Jam Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 So I was doing a bit of window-shopping on Crack Converters and stumbled across a beautiful looking Warwick Corvette $$. They're great basses, this one is particularly nice, but it's very distinctive so I wondered if anyone was missing one? Don't often see anything that nice on there! Going by Warwick's site it's a Corvette $$ 911 special edition swirly bubinga. http://webshop.cashconverters.co.uk/auction-item/1158417/warwick-corvette-4-string-special-edition-electric-bass-guitarmasterbuilt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roman_sub Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Nice, but unlikely to be "£2k nice" on second hand market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share Posted March 10, 2016 [quote name='roman_sub' timestamp='1457623973' post='3000312'] Nice, but unlikely to be "£2k nice" on second hand market. [/quote] Yeah the price is a tad optimistic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 crack converters prices are always ridiculous, suprised they ever sell anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 [quote name='lowhand_mike' timestamp='1457624494' post='3000320'] crack converters prices are always ridiculous, suprised they ever sell anything [/quote] Not always! Bargains can be had from time to time. I bought a BC Rich Ironbird bass from the Plumstead shop for £40. Admittedly not quite the calibre of the Warwick but still a damn good bargain I thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 My local shop will haggle on prices so I don't think that the prices are set in stone...I once got a £40 discount on a TE combo even after I told them I was going to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 It does say they will accept bids. Have a go, you may be surprised, or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 I was lucky by making a silly offer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Do they set the prices high to give people a chance to buy things back if they have pawned them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ribbetingfrog Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 They seem to do a good line in used Harley Benton's more expensive than Thomann sell them new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Standard procedure with un-redeemed pawns when I worked for them was take what you have in it, plus accrued interest, add on VAT and that is your price. If it hangs around on the wall for too long, price becomes negotiable up to a point. So the price you pay tends to depend on how good at valuing things the original loan arranger (hiyo Tonto! Awaaaay!) was. And of course the government DO insist on their 20% VAT even on used stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grayn Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I have a Double $$, not nearly as pretty as that one though. They'll be lucky to get half that, for it. Shame really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 They haven't a f***ing clue. I was on hard times a while back and unbelievably i wanted to borrow money on a Sei Jazz bass. They said they could only offer me £150. I laughed at him and walked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 To most people a Sei jazz is one of many copies, unless they know basses well it could be only be worth that. I've played in many bands, most of the other musicians in them would never have heard of Sei, ask an audience member what's worth more, a Fender Jazz or a Sei copy, I know which one they will say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) [quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1457821282' post='3002163'] To most people a Sei jazz is one of many copies, unless they know basses well it could be only be worth that. I've played in many bands, most of the other musicians in them would never have heard of Sei, ask an audience member what's worth more, a Fender Jazz or a Sei copy, I know which one they will say! [/quote]Yes but there in the business of buying and selling a huge range of goods , so there not 'most people'. the bottom line is, cash converters should know what there buying and selling no matter what the item. Edited March 13, 2016 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 This is where we run into the 'perceived value/worth' thing - I dread to think how much my kit is 'worth' - I'll just leave it to my executors to struggle with flogging it off (& no, I'm not joking) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 For what its worth I was the area "expert" for all things musical - and jewelry!!! Owners of other Cash Converters had my number in a list of specialists to call for advice on stuff that was brought in. bubinga - from your perception that bass is a precious item with a high value. From the point of view of someone wanting to buy it and turn it back into cash again very quickly, it isn`t. I would bet they offered you £150 hoping you would go away. A bass like that priced even close to "market value", whatever that is, would hang on the wall for a very long time waiting for someone who knew what it was, wanted it and had the cash to buy it. And in the pawnbroking and used goods market, the name of the game is how quickly can you turn over your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1457895512' post='3002784'] Yes but there in the business of buying and selling a huge range of goods , so there not 'most people'. the bottom line is, cash converters should know what there buying and selling no matter what the item. [/quote] No, the bottom line is they're sharks with a business model