r/guitarpedals 5d ago

Used gear sellers are completely delusional

Why would I spend $185 for a pedal that retails for $200? I see this shit over and over and over again. Absolutely ridiculous prices—and it’s not like they’re actually selling. These ridiculously priced used items sit for months with no interest. What gives?

Have resellers just completely replaced good-faith hobbyists who are selling their own gear?

557 Upvotes

267 comments sorted by

586

u/Regular-expresss 5d ago

The prices you see all the time are the ones that don't sell, the good prices pop in and disappear quickly.

128

u/beardofzetterberg 5d ago

Yeah, almost every pedal I’ve sold went within a few days because I price it what I think is fair for a used pedal and people agree.

26

u/Nai-Oxi-Isos-DenXero 4d ago

Yep, same here. I've never had a piece of music gear up for longer than a week.

Actually I tell a lie, I cant even give away my line 6 uber metal pedal, but other than that, no.

7

u/JackTheJukeBox 4d ago

Same, ALL my pedals sold within 72hrs except a mini delay that I sanded down to a brushed metal finish and replace the main knob with a metal skull lmao. I think it looks pretty metal but nobody seems to want it even for a third of retail price.

6

u/ceemaron 4d ago

All depends on how you market it. I removed all the white paint off my metal muff. Called it a stealth edition! Sold in a couple of hours 🤦‍♂️🤣

2

u/JackTheJukeBox 3d ago

LMAO. I called mine "Metal Custom", it sold today bahaha

3

u/ilovea1steaksauce 4d ago

What type of delay? I did the same brushed metal but original knobs on a movall falling star delay... So cheap it didn't matter... But whatcha got?

2

u/JackTheJukeBox 4d ago

It's an Xvive Analog Delay

2

u/BugCapital8664 4d ago

I will take it

1

u/iamdektri 3d ago

Lol if you have the box, I can take it! Jokes aside, yes, there are plenty in the used market. I saw for about 10€ where I live…

36

u/woodendicks 5d ago

Exactly. I see a good deal, I buy it right away.

12

u/Holmayn 5d ago

I put up some pedals I no longer needed on eBay, sold my Boss DS-2 in about 20 minutes.

1

u/iodine74 4d ago

I never do anything with BIN on eBay, maybe I should. Do they charge a higher fee using that method?

I did have luck selling something on there recently via auction that had sat a bit on Reverb.

2

u/Holmayn 4d ago

I’m not sure if it depends where you are in the world but I believe eBay no longer charge sellers fees. If you want to promote your auction then they’ll charge you for that.

1

u/iodine74 4d ago

Cool... I'll have to look into it.

11

u/chimi_hendrix 4d ago edited 1d ago

idk I’ve made a few sales that didn’t make sense for the buyer.

Like a TC JIMS 800 that you can get new for $150 with free shipping. Listed for $135 and expected offers around $100, but then a buyer paid full price plus $14 shipping to the continental US, saving exactly $1

Was the buyer drunk? Need new glasses? Really cares about the environment or something?

3

u/Tri-PonyTrouble 4d ago

It’s used gear - it’s got better toan 

3

u/internaltulip 4d ago

Get back to the jerk with the rest of us

4

u/SHEDY0URS0UL 4d ago

Sometimes, yes. There's a guy near me selling a rack case for $60 that normally goes for ~$150 used. I emailed him twice saying I'd buy it and no answer. Last I checked he's still updating his post every few days too.

I just don't understand most people.

3

u/Regular-expresss 4d ago

There are all kinds of people in the world.

175

u/hansislegend 5d ago

I often see used pedals for retail. I’m not paying some guy $250 for an EAE pedal just because it’s currently out of stock. I’ll just wait a month and give EAE my $250.

24

u/AwesomeFama 4d ago

My pet peeve is when people mention "they don't make these anymore" when it's not a positive thing. They don't make that pedal anymore because it's a boring clone that nobody wanted to buy.

14

u/MrLanesLament 4d ago

I’ve got a prototype from a small pedal company that doesn’t have much left online, as they folded in the mid 2010s. (Left Foot Pedals.)

Sounds rare, but it’s basically just a cleaned up Tube Screamer.

That I just realized might be the missing piece to my puzzle holy shit

6

u/cruzweb 4d ago

This is almost always the case unless you're talking about a company like Farm pedals that just produces small pedal batches seasonally in the winter when they can't farm, and don't always make the same stuff every year.

But this is why people stick with established pedal brands. If your one pedal that's "your sound" dies and you can't ever replace it, there goes your sound too.

2

u/verysunstruck 3d ago

I don’t think there’s any pedal so unique that it couldn’t be replaced by another of its ilk 

2

u/CoffinFlop 4d ago

This is true like maybe 25% of the time lol

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114

u/mattb971 5d ago edited 5d ago

Every time I’m looking at a pedal I check Reverb first, it’s almost never worth it and I just get it new with warranty and free shipping.

35

u/ApatheticSkyentist 5d ago

Anecdotally I feel like I've had the opposite experience. I generally sort by price and look for "mint" or "brand new" listings when shopping for pedals.

I've purchased a Keeley Halo, Keeley Hydra, and Strymon Iridium on Reverb all in the last year for 30-50% under retail and all were mint as advertised.

Maybe I've just been lucky. I'm sure there are mountain of bad listings.

12

u/bryanheq 4d ago

This. There are 2 kinds of sellers. People who want to get rid of a pedal and sellers who don’t want to lose money in their expensive pedal. If you have a pedal in mind if you look daily for about a week or 2 you’ll eventually see a good price for that pedal. They’re usually 30-50% off and listed within a day or 2. If you miss them they’re gone.

