Tips To Buy Sell Or Trade Your Guitar?

Baxter and Jonathan talk tips on Buy, Sell or Trading that guitar of yours.

[@uuutooob9]

Back in my stupider days, I would buy/sell at my local dealer (Chuck Levin's in Maryland). Would negotiate with Chuck directly--and if things were getting "close but no cigar", Chuck would pick up his desk phone and ring up a mysterious third person who always was able to resolve the (usually pricing) impasse. Took me a while to realize nobody was on the phone... LOVE your channel and will try to stop by on my next trip south.

[@anthonypanneton923]

OH Yeah. been going to Chuck's since BEFORE he moved to Wheaton - back before the '68 riots when he was located in DC (7th St. I think...?). those guys had all kinds of games like that. fond memories of that place from the late '60s onward. bought my first good guitar there - a brand new '68 Tele for $170 - including hard shell case. spent a lotta $$$ up there. back then the usual routine was to deal with one of the younger sales guys (always in jacket and tie back then) - then he would go and "talk to Chuck" to try to get the price down. just like at a car dealership!

[@DeirdreSM]

I was an extra in The Blues Brothers. Got paid to see Cab Calloway sing Minnie the Moocher.

[@csnide6702]

sweet ! hidey hidey hidey ho.......

[@ryryshredder148]

I bought an acoustic for $850 last week from my local shop and they threw in a gig bag, stand, tee shirt, and a record of my choice out of a couple boxes. I was shocked they did that for a relatively cheap guitar. I will never go anywhere else now unless they don’t carry what I’m looking for.

[@deeplyable]

🎉🎉🎉 i need a deal like that!

[@seancollins3106]

@@deeplyable I have a similar experience. there's a small shop about 20min from me that I a bought a guitar from a last year. I new it'd been there a couple years, so I haggled a bit (paid 850, list was 999). they threw in a hard case at cost, a nice capo, strings, and picks! I was going to be ok if they'd take 10% off and call it a day!

[@arthurlove1002]

Famous negotiating statement, “come on, you’re killin me here”!

[@Big_Dumb_Animal]

Does this mean we can trade Frosty coupons for guitars?

[@medvedwanders9627]

whether buying a guitar or a car for that matter, never disclose you have a trade before negotiating the price if you want to know what the actual price is for the item you want and what your trade worth

[@anthonypanneton923]

to do it right, you always gotta just not care whether the deal goes thru or not. regardless of whether you're buying or selling. just be willing to walk away, and you'll always get the best end of the transaction. if you're selling, set a price and don't budge. if somebody gets annoying, then raise the price. if you're buying, look interested for a while - then put it down, and look at something else - something more expensive. and if you're buying and you REALLY REALLY want it, just pay full price. doing so will pay off next time when you're not that much interested in something...

[@seanbrooks2583]

ive been trying to sell my twin tweed for $1800 on reverb for a year. I recently sold some other gear so i said screw it i don't need the cash right now and raised the price to $2100. it sold later that day.

[@rstuartcpa]

I suggest you check with your CPA about wether or not to collect sales tax if the purchaser is from out of state. I believe that NC is a destination-based tax and tax should be collected based on where the customer takes possession of the product regardless of customer’s state of residence. If you ship the product to the customer in another state, they may have to pay use tax to their state. Best answer to a tax question on the CPA exam is whatever gives the government the most money. But check with a professional before your next sales tax audit.

[@jonjones655]

Just bought a new Telecaster yesterday from Moze guitars!!! Great price and custom too! WoooWeee!

[@sauce_aux]

Good to see Jaxnather

[@thepennydrops.]

I'm suprised you guys haven't mentioned Smokey and Bandit and the great Jerry Reed as Snowman. He was a supreme guitar player. If you're not familiar with his work start with Jerrys Breakdown and go from there! Elvis also covered a few of his tunes (Guitar Man actually has Jerry playing on it as none of Elvis' session guys could play the guitar parts right!)

