The recent fall in prices

[odub]

So the prices of basses seem to be falling quite a bit recently, because of these "economic times". Since we’re approaching Christmas I was wondering if there was an opinion on how it’ll affect prices. Some people get a bit more cash; some people have to spend their disposable on other people, bonuses, New Year gas etc.

For buying and/or selling, better to wait until Christmas or not, do we see prices going down further?

[Clarky]

[quote name='odub' post='290867' date='Sep 24 2008, 02:17 PM']So the prices of basses seem to be falling quite a bit recently, because of these "economic times". Since we’re approaching Christmas I was wondering if there was an opinion on how it’ll affect prices. Some people get a bit more cash; some people have to spend their disposable on other people, bonuses, New Year gas etc.

For buying and/or selling, better to wait until Christmas or not, do we see prices going down further?[/quote]
Sadly for all of us owners, prices are likely to go down further before they stabilise methinks. I work in a bank and based on what our economists etc are saying this could be a very protracted recession with prices of nearly all discretionary items (basses, s/h cars, restaurant meals, hell .. houses etc) still falling.

The good news - if there is any - is that (a) if you are happy with your bass(es), why sell anyway and just enjoy them and ( for those looking to upgrade their bass (or buy their first one) the coming months should be a good time to do so.

[stingrayfan]

Why is it though that when you're GASsing for lots of stuff, it's expensive and when you're not, prices fall?!

[ahpook]

i'm getting very tempted to grab a few bargains while i can.

spesh for a stingray...

[odub]

Me too, Things are getting tempting, not that I'd want to profit off anyone else’s hardship. I wouldn't feel right taking something cheap because someone needed the money and so had to sell a much loved bass.

But as far as general market prices I'm more than happy to get 50% off for second hand. Especially buying off people on here who probably look after their basses better than I would.

I agree with Clarky as well, It's going to be a bear market for a year minimum imo

[lemmywinks]

I think trades of relative value are the way forward! After all, how many of us actually spend money from bass sales on anything other than bass gear?!?!?!?

I suppose there's always the need to recoup money after a recent purchase, a situation i currently find myself in after a particularly costly
bass binge.

[ahpook]

[quote name='odub' post='290976' date='Sep 24 2008, 04:16 PM']I wouldn't feel right taking something cheap because someone needed the money and so had to sell a much loved bass.[/quote]

i wouldn't.

[odub]

[quote name='ahpook' post='290981' date='Sep 24 2008, 04:22 PM']i wouldn't.[/quote]

Ha, at least you're honest.

[bassbloke]

+1 for trades of relative value.

My sister frequently goes into Primark or wherever, spunks a load of cash on clothes and then promptly returns it all for a refund. Her logic is that she has satisfied the part of a woman's brain that needs to spend money unneccesarily and can therefore return the goods.

I was thinking that an idea along similar lines would be temporary swaps. For example, person A is GASsing for a P -bass whilst person B is gassing for, I don;t know, a lightweight combo. Said basschatters arrange a swap for a few weeks. In all likelihood, person A decides that actually he doesn;t really use a P bass, returns it to it's rightful owner collects lightweight rig and all is well, for a few weeks at least.

[Platypus]

[quote name='odub' post='290867' date='Sep 24 2008, 02:17 PM']New Year gas etc.[/quote]

'New Year gas' will have a very different meaning this year for many, as the big utility price rises kick in.....

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='290997' date='Sep 24 2008, 04:37 PM']+1 for trades of relative value.

My sister frequently goes into Primark or wherever, spunks a load of cash on clothes and then promptly returns it all for a refund. Her logic is that she has satisfied the part of a woman's brain that needs to spend money unneccesarily and can therefore return the goods.

I was thinking that an idea along similar lines would be temporary swaps. For example, person A is GASsing for a P -bass whilst person B is gassing for, I don;t know, a lightweight combo. Said basschatters arrange a swap for a few weeks. In all likelihood, person A decides that actually he doesn;t really use a P bass, returns it to it's rightful owner collects lightweight rig and all is well, for a few weeks at least.[/quote]

Why don't primark sell basses?

[bassplace]

[quote name='Platypus' post='290998' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:37 AM']'New Year gas' will have a very different meaning this year for many, as the big utility price rises kick in.....[/quote]

I don't buy much but watch Wal prices out of curiousity. For at least a few years, prices always climb as Christmas and the new year approach starting about now. June and July seem to be prime for low prices. Of course with financial market collapsing, who knows.

[brummie]

[quote name='bassplace' post='291416' date='Sep 25 2008, 02:35 AM']I don't buy much but watch Wal prices out of curiousity. For at least a few years, prices always climb as Christmas and the new year approach starting about now. June and July seem to be prime for low prices. Of course with financial market collapsing, who knows.[/quote]

I noticed that this year, there were a few bargains around in the last couple of months but I had no money, now that I have a couple of hundred quid everything seems to be going up a bit (I'm tight).

[bass_ferret]

Falling prices are only an issue if you are selling and not buying. Its like the papers talking up negative equity into a national catastrophe (despite the fact that until recently mortgages over 100% were immediately creating negative equity). Negative equity is only an issue if you are just selling, downsizing or cant pay the mortgage, yet people panic and do stupid things.

[cytania]

Overall the guitar market is overheated. There are alot of brands with very similar offerings often owned by either the Fender or Gibson cartels. Logic dictates that some brands will be rested, many were only recently revived for retro appeal.

