# A lot of used gear not selling



## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I browse Kijiji, Craigslist, and various forum classifieds once a day for fun. Kijiji/CL has the usual overpriced stuff that sits around forever, but I am surprised how much decently priced gear I see not selling in the last month or so. I know things have been slow for awhile, but things seem REALLY slow right now. I see a ton of items for good prices that don't sell and the ads end up getting changed to 'for trade' instead.

I have a couple of items I want to sell, but I may just hold out a bit on the higher end items.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

You are telling me. I can't hardly GIVE stuff away. It's always bad after Christmas, and in this ecomony even worse. Things may pick up around tax refund time if we are lucky.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

On the bright side, it seems like it could be a good time for trades. And a good time if you are a buyer obviously.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I've noticed the same thing. Now is the time to buy a nice used guitiar, amp or pedal.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

FlipFlopFly said:


> I've noticed the same thing. Now is the time to buy a nice used guitiar, amp or pedal.


Yup, I've gotten some great deals on the buying end lately - which is why I'm trying to have a garage sale with some of my unused gear. Mostly to no avail.


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## Stonesy (Oct 7, 2008)

Canucks have a certified 3 C rating. CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Funny I am kind of the look out for a digital piano .. maybe sort of. They aren't cheap ... $600 to up . I was in a Marr's music in Peterborough on Monday. The lady asked me what I was looking for I jokingly said I was looking for a $100 digital piano. I was shocked when she said I may have one.. I have this piano in on repair that's about to be sold for repair costs. 

Kind of shocked me that she would even offer ...


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I've sold a lot of stuff on eBay recently. Offered it up to members on GC and TGP but had no luck. Tried one item on eBay with an inflated price (to cover all the fees etc...) and it sold almost immediately. Between eBay and CL I sold the rest of my gear in about 5 days. My CL experience was a great compared to some other times and eBay has the convenient Buy-it-Now or Best Offer option which worked great for me. Fees are still ridiculously high but it's better than not being able to sell the stuff. Now I'm shopping for just one more guitar...(famous last words) before my van breaks down or my car gets stolen and I have to use the money for something else.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Yeah, I've had a couple ads running for a while. Prices are decent, but no takers. On the other hand, I've had a couple things up for sale that sold within a few days. It's really hit and miss right now.


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

yes i've noticed this too.
i suggest you all help remedy the problem by buying some used gear.
starting with mine.......


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...its a buyer's market but, sadly, many of us buyers have been crippled financially by the current recession.

at encore music there hangs on the wall an absolutely stunning, and rare, g&l asat, going for a very affordable price.

*sobs uncontrollably*


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...its a buyer's market but, sadly, many of us buyers have been crippled financially by the current recession.
> 
> at encore music there hangs on the wall an absolutely stunning, and rare, g&l asat, going for a very affordable price.
> 
> *sobs uncontrollably*


Ya I have been craving SG's lately (bought a budget one), and there are some unbelievable deals on them out there right now that I can't capitalize on because funds are tight.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

O do not browse very often. Mostly because any guitar stuff has to be left handed and I am not in the market for an amp. Effects on the Ottawa Kijiji list tend to be in the same or more expensive range than new ones. There was someone in Ottawa selling a BBE Sonic Stomp for $145.00. I can geta brand new at Fleet for $109.00.
When I do look I definitely look for competitive pricing. Also when used, do I get a warranty transfer out of it or has the warranty run out or non-transferrable?? Sometimes something used that is only $10 or $20 below new price may not be worth the cost because of warranty considerations. Not always - depends on what is for sale.

Brian


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I will be buying an amp off a forum member for what I think is a very fair price. Its going to kill me but this amp isn't in production anymore and there aren't alot of them around. So I'll have to bite the bullet and hope I make it through this tough economy.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...its a buyer's market but, sadly, many of us buyers have been crippled financially by the current recession.
> 
> at encore music there hangs on the wall an absolutely stunning, and rare, g&l asat, going for a very affordable price.
> 
> *sobs uncontrollably*


I keep visiting their website, but it hasn't changed in months! I guess I gotta go check them out. The YGL-3 in the 4x10 custom cab is screaming my name (though it might be long gone).