[@Funkybassuk]

Jerry Reed is one of my favourite ever guitar players. What an incredible musician.

[@thepennydrops.]

@@Funkybassuk same for me. True guitar legend and massive charisma too. I've invested many many hours into learning his tunes and i'm many hours short of nailing them! 😅

[@solaris70]

Tupelo Mississippi Flash ⚡🔥⚡😊

[@ericaoliver8859]

I bought a used guitar this week at a shop. They do a Gear 30 video sale everyday. Show up by closing, get a extremely big discount on a certain guitar. I told the salesman " I'm going to Karen you on this sale" then I pulled up the two month old sale video on the guitar and told him I wanted to use an expired coupon, lol the video with the deal that expired TWO months ago. They gave it to me.

[@Funkybassuk]

Roadhouse is an awesome movie. Jeff Healey, Patrick Swayze. EDIT: I traded a bunch of Epiphones and a ‘94 Strat Plus for a pre-owned Martin 000-15S and a handwired Matamp Minimat through GuitarGuitar in London. Worked out well enough for me. Happy with the deal.

[@chadb5959]

Best line in Roadhouse: I can do that without you

[@MayorMcCheese2000]

I absolutely love all the Road House references lol

[@johnkolbjr8375]

When is the best time to bring up if someone wants to get multiple guitars?

[@michagrabowski6753]

Best advice someone gave me was to do a video about guitar load it on YT and put the link in the ad. Just simple one, in which you talk about the instrument and showing that everything works just fine should be O.K.. I did that with every cheap guitar I was selling and and I sold every each within a week :)

[@bmint]

I trade, but I agree, most of the time this works.. I am stuck with two that I am planning to give away

[@MashaT22]

@@bmint wait, are you kidding? I have been looking for a gently used or new donated electric guitar (preferably under 25” scale length) for over 2.5 years. I have even tried approaching the big companies and their non-profits. Some only donate to children, but for the most part, my emails got ignored or I’ve been told they’ve had too many donation requests since the start of the pandemic (even after the pandemic was winding down and some brands had surplus stock in warehouses that they were unloading at rock bottom prices). I have been homebound since 2018 due to long term illness. I had no cash to my name or over three years, and even now, it’s extremely tight for me and my service dog to live off what I’m getting (because I’m still not getting all the money I’m entitled to). Anyway, I only own a single acoustic guitar that was bought for me by my then dying mom. It’s painful to play with my chronic pain and disabilities for more than a short time, even with the action dropped and light strings. I can only play it for short bursts, and I can’t do a lot of skills like bending, trills, pull offs, etc. because I don’t have the strength/dexterity to do it with my weakness on an acoustic guitar. If I had electric, I’m certain I’d have a much better experience with an electric guitar being that they’re generally much easier on the hands with a good setup and lighter strings than an acoustic can accommodate. Anyway, no pressure. I realize I’m a complete stranger, but I’m taking a risk to ask. It’s extremely difficult to ask for help, but guitar is more than music for me. I taught myself to play starting in March 2020 with the cards stacked against me. I not only am ill and physically disabled, but I also have a brain injury. Somehow, I figured it out. It’s amazing to me that I’m able to play all sorts of songs and that I’ve gotten as good as I have (nobody’s hiring me, though - not THAT good, 😂). My service dog LOVES listening to music during his down time, so I do my best to play as much as my hands can tolerate. It’s like our bonding time to hang on my bed and relax with music. I have used learning and playing guitar as a form of physical, occupational, cognitive, and recreational therapies, and I’ve made great strides in each of these areas. I also know that my guitar skills and capabilities would get so much better with a guitar that is easier for me to play. I would be happy to speak with you, as well as provide proof that I’ve been ill since 2018 with MALT Lymphoma, daily syncope episodes that last for hours, and other new chronic medical issues (not counting the accident I had in 2003 that disabled me for life with a TBI and CRPS), that I have been homebound since July 2019, and have had extreme monetary need due to issues with getting my benefits from the government. If the guitars are spoken for or you’re not comfortable, then no problem! If you want to chat more, please feel free to reach out to me. I have the same sn as my KZbin on Twitter and Instagram. I’d provide links or KZbin will flag the comment as spam and delete. I appreciate your time! 😇🙏🏻🎸🤘🏻

