What am i not getting

[Louis]

I look for deals on used Taylors a lot to pass the time. But what I notice and prove me wrong is that for the most part you can go get a brand new Taylor for the price of what I see for the most part as being sold as used. There might and I'm sure there is deals but I don't see any thing that say's "better get out there and grab this one". I got my 314ce for xMas 2 years ago and the price tag is still on the case and all the used ones  I mostly see  are the same price as what the family bought me brand new for. I'm sure missing the picture some where. And I'm not entirely wrong cause my friend just drove his motor home back this week from Palm Springs to Calgary diverted the mountains cause of storms and went by Vegas, stopped in pawn shop and there was a 600 series Taylor in there and was the price of a new one.


edited for price

[Giraku]

If you know where to get the right deals...
Not everyone knows the appropriate price range.

Most of the case, you can get XX% off from the list price on new ones. You should expect XX% off for the used one assuming in excellent condition.
Of course, special editions (seasonal limited, anniversary, Builder's Reserve, etc.) are outsiders of this rule.



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[ebick]

Most of the case, you can get XX% off from the list price on new ones. You should expect 50% off for the used one assuming in excellent condition.

Assuming that is true.....it begs the question...is XX% worth not getting a brand new one with the warranty?



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[Giraku]

Most of the case, you can get 40% off from the list price on new ones. You should expect XX% off for the used one assuming in excellent condition.

Assuming that is true.....it begs the question...is XX% worth not getting a brand new one with the warranty?

Depends on the base price, I think.

BTW, I would like to clarify the numbers on my previous post.
Those numbers may not apply to lower end models.
Also this does not apply to everyone and/or all the stores.
If you are a loyal customer (heavily returning) at a specific local store where lots of Taylors are sold, yes you can get that kind of deal.
Do not expect this type of deal at a store you have never done a business with.

Also, the price tag on the used ones do not reflect the actual selling price after negotiation.




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[tedtan]

I experienced this when I bought my 814ce a couple of years ago. I initially tried to save a few dollars by buying used, but the prices weren't low enough to get my attention. If I had stumbled across THE ONE, I would have bought it, of course, but I didn't. I ended up buying a new one (with warranty), and do not regret doing so - I really like the one I got. 

I would think that most people probably buy from Guitar Center or one of the online shops (Musicians Friend, Sweetwater, etc.) and end up paying MAP rather than getting the better pricing that is available through some of the independent dealers. Also, many of the used guitars are resold via eBay, which I have noticed is a  seller's market, at least for musical instrument sales. Those facts translate into a higher resale value than I would expect overall, and from what I've seen, Taylor seems to have an even higher resale value than other brands.

[Strumming Fool]

It all depends upon the deal at hand. I bought my 1995 GA-KS (one of one hundred of the first koa GAs that Taylor made) for a considerably lower price than I would have paid for its brand new counterpart....

[lmacmil]

Prior to buying my GA3, I studied the Ebay actual selling prices of used GA3s, 314s and 214s.  The best deal was a used 314ce which averaged XX% below the best new price (XX% off).  The average discount on a used 214ce was only XX% lower than the best new price.  It's pretty much the same with Martins. 

My theory is because many (perhaps most) Ebay sellers bought their new Taylor or Martin at Guitar Center or from Musician's Friend and got only a XX% discount.  If you live in a town (like I do) with no independent stores and you don't know about the internet sellers, GC is your only option for a new guitar.



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[Louis]

Umm interesting, mind you i fully understand buying specialty ones and build to order a guy has to pay and I'm sure  the ones out there are have been really
taken care of.

[leeasam]

Musicians Friend and GC are usually in the XX% off retail range. Many indie shops are from XX to XX% off.  the Shop I go to is XX% but if asked they will match the XX%. I am not away of anyone going lower than XX% however. 

 So what happens is the seller bought the guitar at too high a price and is trying to sell it at a break they think is reasonable for used which may be BUT they are looking at what they paid not what many who check around can buy it for.



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[CodeBlueEMT]

 There are good deals to be found, some are just harder to find.

