Whats the best way to sell several basses?

[bobpalt]

For the last few months, I have been trying to work out how I can either retire early, or at least cut down on the days I work. The pressure in my job has increased so much in the last year since we were taken over by British Gas that at 57 years of age I dont think I can hack it much longer.

One of the things that would release a little capital into the retirement planning fund would be to sell off several of my basses, especially the ones that I dont use to gig with. Problem is, there are quite a few of them, and I dont know which ones, if any, I really want to sell! All of the ones I have are cherished for one reason or another, although some more than others.

For example, I have a Pedulla Thunderbolt which I adore, and was bought for me by the good Lady Palt as a silver wedding present, so that wont go. I have several ACGs, which, with the exception of one which Alan is trying to sell for me I dont want to part with, being very personal. I have a couple of Roscoes, which just feel like the best basses in the world whenever I pick them up, and a Yamaha 2024X which I gig with. Other than that, I guess the rest are available.

Question is, what is the best way to sell them? Lots of seperate ads on the forum, one big ad listing them all, word of mouth or heaven forbid Ebay? I have sold and bought many basses on here, and loved every transaction with nice genuine people who are all very passionate about their basses. This is a bit of a "bulk" sale, as I guess I will be selling everything else off my sig (including the first "new" 2009 Wal to be made).
Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

Cheers,

Bob

[Mike]

I think one big ad is fine, as is separate ones. Good luck with the sale. Look forward to seeing the Wal!

[BigAlonBass]

Lots of separate ads on here, detailed, with pictures. Much more drooling for us all.

[Clarky]

[quote name='BigAlonBass' post='1246663' date='May 27 2011, 09:12 AM']Lots of separate ads on here, detailed, with pictures. Much more drooling for us all. [/quote]
Agreed. The odds of unearthing a decent honest buyer are way higher on BassChat (I've done so many deals yet not had a bad'un yet). Go to eBay if it doesn't shift

PS, is the Wal a 5'er in which case I might be interested?

Edited May 27, 2011 by Clarky

[bobpalt]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1246665' date='May 27 2011, 09:14 AM']Agreed. The odds of unearthing a decent honest buyer are way higher on BassChat (I've done so many deals yet not had a bad'un yet). Go to eBay if it doesn't shift

PS, is the Wal a 5'er in which case I might be interested? [/quote]

Hi Clarky.

No, its a 4'er sorry! It was the first one made in the current run, using, so I believe, old stock timbers. Its gorgeous, but I've never played it since I bought it, I'm so aware of its value/provenance (snap yourself out of it man. Its only a bass guitar!)

[Clarky]

[quote name='bobpalt' post='1246689' date='May 27 2011, 09:37 AM']Hi Clarky.

No, its a 4'er sorry! It was the first one made in the current run, using, so I believe, old stock timbers. Its gorgeous, but I've never played it since I bought it, I'm so aware of its value/provenance (snap yourself out of it man. Its only a bass guitar!)[/quote]
No worries Bob, if it helps BassDirect just sold a few Wals for aroud the £3k mark and Bass Gallery have several FS at £3.5k (mind you, they don't seem to be shifting so I think they are a bit over-priced). If no buyer on BC for it, I would suggest giving Mark at BassDirect a call

[blind pilot]

[quote name='bobpalt' post='1246689' date='May 27 2011, 09:37 AM']Hi Clarky.

No, its a 4'er sorry! It was the first one made in the current run, using, so I believe, old stock timbers. Its gorgeous, but I've never played it since I bought it, I'm so aware of its value/provenance (snap yourself out of it man. Its only a bass guitar!)[/quote]


I'll take the Wal, (as long as I can pay monthly lol)

[Truckstop]

Yeah, I'd say one big ad. There's no need to list ALL the specs for each one, a few good pictures says more than the specs will. If they're high end instruments, people will email for more information and to arrange to try them anyway.

Truckstop

[chris_b]

Hi Bob,

I'd put up separate ads here and also talk to Bass Direct about taking some or all of your basses.

About the job, ask them for redundancy. You might get a decent package to go rather than just leaving with nothing.

[Lozz196]

For what its worth, I sold a full Ampeg stack - head, 2x10, 4x10 - on here a few months ago.

I put up an ad for all three items, with a full stack price, and with a buy each option.

I also put up ads for each individual item. These were the ones that attracted the most attention (by views) and responses.

Def worth putting up a "many basses for sale" ad, but I`d put up a specific ad for each.

If someone for example, is specifically looking for a 1978 Jazz, an ad titled "1978 Jazz For Sale" is going to attract their attention far quicker than one titled "Lots of basses for sale".

[warwickhunt]

Don't dismiss ebay as all bad and a last resort! I've sold a couple of basses on ebay recently and got significantly more on ebay than I was offered on Basschat (even taking into account fees).

[molan]

Based on having sold a lot of stuff here in the past (and on TalkBass in the States) I'd definitely say that individual listings are the way to go.

Provide as much detail as you can about each bass and some really good quality pictures. Ideally you want to upload the pictures to an external site so that you can link to these here and they'll be shown full size instead of little thumbnails.

There are many advantages to individual listings - not least is the simple task of admin; with separate listings for each bass you can amend any details simply and quickly and the thread remains focussed on one bass. Mixed bass listings almost always get messy after a few days if there's a lot of interest.

The only real downsides is that it's a bit more work setting each one up, checking listing positions etc.

Could consider 'releasing' each bass on a staggered basis so you don't flood the listings too much and it won't be as hard to keep track of each one

Advantages of Ebay are that it opens up your potential market to a lot more people and, especially, European buyers who are often able to pay more because of the strength of the Euro vs the £.

