some guitar boxes and offer FREE SHIPPING, but add $50 to your price. The bidder just doesn't want any unknowns. Don't have a handling fee. If it doesn't sell the first 7 days, lower the reserve, or TELL them the reserve in the listing description. If somebody writes you asking a question, answer as truthfully as possible and then tell them you hope they get the guitar because they sound like a nice guy. Everything positive. Don't lie or conceal anything. Tell them why you're dumping the guitar. (I've got another spruce top I like better, I'm weird and change guitars like most people change underpants, just bought a new 000-15S and something's got to go etc.)

 

I've done pretty well over the years and averaged out have made money by the methods enumerated above.

 

Now that I've re read your post I see that absolutely none of this is germain to your question other than pricing. Just do the completed auctions on Ebay for you're model of git.

 

YMMV

Dan

[knockwood]

Thanks again, fellers.

 

Dan,

Extremely helpful. Tips I'd never have thought up on my own. Thank you. There is no way in hell I will ever actually make money on a used git sale - making money is just not part of my constitution - but I'm fine with that provided I don't get murderized.

 

"Be honest..."

 

"The thing is, see, it's not really a whole guitar. It's a guitar neck. But it was once part of a really sweet guitar. Well, actually it is only the fretboard... but it plays like buttah, particularly on account of having no frets or strings to get in the way... But did I say 'fretboard'? Sorry. What it is, see, is an abalone position dot. But it reminds me of the guitar..."

 

[recordingtrack1]

PITA = Pain in the ass

 

Man, I'm slow!!!!

 

RT:D

[Cldplytkmn]

 

PITA = Pain in the ass Man, I'm slow!!!! RT:D

 

 

were you wanting a thread about gyros?

[Whalebot]

Knock,

Step one: Even if you aren't going to sell on the dreaded 'bay, go there and do an advanced search, in the options choose only completed auctions, in this case for a Martin 000-16RGT. Check out the prices that sold and take an average. That should be what people are willing to pay for the guitar. Usually FK says 50% of list.

Step B: It's always a PITA. It's just what we suffer through to get to that next git.

Step III (With a Vengence) I sold several guiatrs for more than I paid for them on EBay, EBay will help you get a great sale price, usually not the best place for a knowledgeable player to get a highe end git though. It'll cost ya.

[recordingtrack1]

Well Clydp, I don't know what that means either? You know, it was only a couple of weeks ago that I finally figured out what PUI meant. I just thought that Whale, JT, and a few others were crazy. I'm a lot more tolerant and understanding now. I need to go to the bookstore and find a book on Internet Lingo for Dummies.

 

RT:D

[Cldplytkmn]

 

mmm makes me hungry... btw... pronounced yee-ro...

 

even beyond internet lingo, this place has its own language sometimes...

[knockwood]

btw... pronounced yee-ro...

 

 

In NY, the Greeks have given up trying to combat dip{censored} American pronunciation, so they just call 'em J

[Cripes]

Man, I love Gyros. Now I'm all hungry. You're right though, Knock. Some places that sell them give you a blank stare when you pronounce the word correctly. Then again, I went to a real Italian eatery once and sat in the foyer well past what I thought was reasonable only to learn that they had paged me several times. I just didn't know the correct pronunciation of my (Italian) last name (Doo-Fuss).

[Cldplytkmn]

there's this guy from chicago who moved here and opened two little gyro joints... its called Niro's Gyros... so of course everyone calles it NYro's GYro's... it is hard to combat, even my friends... they don't understand that you'd never want to put "Nero" on your signage...