Members awd83 Posted March 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 4, 2011 maybe I just expect too much, then, but I think I'm pretty reasonable. I wasn't looking for $400 for it, but considering it was $650 new a little over a year and half or so ago, I figured about $200-$225 for it, now plus about $40 for the amp. I went in expecting to fork out about $25-40, but I wasn't going over that. It's not like I had to have that amp or else. If I were to list it on ebay, I would have had to pay about $30 for shipping (at the minimum), pay 10% for final listing fees, 3% for paypal (or whatever it is now). So say I sold it for $300, I get a net profit of about $230? Not that much better than trading it in at GC, only with the added hassles of finding a box, and everything else, plus running the risk of having to sell it for $200 and having to pay those fees. If I list it at a starting bid of $300 or even with a reserve of $300, there's too great of a chance that no one will bid because they're afraid it would go too high. At least at GC, I have the option of walking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted March 4, 2011 Members Share Posted March 4, 2011 maybe I just expect too much, then, but I think I'm pretty reasonable. I wasn't looking for $400 for it, but considering it was $650 new a little over a year and half or so ago, I figured about $200-$225 for it, now plus about $40 for the amp. I went in expecting to fork out about $25-40, but I wasn't going over that. It's not like I had to have that amp or else. If I were to list it on ebay, I would have had to pay about $30 for shipping (at the minimum), pay 10% for final listing fees, 3% for paypal (or whatever it is now). So say I sold it for $300, I get a net profit of about $230? Not that much better than trading it in at GC, only with the added hassles of finding a box, and everything else, plus running the risk of having to sell it for $200 and having to pay those fees. If I list it at a starting bid of $300 or even with a reserve of $300, there's too great of a chance that no one will bid because they're afraid it would go too high. At least at GC, I have the option of walking out. Certain gear holds it's value - a Gibson, Fender, Martin, nicer models of Epiphone, Ibanez, etc... but with other stuff, it's pretty much a crap shoot. The market for certain guitar also is much narrower than for others. Paypal and Ebay fees are a bit high, but I always make the buyer pay shipping. If it is a $650 guitar, I'd put 399 or best offer on it, sell it for 350 and make the buyer pay shipping - IF the current market warrants that. If not...then you invested POORLY In fact, I just did a search on completed listings for a Soltero and I couldn't find ONE that sold! That means that your guitar doesn't have much resale value at all. Dean is not one of those brands that is holding it's value (except for the original Deans and selected models...) Sorry to tell you that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted March 4, 2011 Members Share Posted March 4, 2011 maybe I just expect too much, then, but I think I'm pretty reasonable. I wasn't looking for $400 for it, but considering it was $650 new a little over a year and half or so ago, I figured about $200-$225 for it, now plus about $40 for the amp. I went in expecting to fork out about $25-40, but I wasn't going over that. It's not like I had to have that amp or else.If I were to list it on ebay, I would have had to pay about $30 for shipping (at the minimum), pay 10% for final listing fees, 3% for paypal (or whatever it is now). So say I sold it for $300, I get a net profit of about $230? Not that much better than trading it in at GC, only with the added hassles of finding a box, and everything else, plus running the risk of having to sell it for $200 and having to pay those fees. If I list it at a starting bid of $300 or even with a reserve of $300, there's too great of a chance that no one will bid because they're afraid it would go too high. At least at GC, I have the option of walking out. The best way to figure it out is look at Ebay completed listings. Then take 50-60 percent of that, and that is what you will get from Guitar Center. That is how the guy working with me last time I traded in there said, and showed me his math. I had done my homework, and it worked out within a couple dollars of my estimate. It sucks, but they need to make a profit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JimboJ Posted March 4, 2011 Members Share Posted March 4, 2011 The other thing you need to consider is how much available floor space the store has. I tried to trade in a guitar once and was told they weren't currently accepting any trades because they had too much used stuff and no place to put it. In this case, if they think your item won't sell quickly enough, they may give you an even lower lowball offer than they normally would. Even though they don't have the space, if they can get your stuff cheap enough, they will find room for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kulardenu Posted March 4, 2011 Members Share Posted March 4, 2011 I offered $40 cash, and they "tried" to "take care" of me, made me wait around for about half an hour, then came out and said the absolute best would be $80 cash plus everything else. So that extra 30 minutes netted an extra $5 for my stuff. rant off, just needed to vent This wait bullshiite is a reoccurring tactic with those morons. I have heard that crap form others and once I learned it the hard way on a pedal they had on sale. There was one left and I told them I want it and was leaving for the store as soon as I would hang up the phone a 30 mi drive. The salesman would hold it until I got there... Morons sold it!!! I was more than pissed. Ended up getting the floor model after a 40 min wait for approval from the store manager. I almost was ready to hunt him down and kick his hide out back ass! They lost a lot of business from me after that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 GC is problably about the worst place to be found for trading gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nevermind Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 I'd rather just hold a gun to my own head and rape myself beside a truck stop dumpster than to ever deal with GC on any kind of deal that involves a trade/partial trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 funny in the new GC circular they sent there is a big ad that talks about how they cut you a check when you trade in, but if you read it the guy says he needs to get rid of 12 guitars and the check is for $2900. So thats $241 they gave him for each guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 Just remember, they have to stock and resell your used gear. It's always best to sell your gear yourself, then go in and make your best deal. It's like trading in your car. They either give you nothing for your trade-in and discount the car you're buying or give you good value for your trade-in and charge full price for the car. It's the same with guitars, amps and