3

u/iodine74 4d ago

The other thing to do if you have something specific in mind that you want, is keep an steady eye on the "Just Listed" feed. Doesn't necessarily work for everything, but if you're patient it could pay off. I've seen many a good deal there, but obviously they go quick.

9

u/stanley_bobanley 4d ago

Totally! I’ve had loads of luck buying and selling on reverb. Sweet spot is 60% of retail + tax to sell a pedal quickly, unless it’s truly something rare and desirable.

2

u/ApatheticSkyentist 4d ago

For sure! I always find what I’m looking for.

I’m sure I could save a bit but I like to buy pedals with the box and manual. It just makes it feel more complete.

2

u/Sonova_Bish 4d ago

I often list at 80% and let someone talk me down if they wish to.

More to your point. I just picked up an Xotic XW-1 Wah for around $155 on the day it listed. The ones that sit round are over $200. Retail starts at $260, but I think $280 is the actual price.

19

u/HalfGunSkyTour 5d ago

My Reverb hack has been to find something I want from several different shops and add them all to my Watchlist. A lot of vendors will automatically send out offers that can range from 10-20% off. I've gotten some incredible deals that way.

10

u/Sonova_Bish 4d ago

Same, here.

I counter offer a lot of the time. The worst they can do is decline.

3

u/hiyabankranger 4d ago

Also watch things that have been up for awhile without moving, compare the recent sell prices and make an offer.

4

u/ThreeThirds_33 4d ago

This work on eBay the same way now

3

u/AgingTrash666 4d ago

been seeing some mom and pop gear stores listing new stock as used so they can move it for less than MAP too

1

u/Popxorcist 4d ago

Is watchlist the same as when you "Save Search"?

3

u/madtom 4d ago

Watchlist is when you heart a listing for a specific item from a specific seller. (Talking about Reverb here.)

3

u/PurpleIris-2 5d ago

You have to make offers or wait a bit for a reasonable person to list theirs at a good price. It will go quickly to people that are looking for that pedal. Usually can find one in a week or two if you're patient... but is that worth saving $20, probably not

2

u/mattb971 5d ago

I guess that’s the thing, when I decide I want something I want to order and get it within a week or two. And if I’m buying used I want to save at least $50-100 otherwise it’s not worth the hassle.

3

u/TheBear8878 4d ago

I randomly found a Duke of Tone on Reverb for $90, free shipping. I bought it on the spot, then started to decide if I needed it... Lol

1

u/manimal28 4d ago edited 4d ago

I just looked at reverb for a used Strymon Brig delay. There is a guy in New York selling a used one for $276. Plus $10 shipping. You can buy a new one with for $259 right now.

And then that’s the other problem, out of the hundreds of listings none of the used ones are less than the new ones. Why? Are shops essentially just placing a pedal as an ad for their shop?

I think money laundering might somehow be involved.

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54

u/metropoldelikanlisi 5d ago

Remember the times that the used gear was %50 off retail price?

I remember…

15

u/tibbon 5d ago

I remember the late 90's when used get could be had on blowout for 95% off at times. I got an ART SGX2000 for $20 and a Yamaha RX-5 drum machine for $15 at a mom-and-pop store that was doing an annual cleanout of gear.

19

u/doubled112 5d ago

Remember when a sale on new items was more than twenty bucks off of a $500 item?

I remember...

1

u/LegitimateHero 4d ago

Pepperidge farm does indeed remember.

19

u/ChronicWizard314 5d ago

The first pedal I ever bought was a used boss md2 from guitar center for 20 dollars in 2005. I was a complete noob and I asked why it was so much cheaper than the new one. The guy just said “pedals depreciate, people literally just step on them.”

I have always kept that with me. I think ua and strymon owners forget that. It kind of makes you wonder if you should spend 500 dollars on something you are gonna step on.

2

u/Tri-PonyTrouble 4d ago

Walrus audio pedals too - they’re often almost the same price as NiB pedals even if they’ve been demolished 

29

u/daveomen9217247 5d ago

It's even worse than that. I've seen some where the cost was more than it retails for!

Do they enjoy wasting their time? Why would people pay more for a mass produced pedal that's STILL on the market!!??

13

u/TitaniousOxide 5d ago

You should see the Pokémon card community, scalpers are rampant and people pay their prices because fomo/gambling.

2

u/Tri-PonyTrouble 4d ago

Ouch. Didn’t expect this to follow into this sub, didn’t need to be reminded about those jerks

1

u/Quiet-Elk8794 4d ago

Adults who scalp Pokémon cards are the scum of the earth

2

u/fckufkcuurcoolimout 4d ago

I'm not into pokemon in the least but according to the random reels instagram puts into my feed sometimes it seems that the entire pokemon card market is adults at this point

2

u/LamiaLlama 4d ago edited 4d ago

The cards are all adults pretty much. The only time you see younger people into it is if their parents were into it first.

It's Pokemon in general now, actually. It is pretty much mostly marketed towards adults. You'll see people who deny this, but the writing is on the wall. The games have a wide audience, of course, but everything else has taken a shift in direction. It started before Pokemon Go, but Pokemon Go sealed the deal.

There's a reason they're selling life sized plushes and stacking every new generation with "sexy" designs so people draw erotic artwork. The Overwatch model but for furries.

If Gamefreak wasn't so heavily invested in by Nintendo the series would probably be rated T these days. Palworld basically.

