# Kijiji, Craigslist prices



## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

IN the market for a guitar and I have been surfing these two sites a lot. Does anyone notice that people buy guitars and play them for five years or so and now expect to get 80% to 120% of what the guitar cost originally. I wish the sites would start charging and I would not have to cut through all this BS every day.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Hey, I'm *glad* they don't charge. Not a whole lot of free services left in this world anyway.

I wait out the people who want 80% of their original, brand-new price. Sooner or later, after listing and re-listing, they either eventually get it and withdraw the item (not wishing to sell it so much after all) or they sell it at a little more realistic price. That said, some people are stubborn and will try that set figure in their head over and over again for a looooong time. Usually they're the newbies. A more realistic expectation is 75% - maybe even less if your gear isn't Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, that sort of thing.

What bugs me more with Craigslist is commercial companies using the service. I want to deal with private buyers and sellers, not bricks and mortar stores trying to flog the same gear over and over again.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

It ain't perfect but it works. I see all kinda of wackiness and get hilarious offers sometimes, but it moves gear, so that's the bottom line.

However, regarding pricing, I just realized that some of it may just be ignorance. I recently had an Epi LP Jr. listed (briefly - I decided to keep it). I was asking $325 for it. I had done some upgrades to it, but had kept all the stock parts. I don't know what the retail was on it since it was a gift and the guitar had been discontinued. The only info I could find was that it sold for $399 at some point. I figured I'd sell with upgrades for $325 or stock for $275. A friendly CL'er pointed out to me that he has seen them being cleared out for $275 new. I had no idea! 

Similarly, prices on Mexi Strats/Teles are all over the place. Fender raised and lowered their prices on these a couple times in the last few years and now they're at $500 or so new when they were at $599 or something not that long ago. Many people who aren't as _into_ gear may not realize this and try to sell their used Strat for $450, which isn't a terrible markdown from $599, but isn't much at all off of $500.

Whenever I point out a price discrepancy to someone on CL/Kijiji, I try to be as polite as possible (like the guy who emailed me about my Jr.), but some people get all bent-out-of-shape about it, so I don't really do it anymore.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

There is no better way to let someone know the price is out of line then by simply saying nothing. Silence can be golden in those situations


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

If it's an item I am really interested in, and the pricing is far higher than market price, I make an offer and send a couple of link examples. I don't know if that is considered rude or not. I have never had anyone get mad at me. Sometimes people don't get back to me until they have their item listed for a few weeks at the high price and can't sell it. But that's about it.


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

I've used kijiji extensively for both buying and selling with reasonable sucess. I think the key for buying is to know what you're looking for and what you should be paying. It's true, you do have to sift through a ton of rediculously priced items before you find what you're looking for. Patience is paramount, and of course there's nothing wrong with making reasonable offers. At worst you're in the same place as you started. Selling on kijij is a little more frustrating, I find. I always list for what I think is a fair price (usually a little below market value,) and define clearly in my adds what I'll accept in the way of trades, and I usually include a statement about junk punching low ballers, but I always seem to get silly trade offers and lowballers anyway. Once again, patience is paramount. Funny Kijiji story; A year or so ago, I traded my PRS SE Standard for a Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet through kijiji, not two weeks later I was browsing the adds again and I came accross my old PRS being advertised with a $500 asking price as "Brand new purshased from L&M 3 weeks ago for $750." Same contact details as the Gretsch I had traded for. I had to laugh.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Petey D said:


> I've used kijiji extensively for both buying and selling with reasonable sucess. I think the key for buying is to know what you're looking for and what you should be paying. It's true, you do have to sift through a ton of rediculously priced items before you find what you're looking for. Patience is paramount, and of course there's nothing wrong with making reasonable offers. At worst you're in the same place as you started. Selling on kijij is a little more frustrating, I find. I always list for what I think is a fair price (usually a little below market value,) and define clearly in my adds what I'll accept in the way of trades, and I usually include a statement about junk punching low ballers, but I always seem to get silly trade offers and lowballers anyway. Once again, patience is paramount. Funny Kijiji story; A year or so ago, I traded my PRS SE Standard for a Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet through kijiji, not two weeks later I was browsing the adds again and I came accross my old PRS being advertised with a $500 asking price as "Brand new purshased from L&M 3 weeks ago for $750." Same contact details as the Gretsch I had traded for. I had to laugh.


The thing with selling is that you should be doing the same research as when buying. I have had people lowball me because that's human nature... BUT, they do not ARGUE my prices which I think it is distinction. With 5 minutes of research, one can see my prices are fair. They make their lowball offer, I say no, and that is about it. Next email. Of course, this doesn't apply to all people because there are crazies out there. But I have had a very good history selling on Kijiji/Craigslist.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

My stance is that telling folks that you won't accept lowball and nutso offers practically guarantees that you will get them. In fact, there's not much you can do to reliably avoid lowballers. I either ignore them if they're truly over the top, or take 'em seriously and reply why I think my piece of gear is worth more than what they're offering.

Definitely, this is a patient man's game. Courtesy also usually works - sometimes it defuses some of the more ornery respondents. Kill 'em with kindness, as the saying goes.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

> Funny Kijiji story; A year or so ago, I traded my PRS SE Standard for a Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet through kijiji, not two weeks later I was browsing the adds again and I came accross my old PRS being advertised with a $500 asking price as "Brand new purshased from L&M 3 weeks ago for $750." Same contact details as the Gretsch I had traded for. I had to laugh.


The Belleville Kijiji seems really bad. Between Log Cabin music plugging things up, though to do have good prices and the usual junk. There is a guy on there now with a Roland string machine. He want's $500... I bought one for $25. But at xmas he posted it on the Oshawa list.." I am in town for the next two hours"


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> Kijiji/CL people are nuts on both sides. I had a vintage '67 Gibson SG Jr. listed for awile at $1,700 and continually got offers of $800 - $900. That's just as crazy as asking $1,200 for a used Fender American Standard Strat? Still, overall, I've had much better success selling through Kijiji than any other online method, including selling here.


Do you still have it? would you take 950$??????? I have cash in hand......


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

deadear said:


> IN the market for a guitar and I have been surfing these two sites a lot. Does anyone notice that people buy guitars and play them for five years or so and now expect to get 80% to 120% of what the guitar cost originally. I wish the sites would start charging and I would not have to cut through all this BS every day.


What kind/type of guitar are you in the market for? I have a few electrics that I'm ready to sell but I've been reluctant to put on Kijiji due to the soft market, lowballers and typical Kijiji moronitude but I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

The people at Log Cabin music have 59 items up-are located in the middle of nowhere and want you to show up in person-no emails.

Problem is they have nothing exceptional to offer-just the usual crap


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

Hamstrung said:


> What kind/type of guitar are you in the market for? I have a few electrics that I'm ready to sell but I've been reluctant to put on Kijiji due to the soft market, lowballers and typical Kijiji moronitude but I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers.


Usa built Charvel San Dimas HH. Retail for $900 tops so people have paid less. Not many out there yet. One tele style on kijiji for $700 for the last 2 months and he has finally reduced to $650 but the tele styles sit on Evil Bay for $600 and never sell. Another guy bought one robbed the pup's out of it and now wants $775. Time I have got lots of and I will wait. What are you selling ?


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> The thing with selling is that you should be doing the same research as when buying. I have had people lowball me because that's human nature... BUT, they do not ARGUE my prices which I think it is distinction. With 5 minutes of research, one can see my prices are fair. They make their lowball offer, I say no, and that is about it. Next email. Of course, this doesn't apply to all people because there are crazies out there. But I have had a very good history selling on Kijiji/Craigslist.


I have a good history as well with buying and selling on kijiji but I have a whole slew of stories of whack-jobs too. I had a guy contact me about a fantastic Gibson Les Paul Studio that I have. He says that since mine is a 2007 "it is 5 years old" and that 2007 models are selling for "between $400 and $800". I said Great...if you can find them for $400 I'll take six!!

But the difference with that guy is that he tells everyone "I am selling all of my guitars because I have arthritis in my hands so I can't play anymore" but he's just a flipper. Nothing wrong with being a buyer & seller but don't lie about it to try to put people at ease to make a sale. He doesn't know that I see his name on guitars coming through the post office - BONER!!


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

deadear said:


> Usa built Charvel San Dimas HH. Retail for $900 tops so people have paid less. Not many out there yet. One tele style on kijiji for $700 for the last 2 months and he has finally reduced to $650 but the tele styles sit on Evil Bay for $600 and never sell. Another guy bought one robbed the pup's out of it and now wants $775. Time I have got lots of and I will wait. What are you selling ?


Unfortunately nothing like what you described. I've got some low-mid level electrics but it would be inappropriate to list them in this thread. If you wish I can PM you with a list. Otherwise I'll post them in the "for sale" section if I get off my duff and get to it.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Hamstrung said:


> What kind/type of guitar are you in the market for? I have a few electrics that I'm ready to sell but I've been reluctant to put on Kijiji due to the soft market, lowballers and typical Kijiji moronitude but I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers.


Deadear...you can be confident in dealing with Hamstrung.
We met through this forum and have been friends for years. 
He is a man of his word and communicates in a precise and timely manner.

Cheers

Dave


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

rollingdam said:


> The people at Log Cabin music have 59 items up-are located in the middle of nowhere and want you to show up in person-no emails.
> 
> Problem is they have nothing exceptional to offer-just the usual crap


 Not to defend them.. but they have been there for 20yrs.. selling the same stuff. Just up the road in Renfrew is Mill Music. Last time I was in there they had at least 6 vintage Martins. 

