Happy Jack Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 By the way, and [i]apropos [/i]of nothing, has anyone heard from TIM recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1394612827' post='2393207'] It's a very good point. People are sometimes a bit too precious about their pride and joy. You have to be realistic. Basses are, in this situation at least, much like cars. When you buy a new car, you will lose anything up to a third of it's value the moment you drive it off the forecourt - doesn't matter what it is. So it is with instruments. By the time you've owned and used it for a year or three it's sale value plummets. I'm not saying this because there's one that I'm after (quite the contrary as I've just done a very nice trade with another BC member), but asking 90% of it's retail value just ain't gonna do it I'm afraid - people are not stupid, especially when money's tight. Even on a spotless instrument I tend to think I'm doing really well if I can get back 60%. Each to their own, but if you're interested in actually selling it then you have to price it accordingly. (If you're doing it as an exercise in domestic politics then that's a different matter of course... ) [/quote] Spot on. Both my basses are out at about 60% of new price. Still not selling mind . My last two have sold elsewhere, but as yet are not advertised there. Basschat is still always my first call. Surprisingly, social media is my second call now. Again, a couple of years back social media would not have entered the conversation, for me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1394614116' post='2393225'] By the way, and [i]apropos [/i]of nothing, has anyone heard from TIM recently? [/quote] Last I heard he's riding out the recession in Monaco with Sir Roger Moore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1394614116' post='2393225'] By the way, and [i]apropos [/i]of nothing, has anyone heard from TIM recently? [/quote] He spent some time checking out my P bass for sale ad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagsieblue Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1394614304' post='2393227'] Spot on. Both my basses are out at about 60% of new price. Still not selling mind . My last two have sold elsewhere, but as yet are not advertised there. Basschat is still always my first call. Surprisingly, social media is my second call now. [/quote] Karl- what is this social media of which you speak?, here be dragons?? For a non Facebook, shy, private, distinctly average bass player am I missing that there is a whole new world over the hill?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1394655541' post='2393821'] Karl- what is this social media of which you speak?, here be dragons?? For a non Facebook, shy, private, distinctly average bass player am I missing that there is a whole new world over the hill?? [/quote] Aye, right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagsieblue Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 [quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1394662808' post='2393918'] Aye, right [/quote] Well I am a non Facebook, Twitter etc Muppet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 It's odd the way things come in waves. Seems to be a lot of Epi Jack Casadys on sale recently. Don't understand why, they're nice basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damonjames Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Add to all of the above the ever slowly strengthening pound, and things could get worse in te used market due to falling new bass prices. In my latest round of effects pedal GAS, I checked out GAK's pricing and it's ridiculous on some pedals. A digitech BSW is £35 NEW! They were going for that used last year, and I managed to pick up a mxr bass blowtorch for £55 inc post from these pages, they were going for £80-90 last year. It is a buyers market, which is great new of you have money in your pocket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I've seen a lot of sellers listing items for inflated prices seemingly for the purpose of discounting them a few days later to make them look like bargains. That could give the impression that people are struggling to sell stuff when actually their stuff was just over-valued in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1394532897' post='2392239'] Now from a [i][b]buyer's[/b][/i] point of view, of course ... [/quote] Mwah-hah-hah=hah! Sorry, I meant to say 'I concur'. [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1394563663' post='2392805'] One way of selling an expensive instrument is to give it to a shop to sell for you (commission sales). I did that with one of my Regenerates a couple of years ago. [/quote] I did that with a Schecter Robert De Leo once and the shop went bust. The receivers contacted me for the details but it turned out they had already sold it so I got nothing back. That was an expensive lesson! [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394608960' post='2393172'] I actually think it's the opposite problem and a lot of the issue is overpricing... Not with the cheaper end but with top end gear. There are a couple of lovely sixers on the BC marketplace at the moment which I think are way overpriced and hence have no interest in buying. I see a lot of basses advertised with the RRP in the listing. This is all well and good but these basses are never sold at the RRP. If I see a bass up for £2200 and a quick google search reveals the same bass going new for £2500 Its not going to raise my interest. [/quote] So go in with an offer of £1750? