Classifieds Gone Wild

[Mike Snyder]

What's up with this. Over the last two days in the classifieds; 3 Bentrups, two Stanleys, a BRW, a Mowry, an 02 MM, an '81 Fern, a Silver Angel, one Pomeroy and a Heiden to boot! Perhaps this isn't as odd as it seems, but wow, thats a mighty bunch of MAS. I'm usually a "hold yer own" kinda guy.
This is giving me the willies. Is it the economy, or the big mando get-togethers coming up, or what? If these are these guys beaters that they need to get out from under, they must have some big guns they're toting around in those Cals and Pegs. I cannot imagine having a Heiden or a Stanley and still needing to move vertically. Most all of these are pro stuff. I hope they all move good for them. Some pickers are gonna have some VERY fine new babies to play with.

[Dave Greenspoon]

And don't forget that there's a Red Diamond as well. I too was noticing some high-end axes in the classifieds and thinking that if they move, their new stewards have gotten excellent mandolins at really good price-points.

[Mace]

I would assume, given these economic times, its a case of downsizing. For those that can buy there should be many excellent instrumentss. It is, after all, about the music.

[Jonathan James]

And don't forget we're entering the "gotta sell stuff to raise cash for taxes" period of the year...Some good deals on great mandos emerge each year prior to Tax Day.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Some of the instruments have been listed several times before by the same owner/person. They just did not move. That does not mean that they are faulty instruments. (I think they might be just wonderful mandolins to boot) It just means that there are just not so many people out there that dish out 6 grands and upward for an instrument in the spur of the moment.

Why would someone sell his instrument? The economy? Not necessarily.

If you check out the advertisements you find folks that just have too many instruments and want to liquidate some... I know, I know... you can never have too many mandolins. But it might well be that the person listing an instrument in the classifieds might just have been on the hunt for "his" sound and after about 5 or six high roller mandos might have found it. What would he do with all of his previous acquisitions. Turn them into closet instruments? That would be sad, wouldn´t it. So he goes and sells them to an appreciating soul that gets a good deal.

Then again you see the person who (for whatever reason) has bought two of the same kind and he wants to keep the one with the "extra" appointments. I can´t blame `em to liquidate the "other" mandolin, rather than having to deal with probably a "significant other" that is constantly at your heels to tell you, you can´t keep them all...

Others might just meet some medical bills and such... (no national economy in it).

Naturally the international economic situation may play its part.

I also found out that peoples tastes change. Just recently I emailed with someone that has a gorgeous instrument for sale. He just had a change in tastes. You know the eternal f-hole against oval debate.

You see, I do not take this topic too seriously, even though I could think of trying out all of the mentioned mandos. I still enjoy mine and have none out there to offer. And high-priced and lowball mandos alike can have something that speaks to you. It all depends on the instrument.

[Michael Butler]

It's called ERS or Economic Reality Syndrome. These are tough times and sometimes one must thin out the herd for all of the above mentioned reasons. But as in the housing market, if you got the bread now is the time to buy!!!!

[groveland]

And don't forget we're entering the "gotta sell stuff to raise cash for taxes" period of the year...Some good deals on great mandos emerge each year prior to Tax Day.

Or, folks are getting their refunds so now's the time to advertise.

[JEStanek]

I'll refer you guys to Scott's Blog on this subject. It's a shame not to have the cash with so many nice instruments available. I guess I'll love the ones I'm with.

Jamie

[Eric Platt]

I'm also in agreement with Scott's blog. I've had terrible times with GAS and MAS in the past. Even now, am waiting on a second mandolin. Which is basically silly, as I shouldn't even be playing mandolin. (A different thread for a different time.)

And there are times in the winter/spring when I think of getting rid of most of my instruments and settle for one (or two) "good" ones. Something I've never accomplished.

Or maybe different hobbies are taking over and the "spare" mandolin has truly become a spare. Maybe one that can fund something else.

[MikeEdgerton]

I think we've had similar conversations about this just about every year around this time. It usually goes away after April 15th or so.

[Chris Biorkman]

You can't tell me that the current state is the economy isn't making some people sell some instruments. Ive been around long enough to know thay this is discussed pretty frequently, but I've seen more than one reference to a financial emergency is ads here recently.

