Waterloo Price? Opportunism? Fraud? Just high prices?

[ghostnote]

I guess I don’t understand the outrage. It might seem unfair, but since humans developed commerce, that’s how it’s worked. Buy low, sell high. Supply and demand. It’s not even close to being fraud - it’s simply, “I have this, and this is what it’ll cost you.” Back when the pandemic hit, I was in the market for a used pickup truck. Nothing fancy, just a working truck that I’d drive once a week or so. It’s something that I actually need, not a random purchase. Those are selling at about 40% more than they are worth now. I won’t pay a “pandemic surcharge” to anyone for a non-essential item, despite really wanting it. But the sellers are allowed to ask what they want - they are the vendors, and if they can make a killing, it’ll be from someone else

[KevinH]

That ad has been on reverb for 24 days now, so at least the world hasn't gone completely off its nut.

I bought a WL-S Deluxe in late 2020 for $3,100. They are really nice guitars that fit perfectly into the music genre they were built for. I really like the look of the WL-S Deluxe, and the WL-S as well. They are just a sight to behold. But after 8 months of not getting much play time I realized I was hanging on to it mostly for eye candy and I wasn't going to be playing the kind of music it was designed for. Off it went.

Before I bought mine I was curious about the price history of the Deluxe and made this plot - solid dots are new, open symbols are mint or excellent used.

wls1.jpg

The point on the upper right is the one currently listed on reverb. So, yeah, opportunism.

I gotta think Collings understands how much love there is for the Waterloo line and that things will return to near normal.

[Jdogblues]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Okay, some of those are overpriced. I see over pricing in all makes and models.

Waterloo guitars are different animals than most all other makes and brands. At any price! Today they are hard to come by. For those that get what Waterloo offers understand the high pricing. That's the point of this thread. You get the Waterloo thing but don't like what it takes to buy in. Realities are facts and take it or leave it.

It appears that they are now making Waterloo guitars again. I've seen a couple shipped lately. The times they are a changing.

Being made yes. They're fulfilling existing orders. Dealers aren't taking new orders. Believe me I tried.

[rllink]

They might be overpriced by some standard, but they are what they are and if someone owns one they can try to sell it for whatever they want as long as it isn't misrepresented. But in regards to fraud, overpricing a guitar that you are trying to sell in itself is not fraud, but buying it and then trying to insure it, I don't know. If you pay $7000 for a $3500 guitar, can you insure it for what you paid for it, or what that standard says it is worth? I think that if I bought a guitar for that kind of money I would want to insure it for that kind of money.

[Br1ck]

There is no law against waiting for a patsy. No law against being one either. This happens with boutique guitar pedals. They get good reviews, get back ordered two years, and people sell their $300 pedal for $1000. Strange times.

When a business sees products being flipped for a profit, you think they rethink their pricing? So you have someone like a tech worker who just got 40% of his annual income as a bonus not to leave, and he wants a Waterloo. He buys it. Boo hoo for the rest of us. By the way, the above just happened to my son in law. Not the guitar part, the bonus.

Funny story, his company, Cruise, just had a self driving car pulled over for not having lights on. The cops were surprised when no one was in the car. Then while they were standing there, the car drove across the intersection when the light changed and pulled into a loading zone. Instructions were to pull over at the first safe spot. So it recognized police lights and then followed the instructions. New world we are living in.

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

There is no law against waiting for a patsy. No law against being one either. This happens with boutique guitar pedals. They get good reviews, get back ordered two years, and people sell their $300 pedal for $1000. Strange times.

When a business sees products being flipped for a profit, you think they rethink their pricing? So you have someone like a tech worker who just got 40% of his annual income as a bonus not to leave, and he wants a Waterloo. He buys it. Boo hoo for the rest of us. By the way, the above just happened to my son in law. Not the guitar part, the bonus.

Funny story, his company, Cruise, just had a self driving car pulled over for not having lights on. The cops were surprised when no one was in the car. Then while they were standing there, the car drove across the intersection when the light changed and pulled into a loading zone. Instructions were to pull over at the first safe spot. So it recognized police lights and then followed the instructions. New world we are living in.

And was there a Waterloo in the back seat?

Or a banjo?


BluesKing777.

[praichel]

To me, it’s just like real estate or anything else with a limited supply …. It’s worth what you can get for it. And along with that, that price will fluctuate day to day or minute to minute.

[BluesKing777]

Well, I am off to play my ladder braced Waterloo WL-14L, possibly worth heaps, but I traded a Martin OM that wouldn’t sell on consign for it 3 or 4 years back.

What a great guitar for my fingerpicking, thanks Bill. Both my Waterloos X and L have that extra magic Bill wanted to give.


BluesKing777.

[waterlooz]

There is now a Waterloo on the AGF for sale. What does everyone think about the pricing?

[Silly Moustache]

I see two Waterloos on Reverb. A WLK in Germany and a black WL12 in the US for about £2.5k each.

That is a little more than I bought mine for (new) in November 2016.

Under normal Circs one wouls expect used good to go for around 60-70% of new price, but hings aren't normal and we ae all experiencing high inflation rates, and supply shortages.
We know that covid shutdowns hit Collings hard with significant staff losses.
They have closed down the Waterloo and case building and leased it.

Waterloo builders are now building Collings guitars.

Yes, Bill's vision was sound. and met a need for New "vintage" style instruments.

I have a WL12. The sunburst is gaudy and the finish is a totally differnt philosophy to a Collings branded piece, but they ARE very good instruments with their own character and have Collings build quality.

"Unexpected success" maybe right. Unexpwcted aupply shortage - definately.

When you put up an item for sale/auction, you can always go down, but you can't go up ... unless it is a house of course.

[rokdog49]

Well, there goes my Waterloo purchase.

[Tony Burns]

something is only worth what someone will pay for it -
Im not willing !

[BluesKing777]

As a bit of an update, I see on Reverb.com today that the Waterloos for sale at extreme prices I mentioned in the original post have NOT sold.

No suckers found for a new price $4275 now - for used on Reverb.com $7500 Waterloo?

Good.

https://reverb.com/item/52341828-wat...r-natural-rare



BluesKing777.

[rollypolly]

Seems like no better time to buy a Gibson or Iris. Or any other guitar lol

[b1j]

Marc Cohn carried an entire concert with a fingerpicked WL-14, so I guess they’re nice guitars. Striking, though, to see them rocket up to Gibson and Martin price strata so quickly. Has that happened recently with other brands?