When trading gear

[skatalite]

How do you decide on value? Do you trade by retail sell value, by used "eBay" sell value or something else?

[justinbass]

I hope this has nothing to do with your visit to GC. Never ever trade in gear there. You'll get peanuts compared to eBay.

 

Market value is set somewhere between eBay, craigslist, talkbass and Guitar Center, depending on the item. You have to take into consideration with whom you are trading the item, and where the deal was started.

[rpsands]

Between half and 3/4 of new value, unless it's in crappy shape or otherwise a piece of crap somehow.

 

Second the: sell it on craigslist or ebay for cash, then take your cash to GC.

 

What GC does is decide what they can sell your gear for (e.g. bottom of the barrel used price, usually 1/2 of the new price) then offer you half of that. You can work them up to 2/3 to 3/4 of that if you are good and they're desperate.

 

Generally what they will do is offer to bring the price of the item you are trading for down rather than offer you more for the item you are trading in. The trick here is they would drop that much off the cost anyway, so it's not really doing you a favor.

 

Say you had a 1001RBII used and wanted to trade up to a 2001RBII (@ 1500 street price or so). Your 1001RBII probably sold for 650-699 new at GC, so they figure they can sell it for 300-400 used, and so they'll offer you 200-250 bucks for it.

 

Then they'll offer to drop the price on the 2001 to 1250, which they would do anyway, and with your 200-250 bucks for you, you walk with the 2001RB @ 1000 bucks + your amp.

 

Now, realistically, they are going to try to pimp your 10001RB for 600 bucks used, and will probably wind up selling it for 450-500 bucks, and they woulda come down to 1250 on the 2001RB already anyway.

 

So, if you just craigslist/ebay the 1001RB for 400 bucks, it'll sell in about a New York Minute, you go in waving 1250 cash for your new 2001, and you walk in short order (and probably with some freebies, if you're good).

 

Basically, bottom line is, they are going to try to take you to the cleaners, no two ways about it. Always sell it yourself if it's a remotely salable item.

[dragon9666]

How much would you pay for it?

Whats it cost new?

I poke around on ebay to see what my stuff is worth.

[mike fitzwell]

You're really talking about my old G&L, aren't you?

[skatalite]

You're really talking about my old G&L, aren't you?

 

:eek:No ways. I promise I won't get rid of it. It's mine til I die (or my kid needs braces or something insane).

 

I was just asking because I trade/sell trading cards online. I usually trade by sell value (usually eBay value) although there are official price guides for cards. I was wondering how people determine values for used gear when trading.

[motoreyes]

I'm sure this has been said already but I check on ebay, craigslist, etc. to get an idea of the "going" rate on almost anything of value. Ultimately, the worth of something is what you receive for it. Never trade anything in.

[mlwarriner]

if i got it new, i try to work deals for something that was about the same price new. if i got it used, i work deals for what i gave for it used.

 

that said, i'm the guy who (over time) turned a modded essex p/j into a music man sterling and a G&L L-2500. i can only remember once that i traded down, and that was this weekend. but. the bass i flipped had been sitting in the corner of my living room for 5 months, unplayed.