Classifieds Bulging? Or Not? Part II

[NewsFetcher]

Hate to say we told ya so (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/blog.php?b=82), but we told ya so. Right on cue, the observation that the Classifieds...

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[Bob Borzelleri]

Maybe the volume is cyclical, but the appearance of several thousand dollar instruments appears to me to have increased significantly. When times get bad, people tend to liquidate things they can't afford or that will bring cash into the game for them. In particular, (and in my unscientific view), the number of listings that mention conditions such as "lost my job", "...medical bills" and the like is unlike anything I have seen in the past.

But hey, what do I know?

[MikeEdgerton]

A large number of past ads have said "financial difficulties force me to sell this" or " a new additon to the family forces me to sell this" or "Tax reasons force me to sell this". They then go on to explain that it's the best sounding mandolin in the world but financial hardship as a reason has always been there.

[John Flynn]

I was curious. I just ran about 10 searches on the classifieds, using key words from this thread, such as "financial," "bills," "need," "medical," etc. Out of 335 classifieds, I only found five that specifically mentioned needing to sell for financial needs. There were also two ads from people saying they had already sold for financial reasons and now were looking for a beater. There were also several people saying they wanted to thin the herd or finance the purchase of another mandolin, but I think they are in a different category. So there were seven out of 335 classifieds complaining of financial problems, or right at about 2%. That's not striking me as unusual for the Classifieds over the past several years, or out of line in any economic climate.

My heart goes out to anyone who is in financial need. I've been there myself. But I can't help but observe that selling a modest, say $1,500 used price, mandolin would not get me very far in paying bills and when I was unemployed I needed my mandolin to keep my morale up. If I was in financial need and had a really expensive mandolin that would pay some significant bills, say a $10K plus instrument, I would have to question whether it had been a wise financial move for me to spend that much on one in the first place. But hey, that's just me, YMMV.

[Chris Biorkman]

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone cares about this topic.

So all the articles that I've read recently about people pawning off their prized personal possessions are wrong. People hold onto five thousand dollar instruments when they lose their jobs? It's just completely counterintuitive.

My wife's job is on shaky ground right now and I can assure you that if she were to suddenly join the ranks of the unemployed, the Ellis would be out the door in a flash.

[John Flynn]

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone cares about this topic.

Chris: You said better in one sentence what I was trying to say in two paragraphs.

[Scott Tichenor]

I was curious. I just ran about 10 searches on the classifieds, using key words from this thread, such as "financial," "bills," "need," "medical," etc. Out of 335 classifieds, I only found five that specifically mentioned needing to sell for financial needs. There were also two ads from people saying they had already sold for financial reasons and now were looking for a beater. There were also several people saying they wanted to thin the herd or finance the purchase of another mandolin, but I think they are in a different category. So there were seven out of 335 classifieds complaining of financial problems, or right at about 2%. That's not striking me as unusual for the Classifieds over the past several years, or out of line in any economic climate.

My heart goes out to anyone who is in financial need. I've been there myself. But I can't help but observe that selling a modest, say $1,500 used price, mandolin would not get me very far in paying bills and when I was unemployed I needed my mandolin to keep my morale up. If I was in financial need and had a really expensive mandolin that would pay some significant bills, say a $10K plus instrument, I would have to question whether it had been a wise financial move for me to spend that much on one in the first place. But hey, that's just me, YMMV.

Agree, especially the penultimate sentence.

[man dough nollij]

For the life of me, I don't know why anyone cares about this topic.

I'm not really intrigued by this topic, but I'm mildly interested in it for a couple of reasons. If it's a fantastic time to buy, I'd like to know that. It tells me that people might be more likely to soften their prices. It also tells me what to expect if I try to sell something now. Most of the discussion has been about the volume of instruments for sale. I think a more interesting statistic would be how long they're hanging around before selling.

[mandozilla]

If folks have to sell their instruments due to hardships it's great that they have a GOOD resource like the Mandolin Cafe Classifieds.

Like most, I believe the ups and downs of the number of mandolins for sale is a cyclical phenomenon and not neccassarily connected with the current recession...at least I hope that's not the case.

I'm among thre ranks of those who've been forced to sell their musical instruments to keep the wolf at bay...but that was long ago thank God.

It's depressing enough to be in financial difficulty but it's compounded when you have to part with a favorite instrument...it really sucks and I don't understand why this topic keeps coming up.

[Mike Snyder]

It's Deja Vu all over again!

[Mandobar]

i'm going to add my two cents here as i've run two wanted ads recently. folks who want to sell instruments need to study the market prices. i've had people try and sell me things that are readily available new (let's face it, the economy has hit a snag everywhere) for more than the new price. i'm not sure if it's just "an educational issue" or perhaps some folks truly do not want to sell their instruments.

i do a lot of buying and selling and have all but given up using ads. it has become such a hassle to deal with folks, especially online. i have been doing most of my business either through consignment or trading with a few dealers. sure, i lose a few dollars, but gain a lot more composure. that said, most dealers follow the following rule- used listing price is 70 percent off new selling price. if you've added a pickup, upgraded tuners, tailpiece, etc. you get a percentage, not the entire investment back. and if the work was done "less than cleanly" well, that detracts. fretwork, setup.......it is a plus but not a "reimbursable" expense. shipping, tax and any other expenses are also not included in the pricing equation either. and sometimes an "upgrade" such as a pickup is more of a liability than an asset.

it's also best not to price something using your emotional attachment to it. unless of course you don't really want to sell it.

rant over.

[MikeEdgerton]

...folks who want to sell instruments need to study the market prices. i've had people try and sell me things that are readily available new (let's face it, the economy has hit a snag everywhere) for more than the new price. i'm not sure if it's just "an educational issue" or perhaps some folks truly do not want to sell their instruments....

That's hardly a new issue though. That has been the case for years here. I think it may be more wishful thinking than anything else....

Perhaps they took a major hit when they bought their mandolin because they didn't do any research and ended up paying a premium or they figure if they can get someone to give them the list price on this mandolin they can buy the one they're looking to buy.

You'll see things like "I paid $1000.00 for this MK 5 years ago and never played it so I'm going to let go for $975.00. By the way, it's the best sounding mandolin in the world." When you check you can buy the same model new for $650.00.