Selling String Instruments on Ebay

[chevymontecarlo88]

Was hoping to get some input from others on what issues some sellers have had when selling stringed instruments (guitars, basses, mandolins ect.) and how you dealt with it immediately and what you are doing moving forward. 

Any input would be appreciated!

[varebelrose]

A search of the posts will show quite a few experiences others have had; I myself have never sold those items, but as with any large, bulky items, the biggest problem appears to be with high shipping costs, especially when dealing with returns. Large bulky items are no longer a good fit to sell here....(or anywhere online that will require shipping). YMMV.

[chevymontecarlo88]

I appreciate the reply! Thank you.

Was hoping to get a few users comment on their experience on one thread with some solutions. Its nice to have a thread that addresses some of the more common issues had. Or even have users post their issues that myself or others can help them with. 

Shipping can be a problem on instruments like guitars and basses because of the size. I agree with you 100%.  Most guitar/bass sellers do not take the time to pack their items well and can not know some of the pitfalls of who ships your items. Example. Fed Ex and UPS are comparable on pricing for the most part. That being said, if you insure the item with Fed Ex, there is a limit of $1000 per claim if something was to happen. UPS will allow a higher claim. 

The worst shipping incidence i saw before was someone mailing a 70's Fender Strat from Africa in no case or box. The label was stuck to the body. (not kidding and the neck arrived broken) This happened in the mid 90's when i was buying  selling vintage gear. 

[varebelrose]

I would also be worried about temperature extremes causing warpage, just another thought.

[chevymontecarlo88 · Accepted solution]

 I would also be worried about temperature extremes causing warpage, just another thought.

Absolutely. A lot of sellers are familiar with heat issues but a lot of times the cold can do severe damage on vintage instruments. (nitro finishes) Sold and shipped many vintage Stratocasters in my time and in the early 90's, i remember a story of someone receiving a custom color Fender Strat in the middle of winter. When it was delivered, they immediately opened it up and the guitar weather checked in front of them.

Was a tough pill for the customer to swallow and that was when vintage guitars really did not have the value and curiosity from collectors. (overall) That guitar sold for around $5-$7 back than and now it would sell for mid to upper 5 digits. 

It is a good idea to let your package acclimate to your indoor environment before opening it. ( i typically would suggest 12 hours but i dont know of any science backing that up ) Also when shipping in weather extremes, double boxing your items with proper insulation, paper and / or packaging can help. IMHO.

[gosimus]

@chevymontecarlo88 

< what issues some sellers have had when selling stringed instruments (guitars, basses, mandolins ect.) >    

I'm not a seller, but I'll relate an issue I had when buying a MIJ Fender Mustang Bass from a dealer in New Zealand.  Everything was fine until it came to the shipping.  As it turned out, rosewood had recently been added to the endangered species list, and a special permit was required to export the bass because it had a rosewood fretboard.  And another permit to import it.  They get you coming and going. 

To make a long story short, the bass took six months to get here, and my permit cost me $150 ... that's my import permit.  I don't know what the dealer had to pay for the export permit, but I'm confident that he rolled it into the price of the instrument, I mean, what else could you do. 

I know this thread is old, but I stumbled across it, so maybe somebody else will find it too.  Message in a bottle.