Unrealistic value expectations when pricing gear to sell.

Bubba po

Bubba po

Tiny Stonehenge Moment
I've just read an advert for a pair of used Beyerdynamic DT770 pro headphones on a "Studio gear for sale" page on FB. The bloke's dreaming. I want to reply, but I'd probably end up getting kicked off the page! ?

Painted white, custom detachable cord - that's it.

£220 (about $300, I think) he wants for them. Brand new price £115. "Price reflects the rarity of the item". FPMSL. Rarity doesn't equal desirability. It's like modifying cars - you spend ten grand modifying a Vauxhall Nova it's still worth 50 pence.

Lo, Confucius he say... "Thou shalt not recoup the cost of mods".

Any other instances of this that you can remember? :D
 
Haha. This reminds me of this wanker I know who keeps trying to sell this rare 70s Washburn to everyone he ever interacts with.
 
Bubba po said:
Rarity doesn't equal desirability.
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In the late seventies I bought a Martin electric bass. Round this time Martin produced their E-series electric guitars and basses. Although robustly made and not bad looking (in my view) they didn't ignite all that much excitement, and manufacturing stopped in the early eighties.

So I have a vintage Martin electric bass that is quite rare . . . but which nobody wants. So if I sold it, I may not even get what I paid for it.
 
This applies to more than music gear. Sports memorabilia. collectibles, etc.

There's a chain called Music-Go-Round that sells mainly used gear and it's not unusual to see gear priced HIGHER:eek: than you can get it new. A lot of times the price is only a few dollars less than new.
 
Cheesehead1 said:
This applies to more than music gear. Sports memorabilia. collectibles, etc.

There's a chain called Music-Go-Round that sells mainly used gear and it's not unusual to see gear priced HIGHER:eek: than you can get it new. A lot of times the price is only a few dollars less than new.
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That's funny. Down here Music-Go-Rounds often have killer deals. Their problem down here is they rarely have anything good.
 
The Music Go Round in my area went out of business. Lots of low end gear mostly. Anyrhing quality was overpriced. Though I did buy my Trace Elliot Velocette there, one of the best musical purchases of my life.

Yeah, sellers can dream. The market decides. The market for used music gear right now is brutal.
 
You just have to be patient and look around. There are screaming deals out there, and tons of insane asking prices. If you just have to have something RIGHT NOW then you'll probably overpay.

A friend of mine just bought a Splawn Quickrod and the matching 4x12 Creamback loaded 4x12 cab for $1600 from a private seller in Dallas. This stuff is mint. I don't think it ever left the dude's house. It looks like it just came out of the box. Yeah he had to go to Dallas to get it, but goddamn he stole that gear for that price. That stuff was over 3 grand new. He got for half that. 1600 is a lot of money, but it's a good deal. You prey on people that make mistakes and you win!
 
And here's one that's been on my local craigslist for....at least two years now. It never leaves. It's always there and he keeps refreshing it.

Marshall JCM 800, 50W 2x12

JCM 800 2x12 combo. $1200. The problem? It's a fucking combo. An original JCM 800 would sell in 5 minutes for that price...but not as a combo. People don't want JCM 800 combos. But this guy will not budge off that price and his listing sits there permanently with no takers.
 
How much do you guys think a piece of gear in good condition should sell for used? Like, I guess the maximum ceiling as a percentage of the original price? I tend to think somewhere around 70% of original price.

I ask because I see tons of local ads for people who are selling stuff at like 95% of its original price, which just seems stupid to me. But maybe I'm wrong and that's the norm?
 
guitaristic said:
How much do you guys think a piece of gear in good condition should sell for used? Like, I guess the maximum ceiling as a percentage of the original price? I tend to think somewhere around 70% of original price.
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I pretty much agree with that. If it's something that can still be bought new, like a modern piece of gear that's still in production, then about 60-70% of the new price is pretty reasonable if it's in good non-abused condition.

If it's out of production but still desirable, then obviously the market will dictate.

Back in the 80s you couldn't give a Les Paul away. In the 90s vintage Marshalls littered the landscape discarded and unloved. Now both of those brands and models go for big bucks.
 
Marshall JCM 800- would be a pretty desirable amp? (I don't know Marshalls) As a head what might it go for?
(My first Super Reverb got 'turned into a head- easy! :>)
 
mixsit said:
Marshall JCM 800- would be a pretty desirable amp? (I don't know Marshalls) As a head what might it go for?
(My first Super Reverb got 'turned into a head- easy! :>)
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Yes, JCM 800s are some of the most desirable Marshalls out there. They had different versions of 800s though, so the prices can vary considerably. An original un-modded single channel 81-85 JCM 800 2203 head in good condition can go as high as $1700-$2000. Usually they hover around the $1500 range.

---------- Update ----------

DaleVO said:
Appears he is getting the same love on our DFW Craigslist.. Marshall JCM 800, 50W 2x12

Dale
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Haha yeah! Same listing. So no one in Texas is biting on his ad.
 
guitaristic said:
How much do you guys think a piece of gear in good condition should sell for used?
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It's pretty easy to determine "world" market value for most products using the "sold items" feature on ebay. You search for what you are selling and see what items of similar condition sold for and average out that sold price. It isn't a perfect system because sometimes people pay Waaaaay too much for an item but it gives a good idea.

Whenever I am looking for something and they throw in the "rare" line it usually means they are ignorant of realistic value and are hoping another ignorant soul will take their rare albatross off their hands.
 
The flower pot guy on ebay springs to mind (photographs everything in front of three flowerpots)

Anyone who buys electronic music gear knows who he is, but he sells pretty much anything vintage music related..and all at hugely inflated prices.

Yet hes got 3500 transactions and 100% reputation! Who the fuck is buying this stuff? Most of its not rare and theres at least one or two listings on his stuff at half the price.

I was looking for an rx11...$100 shipped for a one in decent shape...he was selling one for parts at $175 + $20 shipping.
 
Yeah that kind of thing just grinds my gears. On Amazon there's a seller called SKY-LINE or Skyline or something similar. That shop has a random assortment of tech, housewares, clothing...just absolute random stuff. And their prices are so grossly overinflated, I just don't understand who is buying from them. When there are 58 sellers that offer an SD card for $12, but they're offering it for $90, yet they have hundreds of 5-star positive reviews?!? Who the hell is paying their prices, enduring their obnoxious month-long shipping times, and still kissing their asses with glowing reviews? It makes no sense.
 
I browse the classified on Talkbass from time to time just to see what's up on the used bass market. With in-production basses, 60% of new price seems to be where they are selling. A Fender American Standard Jazz or P bass sells for $1400 new. A late model used should sell in the $800s though you might need to wait for the right one. Anything below that I'd call a good deal. I've seen older ones in the $600s. Then there are the sellers who think their bass is worth $1000--which is ridiculous as you could score a close out new if you keep eyes open for the deals. $990 is what I paid for my Jazz, new on close-out from GC.
 
Tadpui said:
Yeah that kind of thing just grinds my gears. On Amazon there's a seller called SKY-LINE or Skyline or something similar. That shop has a random assortment of tech, housewares, clothing...just absolute random stuff. And their prices are so grossly overinflated, I just don't understand who is buying from them. When there are 58 sellers that offer an SD card for $12, but they're offering it for $90, yet they have hundreds of 5-star positive reviews?!? Who the hell is paying their prices, enduring their obnoxious month-long shipping times, and still kissing their asses with glowing reviews? It makes no sense.
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Are they based in NJ?

Theres a music store there that sells for double or more on amazon..whotf is buying it?
 
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