The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 30
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    I finally sold my Mesa Boogie EVM Thiele cabinet a few days ago. In order to do that, I got CL inquiries from at least a dozen obvious scam artists and 3 absolute crazies. My favorite is the guy who emailed me every day for about a week that he could get one "all day every day for $150 less". He kept it up for 2 days after I responded with "Why don't you just go buy one of them?"

    Among the misrepresentation artists, the frankly larcenous who intend to take your guitar and your money by force, and those out to steal your identity, it's become a nightmare to post items for sale on regional media like CL. At least I have the club in which I play to use as a meeting place for buying and selling. The CL email relay system does keep your email identity safe, as long as you don't include any personal info in the email header, signature, etc. But everybody wants your phone #, and even that's uncomfortable for me with strangers.

    Fortunately, my 5 year long retirement / downsizing sales effort is drawing to a close - I'm down to a few low dollar items. I will no longer post anything for sale on generic public websites like CL. Should I ever want to buy or sell anything else used, it'll only be on sites like JGO where I'm a member and either know or can communicate directly with potential buyers and sellers.

    Even safe transactions don't solve all the problems. The horror stories about lost, damaged, or misrepresented items are more numerous every week. I hear about problems with loss and damage claims for insured items. Returning something that isn't as described and gettting your money back seem to be massive undertakings for many. Fortunately, I got my new Eastman from Lou (GnJ) in 2 days a year ago with no problems at all. But the Carvin I sold to a JGO member several months ago took an unauthorized and untracked vacation before reaching the buyer, and a simple gig bag (a NOS original Ibanez for my AF207) got hung up for over a week before appearing on the Fedex tracker.

    I truly miss the good ol' days of easy sales through the neighborhood Tradin' Times newspaper!

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    In the old days, selling gear meant paying expensive classified rates in the local papers and then selling for the expected private party discount or consigning with a local music store. All of which took time and mostly meant getting back less than you paid for your gear.

    Then came the Internet with sites like EBay where one could sell with minimal fees and no upfront fees (unlike the earlier classified approach). Craigslist had no fees, but reached a smaller audience. Shipping was mostly reliable and not too terribly expensive. One could buy and sell gear often at no cost. How fun! I bought and sold a lot of guitars and amps during this period.

    But now selling on the net has gotten more expensive and shipping more risky. Craigslist has risks, scammers and a small local audience, but for me, eliminating the risk of shipping, 1099's and fees makes it worthwhile still. I can qualify my Craigslist buyers and if they don't give me a phone number, I don't deal with them. My days of buying and selling gear are coming to an end (there are a couple of guitars that interest me, but if I cannot buy them locally, I won't). Perhaps when I am a bit older, I will sell off some more gear, perhaps not. It is all going to be a windfall to my wife and daughters. They can figure it out. I am going to enjoy my hard earned stuff as long as possible.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    My days of buying and selling gear are coming to an end
    Yeah. Mine are too, unless a Blu 6 wanders across my path, a 7 string El Rey jumps in front of my car, a Forshage spalty Tele 7 comes up for sale, a Benny 7 shows up on CL,.............

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    The internet has certainly provided a great platform to view items for sale globally. With that comes risk - and requires a prudent vetting strategy. I won’t get into the aspects of that strategy - but here are a few rules I adhere to:

    I never make a purchase without a thorough communication via phone. If the seller is not interested in having a discussion about the instrument - I move on. Conversations give you the ability to feel out the seller and discuss every inch of the guitar. There has to be a sense of trust and integrity between both parties.

    As for shipping, I have all guitar purchases sent “ Fed X overnight” and I’ve been providing the bar code label - unless Im purchasing from a trusted dealer, in which case I provide my Fed X account. Additionally, every shipment is covered by my Heritage insurance policy.

    When I sell a guitar - I’ve had very good success on this forum, or through my network of guitar enthusiasts. I always encourage a lengthy conversation, provide all necessary pics and facts - and also ship them Fed X priority- never ground.

