There seems to be a change recently in "Basses for Sale"

[P-T-P]

Possibly controversial, but my very subjective experience/observation is that there's been a substantial increase in the number of buyers/sellers from outside the UK in recent years. They seem more likely to be selling high-end, exotic, high-priced basses than the more run-of-the-mill MIM Fenders and so on that we used to see on here.

Again, extremely subjective, but for me, many of these sellers items are very over-priced and many of the buyers who get in touch are either complete time-wasters who disappear or looking for something for nothing, sometimes to the point of offense.

That having been said, where I have bought or sold with guys overseas, the deals have been every bit as smooth as any from the UK.

Also, in general, there used to be a kinda unwritten rule that if you bought a bass on here for a great price and decided to sell it on, you would generally sell it on at around the price you paid for it. Now, I see basses being advertised with £100s added to the price they were bought for only weeks before.

None of this stops me buying or selling, it's just not as easy to do or, frankly, as nice to do as it used to be.

[CamdenRob]

I like the marketplace the way it is, but I guess that's just cause it's served me well.

Over the last 18 months in the BC marketplace I have bought Four basses and sold Three (shortly to be listing some more) and several amps & cabs... all of which without any hassle whatsoever.

[ead]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1415109824' post='2596752']
I just tried that using "5 string" and got this as the first page:

FS Warwick $$ NT LTD 2007 Koa Top 4-string
Dingwall Super J 4 string F/S....... ON HOLD PENDING
Fodera Imperial 6 - Quilted Maple Top
Letts 4 string singlecut passive fretless custom bass £400
Yamaha six string TRB JP
Musicman Big Al 4 string £1150 posted
Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 - string (white/maple).
FS Warwick Rockbass Streamer Standard 5 String
Sei Bass 5 string black beauty lower price £ 1000
SEI single cut Series 11 Melt, Ying Yang. Sale or Trade....
Fernandes Gravity deluxe 5 string £500.00, px or swaps
Prosebass 5 string 33" singlecut defretted bass £250
Hohner The Jack Headless Bass -PRICE DROP
Overwater Progress 6 String, AAA Flame Ash Top.
Skjold Lion's Pride 5 string super Jazz £1525
Manne Custom Acoustibass 5 string (fretless) lined - Free...
Lakland Joe Osborn 5
ACG RECURVE SC Classic 5 String - 9 Piece Wenge/Ash neck...
Status Streamline 5-string fretless
ACG custom J five string
FS: Overwater Progress III Deluxe (4 String)
A Brace of Status (Statuses, Statii?) Part 2...
Fender 70's Precision MIJ, like new condition.
Overwater Perception 5 - Scott Devine Special
Alpher Mako Elite 4 Bass Guitar Custom hand built

So out of 25 results I got:

4 string = 11
5 string = 11
6 string = 3

So, it works perfectly...ish.
[/quote]

A kind of Total Perspective Vortex.

[karlfer]

[quote name='P-T-P' timestamp='1415186767' post='2597526']
Possibly controversial, but my very subjective experience/observation is that there's been a substantial increase in the number of buyers/sellers from outside the UK in recent years. They seem more likely to be selling high-end, exotic, high-priced basses than the more run-of-the-mill MIM Fenders and so on that we used to see on here.

Again, extremely subjective, but for me, many of these sellers items are very over-priced and many of the buyers who get in touch are either complete time-wasters who disappear or looking for something for nothing, sometimes to the point of offense.

That having been said, where I have bought or sold with guys overseas, the deals have been every bit as smooth as any from the UK.

Also, in general, there used to be a kinda unwritten rule that if you bought a bass on here for a great price and decided to sell it on, you would generally sell it on at around the price you paid for it. Now, I see basses being advertised with £100s added to the price they were bought for only weeks before.

None of this stops me buying or selling, it's just not as easy to do or, frankly, as nice to do as it used to be.
[/quote]

I'm just wondering if there are different availability issues on the continent.
3 of the last 4 basses I've sold on here have been £1000 plus which are high end used, to me anyway.
They have gone to Sweden Germany and Spain and the guys involved were fabulous. Their English was better than mine
Some stuff does go on at daft prices but I wonder if this is a knock on from FEEBay prices rocketing due to increased fees?

Mind, when you see a used bass on here at £29 cheaper than a new one, then add on the £15 courier, so it's £14 cheaper than a new one with free delivery and full warranty

[Chiliwailer]

I'm with all the above. Happy to pay, happy to scroll and find all sorts.

It's s good platform for selling, I like it. Helps us relieve our gas in various ways.