[@stringspicksandfiddlestick6388]

I just sold a Squire Strat to MusicGoRound for $125 which was ok because I paid $80 for it at a pawn shop. I’ve always gotten great prices on P-90 guitars. I got a PRS SE One for $145. It’s player grade.

[@Helgy23]

The blues Brothers car chase scene is one of the best in cinema history

[@t3hgir]

Bullitt...

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I love the part inside the mall!

[@Santaheckler]

Selling to a seller ain’t the same as selling to a buyer 😉

[@solaris70]

Hey pull that white strat down behind you yes, it's the one with the tortoise pickguard and plug 🔌 it into an amplifier so we can hear what it sounds like , økAy. thank you very much .

[@michaelbell7541]

I played those chicken wire bars in illinois. WI band we would go down to Evanston and Skokie and it was rough but the pay was good. Bars closed at midnight on the dot in Evanston. You would stop in the middle of a song i f the lights went On. So yea they are not only in movies.

[@joelstephen3542]

So, I’m not asking for a discount but how many guitars does one have to buy before one gets taken out for sushi??

[@bmint]

I Always trade mine, or just give them away.. I’ve only bought a few, and I have no plans to buy anything but a gibson some day lol

[@duanewelsh5611]

Have bought so many guitars from my local shop I don't have to haggle. They tell me upfront their best price!

[@smelltheglove2038]

Loyalty pays off.

[@bbrotherton6345]

I have a GC credit card with a high limit. I walked into a Tempe, AZ GC. I found a 2k+ Fender Strat. I asked for a PRO discount because I was an engineer at Digitech. This kid said...."I can't imagine a scenario where I would offer you any kind of a discount". I left and have not been back. Thousands in lost sales!

[@adambomb5000]

I don’t know if I follow the point of the customer telling you what they want for the trade in. You will check your sources and will know what the highest you can go for the trade in regardless of what the customer says no?

[@williekenk]

But you shouldn’t disclose your trade in when selling a car. You should set your price on the purchase, then set your price on the trade in. Why wouldn’t a guitar be the same?

[@fastandfunky]

I have a 93 fender custom shop set neck, flame maple top, excellent condition, I can't figure out the real value because the prices are all over the place, help! Trying to sell it for a widow.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I’m not good at haggling, and I don’t enjoy doing it. That said, the best luck I’ve had is to know exactly what I want and how much it costs, but to be vague to the seller, like you’re just shopping, and “oh, that thing you have is nice! But I only have this much that’s X amount short of what you’re asking.” A lot of times the seller will accept my cash on hand for the thing I want. Worst case scenario they say no, and maybe you come back with the rest of the money Soundtrack to the Blues Brothers movie is great! That would have been a great live show to see!

[@FKAS8410]

You guys are a blast to watch.

[@benlogan430]

I never haggle on a new guitar. Used ones I don’t haggle much because my local shops price below Reverb. My pawn shop has nice guitars and priced to move. $1,100-1,600 on Reverb is $799 at the pawn. Plus no shipping and they usually sell it straight $799 and eat the taxes with me. Although they do give me at least 60%-80% of Reverb selling price.

[@stringspicksandfiddlestick6388]

I bought a Fender 52 AVRI at a pawn shop for $499. They thought it was a Partscaster

[@tone1798]

As a late teen (80’s) The GC in Santa Ana CA would negotiate. I quickly found out that it only applied to music shops. NOT, sport shops, clothing and or any store I purchased from! But I tried! Lol . However, if you don’t ask!?