Arden Music in Belleville is doing the same thing.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

greco said:


> Deadear...you can be confident in dealing with Hamstrung.
> We met through this forum and have been friends for years.
> He is a man of his word and communicates in a precise and timely manner.
> 
> ...


And he comes up with words like _*moronitude*_


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

smorgdonkey said:


> I have a good history as well with buying and selling on kijiji but I have a whole slew of stories of whack-jobs too. I had a guy contact me about a fantastic Gibson Les Paul Studio that I have. He says that since mine is a 2007 "it is 5 years old" and that 2007 models are selling for "between $400 and $800". I said Great...if you can find them for $400 I'll take six!!
> 
> But the difference with that guy is that he tells everyone "I am selling all of my guitars because I have arthritis in my hands so I can't play anymore" but he's just a flipper. Nothing wrong with being a buyer & seller but don't lie about it to try to put people at ease to make a sale. He doesn't know that I see his name on guitars coming through the post office - BONER!!


 what are they worth in your mind. Some one has one on craigslist and says $850 and not a penny less he will not see it go to the hands of a lowballer. I don't think his phone is ringing off the wall. They have no collectable value so what are they worth with Gibson selling $515 dollar us made guitars. Used Sg standards in top shape with binding on the neck sell for $800 around here with gibson case ,and they are worth more than any studio.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

I have to admit that, when I do post on kijiji, I usually price items at the upper range of "fair market value", perhaps just to offset the typical nonsense you encounter there. With that said, I'll often price those same items for several hundred dollars less when posted here, to account for the relative _lack of hassle_ in dealing with the vast majority of GC members. I guess you could consider it an "idiot tax" of sorts..ha ha!


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

When I'm selling an item on CL, I'll name a certain figure - but what I'm willing to settle for will almost always be a certain percentage less than that figure; the buyer doesn't have to know that fact - if they're aggressive, wheeling and dealing types, they'll be able to think they talked me down anyway. I believe people like a little bit of wiggle room, just to dicker over prices.

Also: you can dicker over gear without being a dick.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

deadear said:


> what are they worth in your mind. Some one has one on craigslist and says $850 and not a penny less he will not see it go to the hands of a lowballer. I don't think his phone is ringing off the wall. They have no collectable value so what are they worth with Gibson selling $515 dollar us made guitars. Used Sg standards in top shape with binding on the neck sell for $800 around here with gibson case ,and they are worth more than any studio.


In very good shape I say that they are worth $850 with the Gibson case. You are certainly right that they have no collectable value but $850 in my neck of the woods is 59% of what you'd pay out of pocket for a new one. That's a great deal IMO.

You may think that an SG standard in top shape is worth more than any Studio but I'll take the maple capped Les Paul Studio any time over the SG. For your money, you'd rather a flat slab mahogany and some plastic strips on either side of the fingerboard and for my money, I'd rather have a mahogany body with a carved maple cap on it with a beautiful wine red finish. That's a preference thing, I guess. 



nkjanssen said:


> Another tip for Kijiji/CL users I've gathered from my experience as a seller... If you want to be taken seriously as a buyer, don't use your [email protected] or giantcockma[email protected] address for responses.


HAHA!! SO true!!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

this is the current hot topic in every guitar forum i participate on. 5 or 6 different ones. someone (here, i think) pointed out that if cars or other goods were priced the way guitars are, we'd all see how ridiculous it is. i totally agree. 
it's also true that patience and diligence will be rewarded. the gear market is in a weird place right now, neither side willing to give much. who knows? maybe we're all just circling the bowl.... 




shoretyus said:


> And he comes up with words like _*moronitude*_


that IS a good one!


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> this is the current hot topic in every guitar forum i participate on. 5 or 6 different ones. someone (here, i think) pointed out that if cars or other goods were priced the way guitars are, we'd all see how ridiculous it is. i totally agree.
> it's also true that patience and diligence will be rewarded. the gear market is in a weird place right now, neither side willing to give much. who knows? maybe we're all just circling the bowl....


True enough! 

Here's an interesting observation: The price of a Fender MIM Telecaster is about $300-$350 and has been for a couple of years. L&M is now selling new MIM Teles at $499. That is impressive 'resale'.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Another thing I find people commonly doing is listing a particular guitar for sale, using the price they originally paid for it as a baseline - regardless of the possibility that the same model might nowadays be listed significantly lower than when they had bought their own specimen. The seller wants to reclaim as much value as possible, which is totally understandable - but it doesn't work well with practical market conditions.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> There is no better way to let someone know the price is out of line then by simply saying nothing. Silence can be golden in those situations


That's right! Especially that those who like to tell others that they're asking too much are often the same people who bump their own ads fifteen times totally clueless about the fact that they're guilty of the same thing. In my experience, when you ask for the right price, whether here or on Kijiji or Craigslist, things sell very quickly. If I think an amp is worth $750 on the used market, I'll often ask a little less like $725 or even $700 for a quick sale and mention that the price is completely non-negotiable. I prefer this than having to field dozens of low-ball offers, no-shows and visits from tire-kickers.


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## Abrasive (Feb 1, 2008)

The larger music store in town in typically about 30% overpriced, and that gets reflected in kijiji ads here.
Used Epi LP Standard for $35 less than a brand new one at L&M, Ibanez Gios for almost $300, that sort of thing.
It's really sad seeing someone trying to sell an Epi LP Special package with a cheap amp for $300+, saying they spent twice that 3 months ago.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Maxer said:


> Another thing I find people commonly doing is listing a particular guitar for sale, using the price they originally paid for it as a baseline - regardless of the possibility that the same model might nowadays be listed significantly lower than when they had bought their own specimen. The seller wants to reclaim as much value as possible, which is totally understandable - but it doesn't work well with practical market conditions.


Perfect examples on my local kijiji. One guy selling a classical "I paid $800 a year ago and selling to upgrade - $600" and another - "I bought this amp a couple of months ago but it is too loud for my apartment. Selling for $700, L&M sells these for $729"

Based on ads like that all day long - it's crazy.

Fender Roadworn Tele -$600
'98 Gibson LP Studio stripped of finish -$650 (the guy says it would cost $1200 to get one on eBay)

A few weeks back there was a guy saying that his fireburst LP Studio cost him almost $2000 (he bought at a small retailer) so he wanted $1200
Another guy said he had a regular worn brown LP Studio refinished at a custom shop and wanted $1200. He then dropped his price to $900. 

I just see it every day. Back to the MIM Teles...nobody calls at $300 but at $250 people were sending money to an unknown person's bank and getting RIPPED OFF. So, they won't spend the $300 to get a guitar that they can try but they'll send $250 away on an electronic wing and a prayer.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Great thread.
I read the ads on kijiji daily, sometimes twice a day.
I resist e-mailing most of these people and asking if they're stoned!
The flippers in my area (Niagara) are some of the biggest liars going.
If you look at their postal codes, it's easy to see what their game is and the many bogus"reasons" they're selling.
Still; I'm hopeful that someone will post a good honest deal some day; but it never happens.
Not that I'm seriously in the market for anything; but there are a few things I'd like to buy if the price were right.
It's almost as laughable as some of the pawn shop prices; but that's another thread!


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

smorgdonkey said:


> Perfect examples on my local kijiji. One guy selling a classical "I paid $800 a year ago and selling to upgrade - $600" and another - "I bought this amp a couple of months ago but it is too loud for my apartment. Selling for $700, L&M sells these for $729"
> 
> Based on ads like that all day long - it's crazy.


Yeah... the other thing I notice is that people from an hour or two outside of my area typically list their gear at higher prices than what's available in the heart of city, simply because the smaller stores in smaller urban centres (1.e., ones facing less competition) are often selling the gear for higher prices (probably because they don't get them for as good a wholesale price as a larger dealer with higher product overturn)... and these sellers are often unwilling to recognize that prices can be quite different in the centre of a large marketplace. This is especially true of used gear. In the GTA at any given moment, there's dozens of Mexi-Fenders and Epiphones and lower-end to mid-range Godins and Ibanez guitars on the market. After awhile you start to get a decent sense of what a particular guitar is likely to fetch.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

big frank said:


> The flippers in my area (Niagara) are some of the biggest liars going.


Think I met one of them, once had the chance of a lifetime to buy a "1983 first year American Standard Stratocaster".


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

big frank said:


> The flippers in my area (Niagara) are some of the biggest liars going.
> !


Trust no one ........... but perhaps I'm lying .........


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

This person is in his 3rd year trying to sell the guitar at full retail

http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/LARRIVEE-GUITAR-MODEL-L-09-OBO_10298903


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

You mean that one has been for sale for 3 years? Holy shnikies!

There's someone down this way with a Morgan. They are beautiful and sound fantastic. The guy's ad says "I bought two to see which one I like best so I am selling the other one" or something to that effect. If only I could facepalm kijiji ads!!

One thing that gets me sometimes is people responding from a fake email address (kijiji will accept almost anything like [email protected]) because they want to hack on you without allowing you to respond. I had a guy respond to my Gibson ad recently saying "$960 brand new at L&M adjust your numbers". 

So, kijiji should have a system that shoots an email to the responder - if that email comes back as undeliverable then the message should not be sent. That would stop some of the people with social issues from getting their entertainment.


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## theroan (Oct 7, 2008)

Us Canadians seem to be way out of wack when it comes to pricing. Search for any Les Paul to see it in action. I got my PP2+ for $125 from the states, there was a guy in Oshawa selling it for $180.