[Rick's Fine '52]

I'd leave it as it is, i like to browse and see whats about, its also nice to see some oddities, and things we havent seen for years, and it doesnt take long. If you browse every 3 days, theres normally only two pages to scroll, which can take about 45 seconds, no biggy.

Having said that, a price box in the title would be great, so if you see a 1969 Fender Precision (For example),a nd the price is £8000, you can keep scrolling, but if its more in line with something that may interest you, you can open it up. This would certainly make browsing more efficient, which, reading others' comments, would be a welcome addition. You already have to enter a figure anyway to proceed when selling, so the users work is already done?

Other than that, I think £20 a year, is a bargain, whether you buy/sell or just use the forum, its a small price to pay (IMHO), to keep this thing on the road.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Rick's Fine '52

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1415192925' post='2597650']
Mind, when you see a used bass on here at £29 cheaper than a new one, then add on the £15 courier, so it's £14 cheaper than a new one with free delivery and full warranty
[/quote]

This seems to be popular with USA Jazz Deluxes....

[Geek99]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1415194000' post='2597680']
I'd leave it as it is, i like to browse and see whats about, its also nice to see some oddities, and things we havent seen for years, and it doesnt take long. If you browse every 3 days, theres normally only two pages to scroll, which can take about 45 seconds, no biggy.

Having said that, a price box in the title would be great, so if you see a 1969 Fender Precision (For example),a nd the price is £8000, you can keep scrolling, but if its more in line with something that may interest you, you can open it up. This would certainly make browsing more efficient, which, reading others' comments, would be a welcome addition. You already have to enter a figure anyway to proceed when selling, so the users work is already done?

Other than that, I think £20 a year, is a bargain, whether you buy/sell or just use the forum, its a small price to pay (IMHO), to keep this thing on the road.
[/quote]
Indeed , to all points except that the price should be up to date, and the price that you HAVE to enter cannot be changed

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1415187068' post='2597533']
I like the marketplace the way it is, but I guess that's just cause it's served me well.
[/quote]

Only the TWO Wal Mk3 six-stringers incoming?? Are you thinking of giving up the bass or something?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1415194976' post='2597706']
Only the TWO Wal Mk3 six-stringers incoming?? Are you thinking of giving up the bass or something?
[/quote]

Well the intention is to move the first one on when the second one arrives in a year or so... best laid plans and all that.

Parcelforce have it out on the truck for delivery today but there is no-one at home to sign for it...

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1415196140' post='2597727']
Well the intention is to move the first one on when the second one arrives in a year or so... best laid plans and all that.
[/quote]

DIBS!! I'll start saving now.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1415196140' post='2597727']
Parcelforce have it out on the truck for delivery today but there is no-one at home to sign for it...
[/quote]

PM me your address... I'll just nip over and make sure everything's OK... no, don't thank me yet...

[Thunderbird]

I have been thinking maybe it should be mandatory to pay the £20 selling fee to join the forum and use the market place( I myself have no problem with the fees keeps things ticking along) I used to use another forum that did this and it got rid of a ton of timewasters etc and you even got a membership card and a T shirt and keyring would this work on BC? I dunno maybe some one has has more of an insight on how the forum works will know...where's that bloody Icastle when you need him lol

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1415196483' post='2597732']
PM me your address... I'll just nip over and make sure everything's OK... no, don't thank me yet...
[/quote]

That'd be great thanks, can you let the cat out whilst your there,,, Don't worry about the missus she won't notice, she's used to a bloke hanging around in the house playing basses... As long as you drink enough beer and mumble incoherently every now and then she'll just think it's me.

[iconic]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1414962749' post='2595169']
Market place is great but there has been a huge flux of timewasters you know the ones that PM you and say "oh Ill have that mate" only to never get back to you or the other ones who want everything thing for f*** all I mean we all love a deal but some of em on here do take the piss that could be a reason why a lot of people aint advertising the low end gear as it is not worth the hassle? I just dont know but the has been loads of serious top end gear on here of late
[/quote]

my messers have been more upfront calling to sort a price out and a "put it down to me" etc only to be abducted by aliens, not even answering calls back unless on another number.... some interesting excuses though some of them worthy of the Sunday Sport!




also a spate of second bass's £20/£30 less than the new price but all in all (didn't Miles Axlerod invent that in Cars 2?) this is still a great place to buy and sell and well worth the price.

[Stompbox]

Well I started something there!

I'm not unghappy with the market place, just, like I said it seems to have gravitated to high price stuff.........

