The New Breed of Guitar Dealers - Do They Really Think Guitar Buyers Are That Stupid?

equalsql · November 2016

An old mate of mine from years ago pretty much bought and sold his guitar on a monthly basis. He was never satisfied. One month he'd have an LP the next a Tele, then a Strat, followed by a PRS then back to an LP... He must have spent (and lost a fortune). He would travel all over the country to meet buyers and sellers and told me once that he always took a packed lunch. I think he was addicted to the thrill of the chase. He was a lovely chap and ran his own men's barber shop. A superb player and the only person I've ever met who completely understood how to get the best out of a Mesa Boogie MK II-A.

Hi... if you're on here Phil

IvisonGuitars · November 2016

Parker said:

musicman100 said:

It's a grey area all this talk of bedrooms dealers. If you wanted to be anal about it i'm sure there's a few people on here that could be classed as bedroom dealers. Guys that post a new guitar day saying that this guitar is the best guitar that they have played n its definitely a keeper, only to be followed by a for sale post a week or so later saying due to unfortunately circumstances I have to sell the beautiful guitar!!!!

That's just GAS my friend...

+1. That describes pretty much all of us at some time!

impmann · November 2016

There are several guys I can think of who by rights should be completing tax returns right now but I guarantee won't be.

Personally, unlike everyone else, I *do* have a problem with opportunist profiteering - especially when conducted by those who seek to screw you down to the lowest price all the time when you are selling.

But hey, I'm used to being a lone voice.

BRISTOL86 · November 2016

impmann said:

There are several guys I can think of who by rights should be completing tax returns right now but I guarantee won't be.

Personally, unlike everyone else, I *do* have a problem with opportunist profiteering - especially when conducted by those who seek to screw you down to the lowest price all the time when you are selling.

But hey, I'm used to being a lone voice.

Isn't pretty much all sales business 'opportunist profiteering' ?

Loads of well established chain stores with physical premises will buy huge quantities of items at low prices (opportunistic) and then shift for a higher price.

Strangefan · November 2016

impmann said:

There are several guys I can think of who by rights should be completing tax returns right now but I guarantee won't be.

Personally, unlike everyone else, I *do* have a problem with opportunist profiteering - especially when conducted by those who seek to screw you down to the lowest price all the time when you are selling.

But hey, I'm used to being a lone voice.

I'm with you 100% on that, they are trying to screw you, simple as, the one I keep having runins does just that, I just hope one day he gets screwed just as bad as he Screws others.

ICBM · November 2016

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/capital.htm

Short form: "all profit is theft" - Karl Marx

slacker · November 2016

I don't have a problem with opportunistic profiteering I have a problem with lies.

.

impmann · November 2016

BRISTOL86 said:

impmann said:

There are several guys I can think of who by rights should be completing tax returns right now but I guarantee won't be.

Personally, unlike everyone else, I *do* have a problem with opportunist profiteering - especially when conducted by those who seek to screw you down to the lowest price all the time when you are selling.

But hey, I'm used to being a lone voice.

Isn't pretty much all sales business 'opportunist profiteering' ?

Loads of well established chain stores with physical premises will buy huge quantities of items at low prices (opportunistic) and then shift for a higher price.

No that isn't what I'm saying...

There have been a few instances of a couple of individuals snapping up guitars on here (and elsewhere) guzumping others, only for exactly the same guitar to appear on ebay within days - and habitually doing so.

Another low ball offers all the time, then crows about how cheap they got things in New Guitar/Amp/FX Day postings and then they appear in short order for significant profit on other outlets (Facebook)... and then gets arsey when you offer what you know they got it for (because they are so fucking thick they don't realise that some of us notice these things).

If you are buying something with a view to flipping it on for a profit, then that's different to buying something and realising its not for you. In that instance, that individual should be paying tax on their profit - I don't begrudge dealers a profit, we all gotta eat... but these people should come clean.

Greed *isn't* an attractive attribute.

sawyer · November 2016

Yes people who lie to your face!shocking. What about the scumbags who try to score a bargain hoping someone's desperate? I was selling the PRS Custom 22 that's in my avatar on gumtree for £1200. Had some chanced email me saying just '£750'. Emailed him back asking if he was hoping I was desperate and if he was a dealer but no reply. Obviously just trying to profit from someone else's misfortune. Sold it eventually and its currently back up for sale on here.Dont know how they dare turn up on someones door and look them in the eye.

Sassafras · November 2016

Don't Crack Converters do exactly the same thing?

lustycourtier · November 2016

sawyer said:

Yes people who lie to your face!shocking. What about the scumbags who try to score a bargain hoping someone's desperate? I was selling the PRS Custom 22 that's in my avatar on gumtree for £1200. Had some chanced email me saying just '£750'. Emailed him back asking if he was hoping I was desperate and if he was a dealer but no reply. Obviously just trying to profit from someone else's misfortune. Sold it eventually and its currently back up for sale on here.Dont know how they dare turn up on someones door and look them in the eye.

