I am still watiting for my Behringer UMC 404HD DAI and Thomann sent me an e-mail saying it will take even longer and offered to help me look for an alternative.
I browsed the store a bit, but I decided on Behringer and had “all” the DAIs compared and everything so I won’t change my mind now, but there was a Behringer 204HD, which would be good enough for me and was in stock.
Retail price: 88€
B-stock price: 81€ (traces of use)
And I just wanted to check: If I buy B-wares I expect at most 70% of the retail price. Maybe this was a thing because of delivery problems with DAIs, but it seems like there’s no reason to go for B-ware in such cases.
Do you guys think this is more of a supply and demand thing during corona? The B-ware DAI was purchased while I was typing this so obviously one can make this price, but in a more normal situation it seems like a too low price reduction for traces of use. What do you think?
Yep, what Howard said. Having said that you may be right about the virus having an impact. I’ve been looking at a new bass and a lot of stores over here in Australia are either showing out of stock or awaiting delivery on many guitars. I assume that this may affect the used market too
Interfaces are definitely scarce for the last few months, and they are holding steep prices.
It seems crazy when you look at the prices for used interfaces on eBay, reverb, etc.
The behringer and scarlet units are barely discounted.
I haven’t seen anyone on this forum mention it, but I purchased mine initially for JamKazam. I think there are several thousand other users that made the purchase specifically for online jamming in March/April.
I’ve seen B-stock offerings from Thomann since before the Corona crisis broke, and I can tell you that I’ve never seen a 30% reduction.
I can also tell you that the B-stock amp I bought came with full warranty, so a 30% reduction is pretty utopian. At that rate, i’d expect a six-month warranty or similar.
Lastly, I can tell you that the “B-stock” rating consisted of “the item was in pristine condition, but the packaging had been opened”.
Good luck on expecting a 30% discount on that. Sorry if I sound terse, @juli0r, but to my tastes, expecting a 30% discount reeks a wee bit of entitlement.
Disagree completely. I got more than a 33% discount on my first Warwick simply because it was new overstock (and a floor demo) from the previous year. It wasn’t even B stock.
Never pay list price (or close to it) for musical instruments
It takes patience and hunting but you can definitely get deals like that. Especially for “used” gear that has actually really not been used much if at all.
The discount @juli0r mentions was not a discount from list price.
I agree that, when it comes to floor demos, the discount should be better than 10%. But if you can get a third off a pristine item of a current product which is already priced very competitively, that comes with full warranty, you live on a different continent than I do.
If it was just the package opened I would agree. I’m not sure if I translated that correctly.
The item was not listed “in pristine condition” or “as new”, but with “traces of use” again - I do not know if it’s the correct translation. It was marked as “fully functional with traces of use”, which is rather unspecific but might be something like a floor demo. It’s at least something that was in use.
In German we usually have the 3 grades of “traces of use”:
“as new”: As you said - just an opened box, can’t be sold new, but it’s in pristine condition
“slight traces of use”: Mostly stuff like scratches, only aesthetics.
“immense traces of use”: Basically anything you can imagine.
@peterhuppertz No worries. Thanks for your honest opinion - that’s why I asked.
It wasn’t meant as being entitled, but rather: “Is this normal? Because if the difference is few bucks I just buy it as new.”
Because honestly the unpacking, feel and smell of a “new thing” is worth a few bucks to me.
Also I completely understand Thomann in that situation. I never knew DAI sell like hot buns in quarantine I wasn’t demanding it.
I got my Yamaha TRBX 304 from kirstein.de as b-stock, they’ve even shown pictures from the scratches which made them discount from 350€ to 299€. until today I still cannot find those said scratches… maybe they’ve just send a new one anyways?
All. Berlinger items are scarce. Only a few things remain in stock anywhere in the US, at GC, Sam Ash, and Amazon. The BDI-21 is available at GC at normal price of $33, mine arrived today. The EQ pedal is in stock, every other pedal is on backorder. Same on Amazon. You can find a few of their pedals, but when you click on it, it has another button to press that says “see all buying options”, and you are directed to a list of 3rd party sellers selling the $28 list pedals from anywhere between $39.99 and 179.99, with $10 to $100 shipping, and some arrive in July. I found one pedal for $28 from Amazon. I went to purchase, and shipping was “guaranteed delivery by Dec 31, 2020.
I think Behringer factories must be shut down for Corona, and they are WAY WAY WAY behind with a HUGE BACKLOG.
That, and I don’t expect their actual factory to close, doubt China would do that anyway, but I would think a lot of stuff goes back to Germany, or a lot of the corporate decisions and instruction, and order processing, and financial, etc… stuff all comes from Germany, which is on lockdown, or some sort of work restriction
Whole April was just essential workers. In May Germany reopened more. Any business can open again, but there are hygienic restrictions (When shopping one have to wear a mask and 1,5m distance to other people).
But it still makes sense that Behringer is the hardest to come by right now, because even if they managed to move the organisational and bookkeeping stuff to Germany it would still delay the process. Also I am not sure that they would do that anyway. Since their selling point is expensive stuff rebuilt so it’s less expensive - Germany isn’t the ideal location for a business that tries to underbid competitors. We have kind of strict work laws so it’s likely the cost for personnel would go up if moved to Germany.
Thanks for all the responses by the way. List prices are easy to check but it’s good to hear how much of a bargain one can expect when hunting offers of used gear.
We have that here in Southern California, USA.
There are floor markers for where to stand in line, and for the most part people stick to them, but in the grocery store it’s pretty hard to keep a 6 foot (@ 1.5m) distance at all times.
In other sort of essential stores, like UPS stores and restaurants, they have the markers out the door and down the front of the buildings so there are limited number of people in the actual store at the same time. Those are followed pretty strictly, because with a limited number of people in the store ( like 4-8). They can tell you to leave if you are not following guidelines.
All stores post signs that face masks must be worn prior to entering, but most places are not completely strict and do not enforce it.
I know, cuz I don’t put one on unless someone tells me too. Sorry, but I hate those things, they actually make me claustrophobic, so I only wear one if I absolutely must.