    It amazes me how someone can spend thousands on a guitar - then ship it uninsured via $ 75 UPS ground, which usually results in an anxiety attack when it doesn’t show up for a week , or more.

    Most instrument purchase problems I read about on this forum - pertain to communication and delayed ground shipment. You must do all you can to remove risks- and cannot rely on brief/ vague written descriptions.

    Just my two cents from buying and selling guitars for over 30 years.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Things ain't like they used to be. And they never were. The times they're always a changin'.

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    The older I get, the better I was.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    "I truly miss the good ol' days of easy sales through the neighborhood Tradin' Times newspaper!"

    hah! bought my first L-5 advertised there. turned out it was only a few blocks from me
    a blonde L-5CES for $900? those were the days...



  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    I tried TGP once to buy a Beauregard MB for 7K. When I got the guitar, it was a completely different version than the guy advertised, and the bridge was screwed into the body and the action was still unplayable.
    The guy said he was going away for the summer, so it took me three months to get my money back.
    Last time I used TGP.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    I got kicked out of EBay after being a member since the early 2000s with about 750 100% positive feedbacks combined buying and selling. I tried three times to get an explanation and all they would tell me is that it isn’t their policy to give reasons for termination. I have debated with myself as to rejoining. I have all kinds of stuff to sell and I don’t like Craigslist.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by lammie200
    I got kicked out of EBay after being a member since the early 2000s with about 750 100% positive feedbacks combined buying and selling. I tried three times to get an explanation and all they would tell me is that it isn’t their policy to give reasons for termination.
    It is truly a new age. I’m adapting, but there’s a lot to it that I really don’t like at all. One of the big attractions of the blues for me is the timeless reflection of real life in the lyrics. So I turn to them for perspective.

    From Jimmy Witherspoon over 50 years ago: ”Times gettin’ tougher than tough, things gettin’ rougher than rough!”

    And from Keri Leigh (one of my favorite contemporary blues artists): “It’s a mean old world when a man can’t even get a cigarette on a postage stamp.”

    We will prevail, but the good old days are gone. I never even dreamed that the early days of eBay would become good old, but I’m trying not to sound like my father.

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

    We will prevail, but the good old days are gone. I never even dreamed that the early days of eBay would become good old, but I’m trying not to sound like my father.
    For the most part, the good old days of tomorrow are today.

    The business model of many companies today, particularly tech/Internet companies, is to sell a product or service at a loss in order to penetrate a market, then raise prices to profitability. Selling for very little cost on EBay allowed me to demo a lot of guitars and amps. It is all good.

    I am still waiting for Craigslist to start charging a fee. I bet that happens at some point. Perhaps we could all learn from the late great Barney Kessel and simply play one guitar? In my case, perhaps not. Being true to one guitar means being untrue to all the rest.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    [QUOTE
    And from Keri Leigh (one of my favorite contemporary blues artists): “It’s a mean old world when a man can’t even get a cigarette on a postage stamp.”.[/QUOTE]

    Help me out here - What the heck does this mean?

    AKA

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by AKA
    And from Keri Leigh (one of my favorite contemporary blues artists): “It’s a mean old world when a man can’t even get a cigarette on a postage stamp.”. Help me out here - What the heck does this mean?
    A Robert Johnson commemorative stamp was issued in the '90s. He was smoking a cigarette in the picture chosen for the stamp, but that was determined to be a no-no. So he had to quit:

    Buying and selling used stuff ain't what it used to be!-robertjohnsonstamp-gif

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger;
    Perhaps we could all learn from the late great Barney Kessel and simply play one guitar? In my case, perhaps not. Being true to one guitar means being untrue to all the rest.
    Kessel mostly used his old customized 350 when playing jazz (there are videos out there where he plays the Gibson Kessel (which he didn't like) and a clip from Europe where he plays an Epiphone), but in his days as a studio musician, he was often bringing a trailer full of instrumens and other gear to the sessions.