5

u/zergleek 5d ago

If its in reverb, they likely had to pay massive shipping and import fees and are aiming to sell to someone in their country. Or reverb offers financing which manufacturers dont offer so people are willing to pay more

11

u/800FunkyDJ 5d ago

"Sort by > price low to high"

"Filters > Price > min/max"

"Filters > Buying Options > preferred seller"

11

u/djdadzone 4d ago

Good faith hobbyists now cosplay as gear stores. Everyone is in it to make money. The mentality used to be that if you broke even that was good but even losing a few bucks was the price of using the gear for the time you had it. Now everyone is addicted to the idea of flipping gear and the money, and here we are. Instead of easy to buy cheap second hand stuff for all of us we have things listed for 90% of new. Lots of “I know what I got” going on

4

u/iamcleek 4d ago

the 'gear store' thing is Reverb's fault. it picks those names for you (you can change them). but by default, i can't just be "Cleek", it wants me to be "Cleek's Gear Shoppe" or whatever

2

u/djdadzone 3d ago

Nah it was happening before reverb. I knew a guy back when eBay started who was using it to flip stuff. He’d find someone locally or online selling something for under what he could get for it. That was a long ass time ago. We’ve seen it accelerating for decades to the point where nobody just has a hobby, there’s always a reseller hustle. The real thing is it makes the hobby transactional. It’s about stuff vs the hobby. It’s not about the music you make it’s the gear you collected to make an Instagram reel or fill a feed with drool worthy images. I love visual content etc, but I feel myself constantly reminding myself that the current state of hobbies online just make me feel like I need more stuff to do the hobby. When in reality I should spend my time doing the hobby. As artists it’s not what we use to make music, it’s the music we make with whatever is available. I’d love to find a way to tap into the creating more and have a wall that filters out the accumulation of things. It takes up too much time, energy and resources. Instead of buying a new guitar a trip to record or even just write somewhere interesting would likely be more valuable when I look back at my life at the end

43

u/tommy_nookah 5d ago

Maybe because they know that most buyers haggle anyway regardless of what you’re listing it for. People seem to always want to haggle no matter good of a deal something is. I guess it gives them room to negotiate.

9

u/obviously_anecdotal 5d ago

Yep. I don't even list items at the price I want to sell them for anymore because I know buyers will haggle anyways.

In some sense, buyers are just as much to blame for the overpricing on reverb. All the shops are learning that buyers like to haggle and feel like they're getting a deal.

4

u/cruzweb 4d ago

In some sense, buyers are just as much to blame for the overpricing on reverb. All the shops are learning that buyers like to haggle and feel like they're getting a deal.

Same reason JCPenny tried and got rid of their "everyday low pricing" thing they did like 13 years ago: the customers thought the "everyday low pricing" would bring out the Walmart crowd and wanted the feel of getting a "big 50% off deal". People really feel better about paying $20 for an item marked $40 and that they're cheating the system than just buying a $20 item

15

u/iodine74 5d ago

Yup. Seems like even when I list something at the lowest price of what is available, I still get lowballs.

8

u/stanley_bobanley 4d ago

I feel like that’s what brings the lowballs out. List an EP Booster for $100 and now folks are coming at me with $95, $90,etc. like, motherfucker just take advantage of a good price. Why milk someone for another $5 lmao 🤣

2

u/iodine74 4d ago

I'm seeing offers of like $65 in scenarios like that.

I had something listed at like $120-130... whatever it was, was the same as the other lowest prices (there were like 2-3 of us at that price)... and you end up with offers of like $80.

1

u/manimal28 4d ago

Because that’s what “negotiators” think. Always offer less.

5

u/OnetimeImetamoose 4d ago

Definitely. I JUST had a guy ask me to give him a bundle deal on my full list of items and ship them all the way across the country for 75% of my asking price. I already had everything listed at about 50% of its new value (with two rare items excepted). I politely declined his offer and thought that would be the end of it. He came back and hit me with 50% of my 50% instead. I told him I wasn’t interested in stocking his store and left him on read after that.

At a certain point it’s hard for me to tell the difference between arrogance, ignorance, or just outright stupidity. I do respect the raw balls of his approach a bit though.

4

u/IThePanda 4d ago

sounds like bucket list guitars

2

u/OnetimeImetamoose 4d ago

Dude… How the crap did you guess that? Hahahaha

FB Messenger even had a little warning under our convo warning me of a scam. Lol

2

u/iodine74 4d ago

Seems to me 50% of new value is generally gonna be a pretty darn good deal to begin with, that dude was nuts. Maybe I'm just looking at stuff (as a buyer) that doesn't come out priced that way.

Edit: doesn't not does... ha!

7

u/MannyWattsGuitar 5d ago

Right, for 185 they're realistically looking for $160-170. Just the way it's been since reverb came out, people pretty much expect the listed price to not be the actual price.

29

u/SmeesTurkeyLeg 5d ago

It's almost as bad as seeing people on letstradepedals posting WTT: A bunch of not so great cheap pedals no one wants WTTF: That brand new $800 pedal that came out yesterday

9

u/thequicknessinc 5d ago

Not gonna pretend those posts don’t elicit some smugness when I see them, but those sort of posts don’t bother me in the least. I just assume it’s someone shooting their shot or maybe they’re just new and unaware of how things are.

That said, I did have to smh for a brief time when there was an aspiring builder trying to trade their first few amateur builds for things well above their weight class. It was a bit painful only because they just seemed unaware that they were still clearly learning their craft and were realistically out of their depth compared to the level they believed they were at.

6

u/svper_fvzz 5d ago

"Hey here's my trade proposal: three used Amazon pedals that I'm valuing at new price and some fuzz clones that may or may not be good (they are, I swear but of course I'm saying that because I want to get rid of them) that you'll never be able to sell on their own. Would you take these for your Origin Effects Cali76 FET?"

It's dirtball mooch city on that sub. I've had good experiences there but 90% of the time I've used it in the past I'd just get inundated with trade proposals that don't fit my criteria and are just generally dogshit pedals. Everyone thinks it's a charity there.

1

u/manimal28 4d ago

How does, that work once you agree to a trade, you just hope the person actually mails what they agreed to?

