What price point does a guitar purchase change from pure playability to having to think about resale

Plukky

fretfinder said:

Plukky said: Most of my guitars are bought from overseas and the reality is that some of them don't meet expectations.

Just wondering why you buy mostly from overseas? I think the UK is a great place to buy guitars, if you buy used and wisely. And unless they're too far away you can try before you buy.

One reason is that I live overseas.

I have bought or traded guitars from the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Canada.  Mostly, it's to do with which makes and models of guitar appeal to me and where I find the best deals.  Most of the guitars I have bought from abroad simply weren't available in the UK.  But I bought from the US even when I did live in the UK, but that was back when the dollar was over 2:1 to the pound and the difference between importing and buying in the UK was marked.

koneguitarist

I can honestly say I have never lost a penny on a guitar. Even when bought new.
Generally if you are sensible and research things, they are better assets than pretty much anything out there.

dindude

I rarely think of resell and have lost because of it no doubt, but if you have it in mind then you are always going to play it safe.

My USA Schecter would be worth about 2p if I sold it, which I never will because it's freaking brilliant. 

Its also not as simple as you think. I bought a brand new G&L ASAT imported from the USA last year, which are always attached to resell horror stories, yet lost maybe £250 (less than 30%) on it when I sold it a few months later.

Conversely, a 2016 Gibson SG I'm selling at the moment, such a safe bet, I will lose 40% on over the same period.





P.s. I may have just pushed the button on another guitar which would probably be worth 50% out of the door. Hey ho, let's hope I like it!

mynamesnotbob

I don't think of resell, I buy because I want it. It's all with spare cash, so I would think differently with finance I guess, but I would never finance a guitar, bike, etc when I have one that works.

Maybe if it was my living I'd think different, as it would be needed for work.

Basically accept all the cash is gone once I've bought it, if I no longer want it and get some cash, then happy days. Only buy what you really want, buy with money you've already earns, can't go wrong - same as anything really.

If I was buying to sell you have to apply a different discipline, and accept you are buying for the next person, so your needs are secondary to market

musicman100

It's hard to even say what the realistic resale value is in today's market. Just look at stuff that's advertised on here that struggles to sell n look on ebay  at silly buy it now prices. 
I'm probably different to a lot of people on here in the sense that i think more of the resale value on cheaper stuff n less on high end guitars i buy, I guess its mainly becasue most of of the high end stuff is have i will never sell. 

koneguitarist

A guitar is at the end of the day a tool. Think of how much it costs to own, but also how much you will earn from it and how much it will be worth if you sell it. If prices drop then selling it and buying something else, well the new guitar you are after if 2nd hand will also be at a lower price it's all swings and roundabouts. 
Buying new, with anything you will always lose money unless you keep it for years and price increases will raise 2nd hand value to what you paid for it. 
But even then you have to think about model and make, as sometimes special models often don't hold same value as a std model will. 
2nd hand fenders have an intrinsic value soon as they become 2nd hand, but don't drop anymore, unless they are modded and damaged by careless use. 
a friend asked me a few years back what's worth buying now, and I said 80's USA metal guitars like Kramer, BC Rich, Charvel etc. Going for peanuts a few years ago as they were right out of fashion, yet prices have been steadily growing as they were quality guitars, and the guys who were after them in 80's are now in 40-50's and can afford to indulge themselves. 
Do research, but at the end of the day, how much value do you put on something that you can fall in love with, and will give you years of pleasure. 

ToneControl

Pro acoustics and  Pro hollowbodies  cost more  than Pro solid body electrics, new and used
I'd say you need a  £2k-£2.5k  budget  to not be excluding the best  used acoustics,  and £1500  for hollowbody electrics
whereas  you can buy a used  pro Fender, Gibson, PRS solid body  for less than £1200

Skipped

ToneControl said:

Pro acoustics and  Pro hollowbodies  cost more  than Pro solid body electrics, new and used
I'd say you need a  £2k-£2.5k  budget  to not be excluding the best  used acoustics,  and £1500  for hollowbody electrics
whereas  you can buy a used  pro Fender, Gibson, PRS solid body  for less than £1200

I agree with that.
To put it another way, at a different price point.....when I see a thread saying "Which Es style guitar for £400?" I have to resist from replying. Because, even though the poster has set his/her heart on a Semi I want to say that a solid body guitar for £400 is a better proposition. In fact £400 will buy a very decent used Sg Special or Fender Classic Player.

shaunm

Resale is a really interesting point. 

Im not wealthy so the idea that I could lose £1000 on something is a consideration. That being said, it wouldn't determine whether or not I would buy a guitar or amp. The deciding factor would be if I could afford that item the day I bought it and if I bought it what would that do to my finances. 

Unfrotunately for me and my want for gear, my pockets do not run deep enough to order the Feline I want, or buy the Gibson Custom shop that I'd like. The resale of the instrument is irrelevant. When my circumstances change I will buy these instruments that I want and I will care not a jot about the resale as I won't be buying with that in mind.

OilCityPickups

meltedbuzzbox said:

Never buy to invest. You buy to play. 

FelineGuitars said:

On a side note...

Strikes me that constantly thinking about resale ahead of time is rather akin to drawing up a pre-nup agreement every time you meet a new girl - It may reek of practicality but it seems somewhat lacking in passion, and I'm sure would put the kibosh on a successful relationship.

The only time you should factor in resale convos are to satisfy nearest & dearest or family members with concerns.
Guitars are not really investment worthy items - unless someone offers you a genuine vintage one for next to nothing.

For investment obsessions you'd be better off on a different kind of forum discussing banking products,buying and flipping houses and investing in bitcoins.

Wonder if I'm the only one on here who wishes there were more conversations on here about passions and desires for guitars and less about resale values?

Sassafras said:

If you're always thinking of resale value, you're unlikely to find a guitar you'll be really happy with. 
There's a misconception that the grass is always greener...

I think some people don't take the time to bond with whatever gear they've got.

These three have summed up my view in a nutshell: 
To me, thinking of how much I could sell a guitar for when I am about to buy it would be like working out how to dump a girlfriend before you've even kissed her! There are very few guitars that are investments ... and those that are you probably would be scared to play on a day to day basis. Enjoy the best you can afford, accept that messy breakups, where she gets the house and the dog, sometimes happen ... and enjoy playing.

thomasross20

Agree @TheGuitarWeasel ;

professorben

Start a mental 'swear jar' put a quid in every time you play your guitar, and when you come to sell it, just remember how many times you 'paid' for it. 

Dave_Mc

That'd be about three quid for most of us, I imagine...