Advice for Selling Expensive Guitar

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

I'd list it where ever guitars are sold and DEFINITELY include pictures. I wouldn't bother contacting someone that listed a guitar for sale with no photos. Not worth my time. If there aren't enough photos for me to gauge the basics of the guitar I won't reach out to follow up or ask for more details.

But that's just me.

Nope. It's me, too.

[zoopeda]

General thoughts.

There are lots of really great people on this forum and the Martin forum (and probably others...those are the two I've bought and sold on). There can be bad people on any forum, but they are the minority.

Reverb and Ebay vastly expand your item's visibility, but they cost more in fees and they always side with the buyer if there's an issue.

With private forum sales, the buyer is always taking on more risk. Mailing a total stranger a check for $5k or $10k with only emails/phone calls and photos as assurance of item condition takes a huge leap of faith. As the seller, you wait for payment to clear, see it in your bank account, before you even mail your guitar. As long as you know how to pack a guitar for shipping and the guitar is insured (Heritage or similar, NOT UPS etc), you are very safe. There are stories of forged bank checks etc, but using PP or Venmo or waiting for a personal check to clear is pretty foolproof as the seller.

There's never harm in asking for references or looking up a member's posting history to check credibility.

Photos are the least you can do to both advertise the guitar as well as give potential buyers some confidence in the description, in what they're buying, and somewhat in your integrity as a seller and knowledge of the expensive item you're selling.

You're guaranteed to attract tire kickers along with real buyers. In my experience, that's just part of selling a guitar. Be nice to everybody, and it will sell to the right person.

Good luck!

[TomB'sox]

I don't know where you get the looky-loos idea from. If a guitar, especially a more expensive guitar does not have pictures, most people will move on without further research, I guess you would get rid of the looky-loos then and have no one looking.

I know it is an expensive guitar, but look at the classifieds here, there are many guitars listed that are at least that or more. Yours would not really be that far out of the norm here.

[jseth]

Well, to your point of not including photos... yes, I feel it hinders potential buyers from proceeding. There are a number of legitimate sellers on our Classifieds who almost always prefer to Reverb or a seperate site for photos, and I rarely proceed from there.

My feeling is, no matter how nice the instrument is and how much they want to sell it, they obviously aren't willing to do the work of posting pictures where buyers can see them immediately... there's always an element of "They don't care that much" involved, whether that is the truth or not.

If I were selling a high-end instrument, I wouldn't go to Craigslist or FB Marketplace AT ALL! First, I would let friends know that I have the guitar for sale... secondly, I'd use the Classifieds here (and I would post pictures!) - I have a good amount of faith with the folks on this Forum... I'd still do the basics of being certain about any buyer, but, in general, I trust this site quite a bit.

I might consider selling it on consignment at any number of reputable places, but only if I were willing to take a 20-40% "hit" on my price.

The market for that high-end an instrument is limited, certainly, but the truth is, you don't care how many other guitars are selling for $10k, you just want to sell ONE guitar for that amount. As with everything, you only need to find ONE person who wants that guitar!

Good luck! Be smart...

[Gordon Currie]

Anyone who thinks they can sell a 10K guitar without supplying photos is dreaming.
Do you think you could sell a 1 million house without photos?
Who buys used high-end items without photos?

If you are so paranoid about photos being used by scammers, why not watermark them with your name?

[Roy Earle]

Sir, I'm gonna need to see a picture of your sound hole.

Seriously though, just on page 1 of the classifieds (as of not long ago) I saw like 2 guitars for at least an extra arm or leg more than the amount you're asking for and there are plenty of photos. Sure, you may cherish what you have for sale, but it's for sale!

Posting photos is just common courtesy these days. And for the asking price it better come with a picture of the sound hole. No questions asked.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

When you're talking 10K you might consider consignment at a high end shop...

I agree with Rudy. Posting a $10,000 guitar on Craigslist or Facebook is like waving a red flag at a bull. Legit buyers may think you're a scammer, and the scammers will come out of the woodwork to try to pull a fast one. Don't get me wrong, I've sold guitars on Craigslist and Facebook with no issues, but none of mine were in the $10,000 neighborhood. I'd also look into AGF's and UMGF's Classified sections...

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Anyone who thinks they can sell a 10K guitar without supplying photos is dreaming.