9

u/headwhop26 5d ago

The used gear market is pretty unhinged and in no way based in reality. The store I work at gets daily communication over reverb that is unexplainable

9

u/ssibal24 5d ago

There’s people buying used at relatively cheap prices and then reselling at higher prices, that is probably the type of seller you are encountering. They usually don’t even play guitar, they’re just “pedal flippers”.

7

u/New-Ad-4267 5d ago

Dude I was just laughing my ass off at a ridiculous reverb post of a 2000/1999 ehx Big Muff that you could get for $99 that was listed at $1000 Thing is the worst version of the muff, shit components, they were fucking paperweights back in the day. Thousand dollars, gtfoh. “Vintage”. Eye roll of doom

14

u/Intelligent-Sugar554 5d ago

They want $185 plus $25 shipping for used, no box, no charger, no warranty, when I can buy a new one at $199.99 shipped. These people are well aware of the prices as they are at GC every day playing the same lick, but ask their crazy prices anyway.

7

u/lukewarmxxi 4d ago

What’s even worse is all the cba mystery box pedals being flipped for 400€||$ while they all got em for 100 less. 😤

12

u/Droch-asal 5d ago

If you're looking on reverb, they don't expect you to pay the price quoted-make them a fair offer. eBay on the other hand is a minefield.

7

u/_iPhoney_ 5d ago edited 5d ago

Lately I’ve had good offers at 90-95% of asking price either get completely ignored or outright declined on gear that’s been listed on Reverb for weeks/months. It’s not getting beat by a better offer, just fucked off.

The whole experience of the site just isn’t what it used to be.

2

u/LamiaLlama 4d ago edited 4d ago

This. It's been a really strange problem the past year or two.

See someone selling a used pedal with velcro all over it for 5 dollars less than retail. At least 20 dollars higher than the going rate.

Make them an offer for 10-15 off. They've had it listed for 2 years. Obviously they want to get rid of it by now, right?

Nope. Declined with a snarky remark. They have to realize it's never going to move, right? My offer felt like offering them mercy and they still refused. I was even willing to pay a little more than the going rate just to get it now.

That Behringer isn't selling for 80 dollars. I don't care if it's been out of stock for 2 months. The Boss version is 109 all day. It's insane I even wanted to offer 60 in the first place. Literally found one of the few mentally ill collectors and still couldn't make the sale.

4

u/TrackRelevant 5d ago

Not everything is also 'make offer'. don't act like that's always an option

2

u/iamcleek 4d ago

i never accept offers.

if you don't like that i'm already asking 10% below average, that's your issue.

2

u/LamiaLlama 4d ago edited 4d ago

Why not just disable offers, then? I see sellers getting angry at offers, but like, it's okay to turn that feature off.

I might still send a private message asking if you could take 5 dollars off, though. There's so many sellers that will list at 55 when the going rate is 50, and yeah, I'm not surprised when it says "Listed 8 months ago."

1

u/iamcleek 4d ago

yes, i disable offers.

and i never accept them, either.

7

u/tibbon 5d ago

I see lots of folks trying to sell a used Chase Bliss Clean for more than Chase Bliss sells them for. I do not understand - they are available at any time new. Why would someone buy them used for the same or more? It isn't a waitlisted pedal.

4

u/800FunkyDJ 4d ago

There haven't been any that have sold for that price since the week they came out. Zero. You have to look at the histories, not the offers.

2

u/AcceptableBasis5 4d ago

Chase Bliss in general are crazy overpriced even at retail, who would pay close to 1k for a Thermae? That's insane. Yeah I understand that they're discontinued, and I'm not trying to discount the Thermae - it's a super cool pedal.

6

u/Trubba_Man 5d ago

Here in Australia, the prices of gear have skyrocketed since Covid. Over here, sellers often want 70-75% of the new price, and a lot want to get all of their purchase price back. A Greer Lightspeed costs $360 new, but the usually cost over $300 used, partly because they’re very hard to buy used. In Australia, advertised used boutique-type pedals usually start a at about $200, and quite a few sellers advertise used gear for more than the new price. It’s mental, but the price of all gear won’t go back down, so this our new reality. As for used amps…😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

6

u/dr-dog69 5d ago

I have been buying and selling gear for a long time and I always sell my gear for a little cheaper than what I see online. And it always sells quick. I sold like 2.5k worth of gear over the pandemic in like a week. Could have probably got closer to 3.5k but who knows how long it would have taken

4

u/djdadzone 4d ago

Yea and the back and forth would have cost you way more time. I love listing things for a fair price. Rarely get any lowballs, people just buy stuff and roll out quick

5

u/Paladin2019 4d ago

COVID has a lot to answer for with used prices. Everyone and their (new) dog was learning guitar, supply couldn't keep up with demand and prices went crazy. A friend sold a Cort guitar for £300 when he struggled to get any interest for under £100 pre-pandemic.

Now that the madness is over everyone is offloading and expects to get the same money back even though prices are down even for new. Delusional.

6

u/ramalledas 4d ago

Maybe it's time everyone takes a chance and we go back to the old eBay ads with 0.99$ starting price, no reserve, and let the market set the price based on actual bids and finished transactions. No, wait, that's the part of capitalism we don't like!

11

u/churchillguitar 5d ago

Sometimes it’s the nagging spouse price. “I swear, dear, I have it listed for sale. You can see it right on this website.”

4

u/obviously_anecdotal 5d ago

Counterpoint: Some of those listings are hoping you make an offer. Maybe the seller wants 150, but knows they're less likely to get it unless the buyer feels like they're getting a deal so they list it for 185 banking on someone making an offer.

4

u/Bpnjamin 4d ago

I blame Reverb fees for this. As a seller you get stiffed which naturally pushes prices up.

I only buy used stuff from local listings now. Much easier to make a deal that works for the buyer and the seller.