[@DavidHBurkart]

(If you don't ask...) it won't happen for sure!

[@homegrownson]

I have a few of Each, when you get over a Dozen you always are looking to Trade Up, to minimize Number of Guitars on wall For Better Guitars on wall, even if there are fewer Guitars on wall, the other Nice Thing is when you have this many Guitars, You are NEVER Desperate to Sell something at below Value to You. I had one guy wait when I decided to sell or trade my 1965 Gibson Dove, I warned him my price was to sell at once and if he waited it might not be there and within an hour it Sold, A Shop I deal with all the Time, Gives me Discounts without asking, calls me when things they know I love and want arrive and not just to sell me whats on sale, That is Why Casino is Priceless, That & Baxters hair

[@shanewalton8888]

If I am not mistaken, one of Jackie Chan's Police Story films broke the record for most car crashes in a film.

[@Smart-Alex]

Buy yes, sell yes, trade only for a personal sale but not from a guitar store IMHO. You’ll get 50% of current market used value if you’re lucky.

[@smelltheglove2038]

My local shop does trades and gives a really good rate. They will do trades at what they do consignment for. It works out when you take in account for the hassle of selling on any one of the many sites.

[@Smart-Alex]

@@smelltheglove2038 That’s great. I had GC in mind :)

[@smelltheglove2038]

Now that I’m thinking about it, that probably depends on what you’re trading in and my good report with the shop.

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@Smart-Alex yes, I agree with that.

[@Smart-Alex]

@@smelltheglove2038 I don’t blame guitar stores for giving such a low value - they need to make money. As consumers, we just have better options.

[@Ronsat]

Baxter." Ive done stuff with sharks before" 😆

[@dw7704]

We have stores where the salesmen don’t get commission, so no real wiggle room on price, but they can throw in other items or look into other perks Last guitar I bought from them I was prepared to pay the asking price for just the guitar But it came with case that they sell for $120, so discount right there, and they threw in a strap So paying what I was prepared to pay for the guitar,I got extras so I could not pass it up (It was a used Epi, so not expensive)

[@Wadey1960CS]

If a dealer won’t do 8-10% off… go to one that will. And you’ll find one. That’s industry standard discount when buying new. Make it a good transaction for both parties. Don’t let them make their rent off one sell. And you understand that everything isn’t a “Fire Sale”.

[@blakejackson4483]

“With cash in hand, a deal you can get, man.”

[@homegrownson]

Maybe Baxter should Create a Kelly Blue Book for Guitars like they do for Cars

[@guywaggiemusic]

Guitar World magazine used to put a guitar buyers guide out in the early 2000s, don't know if they still do. It helped me buy a couple guitars back then.

[@MatthewBaron]

Blues Lawyer here. The person who throws out the first number does NOT always lose. If I sue someone for $25000 and the defendant wants to settle, guess what... I already threw out the first number: $25000. The seller has already stated the opening number. It's on the price tag. You don't want to pay that? Fine. Make a counteroffer. But wouldn't it be an offer? Legally speaking, yes and no. The price tag is an offer to sell. So you are counteroffering against that. At the same time, you are making an offer to buy. The shop has made it's offer. Accept, counter, or decline.

[@CooperSlops]

Always stop channel surfing and watch some “Roadhouse” when it’s on. John Doe from band X is also in movie. He plays the skimmin bartender

[@thebenefactor6744]

Collect 'em, trade 'em.

[@bigpapachance]

Key takeaway here: Relationships are important. Get to know the staff at your favorite shop, and build relationships with them.

[@tommilitello198]

I’m here for the comments from all the professional guitar salesmen,and of course most people are one,hilarious

[@jdb2722]

I always do the math and ask for 15% off. They typically say sure or agree at 10%. So if you see 2000, tell them 1700 but don’t pay over 1800.

