Reverb site for 2nd hand gear

Gear
121

I was just looking on Musicians friend.
They have two of the Sterling Ray34 Black Ash that I like
They go for $899
One is MINT, Open Box for $791
One is BLEMISHED, Open box for $719

The Mint is a Return in Mint condition, like unplayed.
The Blemished is a return that was played for a little bit, so the sticker on the pick guard os removed and there may be some scratches on the pick guard.

Musicians Friend is GC (sort of) and return policy is excellent, so even if I got the blemished and it was unacceptable, it could easily be returned, but I would have to pay for shipping.

But, you can call Musicians friend, instead of ordering on the website, and talk to somebody and get better prices.

My buddy ordered his electric drum set from them about 3 months ago. It was a $900 set, and they had an open box, listed for $800, and he talked them down to $650.

I am considering calling them and asking them to sell me that mint one for $600, and if they won’t do it, asking for the blemished for $550, and maybe pay $600 if they will do that.

I mean, I already made $400 flipping gear, and I have more stuff listed now, so at $600, I am only investing $200.

I also have 2 basses for sale right now, if they sell for a little under asking price, I am making $150 off one and $100 off the other. That covers the rest, so in actuality, I wold be getting this bass off pure profit.

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122

A question for all you veteran Reverb flippers…

After I got my new Yamaha BB735 last week, I put my BB235 for sale on Reverb. I think I listed it at a fair price. Today, it’s a week later and I haven’t received any offers. I see there are (4) watchers, but that doesn’t really mean they are going to buy it.

Do you think I’m asking too much? At what point do I decide that it’s over-priced and lower the price? Am I being too impatient?

Here’s the listing

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123

I don’t really think you can go much lower than that.
have you tried to sell local on Offer Up?

The good is it says “predicted to sell soon, 1 other person has it in their cart”

I mean you could drop it $20 and maybe that person who has it in their cart MIGHT BITE, but if $20 would make them bite, they would probably just offer your $250.

I would hold firm on Reverb, and list it locally for $270 or best offer.

One last thing you could do is in the title, or first in the description, you could say

$270 OR BEST OFFER to let them know you will entertain offers.

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124

If you want to play games, I can make an offer, and you can deny it, but it could push the person that has it in their cart to either buy it or make a real offer.

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125

I did check off “Offers accepted” when I listed it, and the “Make an Offer” button is active. I think it goes without saying that I’ll accept an offer.

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126

Would it be known to that person that there was an offer and I rejected it?

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127

Its a selling tactic, kind of like selling for $269 instead of $270

They expect to see offers, they don’t always think people will take offers.

I have made offers on things and the seller came back with a counter, for $1 less
So just cuz the offer is there, does not always mean that the seller will accept offers.

Saying it in the header or description really does do something.

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128

They won’t know what the offer is, but they will see there was an offer.

It is a game, so there is always a risk that way.

It could also mean that I put in an offer, which you have 24 hours to accept.
they don’t know when you accept it, so even if there is an offer made, if it is still for sale, they can buy it now, and supersede the offer.

Like I said, there could be risk of scaring somebody off, or it could push them to buy it.

Maybe wait another few days and see if they bite, it is Friday, maybe they are waiting to cash their paycheck today and will buy it later??

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129

There is an item I am watching right now.

There was an offer put in on it this morning, but it is still for sale.

If I was really going to buy it, I would do it right now.
But I am not really going to buy it, cuz it is the wrong color.
But if I was, this could be my last chance, so I would have bought it the second I saw an offer was made.

Still a risk tho, nothing is done til its done.

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130

unfortunately reverb doesn’t have your bass listed to check the sales history of it. i would guess, however, that maybe one or two a month are sold. i would just be patient, i recently sold an amp that took about 2 months to sell and had hundreds of views. it takes a while with some items, but it is a nice bass, very clean, at a nice price.

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131

Something funny that happened today reminded me of an older topic (it was not this thread I think) and a discussion with @T_dub , where he would pull a trick on a seller saying that he does not have enough money on him right now… (Pardon me if it wasn’t even you @T_dub ! )

Recently I put my Squier on listing for 140€ and received 4-5 replies. Initially I was about to sell it for 130€ plus shipping to a guy but we couldn’t agree on payment (he wanted a sort of paypal secure payment where I would wait 21 days for the transfer to be unblocked)

Anyways we decided a “NO GO” on that deal so I started waiting again. This new guy calls me on weekend that he would be in the area on Tuesday (today) and he will be buying the bass for 140€ I was delighted obviously that I won’t need to worry about shipment and would receive the payment in cash!

Sent him some photos and he was happy so he showed up at a parking lot near my office on the day earlier than he said. He liked the bass when I took it out of my gig bag and immediately put it away into his bag and then the trunk of the car.

When it was time to pay he pulled out his wallet this dialogue followed:

  • imagine it in sleazy Italian if you can*
    Buyer: (Teasingly) well OK we said 130€ right? Pulling out 120€
    Me: (Equally teasingly) no it was 150€
    Buyer: (not teasing anymore) Come on help a musician out let’s make it 135€
    Me: I am a musician too and the money you give me now will go directly to Lucky Music for a new Vintera…
    Buyer: Come on do me a favor at least give me something a strap or a jack cable anything…
    Me: I don’t have anything (Really my gig bag was empty at the moment)
    Buyer: Oh well you are such a short armed Turkish guy (It is an Italian proverb for being cheap)

Then he gave me another 20€ All this time I was laughing from the inside because if he offered me the same thing yesterday I would be more than happy to make a discount. Hell I was already OK for 130€ and packaging the bass for shipment so I could go even lower!

So yeah this happened…

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132

Everyone has their own ‘style’ of negotiating and getting what they think is a ‘good deal’. Growing up my dad would NOT buy a car unless they threw in free floor mats (now they come with the car but back then they didn’t) and rustproofing. That was his thing. If they didn’t give them to him, he wouldn’t buy the car.
Seemed silly to me then, and now, but it was his thing.

I will generally drop price if someone is clear and honest, and nice. These shenanigans make me usually say ‘no, cant budge’.

I was selling a dining room table set once (pretty pricey). This woman spent a week emailing back and forth and then pulled out a ‘would you consider donating it, I work for x charity and we would use it in whatever place. I was furious. Just be open and upfront.

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133

had one guy recently that kept promising to pay me, then wouldn’t. was going to kill the deal but he eventually paid. strangely, was a guy with a ton of feedback, all 4 stars. then sent my amp to somebody and it wasn’t working correctly when he got it. had to refund him and pay to have him return it, then i will have to pay to get it checked out. a bad week on reverb for me. usually everything goes smoothly, but when you have a run like recently, it tends to make you a bit discouraged about the whole thing. such are the pitfalls of online selling, i guess.

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134

Yeah, that is a tactic that I tend to use, but I want to be 100% clear about one fact. I never commit to a price before I go, because if I were to commit to a price beforehand, I would bring that exact amount, otherwise I would be being, as you put it, sleazy. I am fully honest when I make the deal, and I also tell them if they can’t cut me the $20 or $50 break (depending on selling price of course) that I will run to the ATM and get the rest.

That deal in the post you are talking about, the messages back and forth on Offer Up were something like this, I don’t have it word for word memmorized, but this is what was said for the most part.

Bass offered at $350

Me - is it still available
him - yes
me - are you flexible on price
him - I can do $300
me - When can I come look at it.

The rest of the text was just us setting a time and place.
I ended up paying him $280, but never said one time that I would buy it for sure, and never agreed upon the $300 prior to the meet.

I am really happy you remembered that story and held your ground and got what you wanted for the bass.

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