I'm more than pleased with the site, and I paid the £20 fee with no qualms, but maybe a price box at the front end/title would be good.

[Geek99]

[quote name='Stompbox' timestamp='1415220523' post='2598132']
Well I started something there!

I'm not unghappy with the market place, just, like I said it seems to have gravitated to high price stuff.........



I'm more than pleased with the site, and I paid the £20 fee with no qualms, but maybe a price box at the front end/title would be good.
[/quote]
But it needs to be one that can be edited ..,

[icastle]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1415196762' post='2597736']
I have been thinking maybe it should be mandatory to pay the £20 selling fee to join the forum and use the market place( I myself have no problem with the fees keeps things ticking along) I used to use another forum that did this and it got rid of a ton of timewasters etc and you even got a membership card and a T shirt and keyring would this work on BC? I dunno maybe some one has has more of an insight on how the forum works will know...where's that bloody Icastle when you need him lol
[/quote]

Standing right behind you...

IMO, and this isn't an 'official statement', it's a bit of a balancing act.
BC only exists because people come here and, generally, like what they find.
Some people become stalwarts, some people pop in and out and some people leave.

If we were to charge a 'membership fee' for the entire site then there's a danger that we'll deter some of the 'new blood' from coming in and we risk stagnation.

[icastle]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1415259571' post='2598421']
But it needs to be one that can be edited ..,
[/quote]

I think I know where you're coming from here.

The uneditable price field we use is a trade off needed to allow the 'free advert under £50' model.
We can't edit it either.

If it was editable then someone could simply value a bass at £5, get their free advert up and then edit the price up to £500 to hide what they'd done.

Trying this sort of thing wouldn't occur to most of us, but we regularly identify people thinking they're smart enough to 'beat the system' in various ways and that annoying little uneditable price tag plays a big part in stopping that.

[icastle]

[quote name='Stompbox' timestamp='1415220523' post='2598132']
I'm more than pleased with the site, and I paid the £20 fee with no qualms, but maybe a price box at the front end/title would be good.
[/quote]

I'm not against the idea, but there's a bit of a limitation.

Something might be advertised at £549 on day one and it's perfectly reasonable to expect to see that in the header.

The catch is going to come some time later when the price is reduced to £499.

There's no easy way we can capture that programmatically so it's going to need the advertiser to change it manually - which kinda brings us back to where we already are.

[icastle]

Blimey!

It might be easier to rename this forum icastle and have done with it.

[Lw.]

Overall I've been quite happy both buying & selling on the forum. There are time wasters on every site & I wouldn't say they are any worse here than anywhere else.

A more systemised feedback/reputation system would be nice (rather than people just setting up a thread for themselves) but other than that i think it's fine.

In terms of 2nd hand pricing; I actually saw one listed at more than the original selling price a few weeks ago, though they seem to have bought it down since. It made me laugh but I wasn't overly concerned, if I don't like the price then I just ignore it & let people make up their own minds about what they think something is worth.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Stompbox' timestamp='1415220523' post='2598132']...but maybe a price box at the front end/title would be good.
[/quote]

It would, indeed, be 'good practice' for the seller to put the price in the title itself, imo, maybe even at the start of the line. Entirely voluntary, but very useful for those perusing (so maybe a faster sell..?), and entirely modifiable by the seller, at any moment. Why isn't this done systematically by those selling..? I don't know, but there's nothing stopping sellers from adopting the method if they so choose.

[CamdenRob]

I've always put the price in the thread title... makes sense to me.

[karlfer]

I have just sold my SEI to a chap from the Guildhall music college.
I have money burning a hole in my pocket. As a magpie gear whore, I need to spend it.
There are 3 (edit, 4) splendid basses, either of which I would be happy to buy.

All 3 (edit, 4) are London/SE
All three are collection.

This happens so many times, yet it really is not difficult to send a bass by insured courier. IF YOU MAKE THE EFFORT!

80% of the population lives away from London and the SE.
London and the SE have access to better music stores than us provincial peasants, so if you are selling privately down there, you may have a bit more competition on your doorstep.

"I don't trust couriers".

If YOU can't put the effort in to courier a bass, expect a limited buying public for it.

How the **** did your Fender, Rick, Lakland, Lull etc get to the UK in the first place, osmosis? Telekinesis? The Fender Bass Transportation on Fluffy Pillow Fairy?

Edited November 7, 2014 by karlfer

[Dad3353]

On the other hand, a quick web search brings up coaches direct Wigan - London for £35 return. A 5-hour trip each way, certainly, but there's several basses to look at in London. It's an effort, too, of course.