Basses, prices and a global recession...

[LukeFRC]

Here's some interesting things I've observed....

The recession hasn't affected everyone yet- some folk are still doing the same jobs and getting the same income.

And some sectors are still growing so won't be affected.

As it started to bite on Basschat you saw basses taking longer to sell.

It became a buyers market and prices would creep down slightly.

The strong euro at one point made it better to sell to europe as our secondhand prices were pretty cheap. (obviously this didn't last)

Some brands didn't see prices secondhand drop. A rush of folk wanting precisions and jazzes meant fender, along with musicman and rickenbacker's prices rose or stayed about the same.

At the same time and for probably good reason many large producers put their prices up. This resulted in the relative secondhand price going up too- observe how a MIM fender would cost £200-250 secondhand a few years back is now offered £300-450.

However prices are still all over the place secondhand. For some reason folk stop buying stingrays so the secondhand 'market price' almost halfs.

Fender puts their prices up again- for the first time in a while a UK built custom bass will be less than some of their USA models.

so what happens now? if costs new keep going up then prices secondhand can't keep falling. i can imagine it's not a good time at all to be a music shop. I can just see less basses being bought and sold- more trades on here.

I should also add that I've ignored the very bottom of the market (and yes you can get a perfectly good giggable chinese bass for 50 quid these days) and the very high end too. A good bass with some kind of special appeal will always command a good price.

[gjones]

I'm still waiting for my Fender custom shop pickups to be delivered after waiting almost a month. The shop has to order them from Fender and, supposedly, they are taking their time to deliver, although I suspect that cash flow problems may be the issue.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1334393662' post='1615495']
I'm still waiting for my Fender custom shop pickups to be delivered after waiting almost a month. The shop has to order them from Fender and, supposedly, they are taking their time to deliver, although I suspect that cash flow problems may be the issue.
[/quote]

Hmm, wouldn't judge the shop too quickly - when I had a shop (a Fender dealer) it took me 4 months to get some US Jaguar saddles for a customer. Good job he had been in direct contact with Fender as to start with he thought it was me messing him around.

[JTUK]

Possibly true... but this recession will drive down wages in real terms as some people will not get cost of living rises...and we will all come out of this poorer or less wealthy, IMO.
When I say all.. I don't mean the Super rich...

This should also stem price rises and reduce prices in luxury type goods.

[BassPimp66]

Raising gas prices will make it impossible to own a car.
We will switch to public transport. We won't be able to carry a full rig and switch to DI boxes plugged in the front PA.
We will stop buying amps and amps will sell for dirt cheap.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1334396992' post='1615556']
Hmm, wouldn't judge the shop too quickly - when I had a shop (a Fender dealer) it took me 4 months to get some US Jaguar saddles for a customer. Good job he had been in direct contact with Fender as to start with he thought it was me messing him around.
[/quote]

yup wouldnt blame the shop - my local shop here ordered me a 2U rack case for my head - took 4 months because of the supplier

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1334399271' post='1615612']
yup wouldnt blame the shop - my local shop here ordered me a 2U rack case for my head - took 4 months because of the supplier
[/quote]

I waited about the same for some DR's from bass direct as the supplier kept telling Mark next week, which is all he could have told me. I eventually emailed them directly and they washed their hands of supplier issues....

I buy most of my stuff secondhand, having only really brought my barefaced cabs new.
I'm bidding on 2 sterlings at the moment both with a reserve that will no doubt be only a 100quids less than the BIN price, which for both is too high, for £800 I could get 2 brilliant secondhand basses of a similar quality.
I paid £550 for my sterling, and I realise this is dirt cheap (even for the time) but I don't recall a Sterling selling secondhand for more than £750.

I think some sellers need to wake up, people who really do want to sell or really do need the cash put the low prices on then you have to take into account if people really want something. There is a Corvette $$ on here atm for £400!!!! The retail is something like 3 times that.

[Machines]

I think a lot of sellers on here are trying to raise some cash on gear they now feel overpriced but still valuable (notice how there's a lot of 'custom' basses for sale currently), but aren't willing to take a hit on the price in order to shift it.

Buyers on the other hand are searching for a bargain and are put off by 'normal' prices. The law of supply and demand determines how much something is reasonably worth, but there is a difference between market value and perceived value in most cases.

Personally i've really been put off 'boutique' instruments recently and feel they are rather an ostentatious extravagance.

[dc2009]

For most of us, basses are not our living and therefore are a luxury item - the vast majority of us never 'need' a new bass, which is why people don't like paying over the odds for one, obviously the more you watch the market the better an idea you probably have of what is over the odds and what is a bargain. In terms of second hand sales, basses seem to be fashionable at some times and unfashionable at others, at least in terms of popularity.

In addition, I do understand makers like warwick driving their prices up, in the hope that their RockBass and Pro models will get a better hold on the cheap market, but they are still pitching those instruments at too high a price for people who are feeling the pinch to some extent. I feel Fender is the same with their prices rising too, and having had a spate of some very solid Chinese and Korean basses recently, I really would not be inclined to buy a new 'respected brand name' bass with the current market situation.

[karlfer]

The VAT increase last January affected every single person in Britain. On top of that exchange rates have not helped.
Prices in particular of Japanese basses increased and the second hand basses appear to have increased, certainly in the mind of the sellers.
As an example a year ago, Marcus Millers were going for around £600, now people are asking as much as £850/£900.
Then they wonder why they don't sell?.
Market forces usually will out.
Karl.