Bass Valuations

[Dusty]

[attachment=69875:DSCF0003.JPG]Any idea's where I can get a true valuation on a old & rare Warwick Alien Acoustic ?
I say rare, as this is one of the Original German hand built ones from around 1990.

[bubinga5]

Warwick forum?

[warwickhunt]

First off what do you mean by a 'true valuation'? A true valuation in my book is what your bass would 'sell' for on the open market; as opposed to a price given to you based upon what you'd like to hear. I'm not trying to be aggressive or antagonistic but when many folk ask on forums for prices they are looking for validation that their instrument is worth lots of money.

Realistically you have to appreciate that your bass is a Warwick and they are not (at the minute) flavour of the month. Many Warwicks are selling for 50% and below of their price when new (regardless of when bought) and that hurts when you've paid £3000+ for a new Warwick! IMHO older Warwicks are far better basses than the newer models and your Alien if it is a 91 model is likely no exception, however I've yet to see a standard production bass sell for more than it cost when new and often you'd not achieve anywhere near the price of a comparable new bass.

I'd say a better gauge would be had by searching past sales on BC, TB and the Warwick forum and looking for basses that have actually sold rather than have been advertised, though I accept sales of Alien basses is pretty low. Ultimately if you are intent on selling it I'd suggest you put a price on it that is commensurate with what 'you' would be prepared to pay for one and if the price is too high the lack of buyers will tell you so, then reduce it £50-£100 and keep doing so till someone bites.

I do know that there was someone (was it OutToPlayJazz?) asking about Alien basses on this forum not so long ago, it might be worth doing a search and finding out if it was OTPJ and contacting him!

Best of luck with your quest and I for one will be watching the sales threads with interest to see what the price may be!

[arthurhenry]

I needed a valuation for my insurance company and gave up in the end. Even Vintage and rare, where I bought the bass were no help. Another place I tried wanted to take the bass to bits to check it was all original! No thanks.

[dmccombe7]

Would your local music shop not value it for you.
If you take some "for sale" examples to them they should be able / willing to help.

Is the insurance to cover the bass when gigging. ?
If its kept at home then your house contents insurance should cover most items without a valuation but always best to double check with them up front.
If for any reason it gets stolen from house then you can show your insurance company examples of similar aged bass and they should be flexible in their cover.

Cheers
Dave

Edited January 24, 2011 by dmccombe7

[noelk27]

If you're wanting a "like for like" valuation for insurance purposes then an authorised reseller will be able to provide this, based on manufacturer's recommended retail price. Assuming you're looking for the certainty of a written "report", you should be able to find a reseller to do that, but most will charge a nominal fee for this (expect to pay between £10 and £30 for the luxury of the reseller writing down the manufacturer's RRP).

If you're unlucky enough to own a vintage instrument, and want to maintain insurance cover, then you'll find that your insurer may insist on having as many as three specialist retailers or dealers (although auction houses are also an option) value the instrument in question. Some insurers will accept valuation reports where the specialist has based an assessment on photographs; some, however, will insist on the instrument actually being seen by the specialist making the valuation. Typically, reputable specialists retailers or dealers will charge for preparing a report (in today's market that can easily be £100 plus VAT). Keeping the instrument insured with the same insurer can cut down on effort, but expect to have to provide updated specialist reports every three to five years (depending on the insurer's procedures). Best practice is to photograph the instrument once a year, and submit such evidence to your insurer when any renewal is made. If you switch insurer you'll almost certainly be asked to submit an at-date valuation report. Some things you can't rely on are concluded open market sales or recent auction prices, as the insurer will argue that any assessment of value is strictly limit to the instrument inspected, and reported, so you have to be vigilant about maintaining up to date information.

[Dusty]

Thanks Guys for all your advise etc. It's a tough one !
Warwick Hunt raises a some very valid points.

I have also searched past 'for sale' threads with no luck.
I can find sales of the Korean made basses, but not a German one.

I expect that, any that may still exist are in collectors hands.

Dont really know what to do with it. It's wasted in my hands and rarely played.

It's not the sort of guitar I'm ever going to gig with and I have a Takamine as well, should
the band suddenly turn round and say we are going to put in an acoustic slot.

so,
1) out of curiosity &
2) maybe I will sell it.

It would be good to know a ball park figure

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Dusty' post='1102743' date='Jan 25 2011, 08:59 PM']... so,
1) out of curiosity &
2) maybe I will sell it.

It would be good to know a ball park figure [/quote]

It almost flies in the face of present BC rules to 'bid up' the price of an instrument for sale but I'd suggest that if your bass were worth a great deal then BC members could get in touch with you to make offers (OutToPlayJazz may well have done so ). However, in the event that you have a lack of figures/prices to work from, I'd suggest that someone like me would be prepared to put their hand in their pocket and pay... £600 for an Alien acoustic bass. Now bearing in mind that my valuation is not an idle figure plucked from mid-air and never to be acted on, would anyone disagree and say it was worth more; bearing in mind to justify it worth being more then they'd need to follow up that valuation with the hard cash!

[kerley]

Put it on eBay with a reserve high enough to please you if it did reach it but knowing it probably won't. You will then see what the highest bid was at auction end. eBay has the largest audience you will get and potentially the highest selling price. It would only cost you a few quid to list with charges for the reserve price.