That touches on something else as well, I'm sure if the message was a polite and friendly, you'd of entered into a discussion and he maybe of got a good deal.

sawyer · November 2016

£750? Doubt it ha☺

Sassafras · November 2016

I don't get what you've all got against these shysters. Is trying to earn a crust immoral now?
Like I say, no-one's holding you at gunpoint forcing you to buy some overpriced junk.
Imagine how uncomfortable these guys must be in their bedrooms crowded with overpriced guitars that have been lying around for months, sometimes years, with hardly enough room to lay their noble heads.
Of course the other reason for all this criticism could be that we're all jealous of these guys. After all, isn't that why we all bitch and moan about people?
Deep down, we're driven by jealousy. It's a well known internet condition.

Sassafras · November 2016

I'm making a list of these bedroom trader and when capitalism is finally overthrown, they'll be the first up against the wall. Next up will be heavy metallers and cork sniffers.

impmann · November 2016

I guess my moral compass points in a different direction to others, then...

Sporky · November 2016

BRISTOL86 said:

Isn't pretty much all sales business 'opportunist profiteering' ?

No.

Good sales is consultative; it's about solving a customer's problem.

BRISTOL86 · November 2016

impmann said:

BRISTOL86 said:

impmann said:

There are several guys I can think of who by rights should be completing tax returns right now but I guarantee won't be.

Personally, unlike everyone else, I *do* have a problem with opportunist profiteering - especially when conducted by those who seek to screw you down to the lowest price all the time when you are selling.

But hey, I'm used to being a lone voice.

Isn't pretty much all sales business 'opportunist profiteering' ?

Loads of well established chain stores with physical premises will buy huge quantities of items at low prices (opportunistic) and then shift for a higher price.

No that isn't what I'm saying...

There have been a few instances of a couple of individuals snapping up guitars on here (and elsewhere) guzumping others, only for exactly the same guitar to appear on ebay within days - and habitually doing so.

Another low ball offers all the time, then crows about how cheap they got things in New Guitar/Amp/FX Day postings and then they appear in short order for significant profit on other outlets (Facebook)... and then gets arsey when you offer what you know they got it for (because they are so fucking thick they don't realise that some of us notice these things).

If you are buying something with a view to flipping it on for a profit, then that's different to buying something and realising its not for you. In that instance, that individual should be paying tax on their profit - I don't begrudge dealers a profit, we all gotta eat... but these people should come clean.

Greed *isn't* an attractive attribute.

I completely agree on the 'should be paying tax' front. Selling on personal gear that you're no longer using is very different to habitually looking for low priced goods to make a margin on.

But assuming you're playing by the rules on that front, I don't think there's anything morally wrong about the 'opportunistic' circumstance of seeing something that's available for less than its market value and selling it on.

If you know the true market value of your car is £2,000 and you list it for £2,500 in the hope that you can sell it at that price, is that wrong? I don't see how it's any different to those listing guitars for a - shall we say 'rather hopeful' - markup.

In this day and age it's so easy for anyone with two brain cells to quickly establish a reasonable market value for most goods, unless incredibly niche, that you almost can't blame people for trying to prey on stupidity/laziness.

Pretty much all businesses do this to varying degrees - just look at the number of 'incredible Black Friday deals' that turn out to be as expensive or more than the day before! Amazing how many people are suckered in by putting a sticker that says 'SALE' on some overpriced tat

fields5069 · November 2016

I tried it once with a couple of Danelectro 56 Pro guitars from Thomann. I think I made about £2.50.

musicman100 · November 2016

miserneil said:

Parker said:

musicman100 said:

It's a grey area all this talk of bedrooms dealers. If you wanted to be anal about it i'm sure there's a few people on here that could be classed as bedroom dealers. Guys that post a new guitar day saying that this guitar is the best guitar that they have played n its definitely a keeper, only to be followed by a for sale post a week or so later saying due to unfortunately circumstances I have to sell the beautiful guitar!!!!

That's just GAS my friend...

+1. That describes pretty much all of us at some time!

I was referring to was the grey area around bedroom dealers n people who show really be paying tax, and I'm sure there's a few on here that could fit into that category.
Imo gas isn't buying n selling ( that to some degree is dealing ).
Gas is when ur accumulating lots of gear but not really a collector n never really get rid of anything.

Skipped · November 2016

The most credible market place is right here.

Everybody reading this can think of several examples of high end guitars and modest guitars that have been sold to other forum members for money that almost certainly represents only what the seller has spent - and probably takes no account of their own time and labour.

Long may it continue.

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The New Breed of Guitar Dealers - Do They Really Think Guitar Buyers Are That Stupid?

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