[@jamesmcnamara1837]

You may want to talk to your CPA about that sales tax comment.

[@martianmurray]

If you lick the guitar they’ll have to give you a discount otherwise they have to throw it away

[@deeplyable]

Oops, I dropped it.. scratch and dent discount! Lol

[@csnide6702]

🐂💩

[@palidiciovermingagurainia1760]

I saw the car crash scene being filmed on a dead end street under a viaduct- l thought the police department was conducting a test on cop cars seeing how they crash…funny how your mind works

[@deanbradley5499]

was that a fart @ 5:04 👀

[@mattjackson7859]

Don’t. Don’t sell your guitar. It’s yours, keep it.

[@smelltheglove2038]

I’m all for trades. And to be fair, sometimes you have one too many strats sitting around and that old Mexi- strat hasn’t been played in over a year…. Trade it for something you’ve been looking at.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

At least not if it’s halfway decent and it’s your first guitar! My first electric was a Mexican Wayne’s World 2 strat. I didn’t bond with it at the time, but kinda wish I’d kept it. If I’d kept it though, I’d probably have sold it shortly after 😂

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@honkytonkinson9787 dang! I wanted one of them so bad as a kid! I asked for one for Christmas, and a marshall. I got a valvestate 407(maybe, not sure the exact model) combo, and a early 90 Washburn super strat style guitar. Man. I wanted that Wayne’s World guitar, or any strat. Pretty funny reading your comment now, with your not really liking it. I haven’t really thought about those guitars in a long time. I might have to try and find one now.

[@samsingletary7004]

Actually laughed out loud at this comment.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

@@smelltheglove2038 seems like I didn’t like the neck. I ended up with a Les Paul copy and sold the strat. I was new to guitar and had no idea what I was doing. The strat was probably a way better guitar! I bought it from a friend in 1995 or 96, for $300, came with a little fender amp too

[@jackhood4448]

What up

[@deeplyable]

I got a fender custom for sale!!! First 100 bucks gets it. no low balls, i dont have to sell it 😂😂😂😂

[@BlackGuardBilly]

Make a friend at the shop if you’re going to be buying gear for years to come.

[@solaris70]

roadhouse well there arr pick-up trucks and beer it's an excellent movie. the mission from god movie is going to make you happy - Aretha Franklin Will Be Singing To You .

[@davidwood351]

Successful negotiation is when you tell the person to go to hell, and they actually look forward to the journey.

[@shanewalton8888]

I wanna join the circus? lol

[@Bomber848480015]

5:13 Guitar transactions are not like buying Tuna Fish! 😂 Words to live by. Goes with, you can tune a Piano but you can’t tune a fish. So much wisdom in only 17 minutes. Wait is a guitar transaction like claiming your 12 free frosties? I don’t remember. 😂😂😂

[@LucasJRice]

I think it depends on where in the chain of buying the tuna you’re at. If you’re buying a can, yeah it’s impersonal. But buying a big ole slab of fish, that’s intimate and expensive.

[@BobSperber]

rules of the road: The tunafish in the street fell apart, because the price fixing!

[@redblazehorse]

"Sushi" that's bait.

[@alexz28usa12345]

You two should run for president and vice president.

[@rodgereyre6640]

I've always believed that any life lesson that you can't learn from Roadhouse probably isn't worth knowing.

[@mountainmanmusic3846]

I love when they just BS lol!

[@solaris70]

smile 😊 more it's sO very painful - but hard work always pays Best / better than no 🚫 work at all . similar to getting to practice or rehearsal , otherwise you didn't do the work if you skip practice you absent from rehearsal then .. yEah 🧐 . - at least your thumbnail pic should be a bit more spritely encouraging and all .

[@hotcakesman]

what if he calls my momma a whore?

[@anthonypanneton923]

then the price instantly doubles.