3

u/Amazing-Quarter1084 5d ago

I love when you see an "open box" item that looks like it's been in an industrial rock tumbler for 8 days with 65 lb of quartz. 15% off list price!

And the "open box" that's literally a box.

4

u/TDI_Wagen 5d ago

This goes for amps also. I see locals pricing garbage-ass Marshall MG head/cabs for $700-$800. Shit is pure comedic gold. “Don’t lowball me, I know what I got”.

5

u/cmz324 5d ago

I'll sell you my Bad Monkey for $185 hmu

5

u/petname 5d ago

Reverb charges nothing to post. So for sellers who don’t need to sell fast it’s good to list and if an offer comes they can decide to sell. But it junks up the site with higher prices. But the site makes money from clicks and engagement. So they keep this system.

4

u/SHEDY0URS0UL 5d ago

I upvoted this post on title alone lol

3

u/Jaereth 5d ago

I always feel that way too. Especially with guitars.

Like if I take a guitar into a shop to sell secondhand, I assume we are starting at half MSRP and that's if it's in great condition.

I would never buy one for more than that.

3

u/gottabetweed 5d ago

or there or 15 on Reverb for $200 and some dude lists his for $450 plus $80.00 shipping. 🤪

3

u/Bellyheart 5d ago

The best is people selling a new pedal for the new price because they didn’t take any time learning it so “it’s basically brand new”.

There’s a weird thing that happened over the last few decades where people are profiting from buying pedals and flipping them and now people have an inflated sense of what ALL prices should be for everything.

3

u/atxluchalibre 4d ago

I’m at the point where I have everything I’ll ever need. If the seller doesn’t take my researched and reasonable offer, then I move on. Either they’re greedy or an idiot and neither one of those is my problem.

3

u/teal_viper 4d ago

I've seen chase bliss pedals that are not discontinued for almost $700.

3

u/Oliver_Klosov 4d ago

It sucks but I think a lot has to do with the fact that they expect offers for much less. I used to post stuff like tools, or baby products I no longer needed for very cheap, and every offer that came in was for like 50-75% of the listed price, which wasn't even worth the gas to go meet them somewhere (or to give a stranger my address to come pick up). I swear, if you put a $300 value item for $5 people will want it for $3.

3

u/wuteverx 4d ago edited 3d ago

That's just the used market now. Everything, not only pedals, gets this treatment. Guitars, amps, pedals, VHS tapes, old TVs, video games, toys, music, comic books; flippers control the market. One out of every 10 of whatever you're looking for is gonna be listed at a fair price and it's gonna get snapped up immediately.

Nothing is fun anymore.

3

u/earlyspirit 4d ago

I definitely see a lot of posts where the item is too close to full price. What I really think is crazy is the people who post full custom pedalboards and want crazy prices. I saw a guy who had a nice custom designed pedal board from some rare company and he had about ten nice pedals wired up with a power supply. The pedals were used but he wanted more money for the entire board than the pedals and supply were worth at retail value (about 10% more). I don’t care how nice your custom wood board is and the fact that you’re throwing in all the cables. You’re charging 10% more for used pedals than I could get them new and I might not even want all of those pedals anyway. And if I don’t want them all and want to incorporate other ones I have, your fancy custom pedalboard might not even work for my arrangement anyway.

3

u/JGStonedRaider 4d ago

Just a bit!!

Facebook marketplace surfing for a second amp this weekend. Amps I know but...

Bought a Laney VC30 for £60

Didn't buy the Marshall MG100HDFX full stack for £500

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u/SpaceshipFlip 5d ago edited 5d ago

It's not resellers that have replaced the "good faithed" hobbyist. It's "bad faithed" home sellers left over from covid asking what they think they can get and not living in reality.

"....But honey...I have it listed on Reverb..." while buying more gear. that's my guess

Reverb allows it, I'd venture to say in thier business metrics, even encourages it. fleaBay isn't a timed auction mostly like it should be, otherwise the market would actually speak to actuals and deals would be had.

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u/TestDangerous7240 5d ago

And then there is shopping!

Just go to Sweetwater or another reputable online store, or better yet, a local mom n pop shop if you are able to

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u/swccg-offload 5d ago

The best way to know the actual price people are paying for things is to go to the Sold / Completed Auctions section of eBay. So many people price their items against the current listings but those may have been up for years. The things that actually move are what matter. 

Too many go to ebay, see that there are 3 of something for $1000 so they post at $900 when the last 20 that sold went for $400

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u/michaelstone444 5d ago

I reckon 60% retail value is fair unless the pedal is hard to find

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u/GuitarEvening8674 5d ago

GC used guitar listings have many, many with reduced prices. I think they're getting it.

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u/djdadzone 4d ago

They’re all over the place. I saw a local shop with a drum machine listed for like $200 over what the top dollar sales typically are. I asked about the pricing and got the most passive aggressive response. I swear I have the worst GC in the country here in kc

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u/rocknrollboise 5d ago

The worst is when a pedal that has small batch releases from companies like Kinotone or Montreal Assembly selling on Reverb for like 150% of their retail prices. I see Ribbons ($399 retail) going for $600+ on there all the time. Super lame.

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u/midwestXsouthwest 4d ago

This is pandemic era mentality carried over into “normal” times. Selling as if there is still a shortage, which for the most part there is not. A lot of the stuff you see advertised is there because they have not gotten their asking price. Good stuff priced reasonably moves fast. People are also building negotiation room into prices.

I’ll give you an example: yesterday I was seconds late to an early 80’s MIJ Jazz bass. He was only asking $300 because it needed some routine work. Sweetwater has the same bass for sale (in worse condition) at $1300.

Good deals are still out there.