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1394532897' post='2392239'] Now from a [i][b]buyer's[/b][/i] point of view, of course ... [/quote] Mwah-hah-hah=hah! Sorry, I meant to say 'I concur'. [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1394563663' post='2392805'] One way of selling an expensive instrument is to give it to a shop to sell for you (commission sales). I did that with one of my Regenerates a couple of years ago. [/quote] I did that with a Schecter Robert De Leo once and the shop went bust. The receivers contacted me for the details but it turned out they had already sold it so I got nothing back. That was an expensive lesson! [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394608960' post='2393172'] I actually think it's the opposite problem and a lot of the issue is overpricing... Not with the cheaper end but with top end gear. There are a couple of lovely sixers on the BC marketplace at the moment which I think are way overpriced and hence have no interest in buying. I see a lot of basses advertised with the RRP in the listing. This is all well and good but these basses are never sold at the RRP. If I see a bass up for £2200 and a quick google search reveals the same bass going new for £2500 Its not going to raise my interest. [/quote] So go in with an offer of £1750? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1394532897' post='2392239'] Now from a [i][b]buyer's[/b][/i] point of view, of course ... [/quote] Mwah-hah-hah=hah! Sorry, I meant to say 'I concur'. [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1394563663' post='2392805'] One way of selling an expensive instrument is to give it to a shop to sell for you (commission sales). I did that with one of my Regenerates a couple of years ago. [/quote] I did that with a Schecter Robert De Leo once and the shop went bust. The receivers contacted me for the details but it turned out they had already sold it so I got nothing back. That was an expensive lesson! [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394608960' post='2393172'] I actually think it's the opposite problem and a lot of the issue is overpricing... Not with the cheaper end but with top end gear. There are a couple of lovely sixers on the BC marketplace at the moment which I think are way overpriced and hence have no interest in buying. I see a lot of basses advertised with the RRP in the listing. This is all well and good but these basses are never sold at the RRP. If I see a bass up for £2200 and a quick google search reveals the same bass going new for £2500 Its not going to raise my interest. [/quote] So go in with an offer of £1750? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 JapanAxe, you're quite advanced, pedagogically. ("Say what you're going to say, then say it, then say what you have said.") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1394701880' post='2394099'] So go in with an offer of £1750? [/quote] Exactly! there is nothing to stop anyone entering into a haggling contest. Some sellers don't like that though, and accuse speculative buyers of low-balling them. That's fair enough, as obviously the seller wants to get as much as they can for an item and the buyer wants to pay as little as possible. There are some definite bargains around at the moment, and some that are (IMO) very over-priced. The market will decide whether they sell or not, as it always has. One of the upsides to all this austerity (IMO) is that there is more trading going on. I like trades. Often I am trying to sell something because I am bored with it, don't use it enough to justify keeping it, or just fancy a change. If I can trade it for something of (roughly) equivalent value and it gives me the opportunity to try something that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford (or had access to) - then I am happy. As, I hope, is the person I have traded with! One other thing that slightly irks me is that some people (mostly noobs) put very little effort into their adverts. IMO, a good, well-worded advert with decent photos can go a long way towards selling your item. Some people make do with stock pictures and a brief comment about how long they have owned something. They then bump it relentlessly every couple of days without ever adding any more info. It is no wonder that some items have been on the market for many months! Make an effort people! I've seen some adverts that have been so well done that they have engendered GAS for something that I previously had no interest in at all! Edited March 13, 2014 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1394703543' post='2394121'] One other thing that slightly irks me is that some people (mostly noobs) put very little effort into their adverts. IMO, a good, well-worded advert with decent photos can go a long way towards selling your item. Some people make do with stock pictures and a brief comment about how long they have owned something. They then bump it relentlessly every couple of days without