Maybe we're just greedy.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

I don't buy the Canadians are greedier explanation - too cynical and simplistic. It's probably down to a difference in tax rates and import fees.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

I just laugh at some of the stuff on Kijiji. Don't get me wrong, I picked up a few great deals, sold stuff & have given stuff away.
But this,http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...-Strat-with-amp-and-extras-W0QQAdIdZ343378120,
an Affinity pack for $1000? Come on!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

bzrkrage said:


> I just laugh at some of the stuff on Kijiji. Don't get me wrong, I picked up a few great deals, sold stuff & have given stuff away.
> But this,http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...-Strat-with-amp-and-extras-W0QQAdIdZ343378120,
> an Affinity pack for $1000? Come on!


Oh man, that is brutal! I'm gonna email him and see if he'll take my Gibson Les Paul as a partial trade


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Kijiji here is not too bad, price-wise. The main problem is that there's almost nothing interesting and, similarly, it's hard to sell anything that isn't your run-of-the-mill stuff everyone's familiar with. I used to buy and sell on eBay, but got scammed and no longer even have a PayPal account. Dropped them both. I had to in order to avoid losing money. I don't miss it. eBay was terrible for prices. Couldn't believe how much people were asking--more than new prices at local stores!


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

smorgdonkey said:


> True enough!
> 
> Here's an interesting observation: The price of a Fender MIM Telecaster is about $300-$350 and has been for a couple of years. L&M is now selling new MIM Teles at $499. That is impressive 'resale'.


 L&M in Burlington on Boxing week sale wear selling MIM strats and 1 black MIM tele for $399 plus tax. New guitars Good deal I would say. If the tele was anything other than black I would have bought it but I got two black ones and I am tired of black.


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

The thing I've found about Kijiji is you have to look hard. Most people want way too much for their gear but every blue moon something comes up at a steal of a deal. Quite often it's a different guitar that the seller knows won't move and prices it to move, that's the deals you have to be ready for. Just recently I picked up a Bigsby equipped Samick HJ650 with a hard shell case for $200 off of Kijiji, so good deals can be found.


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

Kijiji is much better then having a yard sale... the last time i had a yard sale i had an item on the table for 25 cent and a lady offered me a nickel...


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Mark P said:


> Kijiji here is not too bad, price-wise. The main problem is that there's almost nothing interesting and, similarly, it's hard to sell anything that isn't your run-of-the-mill stuff everyone's familiar with. I used to buy and sell on eBay, but got scammed and no longer even have a PayPal account. Dropped them both. I had to in order to avoid losing money. I don't miss it. eBay was terrible for prices. Couldn't believe how much people were asking--more than new prices at local stores!


I find the same thing with ebay these days... lots of small shops want $30 to ship to Canada, but charge the same price as a walk in store....isn't the point of eBay to save money vs the stores because of less overhead????

Edmonton has high prices for a lot of things IMHO.... as well used is used. Even if it's only 1 month old and in mint condition. it doesn't mean it's worth more than something that's 2 years old and in the same condition.

things I see way too often on edmonton Kijiji:
Boss pedals at 10% off retail
Fender Frontman 15G amp
Fender stratotcaster/telecaster - and when you click the ad, it's a squier or another copy

there is the odd nice find from time to time, but not too often. you have to be quite diligent with checking back if you want the good deals.


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## Abrasive (Feb 1, 2008)

blam said:


> Fender stratotcaster/telecaster - and when you click the ad, it's a squier or another copy


Ugh this one kills me.
There are constantly ads on Red Deer's kijiji for "Fenders" and "Gibsons". Usually I'd be able to tell that it's a Squier or Epi from the price, but some people ask prices high enough that it's either a good deal on a Fender, or a horrible deal on a Squier, so you've gotta click to be sure. A lot of the time I find they never do mention it in the ad, and you'd only know if you were familiar enough with guitars to decifer the logo from the shitty cell phone picture.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Abrasive said:


> Ugh this one kills me.
> There are constantly ads on Red Deer's kijiji for "Fenders" and "Gibsons". Usually I'd be able to tell that it's a Squier or Epi from the price, but some people ask prices high enough that it's either a good deal on a Fender, or a horrible deal on a Squier, so you've gotta click to be sure. A lot of the time I find they never do mention it in the ad, and you'd only know if you were familiar enough with guitars to decifer the logo from the *shitty cell phone picture.*


The photo thing drives me nuts. How in this day and age can you have no access to a camera or phone to take a decent photo? People post horrible photos, or take photos from ads and say "It's similar to the item in the photo". If you really want to sell something, take 2 minutes and take a damn photo of it!


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

torndownunit said:


> The photo thing drives me nuts. How in this day and age can you have no access to a camera or phone to take a decent photo? People post horrible photos, or take photos from ads and say "It's similar to the item in the photo". If you really want to sell something, take 2 minutes and take a damn photo of it!


I own 2 cameras...one being a point and shoot and the other being a professional grade DSLR.

I more often than not steal a photo someone else has taken if it's a generic item and in "new" condition, which in most cases it is.

however, if it was a guitar, I'd take an actual photo.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> The photo thing drives me nuts. How in this day and age can you have no access to a camera or phone to take a decent photo? People post horrible photos, or take photos from ads and say "It's similar to the item in the photo". If you really want to sell something, take 2 minutes and take a damn photo of it!


Ditto. The first question you're going to be asked by anyone who emails you is "hey, can I see a pic" anyway, so you might as well slap some up there to begin with. I find when I take the time to take a nice pic of guitar or whatever, I tend to get better results.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hollowbody said:


> It ain't perfect but it works. I see all kinda of wackiness and get hilarious offers sometimes, but it moves gear, so that's the bottom line.
> 
> However, regarding pricing, I just realized that some of it may just be ignorance.
> Whenever I point out a price discrepancy to someone on CL/Kijiji, I try to be as polite as possible (like the guy who emailed me about my Jr.), but some people get all bent-out-of-shape about it, so I don't really do it anymore.


I have done this a couple of times, as well. I saw an effects unit being sold the other day on Kijiji for over twice than what it was worth. I emailed him and told him why it was no longer worth the price he was asking. It was a good unit but the newer ones had way more features for the same price he was asking. The guy emailed me and thanked me.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

big frank said:


> Great thread.
> I read the ads on kijiji daily, sometimes twice a day.
> I resist e-mailing most of these people and asking if they're stoned!
> 
> It's almost as laughable as some of the pawn shop prices; but that's another thread!


I hear you. I was working in the Falls a few weeks ago and decided to pop into a couple of the pawn shops. I was looking for a tele type guitar that I could mod. They wanted almost new prices for these things. When I told him he went and looked it up online and reduced the price by $50.00. I told him to keep it which he likely will forever at that price.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

The thing is, Steadfastly, these places rely on not so with it dads who go looking for a bargain guitar for their kid and believing somehow that it's a good source for used musical instruments.
I witnessed a dad buying his son a used crappy electric and then shelling out another 50 bucks for the hard case.
The Pawnbroker deadpanning: "We usually get 60 dollars for these".


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

allthumbs56 said:


> Trust no one ........... but perhaps I'm lying .........


" I got this as a Christmas present and literally played it twice" 

Umm dude there is no dust on the table in the picture.. why is the headstock covered in dust.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

blam said:


> I own 2 cameras...one being a point and shoot and the other being a professional grade DSLR.
> 
> I more often than not steal a photo someone else has taken if it's a generic item and in "new" condition, which in most cases it is.
> 
> however, if it was a guitar, I'd take an actual photo.


Where I take issue with it mainly is when people are selling a guitar or amp, listing it as being in a certain condition in their ad.... but then showing a photo of another item. That just does not make sense to me. Or I see people describe a ding or repair in a guitar in a Kijiji ad.... then show 4 well taken photos of the guitar, but none showing the issue mentioned.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

What annoys me is people posting a stock shot of, say, some guitar that they got from a site like L & M or Guitar Center, then saying "this is not the guitar but it's the exact same." First off, _nothing_ is the exact same. Your guitar is used, for one thing, and if it's a transparent finish the grain is going to be different too.

_Show me your own guitar,_ thanks. In an era of cellphone cams and cheap digicams, there's pretty much zero excuse for not taking a picture of the actual item you're supposedly selling.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> Where I take issue with it mainly is when people are selling a guitar or amp, listing it as being in a certain condition in their ad.... but then showing a photo of another item. That just does not make sense to me. Or I see people describe a ding or repair in a guitar in a Kijiji ad.... then show 4 well taken photos of the guitar, but none showing the issue mentioned.


hahahaha, yes! This just happened to me. An ad posted with no pics, the guitar described as having a "minor chip" in it. I emailed for pics and got this back. How's this for a "minor" chip?










Apparently this minor chip is easily repairable for about $50 *facepalm*


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Thats totally insane


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I'd really hate to see what he would define as a "major chip"...LOL

Cheers

Dave


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

greco said:


> I'd really hate to see what he would define as a "major chip"...LOL
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


This?????

View attachment 602


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Alex Csank said:


> This?????
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

rollingdam said:


> Alex Csank said:
> 
> 
> > This?????
> ...


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Alex Csank said:


> This?????


hahahah, that'll buff right out!


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Update on the Kijiji Calgary $1000 Squier Affinity package........now reduced to...........wait for it.........$500! Wow! Whata saving!kksjur


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> hahahah, that'll buff right out!


Yes....and another selling point that should be noted is that there is VERY little fret wear.