[Elliot Luber]

I agree. Our economic ship is stuck in the horse lattitudes, and people's perception of what's "necessary" is changing dramatically. Those with extra cash should be finding some good deals in the classifieds now, and those who need extra cash are probably finding some by thinning the herd. When the economy picks up these might very well prove to have been good investments, but the great thing about an instrument is that it brings you (and others) joy beyond equity. Of course speculation is always dangerous, and those who always wanted a great custom instrument may find them at closer reach now, but convincing the spouse is probably a lot harder. Food or Pomeroy? Hmmm.

[sgarrity]

I can tell you that people aren't buying much right now. Some of the sub $1k stuff is moving but the better and more costly instruments are sitting. I have a mando in the classifieds currently with what I consider to be a VERY low price and have had little to no interest. I'm also selling a guitar (on a different forum of course) and it has sat for a month. A year or so ago it probably wouldn't have lasted a week.

Now me on the other hand, I decided this was the perfect time to do my part to stimulate the economy and bought a Kimble. Smart move huh?? LOL

[Jim Roberts]

I spoke with an acoustic instrument dealer in Pennsylvania two weeks ago and he said the upper-end (high dollar) instruments were still moving and he had his best December ('08) and January ('09) EVER! Go figure.

[mandopete]

Good insight from Scott on the blog - thanks for the link Jamie!

Another factor I think is that as time goes by there are more and more nice mandolins to be had. This is comming from both the "big" guys like Gibson and Collings along with the growing number of talented builders.

[Big Joe]

The Stanley and Sumi mandolins advertised are more because they are our inventory from the builder. The prices are down now from where they were a year or two ago, so this is a great time to buy that dream mandolin. Even the builders feel the economic pinch and are trying to make the pricing as reasonable as they can so product continues to move and they can still make a living. The economy will improve over the next year without question, and those who buy now will see a good increase as the prices increase in the next year or two. My opinion anyway. Remember, over 92% of the population still has thier jobs and their income continues as always. The new media would have us believe the economy is in more danger than it may really be, but if they did not report bad news they would not have a job and the economic realities would finally hit them!

[Schlegel]

I know for me, I just have a lot of middle-class antique mandolins. I can't just walk into a store and try a new bowlback very easily, so I buy them off Ebay, fix them up, and try them out. I'm keeping the ones I like the best, say my favorite 5 or so out of 9 (until this evening when I have two more arriving!). So I know I'm going to be selling some just because of the space issue, they're not valuable enough to make a difference to my finances. They're not bad, just not for various reasons, my favorites. Over time, as I get to survey a large group, I will accumulate the ones most to my taste. The ones I let go, someone else might like more than I do.

[Keith Erickson]

Jamie,

Thank you for posting Scott's blog. I was about to say the same thing but it wouldn't have been as eloquent as how Scott put it to words.

I remember when the economy was rip-roarin' and there were some great instruments that were on the classifieds. ...and there were posts back then predicting the decline of western civilization because of what was showing up on the classifieds.

Personally, just as it was for me back in the good ole' boom days, I just sit here and admire what I see in the classifieds. Because that's all I can afford to do today.

....and such as life goes on

[Scott Tichenor]

msnyder - I don't know who you are, but I love the title of this discussion: "Classifieds Gone Wild". Somehow I'm having just a little trouble equating that moniker with those late night TV ads... you know the ones. Those crazy mandolin owners!

Everyone's entitled to their opinion here. I have no fight in this. There are no more fine instruments today than there were a year ago, and I *can* prove that by retrieving classifieds logs from that time frame, or two years earlier. I've done so before and could do again... but I'd be wasting my time.

We all know the story on the economy, so yes, some people are mentioning that in ads, but the bottom line is there are no more good or bad instruments there than a year ago. And over $1K instruments are getting sold. Hint. Do a search on two different words independently: "sold" and "hold". Instruments are moving.

People sell, others buy.

[Joe Dodson]

I know the Mowry well. Andrew built it for a friend of mine at the same time he built one for me. It's a great mandolin, but got edged out by a new Ellis. Whoever gets it will be getting a tremendous deal. Usual disclaimers, and NFI.

[Stephen Lind]

here as in other places
the really high end stuff is still moving

as to what the economy is going to do in the next year or further
i would wonder how the people that purport to know
do
nothing wrong with optimism
but predicting the future is a bit of a stretch

given the choice of nice instruments and little money
or the opposite
i'll take

[pager]

There are a lot of folks that are starvin, Marvin.

[45ACP-GDLF5]

All the buying and selling, NOT buying and NOT selling, comes in cycles...........just like head colds.

[Stephen Lind]

or waves
like nausea

[Chris Biorkman]

I sold one a few weeks ago with no problem. It just took two days too.