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Sneaky said:


> Yup, I've gotten some great deals on the buying end lately - which is why I'm trying to have a garage sale with some of my unused gear. Mostly to no avail.


If I can help you clean up your garage some, I could PM you my address.............


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

*Two Reasons Why Used Gear Isn't Selling:*

1.) The seller is in fantasy land when it comes to his/her expectations on what his/her gear is worth (i.e. they price their gear well above market value*).

2.) The gear in question is something no one wants.

* market value fluctuates. Unfortunately, many folks don't seem to understand that. For example, I sold a Fender HR Deville 2 years ago for $600. It took about a week to sell. I had it posted for that amount and I got that full amount (I don't negotiate). That was about the market value on that amp. Currently, the market value is lower. If you post that same amp for that amount now, it will sit and sit and sit.

I've gone through an absurd amount of gear (mostly high-end) over the past 2 years, so used gear obviously does sell. I set my prices at slightly below market value so I can move on to other gear.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

vds5000 said:


> *1.) The seller is in fantasy land when it comes to his/her expectations on what his/her gear is worth (i.e. they price their gear well above market value*).
> *
> 2.) The gear in question is something no one wants.
> 
> ...



Of course the majority of posts on a site like Kijiji/CL are over-priced. There has been a million threads on here about that. If you read my original post though, I was talking about the amount of gear I see for GOOD prices that isn't selling. And I don't think Strats, Teles and Gibson Les Pauls are gear no one wants. Some of the deals on Les Paul Studio and SG's out there right now are REALLY good. A lot of stuff just doesn't seem to be selling, and I was commenting on that.


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## Shiny_Beast (Apr 16, 2009)

lol, check out the sock

http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...als-Old-Cab-Trade-For-Gear-W0QQAdIdZ184415677


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Even if there is a sucker born every minute, they have been affected by the economy just like everyone else,... maybe more so.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

torndownunit said:


> Of course the majority of posts on a site like Kijiji/CL are over-priced. There has been a million threads on here about that. If you read my original post though, I was talking about the amount of gear I see for GOOD prices that isn't selling. And I don't think Strats, Teles and Gibson Les Pauls are gear no one wants. Some of the deals on Les Paul Studio and SG's out there right now are REALLY good. A lot of stuff just doesn't seem to be selling, and I was commenting on that.


Please re-read my post. I'm not complaining about prices on Kijiji/Craigslist. I stated the 2 reasons why gear doesn't sell. LPs, Strats, Teles are 'in demand' gear. If they're just sitting, then they're priced too high. 'Good deals' don't sit, even in these economic conditions. 

I've only seen 1 'good deal' on a LP Studio over the past several months on Kijiji/Craigslist. It was a burgandy studio @ $800 in Hamilton. I advised my co-worker to buy it and he did @ $750. All other Studios I've seen have been priced between $900-1100 which is too high and why they sit.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

vds5000 said:


> Please re-read my post. I'm not complaining about prices on Kijiji/Craigslist. I stated the 2 reasons why gear doesn't sell. LPs, Strats, Teles are 'in demand' gear. If they're just sitting, then they're priced too high. 'Good deals' don't sit, even in these economic conditions.
> 
> I've only seen 1 'good deal' on a LP Studio over the past several months on Kijiji/Craigslist. It was a burgandy studio @ $800 in Hamilton. I advised my co-worker to buy it and he did @ $750. All other Studios I've seen have been priced between $900-1100 which is too high and why they sit.


That is what YOU have seen, and not what I am referring to. The items I am seeing are not priced too high. I don't need an lesson in economics.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Shiny_Beast said:


> lol, check out the sock
> 
> http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...als-Old-Cab-Trade-For-Gear-W0QQAdIdZ184415677


I just can't believe the salesmanship of some people, or rather the lack of it. I have helped a couple people sell good items that they had for sale by suggesting a different wording for their ad and within a short time it was gone. These sellers had butchered the ad with their wording and I kept seeing the ad for months. There was nothing wrong with the item, it was just the way the ad was worded, only an idiot would consider buying it. The ad above is one of the worst I've seen. All he needs to do is advertise it as a cabinet and not even mention the speakers, put it at a reasonable price and it would sell. Maybe someone should offer an ad writing service to these people.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Well, if they can't sell it, and they don't want it, I'll take it off their hands. I'll even pick it up.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Stonesy said:


> Canucks have a certified 3 C rating. CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!