[@TribalGuitars]

I think the most cars crashed in a movie was in the original "Gone in 60 Seconds", but it wasn't a major motion picture. If you watch it and see people fleeing in what looks like real and abject terror, it's because it was real and abject terror. Much of the chase and crash scenes were done with no permits and no set extras. man of them are real people who have no idea what was happening.

[@petermiller3774]

Fender 400.00 guitar cost 1,200 we will give to you for 1,000 that's a 800.00 profit. Buy a squire better quality for alot less.

[@century2077]

So i cant talk u down to ur lowest cash price then start neg. Trade in value for guitars and pedals and ect.....

[@moconnell1000]

Pay full price for the guitar but have them throw in a bunch of free stuff.

[@Nick-qq2nq]

15% off for most new guitars with the exception to some boutique stuff. I’ve never bought a new guitar for less than 15% off. If a shop says they can’t, move on.

[@maxpower6271]

Exactly! Crying over MAP ain’t cutting it sorry. Lots of shops start at 15% off and go up as the price goes up. It might not be every model but 18 to 20 percent off is doable on most. Pro audio sells at 50 percent off at least twice a year on models they want to blow out. Squier 40th anniversary are $299.99 right now. They say open box but are brand new. Shop smart it’s a rough economy

[@Nick-qq2nq]

@@maxpower6271 100%. I get wanting to support good guitar shops but if you dont want to give me the 15% minimum, I’ll go somewhere else. Plenty of independent shops will and the big sellers (Sweetwater, MF, GC) will do it 100% of the time without question. My local shop does at least 20% off anything in the store on Black Friday play even more off select items (usually includes some custom shops and specific brands).

[@titanuranus]

I paid sticker on my Martin, but Jonathan spent somewhere between an hour to 90 minutes taking me through the entire Martin product line. In no way, shape or form do I feel like I didn't get a fair deal. If "TIME IS MONEY", then Casino's investment in spending time with me was repaid in my yankee greenbacks. Also, they gave me a t-shirt. SCORE!!!

[@joelstephen3542]

I agree. I’ll pay the price if it means keeping the good shops healthy.

[@bad_dreams_hex]

This is one of the best shows on KZbin, people sleeping. Just some dudes and guitars, subscribe immediately! Also get some diversity on the show... Could be some dudes and ladies and not just white peoples.

[@armchairzen]

There are a lot of comments about keeping your trade-in secret until a price has been negotiated. It's a little underhanded, when you think about it, because your trade-in is not cash. As a seller, I can use your cash to pay the rent or buy more guitars to sell. Your trade-in initially represents a loss for me. Sure, I gave you a hundred and maybe I can sell it for two, but in the meantime, I'm out the money I paid for the guitar you're buying, plus my money is tied up in your trade-in, and it could take a year to get it back. Will I deal differently if you tell me up front about your trade-in? Yes. Yes I will. Because you have dictated a different set of parameters. You are not giving me cash money for cash value, but are bartering in trade. This doesn't happen at car dealerships, because as soon as you start to talk money, the sales rep will ask if you have anything to trade. So $900 for a $1,000 guitar is a good deal for both. I put $100 in profit towards the rent. If we get to $900 and then you want a trade deal, I can say no and look like a dick, or I can lowball you 'cause I already gave away the profit, or I can give you $200 and end the day at a loss. You can't pay rent with a guitar. Sellers are always apologizing for making a profit. Like they need to justify it. Do you apologize to your employer when he hands you your paycheck? Best advice here: from Matt Jackson: "Don't. Don't sell your guitar. It's yours, keep it." - - - I love that. (so do my guitars)

[@SV-wb8kh]

Guitars are like houses...they're only worth what some idiot is prepared to pay for it.

[@petermiller3774]

Dirty word sell only buy.

[@jefffletcher2614]

Terrible advice. Absolutely do not disclose a trade on a car or a guitar until you’ve negotiated on the item you’re buying. Usually, doing so only ensures that they’ll give you as close to NOTHING on your trade in as they possibly can.