Cheers

Dave


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

hollowbody said:


> hahahaha, yes! This just happened to me. An ad posted with no pics, the guitar described as having a "minor chip" in it. I emailed for pics and got this back. How's this for a "minor" chip?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think that one was too close when an IED went off. Wow...SGs in Afghanistan.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

greco said:


> Yes....and another selling point that should be noted is that there is VERY little fret wear.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


And the bridge isn't split but is missing only half it's pins


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

hollowbody said:


> How's this for a "minor" chip?


No, no, that's just reflection from the camera flash!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

big frank said:


> The thing is, Steadfastly, these places rely on not so with it dads who go looking for a bargain guitar for their kid and believing somehow that it's a good source for used musical instruments.
> I witnessed a dad buying his son a used crappy electric and then shelling out another 50 bucks for the hard case.
> The Pawnbroker deadpanning: "We usually get 60 dollars for these".


I would have tried so hard to get his attention and set him straight. I hate seeing anyone get taken. I know we all need to make a living, but that is so morally wrong.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hollowbody said:


> hahahaha, yes! This just happened to me. An ad posted with no pics, the guitar described as having a "minor chip" in it. I emailed for pics and got this back. How's this for a "minor" chip?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I guess when he buys "chips" he buys the extra, extra, extra large ones.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

greco said:


> Yes....and another selling point that should be noted is that there is VERY little fret wear.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


I'm amazed that he didn't spell it "ware" in the ad.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Here is a good one:http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...-les-paul-gold-top-must-go-W0QQAdIdZ344130658


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

rollingdam said:


> Here is a good one:http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...-les-paul-gold-top-must-go-W0QQAdIdZ344130658


Whats up with that ? Saw it this a.m. couldnt figure out what he was selling.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Great discussion. Personally, I love kijiji, and if I were a single man with money, I would probably be found dead under an avalanche of gear. In our area there seems to be a lot of great deals available, possibly due to a large number of teenagers with indulgent parents...

If you want to weed out the lowballers and no shows, post a phone number and say that you will only entertain offers over the phone. It seems that people will fire off an e-mail on a whim, but only serious buyers will pick up the phone to call.


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

bw66 said:


> Great discussion. Personally, I love kijiji, and if I were a single man with money, I would probably be found dead under an avalanche of gear. In our area there seems to be a lot of great deals available, possibly due to a large number of teenagers with indulgent parents...
> 
> If you want to weed out the lowballers and no shows, post a phone number and say that you will only entertain offers over the phone. It seems that people will fire off an e-mail on a whim, but only serious buyers will pick up the phone to call.


I wouldn't advise this in Toronto. Public posting of your phone number never seems to turn out well.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

that's one thing i hate. i won't buy from someone who won't allow me to communicate by email. i don't want my number out there. why bother to advertise electronically then? but for me, it's otherwise, if they agree to meet me at a subway station, then cool. off to the races. if not, i pass.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

LowWatt said:


> I wouldn't advise this in Toronto. Public posting of your phone number never seems to turn out well.


I would agree under any circumstances. Already get enough BS over the phone, last thing I want is to advertise it to more idiots. Its bad enough you have the email harvesters out there


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

marcos said:


> Whats up with that ? Saw it this a.m. couldnt figure out what he was selling.


Looks like pictures of his toilet seat


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't know if it's already been mentioned somewhere deep within this long thread, but, what about that 'AJAX Crew' idiot that appears every so often on the GTA CL?
Does anyone have any idea what, or why, he is rambling on?

Also, how many 5 to 7 year old strats are out there with ALL the factory stickers still on them: "Silver Bullets", "Stack-Knob", "American Standard", etc.?
Seems to be frequent that someone buys a guitar, never touches it, then wants to sell it years later, for the original price.


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## Tim Plains (Apr 14, 2009)

I browse CL/kijiji for music gear all the time. 
I don't see anything wrong with listing a high asking price. 
It's the guys who won't budge when you show them their price is unrealistic that get me.

One guy wouldn't accept anything less than $4,000 for his '57 Custom VOS. (good luck with that)

I wanted to buy a second-hand 1x12 or 2x10 Dr Z cabinet recently. 
One guy said he paid over $700 even though I pointed out they retail for $520. 
Another guy wanted me to pay tax. Tax on a private sale? WTF?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bw66 said:


> Great discussion.
> 
> If you want to weed out the lowballers and no shows, post a phone number and say that you will only entertain offers over the phone. It seems that people will fire off an e-mail on a whim, but only serious buyers will pick up the phone to call.


What I do is put a note on the ad telling people that if they respond with no phone number in their email, it will be ignored. That weeds out 99% of the non-serious ones and has worked excellently for me.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

cheezyridr said:


> that's one thing i hate. i won't buy from someone who won't allow me to communicate by email. i don't want my number out there. why bother to advertise electronically then? but for me, it's otherwise, if they agree to meet me at a subway station, then cool. off to the races. if not, i pass.


Sorry I won't meet people at a subway, shoping mall etc. How many thieves try to unload hot goods this way. I am not scared to give out a phone number and a address to come and make a sale. Also I write down vehicle plate numbers and get a bill of sale, incase some day my house is searched by police and they come up with stolen goods. Serial numbers are traced and recorded . I have all mine writen down.


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> What I do is put a note on the ad telling people that if they respond with no phone number in their email, it will be ignored. That weeds out 99% of the non-serious ones and has worked excellently for me.


...and I refuse to respond to any ads that insist on this. I'm not giving someone my phone number just because they put an ad up Craigslist. I want to at least know it's everything is legit before I give any personal info. 

Usually I just put up a note that says lowballers or scammers will be ignored and then any response I get that fits in that category gets deleted.

Having said that, I have never once got a reply with just the words "Is this still available?" and nothing else where anyone followed up. 99% of the time that's a move just used to verify email addresses.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

deadear said:


> Sorry I won't meet people at a subway, shoping mall etc. How many thieves try to unload hot goods this way. I am not scared to give out a phone number and a address to come and make a sale. Also I write down vehicle plate numbers and get a bill of sale, incase some day my house is searched by police and they come up with stolen goods. Serial numbers are traced and recorded . I have all mine writen down.


sorry, clarify for me...you ask for a bill of sale when doing craigslist transactions??? really??? baffling. If someone asked for a bill I'd laugh in their face. people actually do this?

please note, I don't sell stolen goods, I just don't have time for scribbling down nonsense.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> What I do is put a note on the ad telling people that if they respond with no phone number in their email, it will be ignored. That weeds out 99% of the non-serious ones and has worked excellently for me.


That works. I guess I've never really thought about my phone number being out there, but its never been a problem either. It just seems to me people seem to be a bit braver about being inconsiderate when they use e-mail.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

hollowbody said:


> sorry, clarify for me...you ask for a bill of sale when doing craigslist transactions??? really??? baffling. If someone asked for a bill I'd laugh in their face. people actually do this?


I have actually written out bills of sale for people on higher priced items. I see no problem with it at all and if someone is more comfortable that way then it is nothing for me to do that, although it is quite an infrequent request.

On a side note...I actually sold 2 items today via my local kijiji and had people come right to my house. 
-ART Tube MP V3 like new in original box with all packaging and not a scratch. The old style with the meter $50
-FMR RNC in fantastic condition. We agreed on $140 based on my 'somewhat recent' eBay research but prior to the buyer's friend stopping by I checked eBay & saw that they have been selling for $100 so, I just asked his friend for $100 and that was that.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

LowWatt said:


> ...and I refuse to respond to any ads that insist on this. I'm not giving someone my phone number just because they put an ad up Craigslist. I want to at least know it's everything is legit before I give any personal info.


Funny the different priorities we all have. Usually I too get turned off by sellers insisting I leave a phone number. I believe it's fair to be able to ask a few questions via email (and to hopefully get sense of what kind of character's at the other end of any given potential transaction) before moving on to trading numbers and actually speaking with someone. I don't like to give out my phone number lightly.

Unless the piece of gear is something I'm _really_ salivating for, I ignore those posts demanding my number, or no action. Plenty of fish in the sea.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Maxer said:


> Funny the different priorities we all have. Usually I too get turned off by sellers insisting I leave a phone number. I believe it's fair to be able to ask a few questions via email (and to hopefully get sense of what kind of character's at the other end of any given potential transaction) before moving on to trading numbers and actually speaking with someone. I don't like to give out my phone number lightly.
> 
> Unless the piece of gear is something I'm _really_ salivating for, I ignore those posts demanding my number, or no action. Plenty of fish in the sea.


I am the same way. I don't reply to ads that say no emailing. I am dealing online initially, and want to use online methods to communicate. I don't want people having my phone number unless it's absolutely needed, and I want to give it to someone by my own choice.

I definitely will never give anyone a bill of sale either. I am selling a used item privately in 'as is' condition. There is no way I am giving any kind of bill of sale on that.


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

cheezyridr said:


> that's one thing i hate. i won't buy from someone who won't allow me to communicate by email.


Agree 100%. As a fairly frequent Kijiji buyer and an occassional seller or trader, a requirement to provide a phone number to the seller as a condition of first contact is an immediate pass on the deal before it even starts. Once the relationship is established and we're going to meet, I provide and request a phone number for emergency co-ordination and as a final show of trust before a meeting. But ONLY after the relationship is established, NEVER otherwise.

Communication is communication. I actually find it very reliable to learn about the other party and have them learn about me by an email discussion. There are plenty of idiots, but they are really really easy to filter out with just a little care. Of the remainder, I've had probably 20-30 non-trivial $ music gear deals (mostly buy, a few sell, a few trades) and while there were issues with 2 of them, the other party had always come through on making things right ... because I vetted them in the discussion and knew they were trustworthy with 99% certainty. Several of those Kijiji initiated contacts have become acquaintances, I've gone to their gigs, bought their music, maintain contact.

