Selling basses

[Tim2291]

How does anyone do it?

 

I was thinking the other day that I could sell a few and replace them... then I looked at them and thought, nah can't sell that one, or that one, or that one... Just can't bring myself to part with any of mine!

[neepheid]

49 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

How does anyone do it?

 

I was thinking the other day that I could sell a few and replace them... then I looked at them and thought, nah can't sell that one, or that one, or that one... Just can't bring myself to part with any of mine!

 

Choosing between keeping the roof over your head or keeping the bass tends to make it a quite easy decision...

[lidl e]

Im going through thus right now.

 

I have a bass i think i want to sell, but if i think twice, i then dont want to.

 

I want to sell and get a bunch of effects, but i dont want to not have the bass!

 

An 84 Steinberger XP

[Tim2291]

4 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Choosing between keeping the roof over your head or keeping the bass tends to make it a quite easy decision...

 

That one is a very different situation and of course would make it an easy decision!

 

I'm talking about selling gear to pay for other gear, never been able to do it at all! I still own all the basses I have bought or been bought!

[lidl e]

2 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

 

That one is a very different situation and of course would make it an easy decision!

 

I'm talking about selling gear to pay for other gear, never been able to do it at all! I still own all the basses I have bought or been bought!

Here's a MAJOR regret of mine 

 

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

 

That one is a very different situation and of course would make it an easy decision!

 

I'm talking about selling gear to pay for other gear, never been able to do it at all! I still own all the basses I have bought or been bought!

 

The voice of experience often comes across as gruff

 

When it's a more optional situation, I guess for me it comes down to what's being played.  If it's not being played, it's clear to sell.

[nilorius]

2 options - You don't like it anymore or You need money.

[Tim2291]

1 minute ago, lidl e said:

Here's a MAJOR regret of mine 

 

OUCH!!! And this is why I have a fear of selling gear! What if one of my basses suddenly becomes collectable? I mean I doubt an entry level Yamaha RBX270 is going to... but then again it is in the sparkly purple finish that is now apparently rare!

[Tim2291]

Just now, nilorius said:

2 options - You don't like it anymore or You need money.

 

See, I stopped liking my BBN5, so it sat on its stand for years... I then got bored of looking at it so removed all the frets, resprayed it and now have a great sounding and looking fretless that I play all the time! 

 

As above, needing money is a very different situation to what I am talking about here and I am very lucky to have never been in that position!

[MichaelDean]

I had to be ready to let go of them. My first bass was a jazz bass copy. Sounded ok, but just didn't work for me tonally, so last year after 20 something years of ownership, I sold it. I was a bit sad at first, but I wasn't playing it, the sound didn't get me going and it was a it of a boat anchor. I'm ok with the decision now. 

[neepheid]

When it comes to rare basses, I've sold a Guild B402-A, and the G&L El Toro I traded it for.  They ultimately weren't meant for me.

[Tim2291]

4 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

The voice of experience often comes across as gruff

 

When it's a more optional situation, I guess for me it comes down to what's being played.  If it's not being played, it's clear to sell.

 

That makes a lot of sense, I don't have a massively vast collection of basses, and I have made sure that all of them do things slightly differently, so I have my main bass that I use at every gig, I have a Fender Jazz that is used as a backup, and then others have been converted to fretless, changed to have a high C rather than low B or strung with flats so that it gives a completely different sound/feel!

[Tim2291]

1 minute ago, MichaelDean said:

I had to be ready to let go of them. My first bass was a jazz bass copy. Sounded ok, but just didn't work for me tonally, so last year after 20 something years of ownership, I sold it. I was a bit sad at first, but I wasn't playing it, the sound didn't get me going and it was a it of a boat anchor. I'm ok with the decision now. 

I don't think I could bring myself to part with my first! I don't ever gig it, and as yours did, it sounds OK but not the best BUT, it is one of the easiest playing basses I own so it gets picked up regularly to play around with. I am tempted to replace the pickups and see if that makes it more giggable tone wise!

[cetera]

18 minutes ago, lidl e said:

Here's a MAJOR regret of mine 

 

 

 

Damn, that will have tripled in value since then....

[lidl e]

19 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

OUCH!!! And this is why I have a fear of selling gear! What if one of my basses suddenly becomes collectable? I mean I doubt an entry level Yamaha RBX270 is going to... but then again it is in the sparkly purple finish that is now apparently rare!

Ya, i try not to think about it!

[Tim2291]

7 minutes ago, lidl e said:

Ya, i try not to think about it!

I don't know much about Wals, but at the time that may well have been a good price for it!

[lidl e]

6 minutes ago, Tim2291 said:

I don't know much about Wals, but at the time that may well have been a good price for it!

It was 500 more than i paid for it!

 

Crazy

[knirirr]

1 hour ago, Tim2291 said:

How does anyone do it?

 

A good question. If I decide that I need the money or could do without a particular bass and list it for sale, it is highly unlikely that anyone will be interested.

[Ed_S]

For me, it all comes down to finite available space. If I'm out of space but still want to try new things (which I invariably do - it's a definite part of the hobby for me) then I have to let something go, and if I get to the point where nothing can go, then nothing can arrive either. If I'd kept every bass I've ever owned then I would have been out of room a long time before I got to try any of my favourites, and if you put every bass I've ever owned in front of me in exactly the same state as when I sold it, there are only a couple I'd actually want back. 

[Paolo85]

I am all ok with selling basses. I do not like to keep them there doing nothing. One I have been struggling with is a Squier P Made in China from 2008, paid jusr £120 and from my point of view amazing for the money. It has a great neck but with 40mm nut width. I have two other Ps and I always find myself playing those as I normally prefer the 42mm width.

Still, I cannot get myself to sell for ~£120 a bass that is better than more expensive basses I had

[pfretrock]

2 hours ago, Tim2291 said:

How does anyone do it?

 

I was thinking the other day that I could sell a few and replace them... then I looked at them and thought, nah can't sell that one, or that one, or that one... Just can't bring myself to part with any of mine!

Like the old Love adage, better to have bought and sold than never bought at all.

[kodiakblair]

Biggest problem I have with selling is energy.

 

Couple of issues came to light recently where me selling the basses now will save family a whole bunch of hassle later. Trouble is, just the thought of taking photos, weighing the bloody things, answering messages, set ups and packing them is knackering 😃

[SamIAm]

16 minutes ago, pfretrock said:

Like the old Love adage, better to have bought and sold than never bought at all.

I am going to have to use (steal) that!

 

S'manth x

[pfretrock]

9 minutes ago, Smanth said:

I am going to have to use (steal) that!

 

S'manth x

We all know GAS makes the world go round.

[Burns-bass]

I thought it was hard but I’ve done 12 out the door and none back in and it’s all working out wonderfully.

 

No more cases everywhere, wife happy, bit of cash (err, a lot of cash - all of which has been saved for 2023 and the craziness). 
 

I also have the money here if I ever see something I really want.