ambient Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I may end up having to sell my Modulus to pay towards my MMus fees. I'm probably going to be listing it on here in the next couple of days. I haven't had much luck in the past though when selling 6 string basses on here. So I was thinking of maybe taking it to a shop, to sell on commission for me. Has anyone done this, what are the benefits ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 The advantages would be a bigger buyer pool if you put it up somewhere like Bass Direct or The Gallery, also people get to try it out... the disadvantage is obviously they will be putting 20 odd % on top. Seems a great shame to part with a bass you love... I know other things in life come first and they are only bass guitars at the end of the day, but you may live to regret parting with it only to find you can't buy a similar one in the future when finances have improved. I've bought / sold a few sixers on here and obviously you are dealing with a smaller market than four strings / fender shapes but stuff does still move. Modulus are well known as a quality brand so I would imagin you won't have too much trouble shifting it may have to trade a few times to get something of similar value that would be easier to sell though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jecklin Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I'm in a very similar situation facing selling my bass to fund my business start up. I need every single penny quite simply. The dilema is if I sell it, I will probably never own the same type of bass again. The Gallery in Camden is a good bet, and the advantage of having someone else sell the bass for you is you aren't being reminded that you are selling part of your musical voice every time someone comes tontry it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 For something as niche as this shops do seem to have a better chance of getting a good price. I sold a high end Yamaha SG through Wunjo and then my brother sold a 1964 Epiphone Rivoli bass through them (before they had the bass shop) and both got good prices on commission deals. Got to be worth asking the Gallery or Bass Direct seeing as your based in London & Birmingham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Many shops will want 15% commission of the sale price - you might want to ask what they are going to do for that 15% other than add a pic/brief review on their website and look after it for you so that Tom, Dick and Harry can have a go without any commitment to buy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1448641662' post='2917114'] Many shops will want 15% commission of the sale price - you might want to ask what they are going to do for that 15% other than add a pic/brief review on their website and look after it for you so that Tom, Dick and Harry can have a go without any commitment to buy... [/quote] Given that eBay's final value fee is usually 10% and any risk is skewed heavily towards the seller, that might not look so bad by comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1448641662' post='2917114'] Many shops will want 15% commission of the sale price - you might want to ask what they are going to do for that 15% other than add a pic/brief review on their website and look after it for you so that Tom, Dick and Harry can have a go without any commitment to buy... [/quote] You've also not got the fassle of having to ship it too I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Well, there is the obvious question about how much the shop are going to want in commission, it seems that 15-20% seems to be the going rate these days. If you do decide to go down this route I'd make sure to find out from the shop you use if they are prepared to compensate you in event of your bass getting damaged whilst in the shop. A friend of mine had a very expensive & rare guitar for sale on commission in a Cardiff music shop a few years ago & it got badly damaged by a member of staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Please note: The following post is NOT intended to imply any form of dishonesty or bad faith on the part of anyone - it is merely an observation. I have sold a number of basses over the years using the 'consignment' method. I have used a number of different dealers in London, all of them well-known here on Basschat. Most commonly, you will be asked: "[i]What is the [b]lowest [/b]price you would be prepared to accept? We need to know this when negotiating with potential buyers[/i]." Having given that lowest figure, you may (or not) be surprised at how often the bass eventually sells at exactly that figure. Allegedly. I have never seen, or been offered, any evidence after the sale to show the actual sale price achieved. In all fairness there is always the possibility that the sale formed part of a trade-in deal using a valuation. The spec / details / description on the card and/or website will frequently be inaccurate and sometimes deceptive. If you point this out to the dealer, there is no guarantee that they will amend it. If the dealer is the sort of place that allows customers to take down and try any instrument they like, then there is a fair chance that your instrument will pick up knocks and scratches in the process. I actually much prefer dealers who allow - indeed encourage - people to try the basses, so this comment should not be taken as a complaint. It is pretty much a necessary risk. You will not be offered compensation later. As has already been pointed out in earlier posts, you simply cannot compare the price that you eventually receive with the amount that the dealer has apparently received if the dealer has to include VAT (and pay that over to the taxman) within his ticket price. In truth, I am not certain what the VAT rules are relating to (i) second-hand basses, and (ii) consignment deals. This is NOT intended to "warn you off". It is intended to give you some idea of how this part of the market operates, so that you can make a better informed decision. Sorry to sound so po-faced, but I am choosing my words with care here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I must admit, I got my double bass from a shop that had it on commission sale. They invited me to make an offer, and I did so by knocking the "1" off the front of the price it was tagged with. I was quite surprised that this was accepted without further haggling. This may have been an unusual case, as the bass was being sold by the executors of someone recently deceased rather than by a player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1448641662' post='2917114'] Many shops will want 15% commission of the sale price [/quote] Some shops will want a heck of a lot more. Hobgoblin charged me 30% last time they sold something on commission for me. But at least they did sell it, and it was a fairly esoteric folk instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M@23 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Yep, I think 30% is quite a common commission charge. Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldman Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 (edited) [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1448584685' post='2916715'] I may end up having to sell my Modulus to pay towards my MMus fees. I'm probably going to be listing it on here in the next couple of days. I haven't had much luck in the past though when selling 6 string basses on here. So I was thinking of maybe taking it to a shop, to sell on commission for me. Has anyone done this, what are the benefits ? [/quote] I have used Bass Direct and in fact sold a Tom Clement 6 String Fretless through them late last year achieving a price that exceeded my purchase price by a small margin. On the other side of the coin I have just retrieved from them a bass which was unsold after 5 months. They typically charge 20% on top of what your bottom line is, Pro's, exposure and knowledgeable staff, Con's its remote and you do not know if your bass/Amp/Cab is actually on display. But you takes your chance... I would go for exposure every time... its probably the best www for gear. Good Luck Edited November 27, 2015 by Oldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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