Totally agree, especially if it's a little-known brand/model...

[JKA]

Originally Posted by ZeroFretWear

I've decided to sell one of my fairly high-end guitars, by which I mean the market value is closer to $10K than $5K.

I am in no rush, and will not be using Ebay or Reverb, but instead forums where I can have some control over choosing the buyer before doing the deal. So places like craigslist, facebook marketplace, and some other websites.

Basically, I am more concerned with avoiding bad actors than getting a quick sale.

Along those lines, I am debating whether to post photos in my listings, or require buyers to contact me privately to get them.
I don't want my photos available to everyone on the internet, and then see them used by cretins to make scam listings of my guitar.
I know on the Classifieds here there are usually the same group of characters who will post on every listing without photos something along the lines of: "We need to see photos or we won't be interested."
But those characters don't seem to be actual buyers, just looky-loos.

After all, will the onerous task of sending a message to the seller for photos dissuade any actually serious buyer from their interest in a specific high-end guitar? Aren't the complainers just window-shoppers who are frustrated at not getting their visual fix?
Or am I wrong?

Erm...yes, I'd say you were wrong.

[ZeroFretWear]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

I'd list it where ever guitars are sold and DEFINITELY include pictures. I wouldn't bother contacting someone that listed a guitar for sale with no photos. Not worth my time. If there aren't enough photos for me to gauge the basics of the guitar I won't reach out to follow up or ask for more details.

But that's just me.

Speaking hypothetically (this isn't the guitar I have, but it's of similar type and value). If you saw a listing for say a Martin D-28 CW w/ Brazilian Rosewood, and you both had the money and real interest in buying it, you wouldn't reach out to the seller to ask for photos? That seems absurd to me.

[KevinH]

If I don't see pictures I generally move on, unless it's a rare guitar I haven't been able to find elsewhere.

As far as CL, I've sold quite a few guitars there and had zero problems. But I generally don't try CL if the price is over $5K or so, just because it seems most people looking on CL are interested in guitars that aren't that expensive. I'd try the AGF classifieds first, then elsewhere if that doesn't work out.

[Skarsaune]

Originally Posted by ZeroFretWear

Speaking hypothetically (this isn't the guitar I have, but it's of similar type and value). If you saw a listing for say a Martin D-28 CW w/ Brazilian Rosewood, and you both had the money and real interest in buying it, you wouldn't reach out to the seller to ask for photos? That seems absurd to me.

Turn it around - did you have to ask for pictures when you bought the instrument?


At the $10K price level, I wouldn't go near FB Marketplace or CL.
Stick to specialist FB buy/sell groups, this or other forums, etc.

[ZeroFretWear]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

When you're talking 10K you might consider consignment at a high end shop.

From my personal experience I consigned at Elderly and the consignment fee was lower the greater the value of the instrument. I ended up getting a lot more for my guitars and did not do anything myself. It was worth the fee.

There are a lot of buyers who have feelers out at the higher end dealers for certain instruments, so there's that.

Thanks, that's probably a good idea. I've purchased several $10k+ guitars from Elderly over the years. I trust them and should call them up to see if a consignment might make sense for both sides.

[baw3]

I would just sell it on consignment. I have had Brian at Sun Valley Guitars sell many guitars for me. He is very fair on his take of the sale.

[TheGITM]

Originally Posted by ZeroFretWear

Speaking hypothetically (this isn't the guitar I have, but it's of similar type and value). If you saw a listing for say a Martin D-28 CW w/ Brazilian Rosewood, and you both had the money and real interest in buying it, you wouldn't reach out to the seller to ask for photos? That seems absurd to me.

With no photos? Not a chance. I need to see it before I would entertain engaging with a seller. I've passed up listings that had only a single photo of the front of the guitar. Having to ask a seller for just basic photos is a waste of my time.

Judging from other replies, I'm not alone in this.

[ZeroFretWear]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

With no photos? Not a chance. I need to see it before I would entertain engaging with a seller. I've passed up listings that had only a single photo of the front of the guitar. Having to ask a seller for just basic photos is a waste of my time.

Judging from other replies, I'm not alone in this.

Haha, fair enough if that is your stance. But calling a message to a seller of a guitar you're otherwise interested in buying a "waste of my time"?
You're posting opinions on a guitar forum (like me); your time can't be THAT valuable...