focused on exploiting the vulnerable. They take punts on such a huge variety of items they can't possibly know the niche manufacturers from every sub-genre they sell. The only way they can make money (and let's not forgot that's what businesses are there for) from buying products that have a high likelihood of being stolen/fake/moody in some way is to spread the risk across the board, meaning they pay absolute rock bottom prices so they don't lose too much when the police come knocking (it would be financial suicide for them to pay a fair price for anything - they'd go bankrupt in weeks). Everyone knows & accepts this because we play the game too - we go in hoping they've messed up in their valuations & look out for mad bargains, if the brand are obscure enough someone is going to be very happy (Sei are probably one that could slip through the net if someone is having a bad day). On topic; that's a nice Warwick but 2k? Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Lw (grin) sounds like your experience is from the other side of the counter than me. Cash Converters is a pawnbroking and second hand sales business, nothing more, nothing less. If you want to talk preying on the vulnerable, lets talk about payday loans and logbook loans. When I worked for them, Cash Converters didnt do either. As far as I know they still dont. But there are many "sound alike" businesses out there that do. Sorry - didnt mean to get on my hobby horse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I agree with LW. Just legalised fences. They bought a load of fishing gear stolen from my garden from a bloke that is known to them. Even though the police knew him, cash covertors were free to sell it as we couldnt prove it was ours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Back when I worked there the franchise rules stated that if there was any doubt over ownership - especially if a police report of a theft had been made - the owner got his property back, with or without solid proof of ownership. But it IS a franchise and some franchisees interpret stuff differently. I worked in one of the training stores, so I know what the franchisees and their staff were taught (I was teaching them) but you cant sit on top of each and every franchise all the time. We did do mystery shops in East Anglian stores, where I was based, FWIW. Outr biggest problem at the time was actually customers shoplifting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 @Ivansc - I think maybe you've misinterpreted my post, my experience is from a general economics perspective - I have never "sold" to a cash converters or similar stores. I have nothing against people working in those stores - if you've got bills to pay, any job is a good one. I was trying to make the point that complaining about the price offered by a cash-converters is like complaining about being ripped off by a restaurant charging you £20 for a fish they probably paid less than £4 for. There are lots of fish at the market but not many that have been deliciously prepared by a professional chef - supply & demand, economics. If you own something of value & need to raise money, private selling (such as this forums marketplace) is the way to go about getting the most money but it takes time. Cash Converters know that they're one of the only places you can get cash immediately and so know that supply/demand is working heavily in their favour (supply of immediately available cash vs demand of the "customer") so they low-ball everyone knowing that if they're desperate enough they'll cave & so make the company a decent margin (which is obviously the aim of the game - they're a business). Whether you think a company making money low-balling the kind of vulnerable people that need to quickly raise money, who often owe said money to the kind of entrepreneurs that only take cash is morally dubious, is of course just a matter of opinion - it doesn't really matter. But yes, I'd put Cash Converters into the same pigeon hole as pay-day loans companies or modern-day gambling shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Cool - you have your interpretation, I have mine. There ARE always other alternatives to any of these ways of raising money, of course. And you would be amazed at the names of some of my more famous customers. Some of them surprised me, But in every case they were just regular people needing a short-term quick injection of cash to tide them over & the vast majority of them just redeemed their stuff as arranged. Far more of Cash Converters business is in pawnbroking than buying stuff to resell. Amazing how many households would have half a dozen huge led televisions bought on the drip from Littlewoods, which they rotated in and out for "mad money". Easy. £10 deposit on a telly, then whip it down to cash converters and get a pawn loan on it for a month. Instant credit for cash. Apparently Littlewoods arent too fussy about who they get into debt beyond their means to pay either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Littlewoods and, as far as I know, all of the electronics & furniture shed retailers finance through money brokers who assume the debt load, together with the interest. The retailer gets paid cost for the kit, plus a %, which covers their expenses/overheads. Thus the 'retailer' isn't that bothered over status..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 this bass comes with bluetooth. That's pretty cool - never seen that before http://webshop.cashconverters.co.uk/auction-item/1159889/hondo-2-bass-guitar-with-bluetooth-free-pp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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