    Sendt fra min SM-T810 med Tapatalk

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    If buying and selling enough stuff, sooner or later, you run into everything. It seems that in the older days, it was mostly sellers and buyers online, good and bad ones. These days, scamming has become a bigger thing, as internet got more popular. And it is easier for someone with malcontent to learn how to do a scam.

    I mostly use local ads these days. Many times if it's musicians I know them, or generally you talk and as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, you get a feel for the other person.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    I’ve bought and sold a few things over the years including guitars. The internet has certainly expanded the market. Most of us sellers wouldn’t want to go back to the days of ads in newspapers or flyers on guitar store wall. On second thought, maybe we would?

    Just my impression in the old days EBay was much better for the seller, not so good for the buyer unless you were very savvy. A lot of naive people posted stuff on EBay without knowing the real market price, and sometimes without knowing how to list it properly.

    Craigslist was certainly great for buyers and sellers years ago. I have not had any problems with either.

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
    ...Just my impression in the old days EBay was much better for the seller, not so good for the buyer unless you were very savvy. A lot of naive people posted stuff on EBay without knowing the real market price, and sometimes without knowing how to list it properly.

    Craigslist was certainly great for buyers and sellers years ago. I have not had any problems with either.
    I think the way Ebay started and handled both buyers and sellers was fair and great. When they figured out they wanted more revenue they gave sellers an advantage in the dispute arena and now they really want to screw both with their payment system. Part of that is the result of sellers having to be paying taxes now, I am sure.

    The issues that I have with Craigslist are with the flakes that don't show up, low ball and harass. Very hit or miss to get things done. I have actually received threats from people because they didn't get the purchase when they failed to show up and I sold to the next in line. Happened at least twice.

    BTW, I think that I written about this previously but my issues with Ebay started out when they asked for my bank information and ID as they were shedding Paypal and setting up their own payment system. I verified that it was a legit request by Ebay and gave them what they wanted. My account was then suspended and that was even after they sent me confirmation that my info was received and verified and satisfactory to them. When I inquired about the suspension I could only get "We are not going to tell you why. It is company policy not to." I don't know what they found but I am a homeowner and have been so for 25 years. My credit score is usually within 10 points of perfect, if not perfect. I may not nave been a mega Ebayer but it was hella convenient to get rid of decent stuff and get some money for it. Also convenient for buying obscure items.

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    When you are contacted by a scammer who want to fed ex you full payment plus extra $$ for you to wire back when you ship the "item" out; always agree to the sale and let them fed ex a check/MO to you. They do have to pay fed ex charges so it cuts into their profits. I've done it multiple times, really pisses them off. I have shown email threads at parties and gotten huge laughs.

    Also, can't help myself from playing Devil;s advocate: Stop constantly buying and selling guitars! Find a guitar you love and play it. The greatest guitar in the world is just a f*cking guitar, it's not going to change you life or your ability to play. Shipping charges alone are reason enough to not "pay to test drive" an instrument. I'm not looking for anything but I did get an ad that had a left handed L5 on reverb. I clicked to look and was shocked that for $8400. it was "sold as is, no returns" ! WTF, who in their right mind do such a stupid one sided deal? Imagine going into a music store back 40 years ago and having to buy a guitar because you took it off the rack, or even paying $75 - $150 (shipping) fee to check it out.

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by whiskey02
    Also, can't help myself from playing Devil;s advocate: Stop constantly buying and selling guitars! Find a guitar you love and play it.
    I don't even respond to obvious scammers. There's a good list of tips on CL for avoiding trouble.

    You're obviously not of an age to be downsizing. When you get to that point, you have little choice but to cull the herd. I suspect that I'm typical of many older JGO members. I've been a working pro since 1960, so I accumulated a fair amount of stuff that was somewhere between necessary and nice for the variety of gigs I've played. Then there were the guitars and amps that were just plain fun. And some are different enough to justify buying just for the education they bring, knowing I'd sell them to experience the next one. I hate hearing opinions from people who've never even played the subject of their sermons, let alone lived with one and gotten to know it well.