For the most part, I have to agree with this sentiment. I may be one of the worst offenders in that regard but, that being said, I've recently turned stateside to sell off some (relatively) big-ticket pieces of gear. In every case, despite setting a higher price than I had here in Canada, my asking prices were met immediately and with no attempt whatsoever from buyers to negotiate a lower price. That's the exact _opposite_ of my experience with most Canucks...on high priced items at least. Just sayin...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

i'm trying to give 3 teles at my cost..and no one wants them.....AHHHH..shitty market.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

FlipFlopFly said:


> by suggesting a different wording for their ad and within a short time it was gone.
> 
> Maybe someone should offer an ad writing service to these people.


Good idea, but none of the cheap b******s on Kijiji etc would want to pay for it.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

bagpipe said:


> Good idea, but none of the cheap b******s on Kijiji etc would want to pay for it.


we should compile a lowballers list for Ottawa area sellers.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

I dunno, I've got a few bucks put aside for the new kitchen budget that I could make disappear on some new gear without anyone noticing , but havent found any real bargains on some fun, good quality stuff.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> Well, if they can't sell it, and they don't want it, I'll take it off their hands. I'll even pick it up.


What, that sock?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bagpipe said:


> Good idea, but none of the cheap b******s on Kijiji etc would want to pay for it.


You are right about the "cheap beggars".


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Speaking of good deals, I got a Yamaha keyboard with the stand off of Kijiji last night for $30.00.


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## Drazden (Oct 26, 2007)

Well, as a long time off and on buyer and seller via Kijiji and Craigslist, over the last year, it's been the worst I've ever seen. I've got an amp up right now to pay for some car repairs and hopefully have enough left over for a down payment on a Traynor Dark Horse, and just about all the emails I get are either ridiculous lowball offers or dream trades.

And I think people are getting ruder, too. I received a very hostile email from someone who was upset I wouldn't trade my tube amp for their old USB interface without asking for cash on top. 

On the plus side, there's deals to be had. As my father says, this is the sort of economic clime that forces nice gear to come out of the closets and garages. In the last few months, I've got a wicked looking and sounding original Traynor YBA-1, Gibson Gordie Johnson SG, and an early-70s project Gibson SG Deluxe with original T-top pickups, for which I paid markedly less than what just the pickups are worth.

I guess it all evens out. I just wish people would be more considerate with their wording in their email correspondence. A sarcastic 'Good luck' when I won't knock a full 1/3rd off my already reduced asking price for an item? This isn't grade school.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I am only getting trade offers too really. Well...I shouldn't say that because I am getting offers for cash too but very few and not the cash that I want either. When someone lowballs me I usually don't even counter-offer...I usually say that I am not interested in selling for that and have a great day. It does seem like there has been a significant change in the market that has come with the downturn.

Rude emails don't bother me at all but if they are rude enough they go on record so that I know if the same d!ck replies to any of my other ads. I like to remember who the d!cks are.


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## Drazden (Oct 26, 2007)

smorgdonkey said:


> Rude emails don't bother me at all but if they are rude enough they go on record so that I know if the same d!ck replies to any of my other ads. I like to remember who the d!cks are.


I have the same policy. Currently in the Toronto 'craigs-jiji' pool of people, there are 2 email addresses I will delete unread, from 2 guys I have found will do nothing except waste my time, make me drive out of my way to jerk me around. No, thanks.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Drazden said:


> I have the same policy. Currently in the Toronto 'craigs-jiji' pool of people, there are 2 email addresses I will delete unread, from 2 guys I have found will do nothing except waste my time, make me drive out of my way to jerk me around. No, thanks.


