Okay, Reverb has now become "Flake Central", Are there any upstart alternatives?

[Gergo]

In addition to just generally sucking a little more week by week because of it's predictably crappy ownership by Etsy, and their fees going up, it appears that more and more flakes are being attracted as buyers and sellers. Two of my last three sales have gone south because the buyer flaked out with some bullshit excuse. There have been other questionable things come up before this. I sure would like to find a nice alternative to sell guitars and gear through. This site is starting to make Ebay look okay.....it's gotten that bad.

Any suggestions?

[honyock]

Haven't found one, but I have given up on Reverb.

I've had it with the poor customer service. They have essentially gone to the eBay model with no human interaction that made Reverb what it was originally.

I've also had similar issues with flakes buying stuff then begging to cancel saying they accidentally bought it. Not sure how that flies, it isn't like a one button process.

Craigslist isn't really an option due to the lack of left handed players in my area, maybe Facebook if I want to deal with the even higher level of flakes or time wasters than Craigslist...the search function still kinda sucks too.

[tobijohn]

I'm in no hurry to part with the few I occasionally contemplate selling but eventually I want to see if the few decent independently owned music stores in my area that also do a respectable business in internet sales accept consignments and what that entails...

[BatUtilityBelt]

The original Reverb concept was great. The problem is that most people who start businesses do so with an exit strategy. Most of the time, that is "build the business to attract the best buy-out possible". Very few businesses are started with the plan to stay as owner/operator. Worse, few sold businesses continue to operate in the same manner as before.

I don't know of another Reverb. I think Facebook is as close as anything gets, and I agree it pales in comparison to the old Reverb. Another startup might be able to work, but would have to compete with whatever FB and Reverb might do to hold their market shares. Tough problem.

[Flatline]

https://www.gbase.com/ is an option... never used it myself.

https://www.sweetwater.com/used/ - Sweetwater also has a used gear marketplace type section where you can list stuff to sell.


Both seem to offer little buyer/seller protection and are more like a music focused Craigslist.

[mickey]

I bought something off eBay last week. They (eBay) have been filling my SPAM folder daily since.
That was my first eBay order in about 10+ years, there will never be another.

[tobijohn]

After his last few posts, I have this image of Mickey telling Amazon and eBay to get off his lawn...

[mickey]

[uwmcscott]

This is not a function of Reverb, the customer base there is largely the same everywhere unfortunately. The precedent has been set by large e-commerce that you can back out of most transactions and return items for almost no reason, so people become used to it. Look at all the whining and complaining that goes on in the guitar community when someone's $125 firefly guitar isn't exactly perfect or delivered 24 hours after ordering it

Bottom line, some people are just douchebags, and selling your gear on a different website isn't going to change that.

[thepezident]

After his last few posts, I have this image of Mickey telling Amazon and eBay to get off his lawn...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I was thinking something along those lines.

Once and Done @mickey

[MichaelR]

I've had to much bad luck with shipping damage and such plus the buyers remorse issues that easy returns brings about. I sell my guitars at the local music shop because I don't have to deal with either problem that way. I like the people there so I figure I'm helping the local economy by giving them a percentage of the sale. Yes I could make more selling online but that's turned into such a crap shoot that its just not worth it to me.

[Rollin Hand]

I don't sell out of town, but I am noticing that I tend towards wanting less hassle/bullcrap in my life as I age.

[tobijohn]

I don't sell out of town, but I am noticing that I tend towards wanting less hassle/bullcrap in my life as I age.

I am so over drama in all aspects of my life. That's also why I've retired from the dating scene. The money I save on dinners, social events and hair coloring easily pays for a new guitar every month. And with the latter, unlike another relationship that didn't quite work out, I've got something to show for it...

[zisme]

I found a local shop that buys used gear. They can't match the prices I could probably sell for on reverb or craigslist, but they make it so painless and efficient I'll happily deal with them. And I'm not dealing with shipping or fees, so it seems pretty fair. They've even checked in with me to see if I have anything I want to unload.

Sweetwater has become my main destination for buying these days

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[SamIV]

I used to sell on Reverb with great results. Bought quite a bit without issues. Ever since you can’t reach anyone by phone, just gave up on Reverb. The negatives I hear just worry me. Not having much luck locally though. Have a couple guitars I need to move on and tempted with eBay again, but I hear horror stories there as well. What’s a person with gas to do these days.

[Mossman]

I've been satisfied selling guitars on Craigslist. You just can't be in a hurry to sell, and you have to realize that you're going to deal with a few flakes, low-ballers and weirdos before someone comes along who's actually serious about buying it. It's not a business model, but it's the cheapest and most low-effort, low-hassle method for selling gear.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I found a local shop that buys used gear. They can't match the prices I could probably sell for on reverb or craigslist, but they make it so painless and efficient I'll happily deal with them. And I'm not dealing with shipping or fees, so it seems pretty fair. They've even checked in with me to see if I have anything I want to unload.

With all the supply-side problems, it makes sense that local mom and pop shops would revert to buying and selling more used gear today. Sorta like 'what if the internet didn't really exist anymore?' Turn back to 1988.

[tobijohn]

...With all the supply-side problems, it makes sense that local mom and pop shops would revert to buying and selling more used gear today. Sorta like 'what if the internet didn't really exist anymore?' Turn back to 1988.

Or 1978 when i bought my very first guitar, a used Gibson SG, from the same place all the cool local players got their gear and rented their sound equipment (Gary Gand Music, at the time in Highwood, IL)

https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/gary-gand

[msc_]

I used to do fairly well on Reverb, but had a couple of crazy buyers that drove me off there. Nowadays, I tend to either hold on to my gear or give it to people who may appreciate it. One upside is that I only buy something if I REALLY have to have it and that has been a fairly effective cure for GAS.

[tobijohn]

...One upside is that I only buy something if I REALLY have to have it and that has been a fairly effective cure for GAS.

I haven't really seen a decent used deal on anything lefty since before the whole virus thing. Lately, I've been satisfying my urges by buying parts here and there. A relatively constant stream of control knobs, pickguards and miscellaneous hardware items seems to keep the GAS at bay...

[msc_]

...One upside is that I only buy something if I REALLY have to have it and that has been a fairly effective cure for GAS.

I haven't really seen a decent used deal on anything lefty since before the whole virus thing. Lately, I've been satisfying my urges by buying parts here and there. A relatively constant stream of control knobs, pickguards and miscellaneous hardware items seems to keep the GAS at bay...

Have you even been to www.decoboom.com? Great quality pickguards, but they don't go with every guitar. Love a lot of the aesthetics.

[tobijohn]

Have you even been to www.decoboom.com? Great quality pickguards, but they don't go with every guitar. Love a lot of the aesthetics.

Cool stuff, bookmarked the site...

[Mossman]

...One upside is that I only buy something if I REALLY have to have it and that has been a fairly effective cure for GAS.

I haven't really seen a decent used deal on anything lefty since before the whole virus thing. Lately, I've been satisfying my urges by buying parts here and there. A relatively constant stream of control knobs, pickguards and miscellaneous hardware items seems to keep the GAS at bay...

Have you even been to www.decoboom.com? Great quality pickguards, but they don't go with every guitar. Love a lot of the aesthetics.

I liked some of their designs, but wow-ee are they spendy!

[uwmcscott]

On the Reverb note, I have noticed in the last few weeks that there are an increasing number of "priced reduced" auctions in my feed, sometimes by several hundred dollars. My feed page this morning seemed to be at least 50% filled with price-reduced items. Are we starting to see the apex of the pandemic/panic buying/overpricing curve perhaps? I hope so but probably just wishful thinking