Trade advice needed, low-end bass+gig bag vs. used Hag...

[poodlesrule]

Local store has a used Swede I want.
I am thinking of bringing a clean, older Ibby bass (low-end, TR line) and very nice gig bag in, to balance against the slightly overpriced Hag Swede.

I never did any trading of this kind.
Any advice?

Hag = 400 ask, I want 100 for my stuff (-almost wish I could keep premium gig bag), which still makes the Hag overpriced?

[sunvalleylaw]

I am no trading or used buying expert but I would look at completed eBay listings for a realistic price avg. then consider what premium if any you would give for being able to see and play the guitar first. Then you could work out your value on what you are giving up to help you decide.

[Eric***]

I'd say that's a pretty good deal if you can walk away with the Swede for $300. I agree with SVL that ebay completed listings are usually a good way to find out how much something is worth, and the guitar center used listings are another good resource. I cruised through some ebay results, and it looks they $300 is a good price.

Do you regularly use the gig bag? If not, I'd just bite the bullet and use it as trade bait like you intend.

Good luck!

[poodlesrule]

Do you regularly use the gig bag? If not, I'd just bite the bullet and use it as trade bait like you intend.

Good luck!

More info: gig bag is designed for bass neck, i.e. longer than most. I do not use it, it was just an item that came with the used bass deal, originally. Bait, yes that's the idea.

[Katastrophe]

Depending on the condition of the Hag, and its age, $300 plus your bass doesn't sound like a bad deal to me (not that I'm a trading expert or anything). I'd offer $250 cash in hand and see if he bites on the trade... And would hype the "premiumness" of the gig bag, too. No reason why you can't haggle a little!

[Brian Krashpad]

This probably won't help, but you always do better (well, I always do anyhow) actually going ahead and yourself selling your gear, after the sale, if you have enough to cover the sale to begin with. In other words, if you can come up with the 4 bills (or whatever you can get them down to), then sell the bass/bag on cl to a willing buyer, you should come out ahead.

The music store isn't a willing buyer. Your bass is just going to be more inventory for them to sell, more work and more stuff taking up space. It's my experience that music stores won't give you dick on trade-ins, versus the actual value of the item being traded in. True market values are established by a transaction between a willing buyer and seller. You're a distressed seller and the store an unwilling buyer in this scenario. There's no reason the trade-in should end up being very favorable to you.

I usually bite the bullet and get the best deal w/o trade-ins and then sell a piece separately to defray the cost. If I can't afford that, very rarely I might put something temporarily on lay-away while I sell off the other piece(s), so as not to lose the buy.

Fwiw, ymmv

[Eric***]

This probably won't help, but you always do better (well, I always do anyhow) actually going ahead and yourself selling your gear, after the sale, if you have enough to cover the sale to begin with. In other words, if you can come up with the 4 bills (or whatever you can get them down to), then sell the bass/bag on cl to a willing buyer, you should come out ahead.

The music store isn't a willing buyer. Your bass is just going to be more inventory for them to sell, more work and more stuff taking up space. It's my experience that music stores won't give you dick on trade-ins, versus the actual value of the item being traded in. True market values are established by a transaction between a willing buyer and seller. You're a distressed seller and the store an unwilling buyer in this scenario. There's no reason the trade-in should end up being very favorable to you.

I usually bite the bullet and get the best deal w/o trade-ins and then sell a piece separately to defray the cost. If I can't afford that, very rarely I might put something temporarily on lay-away while I sell off the other piece(s), so as not to lose the buy.

Fwiw, ymmv

That's interesting. I can see your point, though I would say that trading is a bit more fun and less of a pain in the tookus. I'll bear it in mind in the future.

[poodlesrule]

BK worded out the reality of that potential trade, and trading in general, I think.

I was somehow hoping to wrap a few things together here: GAS guilt* / getting rid of bass / scoring the Hag, which has been sitting there for a while...!

*I diverted some of music budget into a used drumset recently!. A whole lot of fun, actually, but man, there is so much to learn!

[Brian Krashpad]

That's interesting. I can see your point, though I would say that trading is a bit more fun and less of a pain in the tookus. I'll bear it in mind in the future.

I can see the immediacy/fun factor militating the opposite direction. I think the only time I've directly traded in was in the middle of the summer (slow sales in a college town), and then only after having put the guitar I wanted (my now-beloved Hamer Special, Chrissie) on layaway and trying to sell a couple pieces for several weeks, but getting no offers.

Fortunately, being such a cheap basterd (sic) in the first place, the 2 pieces I traded in I'd picked up for very good prices to begin with, so I didn't take too bad of a hit. But woe to you if you bought new for the standard MSRP - 40% "street price." If you did you'll almost always lose a considerable amount by trading in, over reselling yourself.

Part of it is the mindset of the two receivers of your trade item. The store gets no joy out of receiving it, and looks on it first and foremost as "that which must be resold." A more willing buyer will hopefully be thinking about PLAYING it and hearing it and lovingly taking photos of it to post on the fret.net, and all the other silly things we guitarists do. I'd always rather sell to the latter guy then the former store.

[Brian Krashpad]

BK worded out the reality of that potential trade, and trading in general, I think.

I was somehow hoping to wrap a few things together here: GAS guilt* / getting rid of bass / scoring the Hag, which has been sitting there for a while...!

*I diverted some of music budget into a used drumset recently!. A whole lot of fun, actually, but man, there is so much to learn!

I bought my daughter a used kit about 5 or 6 years ago, and well and truly discovered just what a terrible drummer I am, haha! I need to clean out the garage at Casa Krashpad so there's space to play it and force myself a bit, someday, but I'll need to get a new kick pedal and have a little work done on the snare.

Congrats!