You should post their email addresses here, to save other members from wasting their time with these jackasses.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

and then the spammers would get to them too  haha


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

I've not been buying or selling but on a related note, I have noticed a change in how people are spending their money. Last August I was getting very little in the way of custom builds or amp modding. Lots of my customers were laid off and most of the jobs were of the "My amp is broken so I HAVE to fix it!" variety. I still had a backlog but it wasn't as ridiculously high as usual.

I have some customers who work as sidemen at concerts and at studio sessions, often having a couple of hundred gigs per year. They told me that things had canceled out till Christmas! There was almost no professional work around.

At the start of December that started to change. The side/session men were booked out till spring. Guys started coming in with more custom "I wanna treat myself" type jobs. Obviously, they had the money to spend on more than just the essential repairs.

Now my backlog is high again! I'm seeing guys I haven't seen in months, who tell me they are back to work or have found something else.

I know this is not very scientific but surely it must indicate SOMETHING positive going on! Some of this might be from normal growth. I still get new customers all the time. I'm just saying that there were dark clouds last year but things have started to get a bit sunnier again.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I see a change in our business too. Although not related to guitars, it does show a difference in the economy or in people's attitude toward the economy.


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

I see lots of great guitars for sale, but unfortunately, they're all backwards-handed! More lefties please! I can't justify (to my wife!) buying a new guitar, but I could convince her that I got a smoking hot deal for something on the used market!!!

--- D


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2010)

Took me, what I thought, was an abnormally long time to sell that PedalSnake. A $400 snake for $120 shipped and it sat in forums around the world for weeks. Finally got it out the door with a local deal today, but still...I think the "little luxuries" like a Pedalsnake are looking less and less affordable these days.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Duster said:


> I see lots of great guitars for sale, but unfortunately, they're all backwards-handed! More lefties please! I can't justify (to my wife!) buying a new guitar, but I could convince her that I got a smoking hot deal for something on the used market!!!
> 
> --- D


You see the lefty 67 Tele kicking around Kijiji?


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> You see the lefty 67 Tele kicking around Kijiji?


I see that. $7,500, firm price... lovely, but that's going to be tough to justify. 

--- D


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## canadiangeordie (Jan 10, 2009)

Totally in agreement with this topic...i thought the wording of my ad's was deterring buyers, although it's the same brief sales-patter i've always used.

I had a Godin Redline 1 listed for $300...a month went by and no (reasonable) bites. Got offered plenty fish tanks, super nintendo's and VHS's though.

Now i have a Peavey Rage 158 up for $50...nothing. Hughes & Kettner Vortex for $200...nothing. Even barely used kids clothes-nothing. 

Makes me think twice buying gear at the moment due to the lack of a resale guarantee. Last year i was selling used stuff for _more_ than i bought it for...


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

I bought a set of pickups from a PRS SC245 today for $80, and the seller drove an hour to deliver! He bought the guitar new for $2,600, and pulled the pickups to install EMG's.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Sold my amp in the first day of posting it here


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Has anyone here raised the idea that, as time marches on, there is simply more used gear to sell, but not necessarily the same increase in potential buyers?


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

mhammer said:


> Has anyone here raised the idea that, as time marches on, there is simply more used gear to sell, but not necessarily the same increase in potential buyers?


Could be. My theory is slightly different, but amounts to the same thing. As players get older and want to get rid of stuff, or as they move through phases in their playing and move onto better gear, there should be a bunch of players just behind them, filling in the void. People move from $100 amps to $500 amps to $1000 amps, and so forth, and the next guy buys their old stuff. 

I think that's changing as so many unconventional ways of making music are developed, especially in the electronic field. More people will have digital modelling amps, so they don't need to buy a few different amps. They'll have amp modelling software, so maybe they don't need an amp at all! And with the wonders of modern technology, a single guitar can be made to sound like so many other different guitars, that even having a collection of different guitars isn't strictly necessary any more. For live playing, this is less true, but for home practice and recording, I think it's definitely the case.

I lately got interested in pedals and bought a couple. My wife thinks I'm nuts, because I have a digital amp that has a whole bunch of effects, I have a Jamvox that has yet more effects, and Garage Band has a bunch too. Granted, it's amateur-level, home-player quality stuff, but for practicing in my music room at home, do I really need "real" pedals and amps? I continue to think so, but I can see her point. And I'm sure the young crop of players coming up, that have to scrimp and save for every piece of gear, are willing to make that compromise. Even just a few years ago, that route wasn't available. You had to have a bunch of gear to do a bunch of stuff.