 I think about GS Mini's. Wanna a used one? Might as well buy a new one, because a nice used one is going to cost about the same as new.

 It's probably easier to negotiate on higher end guitars, but I'll let those with more experience share their thoughts. 

[cigarfan]

I would say this whole conversation would depend on the value of XX.

[Nomad]

Not everyone knows the appropriate price range.

This is a real sore spot for me.

The "appropriate price range" is one which permits the customer and the dealer to make a fair deal. All too often, customers could care less about their dealer making a fair profit.

Most of the case, you can get XX% off from the list price on new ones. You should expect XX% off for the used one assuming in excellent condition.

And this is why. Consumers believe they should be allowed to "expect" something. How about "expecting" a fair deal? I've got news for you. If a dealer only makes a couple hundred bucks when he sells a guitar which has a list price of a few thousand, that's not a fair deal, but it's what consumers have been told to "expect", and that's bad business...

[MexicoMike]

"If a dealer only makes a couple hundred bucks when he sells a guitar which has a list price of a few thousand, that's not a fair deal, but it's what consumers have been told to "expect", and that's bad business..."

 It really just comes down to the fact that a customer is going to pay the least amount of money he/she needs to pay to get the product they want.  Certainly there are people that would gladly pay a bit more to a local store that provides some perceived added value as opposed to, say, buying on the internet.  But ultimately, as the old saying goes, people vote with their wallet and I don't think there are many shoppers around that worry much about whether a dealer/store is making a "fair"profit.  If you were trying to sell me a guitar (or whatever) and told me that you needed an extra 100 bucks compared to the store down the street for a better profit, I would respectfully head back down the street.

[tedtan]

Not everyone knows the appropriate price range.

This is a real sore spot for me.

The "appropriate price range" is one which permits the customer and the dealer to make a fair deal. All too often, customers could care less about their dealer making a fair profit.

Most of the case, you can get XX% off from the list price on new ones. You should expect XX% off for the used one assuming in excellent condition.

And this is why. Consumers believe they should be allowed to "expect" something. How about "expecting" a fair deal? I've got news for you. If a dealer only makes a couple hundred bucks when he sells a guitar which has a list price of a few thousand, that's not a fair deal, but it's what consumers have been told to "expect", and that's bad business...

What the buyer expects is only half of the equation, though, Nomad. In economics, the underlying assumption is that a rational buyer will look out for his/her best interests and a rational seller will look out for his/her own best interests. Given this, the onus is on the seller to ensure he receives a price that is sufficient to make the transaction worthwhile. And anyone who's been around business for a while will know that that "sufficient price" will change from one day to the next as cash flows (and the need for cash flows) change.

[Nomad]

"If a dealer only makes a couple hundred bucks when he sells a guitar which has a list price of a few thousand, that's not a fair deal, but it's what consumers have been told to "expect", and that's bad business..."

 It really just comes down to the fact that a customer is going to pay the least amount of money he/she needs to pay to get the product they want.  Certainly there are people that would gladly pay a bit more to a local store that provides some perceived added value as opposed to, say, buying on the internet.  But ultimately, as the old saying goes, people vote with their wallet and I don't think there are many shoppers around that worry much about whether a dealer/store is making a "fair"profit.  If you were trying to sell me a guitar (or whatever) and told me that you needed an extra 100 bucks compared to the store down the street for a better profit, I would respectfully head back down the street.

You're absolutely correct. The vast majority of customers have absolutely zero regard for the health of their local dealer. None. If your local guy charges you $100.00 more than some guy 1,000 miles away, the local guy is screwed. But these are the very same customers who will blame big box retailers when their local guy closes down. They will never, ever, acknwledge that the bigger reason the local guy closed is because they chose not to support the guy who ended up closing.

It's a Catch-22. The local guy can't sell you a guitar because you're not willing to pay an amount which affords him a fair and reasonable profit, and he can't stay in business if he doesn't sell guitars.

By and large, customers can be very cheap, and very stingy. They'll lament the fact that their local guy closes, but they'll buy a guitar from someone they'll probably never meet just to save a few bucks.

Sorry, but I just think it's disgusting, and it puts a lot of good people out of business.