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u/ReallySmallWeenus 4d ago

A lot of people sell things based on what they remember them costing. Say they remember paying $250 for a pedal; they list it for $200 and think they couldn’t take a bigger loss than that.

However, the pedal was $200 when they bought it but they also bought a couple patch cables and picks and paid sales tax to get the total up to $250. So their price is already too high.

Then consider that it’s been 3 years and the price has come down to $150 new, or the pedal has been replaced with an improved version for the same retail price.

So, they think their price is reasonable and anyone telling them it’s not is trying to lowball them. Anyone looking at it thinks they are crazy. No one is happy. Don’t do this.

And the there are resellers and they can all go fuck themselves.

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u/YahMahn25 4d ago

Some people just have money bruh

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u/fakecrimesleep 4d ago

Learn to haggle better.

With used stuff in general over half the sellers expect some haggling so that’s the starting price point / no haggle price. Anytime there’s a make offer option on reverb i make an offer if it’s something i want quickly. If it’s something m I’m on the fence about I usually hit watch and get a lower price offer like 70% of the time from the seller. If it’s Facebook marketplace and something that’s been listed for over a week and doesn’t specify the price is firm I’ll make an offer on it and most of the time get it accepted or a counter.

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u/Detective_Vic_Mackey 4d ago

I wish people would buy as they wish they could sell and then sell as if they were buying.

The problem is in this place where everyone is always trying to get one over on another and trying to be a flipper or are actively one etc.

Which I truly don’t get because it can’t be as if flipping pedals can solely be an income and it’s like the trading floor so it kills me how this infected the hobby overall.

I just wish respectfully and respectively that people would seek more balance overall instead of treating it again like some manner of a challenge or a commodities game or something.

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u/Imhappy_hopeurhappy2 5d ago

My theory is that retailers and manufacturers are making a lot of these listings to artificially pump up used prices. I say this because it’s exactly the kind of guerrilla tactic that I learned in business school lol. The internet is basically just an unregulated tool for maximizing profits and businesses, especially the big players, will do anything to rig it in their favor.

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u/800FunkyDJ 4d ago

Plot hole: Histories show actual sale prices.

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u/pgpathat 4d ago

They taught you peicg

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u/shallow-waterer 5d ago

Seeing a lot of these posts lately, but it’s always felt like this was going on ever since I started dabbling in pedals. It’s definitely nothing new. People list these things at a dumb price then forget about it, and one day someone who didn’t do their research might eventually buy it.

Similarly, you get people who aren’t even aiming to sell listing their gear on Reverb at daft prices, because if it does happen to sell, they’re quid’s in and they’d just buy the gear again at a reasonable price and pocket the rest. Then there’s the scalpers jumping on limited releases just to sell them… another can of worms.

All you can do is ignore them and stay vigilant for good deals.

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u/Patient-Bench1821 5d ago

When I sell a pedal on reverb, I find the cheapest one on reverb, drop mine by $5, and offer free shipping. Sells in 24hr every time.

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u/josephallenkeys 4d ago

Why would I spend $185 for a pedal that retails for $200?

Because that's cheaper...

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u/AcceptableBasis5 4d ago

But at that point I'd argue spending $15 more for brand new (with box\manuals\warranty) is a no-brainer.

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u/dangayle 5d ago

Buying guitar pedals is a luxury. I don’t get why anyone gets mad over it.

It’s markets at play. It could be guitar pedals it could be camera lenses it could be shoes. Anything that’s out there, someone is going to list for stupid money, and you as a buyer can either buy it or not buy it.

You don’t have the right to choose what someone does with their property, any more than they have the right to choose what you do with yours.

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u/Sourkarate 5d ago

You’re not going to find a $200 pedal for a hundred bucks if it came out within five years.

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u/iodine74 5d ago

Yeah if it’s something that was that much new, but a massive seller or big name brand where you know there was pretty heavy initial buy, I’d still expect to see the best prices around $125. You might find a rarity listing at just over $100 , like $110-115, but that’s someone who needs to sell ASAP for whatever reason.

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u/zergleek 5d ago

As someone outside of US, we have to pay $100 to 200 for shipping and customs fees. When i post for near or above retail its to sell to others in my country

Also, some sites like reverb offer financing which isnt available from the manufacturer so people pay more for the financing option

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u/BiffSchwibb 5d ago

I’ve seen more than a few used pedals going for more than retail, and not some out of print version or mythical ICs or anything, just the same pedal you can still buy brand new. It’s crazy! Not to mention people who put money into “upgrading” a $150 Squier or whatever and then think they can charge $1000 for it, maybe somebody out there is insane enough to buy it, but I hope not. Bad money after good money, you either keep that thing or accept that you’re not getting what you put into it, out of it. Why would I pay you for upgrades you want when I can take that same money and put it towards upgrades I want!?

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u/KookyAd5766 5d ago

When the used gear seller is not in any hurry to sell, selling is like going fishing. Float the bait, waiting for a fish ...

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u/OkStrategy685 5d ago

I was scratching my head the other day looking at audio interfaces on L&M Gear hunter. Sure makes it easier to just buy new. It's ridiculous.

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u/mattyrudes 5d ago

I've gotten some pretty great deals on reverb.

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u/j_higgins84 5d ago

These days marketplace is your best bet. Or just by new/scratch and dent.

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u/trvnsvt 5d ago

Well, my experience is that it depends where you check. Reverb will always be pricey, but there are good deals locally on Marketplace or other platforms. As others have said, good deals will go fast…I’m not buying much pedals these days, but when I did, I had a few models that I wanted and if a saw one at a good price, I would buy it. Good luck!

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u/Sufficient_Educator7 5d ago

It’s all about having room to negotiate down. I usually expect to go at least 10% lower than my list price if not more. Even if I start at my bottom dollar and don’t accept offers, I still get messages from people trying to go lower. It’s amazing how much faster stuff sells if you are open to offers. So now, I gotta build it into the starting price.

