Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Mar 26, 2022 6:01:14 GMT -6
Does selling on eBay make people stupid?
Or does eBay draw stupid people?
It's got to be one or the other.
Okay, to be fair, maybe asking price is not a fair reflection of the actual spot market. A caveat: when talking stuff like electric guitars, it's not unusual to see the exact same item has been "sold" four or five times already. Still, I check the situation.
There's a whole BUNCH of sold EB-3... largely because Epiphone electric guitars are nothing but clones of Gibson electric guitars, which have had a really specific teensy problem for most of a century -- note: seller's emphasis, not mine.
And there you sit with a set-neck guitar that's pretty much unrepairable, for a mere $200 or so, all-in.
For maybe fifty bucks more, you can upgrade to Barely B-Stock:
After those, there's one or two EB-3 sold, then the final cost vaults over $400. And here's a typical statement about one that was sold ($350 + $66) as New. After removing THE CAPITAL LETTERS --
...which is a long way of saying "this is NOT a NEW item by ANY stretch of the term" and "it's probably some sort of musical instrument but we're not certain."
IN SUM: if you absolutely HAVE to have a Gibson clone that has Gibson faults, then pay the extra twenty bucks and hew to a REPUTABLE dealer. And for these prices you might as well BUY NEW: sure, you can maybe snag a used one at The Usual Suspects... and if the head snaps off on the ride home, do you even get your cash back, much less a replacement?
Or does eBay draw stupid people?
It's got to be one or the other.
- Cheapest Epiphone EB-3 bass (used) on eBay right now: $338.17 + $95. (From Japan, to make any return or dispute especially difficult.)
FFI -- because eBay = stupid - Going rate for a NEW Epiphone EB-3 bass from a super-reliable retailer: $449 + $0... and an "open box" could be had for as little as $404.
FFI -- Sweetwater does it better
Okay, to be fair, maybe asking price is not a fair reflection of the actual spot market. A caveat: when talking stuff like electric guitars, it's not unusual to see the exact same item has been "sold" four or five times already. Still, I check the situation.
There's a whole BUNCH of sold EB-3... largely because Epiphone electric guitars are nothing but clones of Gibson electric guitars, which have had a really specific teensy problem for most of a century -- note: seller's emphasis, not mine.
THE HEADSTOCK HAS BROKEN OFF FROM THE NECK AND CHUNKS OF WOOD ARE MISSING FROM THE BREAK
And there you sit with a set-neck guitar that's pretty much unrepairable, for a mere $200 or so, all-in.
For maybe fifty bucks more, you can upgrade to Barely B-Stock:
THERE ARE CRACKS EMANATING FROM THE NECK ON BOTH SIDES
After those, there's one or two EB-3 sold, then the final cost vaults over $400. And here's a typical statement about one that was sold ($350 + $66) as New. After removing THE CAPITAL LETTERS --
It is our feeling that this is a new / unsued [sic] guitar. However it was stored without a case in a home that had some humidity issues. You can see where the tuning pegs have picked up some oxidation .... and so do the metal parts that are around the strings. We do not see any wear on the frets.
Finally, that small depression on the neck has picked up some discoloration.
Finally, that small depression on the neck has picked up some discoloration.
...which is a long way of saying "this is NOT a NEW item by ANY stretch of the term" and "it's probably some sort of musical instrument but we're not certain."
IN SUM: if you absolutely HAVE to have a Gibson clone that has Gibson faults, then pay the extra twenty bucks and hew to a REPUTABLE dealer. And for these prices you might as well BUY NEW: sure, you can maybe snag a used one at The Usual Suspects... and if the head snaps off on the ride home, do you even get your cash back, much less a replacement?