Edited May 28, 2011 by molan

[Happy Jack]

chris_b and Molan are bang on the money Bob BUT are you sure you really have to sell right now?

I'm well aware that you know this, but the market is absolutely in the toilet just now. I can't think of a worse time to be converting high-end basses into cash.

Is there really nothing else you could be selling/doing which would allow you to hang on to these basses until the market recovers?

[warwickhunt]

I have to say Bob that I don't think that the current values of basses (especially non-vintage Fender ) are strong enough to warrant selling them to supplement any plans to bank/pension the funds... not right now any way. I'd have to say that were it me I'd be keeping that as your back up plan possibly to cash in on when the economy recovers and folks will spend a bit more. I'm sure I'm not dissimilar to a lot of the mature players on here who have a bit of disposable income and though I've got funds for a nice bass, in the present climate I'm holding out for something but it really does have to be at a decent price.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1248153' date='May 28 2011, 12:34 PM']chris_b and Molan are bang on the money Bob BUT are you sure you really have to sell right now?

I'm well aware that you know this, but the market is absolutely in the toilet just now. I can't think of a worse time to be converting high-end basses into cash.

Is there really nothing else you could be selling/doing which would allow you to hang on to these basses until the market recovers?[/quote]
I should learn to type faster!

It does show that we are thinking the same thing though.

[BassBod]

I'd suggest selling individually, over a fairly long period. Try and prioritize - most marketable first, and hopefully the used bass market will recover over time as you sell. If you can put it off for a while then do. I've never seen so many nice basses I could almost afford as I have over the last few weeks.

[Mr. Foxen]

I'd say put them up indvidually, all over the place, at a high price, not Ebay, but gumtree and classified adds. Rare things go cheap if you are in a rush to sell, but if there is no competition, you set the price, you just have to wait.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1246693' date='May 27 2011, 09:39 AM']No worries Bob, if it helps BassDirect just sold a few Wals for aroud the £3k mark and Bass Gallery have several FS at £3.5k (mind you, they don't seem to be shifting so I think they are a bit over-priced). If no buyer on BC for it, I would suggest giving Mark at BassDirect a call[/quote]

I've been watching those on BassDirect's site. I suspect you are right. I suspect this is a little overpriced also...

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Prima_A_Walnut.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_sp...a_A_Walnut.html[/url]

[xilddx]

I really like the format of [url="http://www.andybaxterbass.com/guitars.php"]http://www.andybaxterbass.com/guitars.php[/url]

In Basschat I would probably format an index for sale thread with one pic and a short summary of each bass, a bit like Andy's. And set up individual for sale threads for each bass with more pictures and details and link to them from the index - again, like Andy's.

Edited May 28, 2011 by silddx

[TheGreek]

[size=4]Buy one, get one Free??? [/size]

[stingrayPete1977]

HHmmmm I spy the words MM and Stingray in that sig, EBMM or MM im intrigued already

[bobpalt]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1248276' date='May 28 2011, 02:49 PM']HHmmmm I spy the words MM and Stingray in that sig, EBMM or MM im intrigued already [/quote]
2008 white 3eq I'm afraid! Very reasonable £750........

Thanks for all the advice guys. I quite like the "ask for redundancy", which I may well do when I get back from next weeks fishing holiday (7 days in Devon in a cottage surrounded by 7 lakes, trying to chill out and get away from BG). Its not something I had thought about before.

Single ads sound like the best way to go, although I have had quite a few enquiries already just based on my sig. Just out of interest, The likely candidates are (and I know this isnt the for sale section, sorry!):

2009 Wal
2008 Stingray
2008 Lakland DJ
Yamaha BX hollowbody
MTD Grendel
ACG Gallus (already for sale via ACG)
2009 Status S2 neckthrough with full leds
Gibson faded Les Paul double cut guitar
12 string Farida acoustic guitar
TC 212 cabinet

Maybe others, I dont know yet how far I want to go.

Cheers,

Bob

[stingrayPete1977]

That is more than reasonable but as you guessed I'm after more MM's for now. We sub contract to BG so I'm feeling your pain there too

[dmccombe7]

Hi Bob,
I think a lot of people in industry and engineering are feeling the same.
More work + less bodies = more stress.

It'd be a shame to sell your collection.
Consider voluntary redundancy / early retirement and take on a part time job elsewhere with little or no stress.

Supplement with playing more regularly assuming that with your collection of basses you must be a fairly reasonable / competent if not great player.

How's that for an improved retirement plan.
My consultation invoice is in the post.

Good luck whatever you do.

I'm in similar boat as yourself so know the feeling.

Cheers
Dave

Edited May 30, 2011 by dmccombe7

[bobpalt]

[quote name='dmccombe7' post='1249459' date='May 29 2011, 05:52 PM']Hi Bob,
I think a lot of people in industry and engineering are feeling the same.
More work + less bodies = more stress.

It'd be a shame to sell your collection.
Consider voluntary redundancy / early retirement and take on a part time job elsewhere with little or no stress.

Supplement with playing more regularly assuming that with your collection of basses you must be a fairly reasonable / competent if not great player.

How's that for an improved retirement plan.
My consultation invoice is in the post.

Good luck whatever you do.

I'm in similar boat as yourself so know the feeling.

Cheers
Dave[/quote]


Cheers Dave!

Good advice, and I am looking into the voluntary redundancy thing as a possibility. My collection is better quality than my playing though! Sometimes I suffer badly from delusions of adequacy........

I think your invoice must be lost in the post?

Cheers,

Bob