Hi guys,
Just for fun and out of curiosity as well, what are your views and thoughts on pricing used gear. I've been here at soft for more than 6 years now and I've seen some trends, members, etc. come and go so it'll be interesting to know what the current members think about these things.
This are just my opinions so feel free to debate or discuss:
PEDALS
Readily-available used items like pedals in excellent/mint condition/(10/10) should be sold at a maximum 80% of their current street price. Street price means the average price dealers put on their websites for their items, not to be confused with MSRP which I think is the highest price that a pedal can go for.
As soon as the item leaves a reputable dealer's shop, it should be considered used(I did say reputable because there are some dealers that actually use/lend/lease out their merchandise but still sell them as new). There is an exception though: With the availability of online dealers now like PGS and Prymaxe, some people buy extra pedals to avail the extra shipping and bigger discounts in some cases if they spend 400+USD and above. In this case, the buyer becomes a part of a mass ordering process and should have the assurance that the pedal was never gigged or used. Usually a receipt(actual or thru email) to show how new it is and of course the item's actual condition would suffice.
If I were to have some sort of a rough guide or grading system for pedal conditions, it would be this:
10 / 10 = with box and manual and goodies(if pedal comes with them), no blemish at all unless if the imperfections are caused by the builder's manufacturing process. 100% functional
9.5/10 = same as 10/10 but with velcro. A neatly-placed velcro is actually an advantage to me but most people will deduct points for it. 25% of street price.
9/10 = with velcro, some light scratches at the side(which won't be so glaring once you bunch it on your board with other pedals), velcro, with or without box and/or manual and goodies. still, 100% functional. 30% off street price
8.5 /10 = same as 9/10 but with some light scratches/missing letters on the top/face. some oxidation on the metal parts like input jacks, footswitch washers, etc. 35% off street price
8/10 = same as 8.5/10 but missing box and manual. still, 100% funtcional. 40% off street price.
7.5/10 = same as 8/10 but with small paint chips, dents. 45% off street price.
7/10 = same as 7.5/10 but with glitchy electronics and/or missing knobs. 40% off street price.
6.5/10 = same as 7/10 but with more pronounced aesthetic defects. 35% off street price.
6/10 and below = trashed pedal. 30% off street price.
There will be of course a debate on hard-to-find, discontinued or pedals with long lead times. In this case, it's really up to the buyer if it's worth the money. Examples would be the MIJ Boss pedals, sleeper hits like some DOD stuff, and extinct pedals that got popularized by your favorite player.
GUITARS AND AMPS
This is quite a tricky subject because as those who have ordered overseas will know, shipping sucks. Big time.
For this, we have to consider street price + tax + shipping. Pedals usually escaped customs tax because they can be declared at a lower value by some overseas dealers or they simply are below 400sgd but guitars and amps don’t usually get the free pass.
Just for reference, my strat-style guitar with hardcase, I was charged 200usd shipping while with the 35lbs 1 x 12 cabinet I inquired on, the lowest quote I got was 260usd. It doesn’t matter what brand or how much it is, shippers charge for volume and weight as far as I know . So before you think that your local dealer is ripping you off on a particular guitar/amp, try weighing the options first and see which will work for you.
Sorry for the book. Discuss.: )
Just for fun and out of curiosity as well, what are your views and thoughts on pricing used gear. I've been here at soft for more than 6 years now and I've seen some trends, members, etc. come and go so it'll be interesting to know what the current members think about these things.
This are just my opinions so feel free to debate or discuss:
PEDALS
Readily-available used items like pedals in excellent/mint condition/(10/10) should be sold at a maximum 80% of their current street price. Street price means the average price dealers put on their websites for their items, not to be confused with MSRP which I think is the highest price that a pedal can go for.
As soon as the item leaves a reputable dealer's shop, it should be considered used(I did say reputable because there are some dealers that actually use/lend/lease out their merchandise but still sell them as new). There is an exception though: With the availability of online dealers now like PGS and Prymaxe, some people buy extra pedals to avail the extra shipping and bigger discounts in some cases if they spend 400+USD and above. In this case, the buyer becomes a part of a mass ordering process and should have the assurance that the pedal was never gigged or used. Usually a receipt(actual or thru email) to show how new it is and of course the item's actual condition would suffice.
If I were to have some sort of a rough guide or grading system for pedal conditions, it would be this:
10 / 10 = with box and manual and goodies(if pedal comes with them), no blemish at all unless if the imperfections are caused by the builder's manufacturing process. 100% functional
9.5/10 = same as 10/10 but with velcro. A neatly-placed velcro is actually an advantage to me but most people will deduct points for it. 25% of street price.
9/10 = with velcro, some light scratches at the side(which won't be so glaring once you bunch it on your board with other pedals), velcro, with or without box and/or manual and goodies. still, 100% functional. 30% off street price
8.5 /10 = same as 9/10 but with some light scratches/missing letters on the top/face. some oxidation on the metal parts like input jacks, footswitch washers, etc. 35% off street price
8/10 = same as 8.5/10 but missing box and manual. still, 100% funtcional. 40% off street price.
7.5/10 = same as 8/10 but with small paint chips, dents. 45% off street price.
7/10 = same as 7.5/10 but with glitchy electronics and/or missing knobs. 40% off street price.
6.5/10 = same as 7/10 but with more pronounced aesthetic defects. 35% off street price.
6/10 and below = trashed pedal. 30% off street price.
There will be of course a debate on hard-to-find, discontinued or pedals with long lead times. In this case, it's really up to the buyer if it's worth the money. Examples would be the MIJ Boss pedals, sleeper hits like some DOD stuff, and extinct pedals that got popularized by your favorite player.
GUITARS AND AMPS
This is quite a tricky subject because as those who have ordered overseas will know, shipping sucks. Big time.
For this, we have to consider street price + tax + shipping. Pedals usually escaped customs tax because they can be declared at a lower value by some overseas dealers or they simply are below 400sgd but guitars and amps don’t usually get the free pass.
Just for reference, my strat-style guitar with hardcase, I was charged 200usd shipping while with the 35lbs 1 x 12 cabinet I inquired on, the lowest quote I got was 260usd. It doesn’t matter what brand or how much it is, shippers charge for volume and weight as far as I know . So before you think that your local dealer is ripping you off on a particular guitar/amp, try weighing the options first and see which will work for you.
Sorry for the book. Discuss.: )