    I bought a new Matsuoka-made Aria 559 and a new D28 in 1969 because I loved them both. Soon after that, I bought a new L5CN. But I wasn't about to drag that around to weddings, dive bars, and commercial gigs and my backup was an orange Mustang that stayed in the trunk. So I bought a Tele Custom. Over the years, I accumulated 2 early PRSs (Custom 22 and Custom 24, both bought new), a blonde Guild Stuart 500, a black 165, an LPC, an Ibanez 345 clone, a few 12 strings, a gorgeous Guild RW jumbo flat top, a Martin 016-NY, a RW Larrivee parlor guitar, a '57 P-bass, a brass National style O, a steel National Tricone, etc etc etc.

    Then there are (or were) the amps. Between 1960 and 1964 (high school), I bought (new) a Reverberocket, a 15" Pro, a Magnatone with 4 6L6s an 4 12s, and a B15N (selling each to buy the next). The B15 lasted me until 1970, when the leader I worked for told me it wasn't loud enough for the rock we played at weddings. So I bought a Kuston 150. Then, how could I turn down a NOS Bassman 50 head or a BF Twin new at half price? I bought a Boogie Mk 1 and Thiele cab when they were new and novel - and I used them for decades. I also ended up with a SF VIbrolux, a Princeton Reverb 2, a tweed Blues Deluxe, a GK MB150, a few SWRs, a GenzBenz etc etc. And I didn't sell very many of them after 1965, so I had as many as a dozen amps at one time - tube, SS, 15", 8" and everything in between.

    You know at some point which pieces are keepers. And you can use the money from multiple resales to buy something you always wanted but couldn't justify economically. When you retire and move from a house back to an apartment, there's neither need nor room for it all - so 5 out for every one in is a blessing! And I haven't gigged heavily and steadily for several years now. So selling it all off just made sense.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    You've had som primo gear, Bud. Nice.

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by citizenk74
    You've had som primo gear, Bud. Nice.
    Yeah - it's been a good run! When I was in college, I couldn't resist a '34 L5 in ratty shape that a non-playing friend inherited. So I traded him my turntable and my roommate's speakers for it. My roommate was less than pleased, at least until I built him better speakers. But I loved that guitar and only sold it when I discovered that the market value of my 175DN was not quite enough to cover a restoration by Gibson.

    I've always tried to learn about new things. When the first relic Strats came out, I got a call from a friend who was the manager of a local music store, telling me that they managed to get one. He told me he thought it was a great guitar and that I'd probably love it. Of course, this was after I'd made fun of the entire concept from the day it was announced. But I went to see it - and he was right. It was a wonderful guitar that I bought on the spot. This is also how I discovered Evans amps (I bought an early 150 and later one of the first small cab 12" 200s).

    The joy of discovery has always been a major part of my relationship with guitars. Thanks to the "good old days" and the way we used to buy and sell stuff, I've owned and loved a Gibson LG-1, an L50, a '50s Vega Duotron archtop, a '59 345, a '60 175DN, and a host of lesser guitars deserving of more respect than they got. Halfway through my 70s, I'm very happy with my few remaining guitars because I also have the education, experience, and joyous memories of some fabulous musical experiences. I wouldn't want to be young again. I've had a wonderful life, and I cherish all the memories - even the bad ones! The joys I have now are the culmination of a lifetime of positive thinking, and I seem to be in good enough shape to continue enjoying them for at least a few more years.