Kijiji works well, just don't forget it's everyday people on the other side, with all our everyday virtues and failures.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I'm with the above 3 posters. They advertised online, then communicate online first. I don't give my number out until someone requests it and I always skip ads that say 'phone only'.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

LexxM3 said:


> Agree 100%. As a fairly frequent Kijiji buyer and an occassional seller or trader, a requirement to provide a phone number to the seller as a condition of first contact is an immediate pass on the deal before it even starts. Once the relationship is established and we're going to meet, I provide and request a phone number for emergency co-ordination and as a final show of trust before a meeting. But ONLY after the relationship is established, NEVER otherwise.
> 
> Communication is communication. I actually find it very reliable to learn about the other party and have them learn about me by an email discussion. There are plenty of idiots, but they are really really easy to filter out with just a little care. Of the remainder, I've had probably 20-30 non-trivial $ music gear deals (mostly buy, a few sell, a few trades) and while there were issues with 2 of them, the other party had always come through on making things right ... because I vetted them in the discussion and knew they were trustworthy with 99% certainty. Several of those Kijiji initiated contacts have become acquaintances, I've gone to their gigs, bought their music, maintain contact.
> 
> Kijiji works well, just don't forget it's everyday people on the other side, with all our everyday virtues and failures.





smorgdonkey said:


> I'm with the above 3 posters. They advertised online, then communicate online first. I don't give my number out until someone requests it and I always skip ads that say 'phone only'.


Ditto. As long as someone doesn't come across as a loonie in an email thread, I'm good with meeting them. I generally invite them to my place if I'm the seller and only once have I felt like it was sketchy, but nothing ever came of it, so so-far-so-good.

I don't mind meeting people at TTC, but that kind of takes away from testing things out. I've had a couple trades where the pedal I traded for didn't quite work properly. Both were intermittent switch issues that weren't mentioned to me at the time. One was repaired under warranty by the manufacturer and the other I swapped for the same value after disclosing to someone else. No worries.

The way I see it, I'm not going out to make buddies, so I'm not looking for phone conversations. I don't really have the time for it while I'm at work during the day and I don't care to waste my free time in the evening. I like email because I can quickly respond whenever it's convenient for me.

Having said that, yeah, like LexxM3, a few of my deals have led me to make some pretty good friends and see some cool bands. I found my amp tech through a wah pedal deal


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> sorry, clarify for me...you ask for a bill of sale when doing craigslist transactions??? really??? baffling. If someone asked for a bill I'd laugh in their face. people actually do this?
> 
> please note, I don't sell stolen goods, I just don't have time for scribbling down nonsense.


Would you buy a car for $1500 bucks or so and not get a bill of sale with a vin on it. If that guitar is ever retrieved buy the police because it is stolen you loose it and your money and risk being charged if you can not prove where you got it. Look at this site there is a whole section on stolen gear that will go up for sale eventually.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

deadear said:


> Would you buy a car for $1500 bucks or so and not get a bill of sale with a vin on it. If that guitar is ever retrieved buy the police because it is stolen you loose it and your money and risk being charged if you can not prove where you got it. Look at this site there is a whole section on stolen gear.


That depends on who is giving you the bill of sale. If its hot and they know it your bill of sale would be about as worthless as a 3 dollar bill. You don't think a thief is going to put down his real name and address do you? If its not a retail shop giving it to you I assume buyer takes the risk. Or you could demand to see the guys licence and birth certificate and tell him you want a copy of it in case someday the police try to arrest you. If someone asked me to do that I would tell them to beat it and sell it to the next guy on the list.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

GuitarsCanada said:


> That depends on who is giving you the bill of sale. If its hot and they know it your bill of sale would be about as worthless as a 3 dollar bill. You don't think a thief is going to put down his real name and address do you? If its not a retail shop giving it to you I assume buyer takes the risk.


That is why I will not make a sale at a subway station as some people claim is the way to do things. At a residence for me or not at all on a big ticket item. A vehicle plate is easy to trace. Sneaky but effective. I call it covering your ass.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

deadear said:


> That is why I will not make a sale at a subway station as some people claim is the way to do things. At a residence for me or not at all on a big ticket item. A vehicle plate is easy to trace. Sneaky but effective.


Here is my thing with kijiji or whatever you want. 

1) Person sends email of interest (you can usually tell right there if they are serious or not based on content)
2) Person will call or I will call after they say they want it and are ready to pick it up (you will be able to tell if they are nuts on this call)
3) Person shows up, usually at my shop and not at home. Again you will be able to tell if they are nuts at this stage if they fooled you in steps 1 and 2
4) If all is cool get the cash and shake hands.

*Note, if steps 1 or 2 are wonky, on to the next guy.

I have never had a bad transaction following these simple steps. All wackos are dispensed with usually in step number 1


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

GuitarsCanada said:


> That depends on who is giving you the bill of sale. If its hot and they know it your bill of sale would be about as worthless as a 3 dollar bill. You don't think a thief is going to put down his real name and address do you? If its not a retail shop giving it to you I assume buyer takes the risk. Or you could demand to see the guys licence and birth certificate and tell him you want a copy of it in case someday the police try to arrest you. If someone asked me to do that I would tell them to beat it and sell it to the next guy on the list.


Your twisting this drivers licence, birth cert ? I just want a record of the sale. I am done bad topic .


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

deadear said:


> Your twisting this drivers licence, birth cert ? I just want a record of the sale.


I would not agree. if you cannot be satisfied that the bill of sale is coming from who they say they are, then to me that is worthless. I could meet you tonight somewhere and sell you an amp and write you out a bill of sale from Joe Namath and put down an address of some kind. Without official documents how would you know the information I provided was accurate and true? There is no way unless you demanded to see some kind of proof. As I said earlier I would not provide it. Someone else may, and as stated earlier if its bogus, then its worthless


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I would not agree. if you cannot be satisfied that the bill of sale is coming from who they say they are, then to me that is worthless. I could meet you tonight somewhere and sell you an amp and write you out a bill of sale from Joe Namath and put down an address of some kind. Without official documents how would you know the information I provided was accurate and true? There is no way unless you demanded to see some kind of proof. As I said earlier I would not provide it. Someone else may, and as stated earlier if its bogus, then its worthless


Agreed, that's why I would never ask for one, nor give one out. It's not like a handwritten document is traceable to anyone. There's no registered business to trace, no GST #, no nothing.

Honestly, deadear, if someone scribbles down a bill of sale to you and the guitar ends up being stolen, that piece of paper isn't going to help you out at all, so why bother in the first place?


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

hollowbody said:


> Honestly, deadear, if someone scribbles down a bill of sale to you and the guitar ends up being stolen, that piece of paper isn't going to help you out at all, so why bother in the first place?


Well, to be fair, it might help a little. It might indicate to the cops and the law that at least you tried to establish a legitimate provenance -- law does have (as it should) a concept of *intent*. Still, yes, it's weak without authentication of the seller themselves.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

hollowbody said:


> Agreed, that's why I would never ask for one, nor give one out. It's not like a handwritten document is traceable to anyone. There's no registered business to trace, no GST #, no nothing.
> 
> Honestly, deadear, if someone scribbles down a bill of sale to you and the guitar ends up being stolen, that piece of paper isn't going to help you out at all, so why bother in the first place?


Sorry that he is taking it that way... am I saying something wrong here? it seems pretty simple to me. If it's not legitimately traceable does that not make it in effect, worthless?


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> I've probably written a half dozen bills of sale over the years for gear. It's usually to professional players who intend to write the stuff off on their taxes and need a paper trail of the value in case they get audited.


I don't know enough about the tax system to really comment on this, but this seems like a more legit reason to ask for a bill of sale than to to protect yourself in case of stolen goods. However, again, without a traceable seller, how solid is this?

I could write myself up a bill of sale saying I bought something for $10,000, and claim I got it from the seller. I don't see how someone else's bill is any more valid during an audit.



GuitarsCanada said:


> Sorry that he is taking it that way... am I saying something wrong here? it seems pretty simple to me. If it's not legitimately traceable does that not make it in effect, worthless?


I'm not trying to be contrary here to anyone, and I don't think you came off as saying anything wrong. I can't see the value in it, however...



LexxM3 said:


> Well, to be fair, it might help a little. It might indicate to the cops and the law that at least you tried to establish a legitimate provenance -- law does have (as it should) a concept of *intent*. Still, yes, it's weak without authentication of the seller themselves.


This may be the case, but I bet you if that guitar you bought is stolen and the police come to you, your bill of sale that maybe prove you innocent of dealing with stolen goods isn't going to prevent the police from taking that same guitar away from you and you STILL being out however much you paid for it. 

As far as I'm concerned, if you're that leery of unwittingly buying hot gear, you really should only be buying direct from major retailers. Not that there's an abundance of hot gear out there (I certainly hope not!), but if you're buying/selling privately on CL/Kijiji, you're much more likely of coming across it.

I've bought a couple expensive guitars off CL (a US Deluxe Strat and an 80's Tokai Love Rock) and never even thought to ask for a bill. Similarly, when I sold the Strat to a very professional-looking gent driving an Audi, he didn't bother asking me either.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Sorry that he is taking it that way... am I saying something wrong here? it seems pretty simple to me. If it's not legitimately traceable does that not make it in effect, worthless?


