Fender IPO - Guitar Center May Default!

TheKingofPain · **Posted:** Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:34 pm

bluesstrattone wrote:

Most of the sales staff at my local gc base their knowledge
off of the tags on the headstock.
I've gone there before and asked them ,
"hey man, is this an FSR strat with bla, bla, bla"
They look at the tag and say I guess so.
poor business ethics out of most. They only pay attention
when you pull out cash, then their willing to help.
I offered my Gibson les Paul studio as a trade, it's the 50s humbucker
tribute, mint cherry condish. The offered 360 to buy .
I didn't sell, and not going to .
I was gonna buy a Martin acoustic 1750.00 with the trade.
I was pretty eager until I really thought about it.
So they loose sales left and right with impulsive shoppers like
me by treating us like if our store bought gear is worthless.

Agreed. Most of the staff I've ever come into contact in a GC has been worthless.

CRGuitarMan · **Joined:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:46 pm **Posts:** 2041

bluesstrattone wrote:

So they loose sales left and right with impulsive shoppers like
me by treating us like if our store bought gear is worthless.

Everyone thinks their used gear is worth more than it is (myself included)... except for the few who take 25% of what they originally paid.

GC Fact Of Life # 3.

TheKingofPain · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:06 am

CRGuitarMan wrote:

bluesstrattone wrote:

So they loose sales left and right with impulsive shoppers like
me by treating us like if our store bought gear is worthless.

Everyone thinks their used gear is worth more than it is (myself included)... except for the few who take 25% of what they originally paid.

GC Fact Of Life # 3.

Well, I think they are both wrong and right. GC and big box stores have the luxury of access, time, and a diverse inventory to mitigate their need for turn around. Consumers actually come to them, not the other way around. They have enough capital that they are not in need of turning that item around. Lastly, they are able to mitigate the overhead of that item by selling many of the other items they offer. So they are able to pay you 1/4 of what a used item is worth and sit on it. For months if need be. To turn a profit, and a sizable one.

They are able to do this because most musicians generally want to sell things out of need. Wether to keep the lights on, food on the table, or gas in the car. Selling an instrument on Craigslist is risky in some cases, and whittles down your market. Where as GC has access to the entire web, and their walk in traffic to the store. SO they know that you NEED to sell that old Strat. Which they take full advantage of to buy low. Then since they don't NEED to sell it, atleast not in a timely manner. They can afford to sit on it and wait til some poor soul wanders in or clicks on the item online and just HAS to have it.

That's the market. They simply have more market power and presence. It sucks, but it is what it is.

RCB-CA-USA · **Joined:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am **Posts:** 1281

TheKingofPain wrote:

CRGuitarMan wrote:

bluesstrattone wrote:

So they loose sales left and right with impulsive shoppers like
me by treating us like if our store bought gear is worthless.

Everyone thinks their used gear is worth more than it is (myself included)... except for the few who take 25% of what they originally paid.

GC Fact Of Life # 3.

Well, I think they are both wrong and right. GC and big box stores have the luxury of access, time, and a diverse inventory to mitigate their need for turn around. Consumers actually come to them, not the other way around. They have enough capital that they are not in need of turning that item around. Lastly, they are able to mitigate the overhead of that item by selling many of the other items they offer. So they are able to pay you 1/4 of what a used item is worth and sit on it. For months if need be. To turn a profit, and a sizable one.

They are able to do this because most musicians generally want to sell things out of need. Wether to keep the lights on, food on the table, or gas in the car. Selling an instrument on Craigslist is risky in some cases, and whittles down your market. Where as GC has access to the entire web, and their walk in traffic to the store. SO they know that you NEED to sell that old Strat. Which they take full advantage of to buy low. Then since they don't NEED to sell it, atleast not in a timely manner. They can afford to sit on it and wait til some poor soul wanders in or clicks on the item online and just HAS to have it.

That's the market. They simply have more market power and presence. It sucks, but it is what it is.

I've always gotten 75% of the cash value of the item. The cash value is usually determined by the retail price x 75%, and then I get 75% of that -- about the same amount of money it would cost to sell the item on eBay after all of the time, fees, shipping, etc. And, I don't have to worry about it being returned to me, the sale to GC is final.

Of course, they *always* try to give me pennies first, but I always bring in items that have value and I check cl, ebay, and GC for prices and then go in and get top dollar for the gear I no longer want -- bring printouts of the prices you've found.

On the last deal, they advertised it for $529.00, plus tax, I got $425.00, 80%, the guy was a little green -- oh yeah! But, it was a guitar they and I knew would fly off the shelf, and it did!

If your item will sell for $200.00 at GC or on ebay or cl, demand $150, 75%. Anything less and you are getting reamed!