Setting yourself up as a luthier seems to be almost a middle-class pose in the UK and there are some very marginal back of garage operations (often in solid body electric guitars). I just hope that any contraction will preserve the real craftsmen with a different take on building. However the cynic in me expects buyers to gravitate to the safety of Js and Ps.

Am looking for bass2 myself at present, just haven't found that perfect combo of looks and sounds...

Edited September 25, 2008 by cytania

[phil_the_bassist]

[quote name='cytania' post='291910' date='Sep 25 2008, 04:01 PM']Overall the guitar market is overheated. There are alot of brands with very similar offerings often owned by either the Fender or Gibson cartels. Logic dictates that some brands will be rested, many were only recently revived for retro appeal.

Setting yourself up as a luthier seems to be almost a middle-class pose in the UK and there are some very marginal back of garage operations (often in solid body electric guitars). I just hope that any contraction will preserve the real craftsmen with a different take on building. However the cynic in me expects buyers to gravitate to the safety of Js and Ps.

Am looking for bass2 myself at present, just haven't found that perfect combo of looks and sounds...[/quote]

as long as the high-end builders are able to keep their heads above water during this crunch, the lesser luthiers (one of which I have used many years ago, much to my chargrin) will eventually drop off to leave the ACG/shuker/RIM/sei et al of this world to operate in the the safe, high-end of the market.

Judging by the Build Diaries thread, BC along should be keeping most of 'em funded nicely

[spinynorman]

Bass I sold recently went to Italy, and the price held up compared to what I paid for it a year ago. The shock was the courier charge - double what I've paid in the past. Last 2 basses I sold went to southern Europe, seems to be more money there, but you have to use eBay.

[bassbloke]

[quote name='cytania' post='291910' date='Sep 25 2008, 04:01 PM']Overall the guitar market is overheated. There are alot of brands with very similar offerings often owned by either the Fender or Gibson cartels. Logic dictates that some brands will be rested, many were only recently revived for retro appeal.

Setting yourself up as a luthier seems to be almost a middle-class pose in the UK and there are some very marginal back of garage operations (often in solid body electric guitars). I just hope that any contraction will preserve the real craftsmen with a different take on building. However the cynic in me expects buyers to gravitate to the safety of Js and Ps.

Am looking for bass2 myself at present, just haven't found that perfect combo of looks and sounds...[/quote]

Not just the guitar market, but the market in after sales service. Some established luthiers, etc.. are charging silly money for setups, fret work, etc... Now, whilst I appreciate that you generally get what you pay for, I refuse to believe that one luthier is 2-3 times as good as another, which is what the different prices would have you think.

Edited September 26, 2008 by bassbloke

[Merton]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='290997' date='Sep 24 2008, 04:37 PM']I was thinking that an idea along similar lines would be temporary swaps. For example, person A is GASsing for a P -bass whilst person B is gassing for, I don;t know, a lightweight combo. Said basschatters arrange a swap for a few weeks. In all likelihood, person A decides that actually he doesn;t really use a P bass, returns it to it's rightful owner collects lightweight rig and all is well, for a few weeks at least.[/quote]
I like that idea

[bassbloke]

[quote name='Merton' post='292626' date='Sep 26 2008, 12:06 PM']I like that idea [/quote]

My back is feeling decidedly healthy at the moment, so perhaps we could arrange a temporary swap - my tech 15 and head for your 4x8 combo. A couple of weeks of that should see me back at the chiropractor's in no time.

P.S. Only joking - I've only just managed to get my mate's V-Type combo out of the house and back into storage. The wife would lynch me if another one appeared.

[Merton]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='292641' date='Sep 26 2008, 12:16 PM']My back is feeling decidedly healthy at the moment, so perhaps we could arrange a temporary swap - my tech 15 and head for your 4x8 combo. A couple of weeks of that should see me back at the chiropractor's in no time.[/quote]

I'll be round at 7!

[quote name='bassbloke' post='292641' date='Sep 26 2008, 12:16 PM']P.S. Only joking - I've only just managed to get my mate's V-Type combo out of the house and back into storage. The wife would lynch me if another one appeared.[/quote]

D'oh



What I REALLY want to do a temporary swap on is my Retroactive for someone else's 5 string S2 bolt on....

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='Platypus' post='290998' date='Sep 24 2008, 04:37 PM']'New Year gas' will have a very different meaning this year for many, as the big utility price rises kick in.....[/quote]
...Which was precisely what I was thinking. Save for a rainy (read cold) day.

[Shockwave]

Just picked up this one!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140270679787&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...bayphotohosting[/url]

[Brother Jones]

Prices for some basses and/or manufacturers seem to have fallen further than others. Stingrays have had a bad time, as have (I suspect) Warwicks. Perhaps good Fenders and some others may hold up a little better. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking...

[Clarky]

[quote name='Brother Jones' post='294032' date='Sep 28 2008, 05:53 PM']Prices for some basses and/or manufacturers seem to have fallen further than others. Stingrays have had a bad time, as have (I suspect) Warwicks. Perhaps good Fenders and some others may hold up a little better. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking...[/quote]
As I have found out to my cost, Rick prices have fallen a long way very recently. Unbelievably the mint, never-out-of-case limited edition red 4003 (that was featured in another thread on the Forum) went for just £939 - 6 months ago I am confident that would have gone for £1,300-1,600 (after all a stock new one will set you back close to that)