--- D


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I concur with a portion of what you've suggested. Certainly, with the exception of boutique stuff like single knob tube amps, the number of features you can get on a product for the money you pay these days is nothing short of spectacular. And, no doubt about it, digital emulation has come a long way. So, yes, I can see that many would rather spend money on a digital FX amp with a single 12AX7 in the preamp than spend 3x as much on an amp with 4 knobs and no FX.

Where I disagree is on the size of market. Just ponder, for a moment, how many folks bought themselves gear "back in the day", and have not touched it in years and maybe even decades. This is why I suggest that there is more gear accumulated across those past buyers, but not necessarily a bigger market. Some do move on to higher end stuff, yes, but a substantial segment do not. Every year there is some fool who thinks they'll get laid or get popular, or get signed if they play guitar. They buy stuff, and eventually give up (or get laid) and sell it. So the amount of stuff bought is not accompanied by a steadily growing population of gear users. Rather, there is a steadily growing population of *former* gear users.

On top of that, the increasing feature-richness of gear creates a phenomenon similar to what happens with computers. Ever seen those ads where somebody has a 400mhz P2 to sell with a "humungous" 40G drive and 256Meg of RAM for $600 and it's "great for the kids"? It's someone who is clearly out of touch with contemporary needs, market, and feature/$ ratios. All they know is they paid $1200 for it back in whenever, and knocking off half the price seems reasonable to them. And of course, that ad will lead them nowhere.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Isn't the "age" distribution of society shaped like an upside down triangle? More older people than younger? At least here in Canada? Isn't that one of the big problems with the idea that the working peoples will pay the retired peoples retirement plans? So, if there are 2 people exiting the scene for every 1 entering, would that not also be part of the equation?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well if you want to be able to sell your gear when your fingers get arthritic, then you best start trying to dissuade all those first generation immigrant kids in large families from being interested in hip-hop, because that's where the anticipated population growth is, that's what those kids like, and that music don't use no Les Pauls.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Well if you want to be able to sell your gear when your fingers get arthritic, then you best start trying to dissuade all those first generation immigrant kids in large families from being interested in hip-hop, because that's where the anticipated population growth is, that's what those kids like, and that music don't use no Les Pauls.


I wonder if vintage turntables will ever be hip? Or do hip-hoppers even use turntables any more? Not much scratching on the new stuff.


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## Crunchie (Feb 24, 2009)

I find a lot of vintage gear isn't selling. I think some guys are delusional about what their vintage gear is worth. If the VG price guide says your '6? Fender is worth $30k, it doesn't mean yours that's been refretted, routed, refinished with sperzel tuners is..


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

There are also places that will advertise "vintage" gear that are willing to wait for the right customer to come along. The asking price may be 30% over what it's worth, but the seller is willing to be patient. I look through Vintage Guitar each month, and see some of the same places advertising the same piece at the same price for 2-3 years running. Basing the valuation of your own gear and setting that particular asking price may result in you having to wait every bit as long. Clearly, THAT's not the true value of it to the majority share of potential buyers.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Ya it amazes me what some folks are asking for their "vintage" asian knock off guitars from the 80's, that back then noone with more than $300 would ever touch. But suddenly their asking more than double that today just because of their age.

IMO some old things are classic, vintage, antique, collectible, etc. Others are just old.


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## sneakypete (Feb 2, 2006)

things started to change a few years ago on older MIJs...I used to be able to get em for next to nothing...when people overseas thought MIJ meant cheap crap, and sometimes they were right....but then there was an awakening, not only were the Japanese building cheap crap but people realized they were also building high end guitars that rivaled anything MIA, still do actually...so folks started buying more and prices started going up, and they haven`t stopped. Sellers are asking what they are because people are paying the prices...I`m not because I got most of mine before the feeding frenzy, but look around the web, the same people who used to laugh at MIJs are now paying several times more than they would have several years ago had they been paying attention at the time.


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