The New Breed of Guitar Dealers - Do They Really Think Guitar Buyers Are That Stupid?

HarrySeven

Re. bedroom traders/serial flippers/whatever...I would say that in recent years, the most prevalent platform (or at least, where I see it the most) are Facebook groups (although obviously, this forum and others, eBay and vendor websites are a large chunk of the overall equation).

While I recognise that buying cheap and selling high in a timely fashion is part of the basis of good business acumen, like many posters on this thread, the things that boil my piss are dishonesty, pleading poverty (then immediately flipping), aggressive lowballing and quite often, the subsequent sheer brass neck when reposting (with vast price hike) on the same platform it was purchased from.

As has already been said, once something leaves the seller's hands, the new owner is entitled to do whatever they want to do with it, but it's the process of acquisition that rankles - and it's not difficult to spot those who practice such methods. There is a fairly extensive list of people who I would avoid selling to/buying from - purely because I know their motivation is nothing to do with appreciation/enjoyment of the gear, but everything to do with profit (and yes, I know this is what happens when you sell to a shop, etc - but they aren't pretending to be your mate, telling you that their MOT is due or pointing out tiny or imaginary imperfections in order to broaden their margin*).

*Well, they might do this bit.

armitaan

How about as per autotrader or something where mods can ad a"trade" label at least to alert people so at least it's clear to all who these operators are 

sawyer

How about banning them?

IvisonGuitars

sawyer said:

Think I'd be in bother if I said. Mods would probably ban me ha. I've flagged it though and nothing done about it despite forum policy. 

Is the chap you're talking about north of the border @Sawyer?

ourmaninthenorth

The old adage that you're buying the seller just as much as his/her wares has stood me in good stead over the years. First sniff of anything I don't like...and there I was...gone. Period.

End of errand. 

This stuff is simple. 

As to the classifieds being some sort of extension of altruistic community spirit, and participation therein being dependant on that observation, that strikes me as none reality based to be honest.

shuikit

impmann said:

An accountant once told me that if you are buying something purely with the thought of flipping it for a profit, then that sale should be taxed as it falls into the realm of a business transaction. However, if a private individual does this its a grey area. If someone routinely does this, that's when questions should be asked...

I'm no expert but would have thought it would come under capital gains tax. https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax

Whitecat

shuikit said:

impmann said:

An accountant once told me that if you are buying something purely with the thought of flipping it for a profit, then that sale should be taxed as it falls into the realm of a business transaction. However, if a private individual does this its a grey area. If someone routinely does this, that's when questions should be asked...

I'm no expert but would have thought it would come under capital gains tax. https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax

Capital gains only applies to "personal possessions" worth £6k or more.

In reality it would probably simply form "income" in the eyes of HMRC and they would want it declared and taxed as such.

(The total selling price of the guitar or guitars would be the gross income, and the price you paid for them would be deducted as an "allowable expense"- you would pay tax on the difference.)

shuikit

Whitecat said:

Capital gains only applies to "personal possessions" worth £6k or more.

ah - missed the 6k bit.  I knew it was for personal possessions and thought that a bedroom seller with no business would be buying/selling as private sales and thus they would count as personal possessions.

Dave_Mc

impmann said:

Sambostar said:

I'd say the majority of people do this with houses all their life, so, although they are annoying, calling the moral high ground on a cheapskate wannabe guitar dealer is kind of rich.  What is really sad is that our whole economy is based on short selling.  Why some guy in his bedroom should get done when there are people out there legally making millions is beyond me.

Erm... read the comment about buying things to make money. That's nothing like the analogy about houses. 
And very very few people "make millions " selling their homes, if any at all.

Yeah if you only own one home the gains are most likely on paper- you can't sell it if you still want to live there, and if you sell it you have to live somewhere else, which means buying another home... which probably appreciated in price a similar amount to the original house you bought, so again you haven't really made anything.

Strat54

Craig Greenwood just posted a long list of guitars for sale on a Facebook Telecaster  group page posing as a private.....he's been outed already as a dealer!

usedtobe

There's a guy who I thought was a dealer, only posts for sale threads, never comes near if he's not selling something. Turns out he's a collector, though, selling off some of his collection. 

Jack_

Strat54 said:

Craig Greenwood just posted a long list of guitars for sale on a Facebook Telecaster  group page posing as a private.....he's been outed already as a dealer!

Oh, that's the same guy that posted a huge list on GAG Exchange.

xpia98jf

I'm done with dealers. Lost too much money with them recently. They'll sell you an amp for £2k and then a couple of weeks later tell you it's only worth £1k.

Better to buy private - there are some serious bargains to be had out there at the moment and I don't think you're taking much more of a risk anyway.

Recent example - there's a Marshall 2100 on here for £900. A dealer is selling one for £1,800 and claims their prices are competitive!

xpia98jf

Strat54 said:

Craig Greenwood just posted a long list of guitars for sale on a Facebook Telecaster  group page posing as a private.....he's been outed already as a dealer!

I suspect they're all commission sales. Like others have said I don't have a problem with this per se, it's the pretending it's something different that bothers me. 

Strat54

pia98jf said:

Strat54 said:

Craig Greenwood just posted a long list of guitars for sale on a Facebook Telecaster  group page posing as a private.....he's been outed already as a dealer!

I suspect they're all commission sales. Like others have said I don't have a problem with this per se, it's the pretending it's something different that bothers me. 

No, they're all his. He buys off forums and Pre-loved/Gumtree.

UnclePsychosis

Given the state of the second hand guitar market I'm surprised anyone is willing to take the risk of being a bedroom dealer. It's hardly a thriving market. 

barnstorm

Read this with interest. I wonder if anyone else has encountered my favourite sub-species of bedroom dealer: the bloke who buys a guitar and flips it immediately, yet extols its virtues as though it's been a lifelong musical companion. Not long ago a CS Strat sold at Gardiner Houlgate for what seemed a seriously reasonable price, and it of course appeared on eBay moments later billed as 'the best guitar I've ever owned, regretfully up for sale' etc. Takes some stones, that sort of storytelling!