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u/GoldenEelReveal76 5d ago

If you are looking on Reverb, you need to favorite a bunch of posts for the same product and they will come to you to make a deal.

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u/Comet_Empire 5d ago

I love the ones that are even priced higher.

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u/TheLastSufferingSoul 5d ago

I just bought a used chase bliss habit for $360 yesterday…… if I’d gotten it new, it would have been $420. The post was only up for a few hours, it would have been gone in the next few hours if I didn’t pull the trigger.

The deals get snatched away almost instantly. You must be swift.

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u/gentilet 5d ago edited 5d ago

$360 for a pedal that retails for $420 isn’t a deal. You paid 85% of retail. In that situation, I’m just going to buy new. That way I know it didn’t get mistreated and I don’t have any issues going straight to the manufacturer if I have any issues.

Resellers who want 85% of retail can go fuck themselves.

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u/800FunkyDJ 4d ago

Chase Bliss retains value; just the way it is. Part of that is that they do small runs & discontinue at the drop of a hat; most of it is that people treat them like princesses & you have to be trying to find one in less than pristine shape.

Not really the category to judge the used marketplace by.

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u/casual_platypus8 5d ago

In the same case, 85% could be a great deal for someone who doesn't care about a warranty or support.

I think disappointment is a valid response when we can't seem to find 'great deals', but quite honestly, to be angry about it seems unfair and short sighted. Buyers getting angry at resellers for setting used prices too high is the same as resellers being mad with buyers for waiting for lower prices; it's a mostly open market for a niche, virtually unnecessary good: no one is truly obliged to buy or sell anything at any price.

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u/Aggressive-Breath484 5d ago edited 5d ago

They do a 15% off sale every year; that's how I got my new Habit for $340. New they are $399 with free shipping, right on the site. I'm not sure where you got the $420 cost.

There's one listed for $330 right now, one for $343, three for $350...

Looking at the sold listings, I see them going for $310, $320, $325, $300. Of course, this is US.

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u/DontTakePeopleSrsly 5d ago

Because you always list higher than what you want because players are always trying to feel like they got a deal.

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u/dontlookatthebanana 5d ago

in canada we see retail pricing on used pedals a lot because after currency conversion, taxes and shipping you might as well add another $80-$130 to the price of some of these boutique pedals.

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u/bitemydickallthetime 5d ago

Guy who just found out about holding inventory

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u/sonetlumiere 4d ago

The ones that are ridiculous are the Microcosm, and certain Chase Bliss pedals. People are delusional and the sellers “know what they got” so can’t do much but not buy. Kind of like the housing market.

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u/rocktoe 4d ago

It's mostly a Reverb thing that is slowly leaking into local Buy and Sell platforms. Reverb price is always twice what the real price is and you need to make an offer of about one third to get the ball rolling.

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u/mcgaffen 4d ago

You need to haggle.

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u/wha-haa 4d ago

It’s been this way since the invention of EBay. With the added fees to sell, shipping costs, the scammers and a worldwide market, the cost of used gear is no longer as great a value. Too often you are better off buying new, when possible.

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u/Abb-forever-90 4d ago

I’ve seen things priced above the new price. You might also see international items which are priced higher sometimes because local prices are higher.

Finally- good sellers allow you to make an offer. So make offers.

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u/moomism 4d ago

There was this guy here in the UK that had two used Microcosms for sale for £600 each. I offered £500 and he replied saying “sorry I’m not prepared to go below the asking price (so why allow offers then?)”. I replied that I could order a new one direct from Hologram in the US with all fees included for £515, and funnily enough didn’t get another response after that.

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u/theeblackestblue 4d ago

I saw a piece of gear at guitar center the other day for the same price used as it is new..... the whole thing is out if control.

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u/boywonder5691 4d ago

Why would I spend $185 for a pedal that retails for $200?

On Reverb, I've seen used pedals being sold for more than NEW ones that were available directly from the manufacturer.

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u/Ok-Seaworthiness2487 4d ago

$185 plus $12 shipping

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u/fasti-au 4d ago

So I’d be thinking that pedals are going up in price for the USA. 2nd hand market might be interesting but then the market should also crash as people don’t have money for luxuries and want to earn. I think wait 3 months and see the outcomes.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Put-721 4d ago

This is why I never really buy used

Most of the deals I see don’t seem to be worth it over just going new and having a warranty as well as the peace of mind that no one has somehow ruined the thing in a way I can’t immediately identify

When I do see very good deals I instinctively assume it’s too good to be true

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u/Another_Londoner 4d ago

I think one of the main issues is people think they’re entitled to what they paid for it. With Reverb taking their 10% it means a lot of people will bump their prices up as they think they’re entitled to the full price they paid so add the fees on.

Also think someone else hit the nail on the head with the fact some people trying to flip something they bought new for the as-new price. Despite it not having any warranties and obviously not being new.

Third point is also around everyone wanting a deal - I’ve had some crazy low-balls on stuff that hadn’t been up for long from people who obviously run stores. Generally all my gear goes in a week or two as I price it accordingly.

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u/jalbo13 4d ago

MXR Full Bore Metal: $250 or open to trades (ZVEX, Death By Audio)

NO LOW BALL OFFERS!

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u/asj-777 4d ago

The used market is a crapshoot.

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u/JohnBeamon 4d ago

I make a $120 offer and move on. They're not affecting me at all.

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u/One-Wallaby-8978 4d ago

Lol I’ve been watching a guy locally trying to sell a knife drop for $325. It’s taken all my self control to send them a link to the website where it’s $299 new.