ever adding any more info. [/quote] This irks me, too. If an ad doesn't have halfway-decent pics then I won't even consider it, even if it's something I'm interested in. If people can't be arsed to make the effort with an ad, then I can't be arsed to look at it. Thhpp!! A while back there were three identical rack tuners for sale on here, one of them mine. I posted an extensive description, full specs and a number of good pics, including close-ups. The others decided that a two-line ad with no pics would be sufficient. Guess who sold their rack tuner within 24 hours and who didn't? No-brainer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) The whole haggling / low-balling thing has frequently left me dumb-founded. On at last half a dozen occasions in the last two years I have made a serious offer for a bass on Basschat, that offer being lower than the asking price but driven by my assessment of the "true value" (if such a thing exists). With one exception where my offer was accepted, the vendors have chosen to refuse my offer or even ignore my PM, only to end up three months later selling the bass for less than I offered in the first place. I have no problem with people disagreeing with my assessment, and I don't feel hurt or let down because I didn't get those deals ( ) but it is alarming how many vendors seem wedded to their initial, inflated asking price ... Edited March 13, 2014 by Happy Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Things are a bit depressed for sure - I rarely ask more than I paid unless I've added some value. I can't see why sellers would be upset by a lowball offer, it doesn't take long to PM a polite version of "get stuffed" if the offer doesn't appeal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Pedals on the other hand , seem to move around quite a bit on here IMHO see a few bargains on here. Sold a couple. By not being greedy too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagsieblue Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) What value somebody 'wants' to achieve is down to the seller. What value somebody 'wants' to pay is down to the buyer. Any crossover in these figures should then mean people can strike a deal. [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]A bit of ‘pricing architecture’ can help here for both the seller and the buyer.[/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]I’ve put items up for sale at, say, £550 wanting to achieve £500 with offers but none at £500.[/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]I’ve then relisted at, say, £600 – still wanting to achieve £500, offers have then been made at £500.[/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]I’ve done this on a number of things recently from basses, amps and even a car – no interest at around the price I had advertised, hiked the price on the advert and sold for what I wanted fairly quickly.[/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]I think people see a sales price and subconsciously think that they need to get x amount off that.[/color][/size][/font] Edited March 13, 2014 by bagsieblue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1394708372' post='2394189'] Things are a bit depressed for sure - I rarely ask more than I paid unless I've added some value. I can't see why sellers would be upset by a lowball offer, it doesn't take long to PM a polite version of "get stuffed" if the offer doesn't appeal [/quote] Exactly. I quite enjoy the haggling process if I'm honest! Not sure about the "getting back what I paid for it" thing though. If you were lucky enough to get something at an excellent price (through skillful haggling maybe, or because the seller was desperate for a sale...) then why should the next buyer benefit from this? I'm not saying that I seek to make a profit from everything I sell, I don't - but at the end of the day we are all individuals and we have to think of our own interests sometimes. Group karma is all very well, but it can lead to naivety, which damages the group in the longer term. Bizarrely, I quite like having things for sale and sometimes miss the "buzz" of getting PMs and thread replies... Am I mad?!? Edited March 13, 2014 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Can't stand haggling... Put it up for what you want for it, this is the BC marketplace not a souk in Marrakech... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) Haggling..? Bargaining..? Offers..? Never, in my case (I may not be typical...). My 'algorithm' is simple... Do I want it..? No..? ---> End Yes..? ---> Next step Next step... Can I afford it..? No..? ---> End Yes..? ---> Buy it End That's it. Selling, for me, is even more simple; I've never sold anything. I suppose I'm just not commercially-minded. Edited March 13, 2014 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394715763' post='2394315'] ...this is the BC marketplace, not a souk in Marrakech... [/quote] Aw, boo... I wanted to buy a tagine made out of hashish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1394716923' post='2394335'] Aw, boo... I wanted to buy a tagine made out of hashish. [/quote] I have one of those for sale... But we have to argue over the price for ages first. I'll put the mint tea on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.