TheKingofPain · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2012 11:46 am

RCB-CA-USA wrote:

TheKingofPain wrote:

Well, I think they are both wrong and right. GC and big box stores have the luxury of access, time, and a diverse inventory to mitigate their need for turn around. Consumers actually come to them, not the other way around. They have enough capital that they are not in need of turning that item around. Lastly, they are able to mitigate the overhead of that item by selling many of the other items they offer. So they are able to pay you 1/4 of what a used item is worth and sit on it. For months if need be. To turn a profit, and a sizable one.

They are able to do this because most musicians generally want to sell things out of need. Wether to keep the lights on, food on the table, or gas in the car. Selling an instrument on Craigslist is risky in some cases, and whittles down your market. Where as GC has access to the entire web, and their walk in traffic to the store. SO they know that you NEED to sell that old Strat. Which they take full advantage of to buy low. Then since they don't NEED to sell it, atleast not in a timely manner. They can afford to sit on it and wait til some poor soul wanders in or clicks on the item online and just HAS to have it.

That's the market. They simply have more market power and presence. It sucks, but it is what it is.

I've always gotten 75% of the cash value of the item. The cash value is usually determined by the retail price x 75%, and then I get 75% of that -- about the same amount of money it would cost to sell the item on eBay after all of the time, fees, shipping, etc. And, I don't have to worry about it being returned to me, the sale to GC is final.

Of course, they *always* try to give me pennies first, but I always bring in items that have value and I check cl, ebay, and GC for prices and then go in and get top dollar for the gear I no longer want -- bring printouts of the prices you've found.

On the last deal, they advertised it for $529.00, plus tax, I got $425.00, 80%, the guy was a little green -- oh yeah! But, it was a guitar they and I knew would fly off the shelf, and it did!

If your item will sell for $200.00 at GC or on ebay or cl, demand $150, 75%. Anything less and you are getting reamed!

Yeah, they are tough to deal with sometimes. I tried to sell a couple of basses there once. Nothing special, just MIM P's and they were like ... "We'll give ya 50 bucks for 'em." Meanwhile they had 3 sitting on their used racks for 225 a piece. I told them to get bent. Bided my time and sold them both. One for 200, the other for 300 on ebay. (it had upgraded pups and bridge, ect)

On the flipside, while our singer was in the market for a guitar some years ago they gave me a ridiculous amount of money on trade in for an old Laney Linebacker head that was thrown in by the music store where I bought my cabs. The sales guy even gave me a can of contact spray to work on a scratchy pot while she was picking out a guitar. Worked out the scratchiness and we got 100 bucks for it. Go figure. He probably doesn't work there anymore, though. He definitely seemed like he was out to try and help people get into the right instruments for them, instead of trying to wring every penny out of you. She walked out of there with a killer Gretsch hollowbody.

GC to me is always a last resort. Wether in terms of sale or purchase. Unless it's just basic supplies like strings, straps, cables, or the like.

1neeto · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:40 pm

somebizarredude wrote:

oxfan wrote:

Think about it, how many times could you listen to "Smoke On The Water" played poorly before your brain seized ?

no one plays that anymore :wink:

all i every hear is a bunch of chugging with to much gain when i go in there :lol:

you know.... those kids with the flip of hair over one eye and the bandages on their wrist :lol:

imagine 4 or 5 of those playing all different nonsense at the same time. that reminds me of a you tube video posted on here that floored me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-xX7iWvzbo

LOL That was great, he has more videos too!

RCB-CA-USA · **Joined:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:31 am **Posts:** 1281

TheKingofPain wrote:

GC to me is always a last resort. Wether in terms of sale or purchase. Unless it's just basic supplies like strings, straps, cables, or the like.

I go to the place that gives me the most cash for my used gear and the charges the least amount of money for new gear. GC for cash for used gear and AmericanMuiscalSupply for new gear!

TheKingofPain · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:10 am

RCB-CA-USA wrote:

TheKingofPain wrote:

GC to me is always a last resort. Wether in terms of sale or purchase. Unless it's just basic supplies like strings, straps, cables, or the like.

I go to the place that gives me the most cash for my used gear and the charges the least amount of money for new gear. GC for cash for used gear and AmericanMuiscalSupply for new gear!

Good plan! I've never had more then one really good experience at a GC. So I tend to avoid them. Like I said, basic supplies that need no maintenance and the like they are fine and usually low priced. When I was in my last punk band I used to always get my Misfits Skullbuster Bass Strings through them. Great strings for that late 70's sound on a P, and they always seemed to have them hanging around and on sale. However, given the way they treat their instruments, basses in particular, at the ones in my region. I try to avoid them. There's nothing worse then going in and seeing a really nice bass completely neglected or abused and thrown on a wall to rot.

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