Craig's List and Kijiji are kind of like online Yard, Garage or Estate Sales. Sometimes the sellers or buyers are professional, sometimes they aren't...and sometimes they are crazy or criminal. There isn't a single rule which can be readily applied to each transaction to guarantee that it will work well. In the end, I believe that it depends upon whether you are seller or buyer, the value and the type of transaction. If you are comfortable with buying a nice piece of gear for a very low price, rather than getting a receipt, why not just keep a record of the e-mails and the 'ad'? If you are paying cash (and it is an item over say $100), then take that exact amount out of your bank or ATM and keep that receipt as well. Put these documents in an envelope in the guitar case or some other place where they will be easily accessed, just in case. That way, you can travel internationally, get the thing insured, or prove to the cops (who just found your pot plants, guns and ivory collection) that at least you aren't a thief. Maybe they'll only bust you for the exotic woods in the fretboard of your Gibson! The seller may have skipped town, but at least you can prove that the item was for sale and you bought it legitimately through the electronic evidence. 

If I buy something with a value of over $100 or so, I will make sure that I am pretty careful about getting a good paper trail. I usually ask the seller for the back story on how they got the item (let's say a guitar), how long they have had it and for any other details I can. Generally speaking, that helps me to flush out the thieves and or suspicious characters because thieves are not generally very smart.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I don't think there is any right or wrong way to sell. If you are selling stuff with no problems, whatever method you are using clearly works. The more stipulations you add to your sales though, the more people you will drive away (re the phone number thing).


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

hollowbody said:


> This may be the case, but I bet you if that guitar you bought is stolen and the police come to you, your bill of sale that maybe prove you innocent of dealing with stolen goods isn't going to prevent the police from taking that same guitar away from you and you STILL being out however much you paid for it.


 Actually, it doesn't matter whether you have a fully authenticated paper trail or not, if you've received stolen goods, those goods will be confiscated on investigation and evidence that it was stolen at some point in the past. The weak attempt at a papertrail would only help to provide weak evidence of your intent in the transaction, nothing more.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> Well, yah, if the seller doesn't actually exist then it probably doesn't do you much good. If the seller's name and address is on it, and the seller actually exists (as I do), CCRA could usually track the person down.
> 
> Just because it's possible to falsify documents and committ tax fraud doesn't mean there's no point in ever documenting anything or getting a receipt or bill of sale for anything. Usually, a receipt or bill of sale will be taken at face value. If CCRA conducts a full investigation, though, it's not going to be too difficult to tell whether you've been falsifying documents or whether they are legitimate.





LexxM3 said:


> Actually, it doesn't matter whether you have a fully authenticated paper trail or not, if you've received stolen goods, those goods will be confiscated on investigation and evidence that it was stolen at some point in the past. The weak attempt at a papertrail would only help to provide weak evidence of your intent in the transaction, nothing more.


All this has got me thinking about gear I've bought and sold on CL and Kijiji over the years. I wonder what % of it (if any) was stolen?

Is there a way you can conduct transactions through a site like those, or forums, basically anywhere where you buy used goods and be able to cover yourself in terms of proper documentation for tax purposes or to be able to properly document that you have paid hard earned cash for an item?

As I mentioned, I'd never thought to ask for a receipt, or thought to offer one, and while I think that for a lot of items (like pedals, etc.) it would be kind of pointless, I would like to know that I have some peace of mind if I ever decide to buy that R7 Goldtop I've been dreaming about. Is there a proper, legally binding way to do this, or will it always be a crapshoot when buying used?


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> All this has got me thinking about gear I've bought and sold on CL and Kijiji over the years. I wonder what % of it (if any) was stolen?
> 
> Is there a way you can conduct transactions through a site like those, or forums, basically anywhere where you buy used goods and be able to cover yourself in terms of proper documentation for tax purposes or to be able to properly document that you have paid hard earned cash for an item?
> 
> As I mentioned, I'd never thought to ask for a receipt, or thought to offer one, and while I think that for a lot of items (like pedals, etc.) it would be kind of pointless, I would like to know that I have some peace of mind if I ever decide to buy that R7 Goldtop I've been dreaming about. Is there a proper, legally binding way to do this, or will it always be a crapshoot when buying used?


 E bay sales are traceable with Pay Pal and credit cards. Seller eventually has to recieve the money


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

deadear said:


> E bay sales are traceable with Pay Pal and credit cards. Seller eventually has to recieve the money


That's probably nominally true and maybe even useful to locate the thief, but there are jurisdictional issues -- Internet is global -- and other practical issues. Regardless, however, stolen goods are never owned by any purchasers along the line, regardless of whether the thief can be identified or not and regardless any documentation along the path. In legal terminology, legal title to the property has not been transfered to any purchaser along the line starting from the event of the theft.

Pedantically, there really is no practical full-proof way to ensure proper title transfer in the used market (and sometimes even in the new product markets; in new product sales, this is typically handled through a set of of sales terms & conditions that amongst other aspects, provide a legally binding guarantee from the seller that they have the proper title to the sold goods to allow legal title transfer). But in all cases, the best *legal* remedy (i.e. there are plenty of highly satisfying illegal remedies available if you can find the original thief  you can hope for is to sue your direct seller for damages on the grounds that they mis-represented (implicitly or explictly, simply by selling it to you) their right to transfer the title to the product to you. If their mistake was honest, they will object of course, but their only legal recourse is to sue the entity that sold the product to them, and down the chain. Practically, I don't think you're ever going to get your money back, almost certainly not when you get to the thief. And it's rarely worth it for under a few $10Ks transactions that I think we're talking about here. For larger transactions, those law suits become much more practical.

Practically, we can mitigate risk through various phases and mechanics of building trust, but we cannot eliminate the risk.

By the way, I am not a lawyer, I don't play one on either TV or the Internet, and I certainly don't know what I am talking about related to anything legal above or anywhere else.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

smorgdonkey said:


> I have actually written out bills of sale for people on higher priced items. I see no problem with it at all and if someone is more comfortable that way then it is nothing for me to do that, although it is quite an infrequent request.


I agree. I run a business and use Quick Books for my accounting. It's the easiest thing in the world to just print them off a receipt. It doesn't say I'll warranty it or anything. It's just a receipt.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Steadfastly said:


> I agree. I run a business and use Quick Books for my accounting. It's the easiest thing in the world to just print them off a receipt. It doesn't say I'll warranty it or anything. It's just a receipt.


In a personal sale between two individuals (not a registered business) I suppose you could write them all day long if you wanted to. If it makes someone feel better to have one, then I am all for it. But if the purpose is to somehow protect yourself from some kind of illegal activity, I must maintain that it makes little sense in this given situation.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> In a personal sale between two individuals (not a registered business) I suppose you could write them all day long if you wanted to. If it makes someone feel better to have one, then I am all for it. But if the purpose is to somehow protect yourself from some kind of illegal activity, I must maintain that it makes little sense in this given situation.


Exactly. I should have stated, I print them but I don't save them. They're just to make the buyer happy.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

if i bought something hot on craig's list, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.
money is money, and i feel for the guy who got ripped off, but i aint tryin to lose just because he lost first.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

cheezyridr said:


> if i bought something hot on craig's list, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.
> money is money, and i feel for the guy who got ripped off, but i aint tryin to lose just because he lost first.


Cheezy, that isn't a good approach man! I'm not saying that you need to trace each item, but for me, I at least make sure the item and story don't 'smell funny'. I would hate to think that I have stolen items in my home... just as I wouldn't want to 'knowingly' buy shoes made by some 13 year old paid two pennies a day, etc. I'm not fanatical about finding out ALL the details, but at least I try to avoid buying stolen goods!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

of course i would try to avoid stolen goods if i can. all i'm saying is, if i got fooled, i don't want to know.
as for the sweatshop thing, i REALLY don't care about that. it's not my job to police work standards on the other side of the world. _i'd rather see more attention paid to the b.s. i see handed out over here every day_. 
frankly, i was treated better by my employers and my fellow employees before i went union, and before i came to canada.
worrying about some chinese labor over in china is for people with a much bigger income than mine.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

So, here's an interesting development: I traded 2 guitars for one guitar in November. An ad on my local kijiji just popped up saying "a friend's house was broken into and they stole 7 guitars". Listed are the 2 that I traded AND the one that I got. 

So...either the friend posting the ad was just a little hyped up when he posted the ad or who knows but it is the same small 'village' where the guy was from and there is no way that he had 2 of the 'rare-ish' guitar that I now have in the same colour.

Updates to follow.


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## geekthegreek (Aug 23, 2008)

Smorg - that smells like someone working a fraudulent insurance claim. I'd guess he'll have photos and serial numbers of all guitars, and will need to make a police claim, just to satisfy the insurance company. Then, he gets the payout for all these instruments, which have no doubt been stashed or sold off already (if he had them in the first place, and didn't just trade them all to get photos and such).


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

here is an ad typical of what is being posted these days. someone should give this guy a slap to the back of his head:

*'98 Candy Apple Red Fender Strat With Bone Nut - $550 


* http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/2793101228.html 
and whatta ya know? another of those no email guys. i suppose he wants to avoid all the people justly accusing him of being a rip off artist.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

geekthegreek said:


> Smorg - that smells like someone working a fraudulent insurance claim. I'd guess he'll have photos and serial numbers of all guitars, and will need to make a police claim, just to satisfy the insurance company. Then, he gets the payout for all these instruments, which have no doubt been stashed or sold off already (if he had them in the first place, and didn't just trade them all to get photos and such).


