28 posts
Well, due to having to move SOON and not having any money to do that, I'm considering selling my nicest guitar. Since we're talking around $5,000 how should I go about doing this? Arrange to meet prospective buyers at someplace like Guitar Center? Is there an escrow service that could be used if they want to pay by check?
Right now, there isn't a single part of this I want to do, but I don't have too many other choices.
Any suggestions?
Here is how I do sales like that, I go to my bank with the buyer if he banks with my bank. Or if not, I do the deal at his bank. At his bank I get a cashiers check after his bank OK's his check. You might have to pay for the cashiers check, but it is the safest way to get the cash home.
I have done deals like that at my bank (and he banked at the same bank) for $14,000 when I sold my Astro van 4 years back. Your bank will do this service for you free of charge, his bank will do a charge for the cashiers check.
Also don't do your advertising on Craigslist without being super careful about who you let in your house. I would always do a deal like that at the bank, meet them in the bank with the instrument in question, no one will fuck you over in a bank, too many cameras, and witnesses. They don't have to know where you live either.....
Yep, good points Dave! I'm getting similar in another forum I asked in.
GC is out, but was only an example because, as you noted, I'm not too excited about having someone come over here then steal the guitar and go.
One other suggestion I got is to see if there's a local broker-type in town. Sure, he'll probably take a cut, but right now I need to raise money quickly. My business partner kind of dropped a bomb that he's about to be foreclosed on (and I currently live in his house). Always fun to hear about that type of thing late in the game when I have squat for funds, but he kept thinking we'd get that next big sale and that would then take care of his arrears. Instead the government has held up most of the prospective customers (probably because it's an election year) and our main customer found a way to screw us out of over $17,000 of which about $6,300 would have gone to me so I could move out and not worry. *Sigh* :(
Maybe I'll have prospective buyers bring an amp to the bank too - the bigger branches have killer acoustics! ;D
The Gearpage.net. Offer it in their emporium area. Small fee to be able to post there.
Price it with Paypal fees included and take payment through that service. Paypal offers you protection and you don't have to meet the person. There is high end stuff being sold there all the time. People who might not be actively looking for this piece might stumble on it while browsing. Howie and I hang there and can be Gear Page references.
Dearthian: — Mar 19, 2012The Gearpage.net. Offer it in their emporium area. Small fee to be able to post there.
Price it with Paypal fees included and take payment through that service. Paypal offers you protection and you don't have to meet the person. There is high end stuff being sold there all the time. People who might not be actively looking for this piece might stumble on it while browsing. Howie and I hang there and can be Gear Page references.
Cool! I'm still trying to find the right guitar strap to include (I have several of the same kind, but only one has the gold strap locks on it to match - just have to find it in storage!). Then I need to do a quick polish and restring (for local sale if that happens) before I take the good pics. The local custom guitar shop (Twelfth Fret in Portland Oregon) isn't open on Mondays so I'm going to call them tomorrow to see if they also act as a broker (again, for any local sale).
Plus 1 to the gear page. THE place to sell high end gear
I've got to get a couple of things I missed first (new strings and the strap with the matching gold straplocks on it), but it should be ready to go sometime tomorrow.
Right now I will probably go to a custom guitar shop that's downtown. They have a consignment arrangement (25% - ouch), but I need to get it moving fairly quick and their shop is secure. Do you see any reason why I can't try both approaches? I.e., using both the Gear Page and the shop to see which sells the guitar first?
No reason at all. List it at TGP and if it sells there first you'll get more jack. Plus you have a HUGE potential market there as opposed to any local place.
p.s. Let me, Chris and any other TGPers know when you list it so we can give a reference.
DreamTheaterRules — Mar 22, 2012p.s. Let me, Chris and any other TGPers know when you list it so we can give a reference.
It would go, "Craig has some nice guitars. If you can deal with the sheep smell on them..."
LOL ;)
Dearthian: — Mar 22, 2012[quote author=DreamTheaterRules link=1332098931/0#9 date=1332427215]p.s. Let me, Chris and any other TGPers know when you list it so we can give a reference.
It would go, "Craig has some nice guitars. If you can deal with the sheep smell on them..."
LOL ;)
It's a "feature." ;) :D
I can't wait to see Craigee cringe when he lists it and to vouch for him, I claim he's been my friend for years. :D :D
No cringing from me unless the house gets foreclosed before I can sell the guitar!
The guitar is having the frets redressed, the wood polished and getting a new set of strings all at the custom guitar shop and all for a stupidly low price because I've been nice to these guys before (well, I did supply the new strings ;) ). Can't say enough good things about 'em! Class acts. In fact, it's only fair that I give them a shout out here: The shop is called The Twelfth Fret Custom Guitar Shop in Portland Oregon and their website is www.the12thfret.com.
I should have the guitar back tomorrow (Saturday), nice and clean for picture taking. I already have a page of history and features, as well as links to Jeff's website where he shows almost step by step the creation of the guitar (albeit with a Fernandes Sustainer that has since been removed in favor of MUCH better pickups and MUCH better electronics - the guitar now has 24 tone options using a Super Strat switch, a Fat-O for Fatties knob and two switches for serial/parallel, in phase/out of phase).
After talking with Twelfth Fret, I think I'm going to try both some online methods (like the Gear Page, eBay and Craigslist - because it needs to move pretty fast) as well as contacting the creator (Jeff Miller) to see if he has anyone that was Jonesing for him to create them a guitar.
It's going to hurt a bit having to sell it, let alone for less than it's worth, but it's better than not having a place to live while I continue job hunting.
P.S., I just tried my Gear Page account and it still works. My member name there is NW Dreamer. :)
Let us know when you post it
My business partner (feeling guilty perhaps?) has a friend in Newport Beach California with more money than sense and that guy has a son wanting a nice guitar... So, I'm going to take pictures tomorrow (the ad copy, tone options sheets and even a video are already to go) and I'm going to have a "Private Viewing" before I list publicly. Sure, it's only for this guy, but he won't know that. To give you an idea of the kind of person I'm talking about, when his son turned 16 he got a Porsche 911.
If he says no, then I'll actually be lowering the price for the public sale - lol! ;) ;D
I just listed on fleaBay. Here's the listing: *Sigh* :'(
Oh well, here's the auction listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280854051814?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Wow, not even a day since I listed it and already I've got over 100 views and a bunch of watchers! That's a good sign. :)
Hey Howie, does the Gear Page allow you to post about current auctions?
Howie's not here man...lol.
Post in the Emporium area that you have an active auction (use FA: blah, blah, blah, in subject line).
Well... Boy was I straightened out. :-X
I'm not allowed to post in the Emporium area for one or more of a whole list or reasons. I guess they don't want people who haven't participated much just showing up to sell things, eh?
Wah. :(
ooops.... you aren't a "supporting member" (no pun intended) are you?
do these sorts of things apply to buying on tgp? assuming not... but I'm not familiar with the system and I might be interested in an amp on there.
I guess not! Oh well, I am getting a lot of viewers and several watchers so hopefully some offers will be coming in soon as well. I just sold two other synth expansion cards so that helps (about $270). The sampler and synth cards pays for my food and bills for the next three months, now I just need the guitar to sell so I can move (then I can breathe again - at least for 3-6 months - enough time to find work even if it's only part-time or entry level).
Sheep, no. Only aplply to selling. Guess they had too many guys showing up who didnt hang out or post there, just to sell stuff. They changed it to where you have to be a supporting member to sell gear.