How to sell my Gibby SG. Help please?

Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 1153 Location: British Columbia

A few months back I brought my SG Standard back to Long and Macquade where I got it originally a couple years ago and was offered $450 for it. I was kinda pissed considering the $600-900 and up price tags on craigslist for others in worse condition than mine. Plus the fact that it was $1100 w/ hard case when I got it. Do newer Gibsons really depreciate in value THAT much?

It has one tiny ding behind the bridge that's not visible until about a foot away, and few tiny swirly scratches on the back, like usual. I know that effects the value, but really, by that much?

Would a trade straight across for a Fender J-bass be fair, or is my SG really not worth anything like they said? I wouldn't want the other guy getting a bad deal either, so I figure I'd ask. I'd much rather have a J-bass than both my SG and Epi SG bass combined. (the neck dive on the Epi SG basses is horrible)

Thank you for whatever help you can offer.

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:16 am

It is my personal opinion based on little information that they are trying to screw you. If I had the cash on hand I would happily pay 600-900 for a newer sg with a case. But thats me. I have a soft spot for sg's and im jot much of a gibson guy lol

Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 5320 Location: DOA #07-01193

They're there to make money. They can not pay you what your guitar is worth and stay in business selling used equipment. Your guitar is probably worth around $800-$900, but for them to make money their offer is totally fair. If you want to the full value of the guitar then sell it to a private party rather then a retailer.

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6624 Location: Minnesota

Bullet wrote:

They're there to make money. They can not pay you what your guitar is worth and stay in business selling used equipment. Your guitar is probably worth around $800-$900, but for them to make money their offer is totally fair. If you want to the full value of the guitar then sell it to a private party rather then a retailer.

This. People often forget the whole point of being in business, is to make money.

Joined: 30 Nov 2003 Posts: 10587 Location: Canada

Consider, if you paid $1100, they probably paid $700 wholesale...

If the guitar sells for $800 used, they can buy a new one wholesale and have money left over...

So they offer you $450, hoping to sell it for $800 in the future but have to invest the money into the guitar until it does sell. It may sell this weekend, or they may have to blow it out cheap this summer because for some silly reason it just doesn't sell. They have to pay for the store, staff, heat, hydro, and I'm sure they're regularly burned by trade ins with hidden faults and have to cover that too.

They're not trying to rip you off, they're just in business to make money. You don't got to work for free, either do they.

From car$ to guitar$ it's almost always better for you to $ell privately.

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8254 Location: Ontario, Canada

They offered my brother $200 for his USA Soltero #24 with cert papers. I'd never trade anything with them.

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:17 pm

'87 sherwood wrote:

They offered my brother $200 for his USA Soltero #24 with cert papers. I'd never trade anything with them.

I'd personally rather have the Japanese Soltero than the USA Soltero, but they were a tad low on that, unless it was a beater. The 'cert papers' are not worth the paper that contains them.

Basically, any retail store is gonna offer you (or anyone) about 1/2 the actual cash value of any guitar

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8254 Location: Ontario, Canada

60srocker wrote:

'87 sherwood wrote:

They offered my brother $200 for his USA Soltero #24 with cert papers. I'd never trade anything with them.

I'd personally rather have the Japanese Soltero than the USA Soltero, but they were a tad low on that, unless it was a beater. The 'cert papers' are not worth the paper that contains them.

Basically, any retail store is gonna offer you (or anyone) about 1/2 the actual cash value of any guitar

Not at all a beater but I do understand where you coming from.

http://www.deanguitars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94661&highlight=soltero

Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 1742 Location: NJ

$450 sounds exactly right if they go for $900, stores usually give you half of what they plan to try and sell it for.

'87 sherwood wrote:

They offered my brother $200 for his USA Soltero #24 with cert papers. I'd never trade anything with them.

Damn dude!!!

I can totally see $450 for an SG Standard, but $200 for a USA Soltero is just crazy!!!

Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 71

No Mr. Vince, they so not go down in value any more then most big named guitars. Gear has been hard to move over the last few years. It's just a sign of the times, simply put.

...wisdom

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:06 pm

indianation66 wrote:

No Mr. Vince, they so not go down in value any more then most big named guitars. Gear has been hard to move over the last few years. It's just a sign of the times, simply put.

...wisdom

And it's gonna be that way for a long time.

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:11 pm

Armitage wrote:

Consider, if you paid $1100, they probably paid $700 wholesale...

If the guitar sells for $800 used, they can buy a new one wholesale and have money left over...

So they offer you $450, hoping to sell it for $800 in the future but have to invest the money into the guitar until it does sell. It may sell this weekend, or they may have to blow it out cheap this summer because for some silly reason it just doesn't sell. They have to pay for the store, staff, heat, hydro, and I'm sure they're regularly burned by trade ins with hidden faults and have to cover that too.

They're not trying to rip you off, they're just in business to make money. You don't got to work for free, either do they.

From car$ to guitar$ it's almost always better for you to $ell privately.

I remember asking Sam Ash why they had my red Gibby explorer for $1595 when I first saw it. They said they paid the seller a high amount on the guitar. Nobody bought it after a year sitting in that store. They finally lowered it to $899, and I snagged it, by trading in 2 of my 79 series MLs. They were worried about them sitting in there. But sure enough plenty of Pennybaggers, and Nickelbaggers inquired on them. Sam Ash sold them in 2 months. They are happy, I'm happy, and I'm sure the Dime clones are happy.

BTW, they may have gotten 4 bill lawrence pups in the deal, but I removed the Gotoh bridge, and put that on my Cherryburst.