Well, no, I found out that he was away and it was one of his wife's friends who posted the ad just trying to help in any way that they could. The guy's wife didn't know that he didn't have the guitar in question any more. It sucks though as he is a nice person and was looking for a long time to get something unique then he had the Comanche for 2 months & this happens. I am sure he's not the picture whore that I am so I don't know how much he'll have to show the insurance company - I know that I'd have plenty to show the insurance company but I certainly hope that I never go through anything like that (or any musician). 

So...anyone who sees a beautiful Comanche pop up that looks like this:









serial number CLF30088, it is stolen.


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

Speaking of crazy prices. Is it just me or do these prices seem a little high to anyone else.
I realize the acoustic comes with an authentic shipping box but still...
http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...oth-Signed-Acoustic-Guitar-W0QQAdIdZ345231647
http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...by-Tom-Cochrane-and-others-W0QQAdIdZ345233266


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Those ads are wack. 

On the other hand, the would-be seller will presumably be happy to start with that figure... then then watch it plummet to a selling price a fraction of that.

In this economy, too. The mind boggles.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

If you are going to claim that your Samick was made in the USA Valley Arts Custom Shop,then perhaps you should do something about the Made in Korea neck plate

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...s-Custom-Samick-Telecaster-W0QQAdIdZ345508738


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## alex1212 (Nov 9, 2011)

thers a guy selling a tom cochrane red rider squire for ,,,, ready,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10,000


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

Here is another weird pricing ... Vox AC4TVH head + its V112TV cab for $400, 100% stock from description, obviously used albeit "lightly":

http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-an...x-AC4TV-Head-Cabinet-Combo-W0QQAdIdZ347390486

This works out to be $4.50 ABOVE L&M new price INCLUDING TAX, per evidence below:

http://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=products&ProductsID=8412
http://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=products&ProductsID=8413

i.e. ($195.00+$155.00)*1.13= $395.50

It's been up for at least a few weeks like that. I sent the seller a very pleasant public service note indicating this misunderstanding with evidence above, making it clear I wasn't interested (as I genuinely don't need yet another amp). No response and the price is still the same a few days later. Before the seller was notified, I might have given a benefit of doubt that it was just a misunderstanding (and it is a stretch at that, we can reasonably assume that I likely wasn't the first to point this out). Since no response and no adjustment in price, benefit of doubt is revoked and the seller is clearly looking to sell to a sucker or someone with extremely bad arithmetic skills. Kijiji is, after all, on THE INTERNET and it takes literally 10 seconds to find the new prices on THE INTERNET. Is that someone you'd want to deal with?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I found a sweet limited run guitar in Ottawa a couple years ago, and buddy was asking $1400 for it. I did some research and ended up contacting the company that ordered the run (drum city guitar land) and found out the original price - $1500USD. I told the guy what his guitar originally cost, and he never budged on his over-priced price. I hope no one bought it for what he was asking.

This time I've said "please leave a number" in my ad for my Mesa - hopefully this isn't deterring people from it, but I don't want to deal with tire-kickers. I've usually had pretty good luck on kijiji.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i see it all the time. mexican strats selling for more than they cost new. old american strats asking almost what they cost new. the guy with the zakk wylde epiphone that wants to get what they cost new. retailers who pretend to be private sellers is getting to be a common thing now. i flag those every time i see them. every now and again i see someone selling something at a reasonable price and it almost makes me want to email them and say thank you.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

LexxM3 said:


> Here is another weird pricing ... Vox AC4TVH head + its V112TV cab for $400, 100% stock from description, obviously used albeit "lightly":
> 
> http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-an...x-AC4TV-Head-Cabinet-Combo-W0QQAdIdZ347390486
> 
> ...


I would guess this person paid quite a bit more for the pair when they first came out (I think it was $500 for the pair or something similar) and won't accept that his amp is worth less since the new price has gone down.

But yeah, he'll be hanging on to that for a while


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

alex1212 said:


> thers a guy selling a tom cochrane red rider squire for ,,,, ready,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10,000


You couldn't get that price for Tom Cochrane himself.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I'm reasonably happy with my buying/selling on craigs/kijiji. I've gotten loads of great deal over the years, on music gear and otherwise. 

When selling, I always look up what people are asking around Canada/US, and knock about 10% off to move the pedal quicker. People never dink me around, and stuff is out the door usually in a day or so.

Quickly becoming my new favourite place to buy and sell is the Guitars Canada emporium. Great people here.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

alex1212 said:


> thers a guy selling a tom cochrane red rider squire for ,,,, ready,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10,000





LowWatt said:


> You couldn't get that price for Tom Cochrane himself.


Ha! True enough. You could hire Tom Cochrane to come play in your living room for way less than that. 

And while he was there, you could get him to sign your guitar... which you could then (presumably) sell and turn a profit.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Uck, well after singing my craigslist praises two posts ago, I just got home with a pedal only to realize the moron packed it with the wrong power supply (it takes a very unusual adapter). He neglected to tell me that he lost the original, and just picked this one out from his "many he has lying around" without testing it. Now I can't even try the pedal until I go get a flippin supply. I'm not driving all the way back to Toronto to get my money back.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

You know I took a lot of flack on here for requesting a bill on a $ 900 guitar but I was going to buy a USA Charvel and had the deal all lined up with damn E mails.
The seller would not supply a name and phone number to contact him.( I gave mine incase he wanted to deliver) And when I requested a address to come and buy it the E mail band wagon dried up completly. The guitar was allways top listed on Toronto Kijiji for about two months and I was waiting for a price reduction. After trying to buy it the add was yanked . I doubt he sold it I think he thought the heat was on to him.
IT all worked out though ended up with a nice little Fender tele off a local guy. Phoned him up drove over did not even plug it in and paid him.
They should have two sections one for thiefs and fishermen and one for people that truly want to sell their instruments.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Pointed out to this seller that a new Pocket POD is $134.99 at Long & McQuade and his is listed at $150.

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/2779327693.html

His reply.....

"As I said in the ad, ours are brand new units with full manufacturer warranty. 

I'm selling this as part of some clearance stock at a music shop called Saved By Technology, near Yonge and Wellesley. We're open 10-6 Monday to Saturday and the price includes tax, meaning that you will actually be paying $2.50 less than at L&M. Let me know if you'd like to pick it up so I can set it aside for you!"


Wow a savings of $2.50!!!


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

deadear said:


> You know I took a lot of flack on here for requesting a bill on a $ 900 guitar but I was going to buy a USA Charvel and had the deal all lined up with damn E mails.
> The seller would not supply a name and phone number to contact him.( I gave mine incase he wanted to deliver) And when I requested a address to come and buy it the E mail band wagon dried up completly. The guitar was allways top listed on Toronto Kijiji for about two months and I was waiting for a price reduction. After trying to buy it the add was yanked . I doubt he sold it I think he thought the heat was on to him.
> IT all worked out though ended up with a nice little Fender tele off a local guy. Phoned him up drove over did not even plug it in and paid him.
> They should have two sections one for thiefs and fishermen and one for people that truly want to sell their instruments.


So the email vetting process worked exactly as it should! I think you're thinking your experience was a failure, but in reality it was resounding success! YOU DID NOT GET SCAMMED. That's a success!

I think the points about requesting bills of sale was asserting that it was not particularly meaningful after a good vetting process, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't ask if that makes you comfortable. If the other party is not comfortable, the deal is off and everyone is happy i.e. NO ONE GOT SCAMMED; I don't think it's constructive for anyone to interpret a lack of purchase or sale in the used market as a failure. I do agree and assert, however, that as FINAL show of trust before money changes hands, some level of plausible identification should be exchanged i.e. skin in the game beyond the sale. In my cases, it's usually a mutual exchange of real names and an "emergency coordination" phone number. It's not foolproof, but it's, say, 98% there whereas a bill of sale is 99% there -- meaningless difference. I've written receipts/equivalents when requested a couple of times, but with a shrug rather than as an essential step. If you're so uncomfortable with the other party that you require a more serious document, consider that it probably means you shouldn't be making that particular deal.


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## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

hardasmum said:


> Pointed out to this seller that a new Pocket POD is $134.99 at Long & McQuade and his is listed at $150. http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/2779327693.html
> 
> His reply..... "As I said in the ad, ours are brand new units with full manufacturer warranty. I'm selling this as part of some clearance stock at a music shop called Saved By Technology, near Yonge and Wellesley. We're open 10-6 Monday to Saturday and the price includes tax, meaning that you will actually be paying $2.50 less than at L&M. Let me know if you'd like to pick it up so I can set it aside for you!"


I do have a bit of a pet-pieve about certain commercial store behaviours on essentially free classified posting boards. I mean they are free to do it if they behave and fit the culture and intent, but the gloves are off as follows:


If they spam a board by continually posting and daily re-posting an unreasonable number of ads. That is, if it makes it hard for private sale items to be found in the noise, then they are out of bounds and I will take actions (report posts, complain to operators, and as childish as it sounds, annoy posters** -- we don't have a lot of weapons, gotta use what little we have to battle bad behaviour and preserve these very choice-limited used market facilities).
If anyone posts on a used classified board, they better be expecting a negotiation, stores included. I feel completely comfortable lowballing in such cases, whereas I am much more respectful of private sales. Actually, I take that back, it's not lowballing -- I will typically ask for half stated store new price, which is about right for something in good condition on the used market relative to a new price.
I've had good success with above. I have managed to get several spamming store ads pulled over time and I did end up purchasing a mixer from Mojo Music in Oakville since the owner there was clear that he posted on a used market board and was willing to negotate a mutually acceptable deal, just like a real private seller.

NOTES:
** That's one of my superpowers, the power to annoy .