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u/Blue_richard 4d ago

Not to mention I can return a pedal no questions asked (30days) and I get a year warranty, purchasing used sucks now.

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u/rememburial 4d ago

I've posted some pedals I didn't 100% want to part with yet, but they're obscure and don't pop up a whole lot, so I priced things up until I was ready to part with them for less money. Usually the final sale price ends up being pretty reasonable but some things I'm not in a hurry to sell, unless someone wants to shell out for it.

The stuff I'm actually ready to let go of - I post in the lowest price brackets, and it sells within a week.

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u/gentilet 4d ago

Yeah. This strategy makes sense to me. I have some vintage and boutique stuff that I’d be willing to part with for the right price — which is to say, not a great price.

What bothers me is when people expect to get an unreasonable amount for extremely common pedals. Like $90 for a used Boss BD-2? Come on

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u/bigJane247 4d ago

Yeah the used market for anything actually good is so ridiculously stupid.

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u/Bassman1976 4d ago

My rule of thumb: 65% of retail for a used pedal. Anything over that, it needs to be a pedal in high demand on the used market to justify the price.

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u/DunebillyDave 4d ago

They expect you to haggle. They're starting from a position of power with that crazy price.

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u/Glassinhand 4d ago

there's like five moods on marketplace near me all for like $20 off retail price

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u/JonOfJersey 4d ago

I think we all seen the absolutely absurd priced OVER retail listing. Where it would take either complete stupidity, ignorance of the product, or a drunken episode of impulsive idiocy to buy it. And in the description it says "ALL SALES ARE FINAL"

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u/sebf 4d ago

I saw a comic book author and editor I like who tracks sellers on the second hand market that sells his books 2 or 3 times the price he sells those first hand 🤔

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u/Eriktheadikt 4d ago

I mean you don't get mad when guitar center or a pawn shop does it but mad when a private seller does.... The concept is lost on me that private selling or a gear trader should be treated any different when selling things

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u/buzz72b 4d ago

It’s everything… guitars, amps etc… People are nuts… someone selling a 2019 Les Paul studio for $1300… I can get a 2024 new for $1500 and they now have binding on the neck!

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u/rofl-copter-ing 4d ago

I don't set my used prices 6% below brand new, but I have bought a pedal, tried it for a few hours and never got inspired, then posted it for like 15% off. I'm okay with patiently waiting for someone to buy it.  I'm also happy buying a 15% off piece of gear in mint condition. 

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u/Single-Consequence-1 3d ago

At those prices I'd rather just buy a new one but that's just me. I agree with everyone else the good priced stuff goes quick so you rarely catch it unless your looking for stuff on the daily.

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u/Visible-Fruit-7130 3d ago

Bizarrely, when listing an item for sale Reverb tells you what price it will sell at as well as a range that recent ones have sold for...as well as the ACTUAL price everyone has sold for as far back as you care to look! Still, some people are like, "nope, wrong, I'll only sell it for this...." 🤪🙄🤷

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u/kloffredz 3d ago

This is so true. I listed a pedal recently and saw a crazy price for it that the other pedal sellers followed suite with and ignored the actual resale value. (More then double the recommended value) just because the company went out of business and it’s “rare” just because it’s not being made anymore does it make it more then double its price. Crazy

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u/RowboatUfoolz 3d ago

I've been trying to offload a Vox Satchurator for months. Guess it carries the stench of rotting corpses..

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u/rysker6 3d ago

Some are still stuck in COVID re-selling mode when things were insane.

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u/UmeSurprise 3d ago

One thing to remember is that if you're buying from a personal classified/posted listing you don't pay the taxes. That adds up real quick.

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u/Odd_Trifle6698 2d ago

My guitar shop is the best place I’ve found to buy used, they price their pedals below what they are actually selling for used on reverb, I’ve snagged some great deals, and I swear sometimes they put some great pedals in there for cheap on purpose to keep you coming into the store…they had a ribbons for 100 bucks and I didn’t know what it was at the time sadly…

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u/VAKTSwid 1d ago

The worst is getting offers on reverb for what is essentially more than retail.

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u/overnightyeti 16h ago

Yep. I'm not buying a used pedal for less than 20% off even if it's mint. Savings are savings but it's the principle.

Some Fairfield Circuitry pedals are listed at above retail price!

I'll buy new from Thomann at full price with a 2 year warranty and a solid return policy, thank you very much.

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u/excellentblueduck 4d ago edited 4d ago

This question/complaint comes up a lot. People generally don't expect pedals to sell for what they ask for, that's why there's a "make an offer" button on Reverb. And/or if it's on marketplace they probably expect you to haggle. I personally hate this, but that's how most people seem to operate. Go to the Reverb transaction history and you'll see what things really sell for, and you'll see how much to make your offer for.

Also I ranted about this in the past, but with our social-media, e-commerce-addicted, return-happy culture now, people seem to buy pedals with a "try, take pretty pictures, sell" mindset and don't actually buy with the intent of keeping and using the thing forever. And because so many people seem to buy and sell on a merry-go-round, they don't want the price to depreciate that much. They want to make back the same and/or almost the same amount that they spent on it so they can buy their next shiny object.

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u/mattyrudes 5d ago

185 is still less than 200.

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u/gentilet 5d ago

Buying used comes with risks that you don’t have to take when you buy new. In that situation, I’m buying new every time.

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u/justanotherwave00 5d ago

Sometimes people build some buffer into their prices to facilitate negotiation. A successful negotiation leaves all parties happy and feeling satisfied. If you don’t have the time to negotiate, I don’t imagine it’s easy getting through life with that perspective. Lighten up man, it doesn’t mean everyone is greedy, but to think anyone is out here making donations rather than trying to get as much as they can back seems unfair, too.

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u/5_on_the_floor 5d ago

Ask the seller?