Advice for selling a Private Stock

[Taylor1550]

Hello Friends, this is my first post here even though I've been reading the forum here for about 8 years. I have four Private Stocks in my collection and I'm looking to sell one or maybe two to help pay for two guitars I have on order. I know this is a niche price point that not everyone can afford and I'm not looking for profit or a specific dollar amount but just to make my future purchases easier. Mine aren't your curly or quilted maple. I have a one piece redwood burl top and a one piece bubinga top both with natural wood buttons, knobs and even pickup rings. I know there's reverb. I've sold guitars on there before but I also know there are forums and collector pages. So would anyone have anywhere in particular they would go or any advice for me?

 

[bodia]

Hello Friends, this is my first post here even though I've been reading the forum here for about 8 years. I have four Private Stocks in my collection and I'm looking to sell one or maybe two to help pay for two guitars I have on order. I know this is a niche price point that not everyone can afford and I'm not looking for profit or a specific dollar amount but just to make my future purchases easier. Mine aren't your curly or quilted maple. I have a one piece redwood burl top and a one piece bubinga top both with natural wood buttons, knobs and even pickup rings. I know there's reverb. I've sold guitars on there before but I also know there are forums and collector pages. So would anyone have anywhere in particular they would go or any advice for me?

If you don’t want to sell them on your own via eBay or Reverb, I would reach out to Chicago Music Exchange. Doesn’t matter if you’re in the Chicago area, or not. They are by far the fairest shop I have ever dealt with. They will offer you 70% of what they are going to list it for, and they will tell you what that amount is up front. I have sold more than 30 pieces of gear to them in the last 5 years, many for the same reason you are, and have always been paid what they offered before they even saw the guitars. Back in April I sent them a list of 12 guitars I wanted to sell. They emailed me back a quote. A week later I hauled them to CME. About 30 minutes later I had a check in hand for the exact amount they offered.

 

[Malloc]

+1 for CME. I used them at the advice of this forum for two sales that went smoothly and fairly.

 

[AaeCee]

If you decide to sell independently rather than consigning at a shop, do not state that you have other PS pieces. Potential buyers will interpret that as acknowledgement that they're inferior to those you're keeping. Like I do.

 

[Taylor1550]

All good advice thank you all. I actually know the CME guys very well, I do business over there and they are really nice. I actually spoke to my regular sales rep this morning. I also have connections at other well known shops. I just know that with the PS pieces it's a particular buyer audience so you have to go where they are or go to someone who can help you get your pieces to those buyers. You all just confirmed for me I'm doing the right thing.

Actually the ones I'm selling aren't inferior to the ones I'm keeping by any means, in fact you would probably ask why would you sell that?

 

[Broseph]

Quit teasing. Let’s see pics

 

[Taylor1550]

Will it only let you post pictures by url or can you insert them just from a folder? Sorry stupid question.

 

[Broseph]

URL

 

[Taylor1550]

gotcha thanks

 

[Glide-bpm]

They 1099 me, all I do is lose money selling guitars... LoL

 

[bodia]

Will it only let you post pictures by url or can you insert them just from a folder? Sorry stupid question.

You have to upload them to a 3rd party hosting site like Imgur. Then you can copy/paste them in to your post.

 

[Taylor1550]

I see, I only have pictures in folders at this point, I'll have to get that going, sorry I've been gone a few days, I've been talking to dealers about listing and selling options.

 

[Rod/]

If you don’t want to sell them on your own via eBay or Reverb, I would reach out to Chicago Music Exchange. Doesn’t matter if you’re in the Chicago area, or not. They are by far the fairest shop I have ever dealt with. They will offer you 70% of what they are going to list it for, and they will tell you what that amount is up front. I have sold more than 30 pieces of gear to them in the last 5 years, many for the same reason you are, and have always been paid what they offered before they even saw the guitars. Back in April I sent them a list of 12 guitars I wanted to sell. They emailed me back a quote. A week later I hauled them to CME. About 30 minutes later I had a check in hand for the exact amount they offered.

Thanks …that’s really good to know.. 70%of asking price is very fair for them to purchase outright

 

[bodia]

Thanks …that’s really good to know.. 70%of asking price is very fair for them to purchase outright

Totally. The lack of haggling is a big plus.

 

[Rod/]

Totally. The lack of haggling is a big plus.

That’s for sure…. Thanks again @bodia

 

[dogrocketp]

They 1099 me, all I do is lose money selling guitars... LoL

As that blue hating guitar player says……….don’t sell. By the way he did sell me a guitar this year, and it wasn’t blue.

 

[Rod/]

They 1099 me, all I do is lose money selling guitars... LoL

Where do you sell them? Reverb?

 

[Rod/]

Until last year I used Reverb to sell two PS guitars, the transactions went smoothly and I broke even on both.
As I kept hearing more horror stories from dealers having to deal with rather difficult customers I ended up consigning the last two at a dealer with very good customer base for PS guitars.
The process wasn't perfect, but I did break nearly even too (PM me for more details). there on consignment.

All things considered, I would go the consignment route again as long as the market is still good for it. That also saves me the time wasted dealing with 1099K paperwork from eBay/Reverb. If you do get the guitar consigned at a dealer you definitely want to make sure they'll pay you by check, Zelle, or wire; if they use PayPal you can expect having to do the 1099K tax paperwork next year when filing taxes ( at that price point it's a bit hard for them to claim a Friends/Family payment).

Thank you for that info ! Much appreciated

 

[Glide-bpm]

Where do you sell them? Reverb?

Usually. Mine are usually purchased new, and if sold, they are sold used.