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

LexxM3 said:


> I do have a bit of a pet-pieve about certain commercial store behaviours on essentially free classified posting boards. I mean they are free to do it if they behave and fit the culture and intent, but the gloves are off as follows:
> If they spam a board by continually posting and daily re-posting an unreasonable number of ads. That is, if it makes it hard for private sale items to be found in the noise, then they are out of bounds and I will take actions (report posts, complain to operators, and as childish as it sounds, annoy posters -- we don't have a lot of weapons, gotta use what little we have to battle bad behaviour and preserve these very choice-limited used market facilities).
> If anyone posts on a used classified board, they better be expecting a negotiation, stores included. I feel completely comfortable lowballing in such cases, whereas I am much more respectful of private sales. Actually, I take that back, it's not lowballing -- I will typically ask for half stated store new price, which is about right for something in good condition on the used market relative to a new price.
> I've had good success with above. I have managed to get several spamming store ads pulled over time and I did end up purchasing a mixer from Mojo Music in Oakville since the owner there was clear that he posted on a used market board and was willing to negotate a mutually acceptable deal, just like a real private seller.


Ya I have no problem with small businesses posting if they put one ad with a list of what they have. But if they put 2 dozen ads up, taking up the first 2 pages of listings, I flag every ad. Especially with Kijiji, which I believe has options available for business listings.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)




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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

That's awesome ...


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## Destropiate (Jan 17, 2007)

I started laughing pretty early on and by the end of that I was in tears. I can just picture this poor bastard in front of his computer getting more and more frustrated. I think the "what the f**k is wrong with you people" is what put me right over the edge.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

I am going to send that guy with the blocks a E- Mail just to put him over the edge. Ask him if he will help me load the blocks. Welcome to Craigslist


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

bw66 said:


> alex1212 said:
> 
> 
> > thers a guy selling a tom cochrane red rider squire for ,,,, ready,,,,,,,,,,,,,,10,000
> ...


Kijiji is rife w/ the Lunatic Fringe.


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## Cary (May 11, 2011)

Craigslist is pretty much a ghost town here, kijiji being the classified section of choice. I've had a ton of great transactions and a bunch of terrible ones both buying and selling. 

When selling, I always mark my items marginally higher than i expect to get. People are going to lowball you anyways, you may as well give yourself a bit of room to budge. Once the bargaining part is over and a price is established, I make it very clear, come over, try out the item, and if you don't like it you can walk away, but the price is the price, payable in cash, if they show up with a penny less (or a personal cheque/money order/ 400 cases of empties) they will go home empty handed. Just doing that seems to give people the idea that i'm not interested in dicking around, i've never actually had someone bail after this point.

Buying isn't quite as bad, I usually know exactly what I'm looking for and what i'm willing to pay. If I can't get the item for the price I want it, I say thanks, think of me if you can't sell it and want to drop your asking price. This usually ends up in me getting an email a day or four later with an offer to sell at my price.

Long story short, be polite but firm, do your research and don't sweat the ridiculous people, they make for the best stories.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

torndownunit said:


>


That's fantastic! I wonder what kind of trade offers he got?


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Cary said:


> Craigslist is pretty much a ghost town here, kijiji being the classified section of choice. I've had a ton of great transactions and a bunch of terrible ones both buying and selling.
> 
> When selling, I always mark my items marginally higher than i expect to get. People are going to lowball you anyways, you may as well give yourself a bit of room to budge. Once the bargaining part is over and a price is established, I make it very clear, come over, try out the item, and if you don't like it you can walk away, but the price is the price, payable in cash, if they show up with a penny less (or a personal cheque/money order/ 400 cases of empties) they will go home empty handed. Just doing that seems to give people the idea that i'm not interested in dicking around, i've never actually had someone bail after this point.
> 
> ...


That is what is generally going on here as well. But, most of the real deals I find seem to be on Craigslist even though it has less postings. And Craigslist has far less business ads cluttering it because they are easy to flag on there. A business posting 20 adds on Craigslist is a violation of terms. But with Kijiji, it's a grey area. You can flag an ad, but they may not remove it.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

The guy with the cinder blocks is hilarious. Need to take it easy on the cafeine though.lol. He does make a good point.


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## King Loudness (May 3, 2010)

Ah, Kijiji. I admit I've done my fair share of buying/selling from there. Back in '08-'09 it was a great way to snag some deals, and I got ahold of some cool axes that were certainly fun to play for a while before I made some cash. That being said, by 2010 the deals had kinda dried up, and as of now the local Kijiji here in Halifax is basically the same few posters (a dude who sells various cheapo acoustics and has atrocious grammar/pics, a guy who has generic Fender/Gibson/Traynor/Marshall stuff and thinks his "killer deals" really are killer (Smorgdonkey mentioned him a while back) a pawn shop who insists on posting their ENTIRE inventory of third rate Squier/Epiphone/Jay Turser/Seagulls day in, day out, and then the few other people that don't post regularly, but still think their gear is king of the heap and worth 95% of what they paid a few years back... Granted there are some cool things that pop up every now and then, but I've gotten to the point that I'm sick of the typical stuff and have moved to having all my gear imported from the US...

W.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

More and more companies and resellers are using Kijiji but it has gotten better in that you can customize it so you can more easily find what you are looking for and filter out much of what you don't.


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## audiorep2 (Mar 28, 2009)

I recently got this from a guy.....

offer of $750 for the es120, i'm a poorboy, and this is all the money i have in the world, savin for a decent guitar now for about a year. and i want a thin body gibson, this one is beautiful

He is now talking to me about one I have listed for $ 2500.00.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Clearly he's one of those cats who try for the sympathy ploy. I always ask myself what they'd do if the shoe were on the other foot. Pretty easy to answer that one most times.


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

Give the dude a address to Toco Bell and tell him you will sell your guitar for the $750.


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

This was posted on Calgary kijiji this morning. *Epiphone* Les Paul $1200 (obo of course)
http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...e-Les-Paul-Custom-and-MORE-W0QQAdIdZ350560636


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

The funniest part of this one is it looks like get got the photos from Nextag's site.... which has it listed as $599 NEW.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Ya, but he'll deliver it right to your door. I wonder why?


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Squier Affinity Strat Special Edition w/ Case - Calgary Musical Instruments For Sale - Kijiji Calgary Canada.

"Special Edition"

$500 Affinity? Hey, it's back!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bzrkrage said:


> Squier Affinity Strat Special Edition w/ Case - Calgary Musical Instruments For Sale - Kijiji Calgary Canada.
> 
> "Special Edition"
> 
> $500 Affinity? Hey, it's back!


It's the "Special Edition" that makes it so much more expensive, I'm sure. Those stickers or stencilling is veeereee, veeeereee expensive, like $2.00. But then there's the extra pictures, marketing and......................................


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## wayne086 (Jan 22, 2010)

Fender Telecaster custom guitar 1986 MIJ - City of Toronto Musical Instruments For Sale - Kijiji City of Toronto Canada.
Couple hundred more I can get a USA one.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Here is a real suspect one-those decals look all wrong

FENDER STRATOCASTER - Gatineau instruments de musique à vendre - Kijiji Gatineau


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## Guest (May 6, 2012)

Yeah. US models have the SN on the back of the headstock.
You can see the bad adhesion under the 'contour body' decal.
Also, his intonation is way off.


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## DarthElvis (Feb 14, 2011)

nkjanssen said:


> I've probably written a half dozen bills of sale over the years for gear. It's usually to professional players who intend to write the stuff off on their taxes and need a paper trail of the value in case they get audited.


 If I want a bill of sale, I just write my own when I get home. It has the same legal standing as one written by some poor guy who just sold me his gear.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

don't need to go to Kijiji or Craig's list to see imflated prices...we can see it here a well....look carefully and you'll find a real good one here right now...if you know your shit a bit.


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## justneal (Jan 17, 2012)

i decided to have some fun with the $500 affinity guy and sent him this
"i'm very interested in your guitar, as it clearly the same quailty as a usa strat, can you please describe it's features to me"


he replied with this gem "This guitar is in excellent condition. It has a humbucking bridge pickup and two single coil pickups. There are two tone controls and one volume control. The fret length is slightly shorter than the standard American strat making this guitar very fast and playable. The action is fairly low making it a very “easy to play” guitar. It also includes a whammy bar"

so of course i retorted "Ok, how about why is it twice the cost of a brand new affinity?"

and he was very honest "I wasn’t sure at all about how much they cost and realize that it is probably over priced. I am very flexible on the price. Make me an offer and we will see if we can work out a deal."


so i sent him the long and mcquade page where they retail for $179.00

i'll advise if there is a reply


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

al3d said:


> don't need to go to Kijiji or Craig's list to see imflated prices...we can see it here a well....look carefully and you'll find a real good one here right now...if you know your shit a bit.


Here is no different than any other place in that regard - there have been many here in the past and will probably be many in the future. There have also been some steals and some right down the middle market value items too...just like (you guessed it) everywhere else.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Is anyone selling anything here on the forum or on kijiji etc?

Nothing seems to be moving these days.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

rollingdam said:


> Is anyone selling anything here on the forum or on kijiji etc?
> 
> Nothing seems to be moving these days.


106 ratings posted in iTrader the past 30 days


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

rollingdam said:


> Is anyone selling anything here on the forum or on kijiji etc?
> 
> Nothing seems to be moving these days.


I've bought and sold several items recently on the GC forum. It's become my favourite place for these transactions. All exceptionally friendly and trustworthy people, great deals, and within Canadian borders (which I always prefer).


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