Grateful Dead Music Forum

The beauty of ebay or craigslist is that if you live in a back-water town like I do (richmond). You no longer are limited to what the locals put out there. I've bought several items off ebay and/or craigslist that I doubt I could have found otherwise. Yes the prices are higher, but the opportunities are much greater. Oh and the pot is better too. Just more expensive. Its a sign of the times. None of it is perfect, but if I had to wait until the local music stores got any good trades in I'd be playing the same thing as everyone else or constantly driving up to DC to hit a bigger market. With internet the entire world becomes the virtual market.

Trust me, I'd rather go back to the 60's, no internet, cell phones, camera phones, Twitter. None of it. Just think of all the time on your hands and how nice and long some tasks would be allowed to take. But I can't seem to fly around the earth fast enough to reverse the spin and go back.

Maybeck09 wrote:The beauty of ebay or craigslist is that if you live in a back-water town like I do (richmond). You no longer are limited to what the locals put out there. I've bought several items off ebay and/or craigslist that I doubt I could have found otherwise. Yes the prices are higher, but the opportunities are much greater. Oh and the pot is better too. Just more expensive. Its a sign of the times. None of it is perfect, but if I had to wait until the local music stores got any good trades in I'd be playing the same thing as everyone else or constantly driving up to DC to hit a bigger market. With internet the entire world becomes the virtual market.

Trust me, I'd rather go back to the 60's, no internet, cell phones, camera phones, Twitter. None of it. Just think of all the time on your hands and how nice and long some tasks would be allowed to take. But I can't seem to fly around the earth fast enough to reverse the spin and go back.

That is an excellent point Maybeck. I didnt really think of that, but I would say that it is one of those situations that the back is as big as the front.
For the opportunity it gives, the price is definately driven up. The collective conversation has led to some hysterical buying. Ebay is responsible for a lot of that. The auction format drives frenzy buying. There is absolutely no reason a mutron should be worth 500- 600 bills. But people buy it, so thats what its worth. Back in the day I used to sell jewelry that my girlfriend made at Dead shows. I could walk around all day and not sell one thing, until a girl or two would be looking and other girls would see it, and nearly tackle me to buy the shit. I would sell all of it within an hour. It was nice stuff, but the perception is what drove the market.
BTW, What a great thing to sell at shows as a young man. Easy to carry, legal, and you talked to chicks all day.

Forums also make people convinced they need something for better or worse. For example, midi switchers! but even with that I would not have thought of that unless the community was there.
Another example is boutique gear. Without the internet, that market just would not exist. Aagin, kinda cool, but also alot of junk comes through.

jahozer wrote: For the opportunity it gives, the price is definately driven up. The collective conversation has led to some hysterical buying. Ebay is responsible for a lot of that. The auction format drives frenzy buying. There is absolutely no reason a mutron should be worth 500- 600 bills. But people buy it, so thats what its worth.

lol - I remember throwing an old Mutron away when I was in high school - probably only had a bad input - there was no market for the thing if it was working back then much less one that needed some work the whole auction format does seem to put ego into the mix and folks keep bidding up things just so they can "win." Great for the seller bad for those looking for a deal. The easy access to information and the ability for a lone person to market something worldwide is a good thing though there's no accounting for the consumer's intelligence or lack there of. As P.T. Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute." With 6 billion people on this planet it's now more like 1,000 suckers born every minute.

Thankfully, I have been working on my "toy" collection for 30 years and got started before eBay existed and don't need much other than the odd gizmo or the occasional new instrument. Get to know your local music store guys especially if you are in a working band - I used to give guys I knew played for a living 10% over cost on pretty much anything or would contact suppliers about other discounts for pros - they would cut deals (Taylor guitars used to be pretty good about this). The big chains are not likely to do this nor are the online stores - a good way to support you local economy and small businesses. If you know anyone who gets endorsement deals ask them about hooking you up or if you, yourself get endorsement deals, share the wealth. I got my Del'Arte acoustic for $1.300 (list price $3,900) through a guy I play music with who won the Winfield National Flatpicking championship.

Hmmm...used gear should be half of new? Then the used telecaster I bought at 16 years old for $50 bucks, serial number 206, and sold for $50, should be how much now? (I'm 53). The new Les Paul Deluxe I bought in 1972 for $400 should now be $200? My 1978 Gibson bass, new at $760, should now be $380? Also, 1964 Fender duo-sonic, I paid $125 in 1970, 1958 Gibson Melody Maker Les Paul Jr., I paid $50 in 1973, 1968 Gibson SG I paid $250, 1956 Carvin, new was $119, I paid $700 in 1999, Sold for $2100 in 2007; not to mention my first amp, brown tolex Princeton, the Bassmans, old Ampeg flip-top, etc., etc,

In other words, Value is set by the buyer. It is hard to see value as a buyer, myself, when I know that prices have increased so much over the years, but so long as people pay the price, the value is set. My Les Paul Deluxe was $400.00 new in 1972. Now they are close to $3000.00. I wouldn't pay that, but then, I am not at the level of career that that price is justified (I play bass now, and have almost exclusively for many years now. I like it better). The LP was bought from mowing grass and delivering newspapers. The 1952 Telecaster I paid $50 for is now bringing $15,000 or so. The guy I sold it to still has it, and won't sell it back...I asked!

So where was I going with this rant? I got sidetracked a couple of times. I guess the point is, pay whatever you want to get what you like and roll with it, but don't get ripped by the guys selling new for more than you can otherwise get it for. Shopping around can save big bucks on new stuff. Bob Gunnison used to do warranty work for Gibson. He told me that the Factory makes about 200% on amplifiers, and about 900% on guitars. They build amps because they have to, but guitars are the bread and butter. That's why Gibson quit making amps, and bought Trace Elliott. On Ebay I have seen Steinbergers go for almost twice the new value from musician's Friend. I have also seen Phil tickets go for way more than you can get them at GDST, etc. I just bought tickets for the Broomfield show at tickethorse for face value at the same time Craigslist was trying to get $100- per and Ebay over $400 per.

Shop around, and I'll come back when I'm more focused.

True, true, I was more referring to recent stuff not vintage or collectible that's a whole other ballgame. I had someone offer me 5k for my old P-bass 'cause it was used on some cool blues recordings - certainly not worth that. Demand certainly sets the price - if there are crazy people on eBay willing to pay more for a stomp box used than it costs new then atta-boy to the seller (re: PT Barnum).