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Gibson not retaining its value....


Crisco

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Some people say the market is currently depressed. I think it's just the new reality. So many staples have gone up in the past couple of years (groceries, gasoline, health care, insurance, property taxes, etc.) that people just don't have the extra disposable income they once did. I don't see things changing for the better either.

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My Gibson SG is worth $599 in trade
. The guitar cost $1199 last year.

I can't even seem to unload it locally for $850.

This is a sick joke

I'm not laughing.


Seems my Epiphone days are slowly coming back

as I don't think I'm ever going to sink high dollars on a Gibson again.


the big
BS
slapped me right in the face.



UPDATE:

Done cryin the blues. Thanks for your answers they are most helpful

 

"In trade" at Guitar Center?

 

 

Well Duh.................. :lol:

 

 

 

$700 - $800 on Craigslist which is about 70% - 80% of what you paid for it, which is not too bad..............

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Just didn't know that would apply to a Gibson instrument ..

I thought they were immune.

 

Nope, just like any other brand they will depreciate in value where supply exceeds demand.

 

If its any consolation, my gibson is worth 5 times more than I bought it for 4 years ago :wave:

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On the other hand, you spend over $1000 on something you don't even want, and you're looking for sympathy?

 

 

I know, this makes no sense to me. Dont buy stuff you plan on selling and these problems never arise. Seems this is pretty common as the number one thing people look for in a guitar is resale value. I wouldnt even consider resale value.

 

funny that its some how a bad thing that I can buy a used Gibson at a great price. Something seems backwards. I buy guitars to play not to invest in or collect dust or sell to buy more guitars.

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If it makes you feel any better, just for S&Gs I asked what GC would give me for my 2005 limited LP standard. I paid almost $3k for it, they offered me $750. It's almost like pawning, though maybe a little better. They're gonna offer you around half of what they can sell it for to recover the cost of keeping it in the store and turning a hefty profit.

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The last gibson i bought new was my 40th annaversary model Les Paul.

There were only 300 made and it sold for $1400 new with tax.

Thay are selling between $2500 and $3500 used now. I think theres a bigger

demand for Pauls over SG's but it still comes down to whats going on in the

economy. Unemployments high and those who have jobs are clinging to their

guns and and any cash they may have stashed. People arent going out to see bands

so musicians are out of work. Musicians arent buying allot of gear because they cant

afford it.

 

I dont see any major trend till after they vote on this health care bill and after

this election. If theres a regeme change then companies will pull the cash back to the US

they have stashed off shore and start growing their business and hiring people.

 

In the mean time, I been buying select items that are selling for low prices

and may go up in value when this recession finally breaks.

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My ex-wife used to work at a Toyota dealership. At that time (and maybe still), Toyotas were known for smallish profit margins on the new sales. But "certified pre-owned" and anything on the used lot tended to account for almost all of the business' overhead funding, including sales managers. Lots of money to be made by gouging the desperate. Buy low, sell high, I guess.

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I don't know why folks try to make the argument that more expensive brands hold their value better. The fact of the matter is a guitar in demand holds its value better than a guitar not in demand. You can do your own research very easily on eBay. The vast majority of boutique high dollar stuff sells at a significant lose as the vast majority of consumers are unfamiliar with the brand. The cast majority of instruments produced in mass quantities sell at a significant lose as the market is flooded with them. The instruments which hold their value are those with some name brand recognition for which the demand is greater than the supply. I've sold a Douglas and SX guitar at 90% of their new value while seeing many big name high dollar stuff go for more the 60% to 75% range. Its all in the timing...

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Trading in will never get you the best value. Selling outright is the way to go in most cases.


And, as others have said, it's not a great time to sell used instruments.

 

 

And it ain't getting any better. The market is flooded and new production ain't slowing down. Unless you've got something unique, prepare to take a lose.

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That's the way it is, especially these days with the economy still recovering slowly. I don't think it has much to do with Gibson.

 

I sold a four guitars last year: A USA made 57 reissue for about what I paid (I bought it used), a parts tele for a little more than I paid, a '92 Jackson Dinky reverse for half what I paid back in '92 (it badly needed a refret), and a National Tricone Resonator for about 2/3rds what I paid. I actually feel pretty good, because I rarely played those guitars, and I used the money to buy a custom built Suhr I expect to play every day. :) Things are only worth what people will pay, and trying to sell things you bought new is rarely a money-making proposition.

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How is the economy recovering, exactly????????

 

 

Without getting too political, you should look at the economic factors over the past 12 months. Everything is up. That doesn't mean that there aren't people still suffering, but as a whole the economy is recovering, albeit at a slow rate. Here's a good place to start: http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/0622_metro_monitor.aspx

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How in the hell is it worth $599? I have NEVER seen an SG Standard go for less than $750 where I live in the SF Bay Area. Either you live in the middle of bum-f*ck nowhere, or someone is straight up trying to rip you off. I'm going to assume that is the "trade-in" value that a pawn shop offers you to rape you or because they assume your desperate. Honestly, depending on your market, if you want to sell it locally, offer it at $750. That's the minimum they go for here in the Bay Area, and keep in mind we have a highly saturated market of used high-quality instruments here.


Just to give you an Idea:

Am. Standard Strats sell for as low as $550 here and

Gibson LP Studios for as low as $600

 

 

Sure it's worth $750.

 

By giving you $600 on a trade, the store can sell it for $750 and make $150 on it. They aren't in the business of giving away gear...

 

But if you want the $750, then you have to sell it yourself.

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Good posts Will. It really is about having something that is in demand. People like to say that Ibanez guitars do not hold their value, but the Rg550's from the '87-'89 are selling for more then they did when they were new. That's because they are as close in spec to a $2300 Jem as one can get but at a much lower cost, guys are turning old RG's into custom Jems and the higher used prices are reflecting that trend.

 

Sg, not so much in demand.

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