accessories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fausty Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 when dealing with gc the best thing to do is only buy new, ask for a manager and tell them straight up you want 10% off, and that if you don't get it you will go through zzounds or musiciansfriend. i get discounts all the time. just act like it's your house. but yea, trading is an exercise in anal violation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members epi56ebony Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 Not always.I had two big speaker cabinets that I wanted to get rid of. Didn't want to deal with placing ads, answering phone calls, and, mainly, having unknown people coming over to check them out, so dealing them off to GC worked out well for me. I wasn't looking to get a whole lot for them, so GC's offer wasn't unreasonable. this is a good point. my friend did the same thing. sold some big marshall cabinets etc. didn't want people coming by his place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashasha Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 Well you have to remember that they have to turn around and sell your used gear and try to turn a profit in the process. If you figure that they are probably making about 30-50% on new stuff than it's about the same amount of markup. They've got overhead as well and it is a business at the end of the day. What I was told was they usually shoot for 40% of the lowest price they can find for it online; especially if it's something they don't stock. I took a $100 tube preamp in, got $40 for it and walked out with a used guitar that was stupidly underpriced (they didn't know what it was) and they took off another 10% even though it's not supposed to apply to used gear. Turn around 2 weeks later I took a bass effects processor that I bought on close out back in 2001 for $25 (never used it) and they gave me $65 for it because there was only one place that had it and it was $240 or something. Not bad considering I was expecting $10 for it. But anytime I take a guitar in for a trade up I walk out with my guitar and just put it up on e-Bay. Sometimes you'll get lucky, but if they offer you a great price for your stuff you probably have something worth much more than you realize and you need to walk out and look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob411 Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 MF, GC, etc. everyday price for your guitar, amp, etc. is $1000. Hopefully you got 15, or 20% off, so you paid $800 - $850. 50% of the every day price, $500 is what it's worth used. Any more, and it's just not worth it to buy used. $500 is the point that you take a chance on something used, with no warranty, can't send it back in a month, even if there is nothing wrong with it, you just didn't gel with it. GC will give you 33% of that $1000, $333, and sell it for 66%, $666. Nobody built the GC building for free, the land it's sitting on was not free, and the people who work there are not volunteers. It's a business, they sell stuff for more than they pay for it. If you want to, you can sell it on Craigslist for $500. Or you could put it on Cragslist, for $800, don't forget to mention "no low ball offers", and re list, and re list for the next two months, maybe you will get lucky. Ebay, after fees is still the most money you will get. Tons of morons on Ebay will $750 for it. No, you don't get to keep it all, loosing 10%, and 3%, you end up with $652. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members craigny Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 tried to do the GC trade once..it was rediculous...truth is they don't want your used gear...as others have said they have to try to sell it for some kind of profit (so do the math, trying to sell something that was just purchased used for a profit=I aint payin' s**t for it), so they will try to offer you a platry sum to get you to buy something new...Go with CL or right here at HC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Surrealistic Posted March 5, 2011 Members Share Posted March 5, 2011 We don't have GC over here but I'm sure the same thing applies to any of the UK's major guitar stores. You're always going to get way less than the current market rate so that they can resell at around that rate and still make a decent profit. Can't blame them for wanting to do that - they have bills and wages to pay and they're not charities. As for eBay, I've sold a couple of guitars in recent months and had no problem getting what I planned to get. I sold one guitar for exactly what I paid for it 3 years ago so I considered that a major win - I think of it basically as having had use of the guitar for 3 years for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members awd83 Posted March 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 7, 2011 UPDATE As a recap, GC1 (the first Guitar Center) offered me basically $200 for my Vox VT15, my Dean Soltero, and roadrunner case, which $50 was for the amp alone. GC had a new Jet City 20 watt head for $249 and a used 1x12 matching cabinet for $59. They wanted my stuff plus $85 to get the half stack. I posted everything up on CL Friday, got only one reply for any of it, just for the amp - nothing for the guitar. I asked $75, they offered $50. Today, I decided I'd try out one of the other GC's in my area (1 of 3). I had the offer for the amp in the back of my mind, so I didn't even bring it in the store, just going to see what I could get for the guitar. Right off the bat, the guy at GC2 started drooling over it, telling me how much he liked it and how great it was. I told him I wanted $250. He offered me $225 for the guitar and the case, and I got him up to $230, so done deal. They unfortuantely didn't have the Jet City things in stock, but at $230 richer, I went back to GC1 to trade in the amp, get the 10% discount, used cab, and new head. One problem, the used cab was gone, sold yesterday. They had one half stack in stock, but they wanted to separate the prices, $249 for the head, $199 for the cab, so with 10% off of the head only (because it only applies to the higher priced component is what he told me, ?????), $50 for my amp, and a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ten56gibby Posted March 7, 2011 Members Share Posted March 7, 2011 Why not just sell/trade here on the forum? Usually doesn't take too long to move product. Odds are, someone's got their eye on what you got and will be willing to pay decent for it. Has served me well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted March 7, 2011 Members Share Posted March 7, 2011 If they don't get your gear cheap, they can't make money. And that's why GC exists. I've sold stuff to music stores at ridiculously low prices, and they made money, that's the way it works. It was convenient for me, and I paid for that convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kulardenu Posted March 7, 2011 Members Share Posted March 7, 2011 UPDATENAD to come. Winning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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