current American Fender Stratocaster pricing and CL

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CoolCat

CoolCat

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I just went through a purchase, a buddys going to buy a new one too.
My son is really close to pulling the trigger on a American Strat too. His MIM took some pete townsend evenings.

So the 2012 choices are:
1)the GC stores locally, 2) the Internet and lets call it 3) "Craigslist".

The stores online and locally tend to be at war and match each others prices on everything.
So using a American Standard Strat, $899 price. They immediately drop 10% so lets say $800.
Then there the GC Local adds Sales Tax, while the Internet shops without brick n mortar stores will save you a little more due to No Tax. But then the Local GC will then match this price too usually.
So roughly, $750 for the new git. I figure the case and candy at $100, so really the guitar is about $650 brand new American Guitar and $100 for the case and candy.
They also offer No interest for 12 months if you use credit.

Then theres Craigslist, which for example my son has a 2001 at $500 with case. (no candy). No Tax.
With used, theres the checkout needed..need to pull the pickgaurd off and verify theres no "sneeky swap" of parts on the used one's. So thats a bit of labor and time, pain.

hmmm?
So GC Brand new versus CL used is the question.
Is it wiser to pay extra $100-$150 for brand new?

Now maybe Craigslist needs to come down in price $400 for a US used strat w/case.
Does that seem closer to the real price they should ask, then its a $200 savings.

anyone agree? am I missing something here?

The prices seemed whacked right now. I just got my brand new one while the same store had a rotty used one for the same price but they wouldnt budge on the used rotty git price.

I never worked retail, maybe thats my confusion on How This Sales Stuff Works.
 
I bought an '02 Am. Strat in '02 new from guitartrader.com for $700ish shipped with Fender case. Local GC couldn't match the price so I bought online with no regrets.
 
I haven't bought a new instrument in years. lol

I have no problem pulling things apart to check if they are legit though. In some cases if the stock pickups were not available I wouldn't care (as long as what was there wasn't garbage).
 
I bought my Jeff Beck Strat through a GC store.
They matched best internet price down to the sales tax, so it was a win win.
It is as perfect a guitar as any I have owned.

I bought my Les Paul Traditional Plus from a local botique guitar shop.
They matched the price, and I paid the sales tax.
The guitar had a miscut nut, and a blemish in the finish
on the neck, which they promptly repaired for free.

Then I bought a Marshall Class 5 Amp through the local shop.
They matched the 15% holiday discount that GC had going.
It was missing the manual and the power chord, which the shop
promptly procured for me.

I think I will lean towards paying the sales tax in the future and
developing my relationship with this good luthier.
 
CL is crazy. Everyone thinks their stuff is worth more than it is. Problem 2 is CL is den of scammers. I don't know how many offers I've gotten from buyers who are "out of town on christian missions in Africa"...none can spell or create a coherent English sentence. And as a buyer I don't know how many times the seller has "an agent who will coordinate the sales transaction if you provide all of your personal information". It's 2012, who falls for these scams anymore?

That said, it's still the best place to find a deal. If you shop long enough you'll find what you want for the price you want. I just got a cherry '72 Twin for $500 (which is a great price locally). As a seller the same rules work...patience...I'm selling some stuff and I've been offered some ridiculously low prices ($200 for a really nice condition '65 RI twin). I politely decline and wait to sell it for a price I'm comfortable with and is reasonable.

But, you're right, most prices on there need to come down. I think a lot of people post higher prices knowing everyone is going to try to lowball them and it's a negotiation tactic.
 
for many $100 or $300 isnt that big of a deal..if you keep the guitar for several years, $200 probably is meaningless.

but the initial short term "shopping stage" including price deals is even more confusing, and $200 seems like a lot initially.

When I think that Guitar Center, pays around 50% for Used per New cost and "Secret Street" Prices. (how does GC figure the street price on trade in's?)

So if they sell a new Am Strato guitar w/case and candy for $800, for example,
then a used one, they pay will offer $400? maybe a bit more if in mint shape, then put it on the shelf with their markup, for $700? $750ish..

Seems a used Guitar should be around 50% off a brand new one, considering its stock and normal wear, a ding or two, case candy missing etc.

I guess for right now it seems GC is pressuring the CL prices in a way, for only a $100-$200 difference why not get brand new everytime, all the case & candy and mint everything?

I'm starting to question CL prices being too high, or at least wondering what should be the going price in todays market on CL for a Am Strat?
 
Well the guy at GC told me they check local CL for prices and pay 40-70% of that as "street price"...i don't even know what that means though.

Prices are what they are. The few times I've bought off CL I've found what I wanted, offered the price I wanted to pay and had the offer taken or left.
 
I find that interesting, 40-70% off CL.
I've sold stuff to them before and had checked CL and realized they have to make a profit, and some I took some I didnt.

Here they usually go to the managers room and hover over his computer and look,

now that I think about it, another tactic they use is checking the Guitar Center USed section too...and then I bet they take 40-70% off that too, for the offer to the customer.

So this would state they are offering USed prices of $300 to $350 for the Am Strats, putting them on the wall for $650-$700 used. I'll assume. Maybe $400-$450 with cases in great shape..

So hhmmm?
the $500 CL deal is right at $400 guitar + $100 case...approx.
Or... $750ish brand new/12 months no interest...$625 guitar + $125 for case & candy+tax?
 
Yeah buying a $750 guitar for $650 off CL, I'd rather spend the extra $100 for the new one.
 
I thought the same. $100 was a no brainer.

However.. on the $500 CL Am Strat,with case...its a done deal.( if it checks out well.)
I commited to the deal, with my son making at least $300 or so down, the seller said he hasnt gotten much attention anyway and will hold it for a few days. I think for a decent one this is a great price. Its missing the back sting guard but thats fine. Supposedly everything else is like new.
his MIM has been from Austin, Cali, to Nevada and is working still (after some surgerys..) and this is a great deal to match a new MIM price. So CL is giving a Am for the price of a new MIM new....(however used MIM can be had for $275.)

if its going to be played heavily on the road, mint condition isnt important. So CL has its pro's on this one. No tax.

it's still a sales-shell game to me, especially GC "pricing" the worth? Its as if the pricing creates itself or something?
I never went to resale classes, its probably all in there...supply & demand etc..etc..economy health..

anyway I'm out after this one. time to do something else.
 
Apparently on CL they're either "like new" or "vintage", you very seldom seem to see one that's been played.

I did pick up a mim Tele a few years ago for $100.00, the guy that had it bought a silvertone guitar and amp case for $700.00 and was trying to cover it.

Yes, i was able to keep from laughing until I got out of earshot.
 
dervish riff said:
Apparently on CL they're either "like new" or "vintage", you very seldom seem to see one that's been played.

I did pick up a mim Tele a few years ago for $100.00, the guy that had it bought a silvertone guitar and amp case for $700.00 and was trying to cover it.

Yes, i was able to keep from laughing until I got out of earshot.
Click to expand...

i got a nice MIM strat for $160 and thought that was a great deal.
 
I'd say thats a great deal, a great guitar for that $160. Most MIM I see are $250..$225. which is a good deal too.

We just picked up the 2000 American Strat, black with maple neck for $500 total.
Guitar and frets all checked out to have very little play, not a flaw on it really.

I figure $450 for the Am Strat. + $50 for the case. I didnt haggle him, seller had saved it for 2-3 weeks waiting for the 1st (a little more $$ laying around after payday)...fending off a few other buyers for us, so haggling would have been jerkish imo..

It will be played and road worn soon enough....so paying mint price didnt seem to make sense on this one.

Maybe have time to get the MIM fixed up right, now that its a backup. :)
 
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