Used Sellers Market graveyard
 

The market for selling used musical gear in my area (northeast Ohio) is absolutely dead at the moment. I have several items posted on CL at very fair prices. I haven't even been messaged by the usual scammers asking, "Is it still available?" "I'll have my brother in law come get it after you deposit the check I send you." Facebook Marketplace same thing. Anyone else experiencing the same?

Same here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I've had some nice guitars at very fair prices listed on local CL and have had only one response (offering a low ball).

Used guitar supply definitely outweighs demand at this time. At least around here.

Boomers dying off, families don't want the guitars, just the cash. Glut of used guitars out there currently.

I just got one back from being consigned for a while. Never got an offer on it. Truth is...I'm kinda glad I got it back. But yeah...it's a buyers market for used guitars/gear here too.

Same in the Midwest. Craigslist and FB are flooded with all sorts of guitars, amps, etc. Even a couple of Eastman's don't seem to garner any attention. Unless you're giving it away, people aren't buying. The market has been absolutely flooded in the last 10 years with mainly PacRim stuff. It certainly adds a different twist to the saying ' buy and hold' - only because anything you buy, you wont be able to sell later. Caveat Emptor.

Thanks for the replies. Glad to know it's not just my area.

The used market boomed during the years 2020-2023 due to, well...you know. Manufacturers kept pumping out guitars as the used and new market couldn't get enough while people were stuck at home. Now that's passed for the most part and people are resuming their busy lives. The boom has now turned to a bust with a huge glut of instruments out there. Good luck selling....it's a buyer's market now. Which will turn again....someday.

A few weeks ago I stopped in at a shop here in Southern Connecticut that specializes in acoustic instruments to inquire about possibly consigning my Collings 00 (the same shop where I bought it). I was told there was not much interest currently in used high end acoustic guitars, at least from a consignment perspective … kind of discouraging.

Exactly the same here in UK

I have feared this for some time.
When thinking about the more expensive instruments - Collings, Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, and the higher end Martins, maybe Gibsons and Taylors - who has bought them ?

It's us baby boomers!

We are now of an age when many are thinking about "liquidating our stock."

I'm not convinced that the Gen X and millennials are so interested in high quality, vintage and boutique stuff.

Back in 2017/8 when confronted with my mortality,
I had soft agreements made with a number of good dealers about the disposal of my stuff, and partly due to Brexit (which severely limited access to the Continental market) and a change in the times have both had a negative effect.

Keep in mind we are (at least in the Good Ole' USA) in inflationary times too. Disposable income is not as high and credit card debt is at a high point...

Here in the MD/VA/DC area there are a ton of instruments for sale on Craigslist and FB Marketplace, but the people selling them are trying to get the same or more money than new! I guess its some kind of townie mentality where you use words like "vintage" or "custom" and that means its worth more.

It's worth more to you... But not me.

But then again, if it was worth more to you, you prob would not be selling.

Slowest I've experienced in a while. And I'm about to list more!

Same in central Ohio if that's any comfort. In addition to that, I have a Voiceprint DI that was in mint condition when I shipped it that the purchaser claimed was too noisy to use. I agree to a refund and it's on the way back from Texas. I hope it's usable when I get it back as I'll then just keep it!

The used market isn't dead, it's just taking a cat nap. I sold two Eastman dreads in the past three weeks...

Same in NY too. I called around to several high end shops about a Lowden I was interested in consigning but there wasn't much interest.