    FWIW, it goes beyond instruments and music. Our 2022 anniversary will mark half a century together. I still have and use tools that I started collecting when I was a kid. My record collection dates back to the 1920s albums of my grandparents and includes my parents' collection as well as the 1200 or so albums and 1000 or so CDs I've bought myself since the first one in 1959 (which was Ricky Nelson's "Ricky Sings Again", because James Burton was his guitar player). Our lives are to a significant degree what we make them. Opportunity may not be around every corner, but when it knocks you have to answer the door! I hope you all achieve the contentment and satisfaction I've found, despite a world that seems at times to be conspiring to prevent us from that very feat.
    Last edited by nevershouldhavesoldit; 01-23-2022 at 10:49 PM.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    I think I am pretty much done with EBay and Reverb (and shipping). I am not comfortable with EBay having access to my bank account so I guess at some point they will suspend my account. I will still use Craigslist to buy and sell (maybe) and I have told my wife to consign my guitars when I am gone one at a time to Gryphon or Schoenberg. My heavy gigging days are clearly behind me (Thanks to Covid and arthritis), but I will probably play out between 75 and 100 nights this year, so I have no real downsizing plans. 15 guitars and 4 amps are plenty.

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    I will still use Craigslist to buy and sell (maybe)
    Well.......I think I just sold my Gigrac powered mixer from the CL ad. I got a nice email in which the potential buyer gave me his phone # and expressed direct interest in the item by name (2 good signs, according to the CL guidelines). So if all goes well, I'll meet him at the club before we play our first set at this Sunday's blues brunch and do the deed.

    For the 3 items I've posted in the last 6 weeks (Boogie Thiele EVM cab, Gigrac mixer, and Vox Night Train head) I got a total of 17 initial responses. Out of those, 13 made no mention of the specific thing for sale but said they were definitely buying "the item". Nine of them had no phone # and told me specifically not to reply through the CL email relay system but to use an odd-sounding email address instead. Eight of those nine said they had to meet me within 24 hrs.

    Of the 4 who sounded legit, all provided a phone # and asked reasonable, specific questions. One bought the Boogie cab and one will buy the mixer if he shows up on Sunday. The other 2 asked only if the item of interest was still for sale and did not respond to my return message that it was.

    If it's this hard to sell inexpensive used gear privately, I can just imagine how difficult customers must make life for retailers!

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    Well.......I think I just sold my Gigrac powered mixer from the CL ad. I got a nice email in which the potential buyer gave me his phone # and expressed direct interest in the item by name (2 good signs, according to the CL guidelines). So if all goes well, I'll meet him at the club before we play our first set at this Sunday's blues brunch and do the deed.
    UPDATE! The Gigrac guy texted me the day before he was to have picked up the unit that he fell on the ice and couldn’t drive. So I left the ad up and waited (but did not hold my breath).

    He texted me a week later that he was better and would pick it up yesterday, which he did. He turned out to be a very nice guy with a good job and 3 sons. I invited him to stay for our first set. He ended up having brunch and staying for about 2 hours - and he says he’ll bring his jazz keyboard playing son down for our Thursday night show.

    So all’s well that ends. I have only the 15W Vox Night Train head left to sell, but after this rigorous round of customer relationship management I may just hang on to it. What have I learned? Private sales of most ordinary used gear are becoming too difficult to justify the return. I’ve had nothing but excellent interaction with everybody on this forum and will gladly post my stuff and buy others’ here. Otherwise, if a big box vendor like GC will buy something for a decent price and give me a 10% or 15% discount on anything I trade it towards, I’ll wait until I need something they have and bite the bullet.

    I also discovered how useful a Google Voice phone number is for such interactions with strangers.

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    [QUOTE=nevershouldhavesoldit;1179139

    So all’s well that ends. I have only the 15W Vox Night Train head left to sell, but after this rigorous round of customer relationship management I may just hang on to it. What have I learned? Private sales of most ordinary used gear are becoming too difficult to justify the return. I’ve had nothing but excellent interaction with everybody on this forum and will gladly post my stuff and buy others’ here. Otherwise, if a big box vendor like GC will buy something for a decent price and give me a 10% or 15% discount on anything I trade it towards, I’ll wait until I need something they have and bite the bullet.

    I also discovered how useful a Google Voice phone number is for such interactions with strangers.[/QUOTE]

    FWIW, I've never worried about losing a little bit of money on a long used item. I look at it as a real bargain for being able to use something for a long time at a very low "rental" cost.