Guitar joy riders! Sigh...

[s2y]

I've dealt with enough creepy CL musicians that I'd be a little too timid to meet many more.

One time I was offering guitar lessons on the cheap. I was hoping to teach lessons at my place to save on gas.
Him: would you be willing to drive to my place (in a really bad part of town)?
Me: No.
Him: could you make your place wheelchair ramp accessible?
Me: No, I don't even own the place. (I was a broke student renting)
Him: I can pay you extra to drive.
Me: Well, ok.
Him: Can I pay you in smoked meat?
Me: (didn't even reply)

[battlegraduate]

My experience like the OPs ended up being like mattcrans story. He was a student going off to college and just wanted to put his money in the right place (I didnt know that at the time) but I took my amp and everything, we plugged in and he played and played. Never asked questions like i expected about the pickup or settings or modifications.

I almost got restless because I had hauled all of that gear out there to meet him and figured it going nowhere. Then his dad handed me cash and said "My son needs this guitar, hes only ever played my old wal mart guitar"

The kid was pretty good for his short time of playing. We still talk occasionally and he still loves the guitar.

[Wade Hampton]

First, Pacer wrote:

Originally Posted by Pacer01

I would say for the most part Craigslist has been pretty good when people come to see a guitar they are legitimately interested in taking it home. I guess you just run the risk of getting some weirdo time waster.

Well put.

Originally Posted by battlegraduate

My experience like the OPs ended up being like mattcrans story. He was a student going off to college and just wanted to put his money in the right place (I didnt know that at the time) but I took my amp and everything, we plugged in and he played and played. Never asked questions like i expected about the pickup or settings or modifications.

I almost got restless because I had hauled all of that gear out there to meet him and figured it going nowhere. Then his dad handed me cash and said "My son needs this guitar, hes only ever played my old wal mart guitar"

The kid was pretty good for his short time of playing. We still talk occasionally and he still loves the guitar.

Nice story, BG.

My experiences with Craigslist have mostly been very positive. Sometimes people need a gentle nudge to get down to business, and some people are time-wasters, but that goes with the territory. I've gone to look at instruments that either weren't what was claimed or in as good a condition as indicated in the ad, but that's where my discernment and instrument knowledge have saved me.

Whether buying or selling, I always try to talk to folks on the phone before there's any face to face contact, and that seems to help. But it's never guaranteed, and yes, some potential buyers turn out to be real jerks. But think for a moment about what it's like for those who own or work in music stores, and all tire-kickers and blowhards and aggressive bargainers THEY have to deal with on a daily basis.

By comparison, Craigslist is a breeze.


Wade Hampton Miller

[RustNeverSleeps]

Originally Posted by mattcran

My brother had a similar experience and the guy even picked his guitar apart for 20 minutes. My brother was expecting no sale or a low ball, and then the guy just said "I'll take it" and handed him asking price in cash. Craigslist is strange sometimes.

I've done this, but as the buyer. I don't usually haggle; if something is priced too high for what it's worth, I wouldn't waste everyone's time by meeting up on the offchance that the seller will respond to haggling.

[chitz]

Originally Posted by AdiHog

I posted my Brazilian Wingert in CL and from the hordes of scammers, one potential buyer seemed truly interested. We agreed to meet at a Starbucks where I was surprised to see him bring in a guitar of his own -- a Wingert too nonetheless!

He then sat down, whipped out a sheet music and played one tune back and forth between my guitar and his for a good 20 mins! I then slowly realized that this guy doesn't have any intention of purchasing my guitar from the get go. Rather, he just wants to test drive my Wingert and compare it to his! He didn't haggle or ask pertinent questions a genuinely interested buyer would. He didn't even inspect the guitar for dings or if the neck was straight etc. He was just focused on playing the guitars back and forth like he was in a showroom. Two cups of coffee and almost an hour later with minimal conversation, he stood up and said that my Wingert blew his out of the water and that he'll think about it. Yeah right.

I just wish that he was more upfront with his intentions. Then I would have probably even enjoyed that time chatting about guitars even without a sale, and not feel like I was used like Guitar Center.

Anybody have similar experiences?

Bro lighten up! I loved your guitar, but the wife and I have a policy of not purchasing anything over $500 without first sleeping on it. But this is harsh, I'm gonna pass.





(it wasnt me of course)

[Oldguy64]

I've bought a couple of guitars off CL.
I've also had one deal fall thru.
I've not sold this way.
But you meet "interesting" people in these situations.

I once couldn't get out of a GC because a guy who said he was looking to replace his 8 series Taylor wanted me to play "just one more" guitar so he could hear how it sounded.
We also shot the breeze for like an hour.

I've put it down to God not wanting me to go to the next place on my agenda.
Or something between the GC and where I planned to go was going to cause me problems.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by RustNeverSleeps

I've done this, but as the buyer. I don't usually haggle; if something is priced too high for what it's worth, I wouldn't waste everyone's time by meeting up on the offchance that the seller will respond to haggling.

I'll haggle if the guitar or mandolin is something I might want but is priced just a bit too high. But usually I don't even bother meeting with anyone if the price is completely unrealistic. I'll generally go out only when the original asking price is within reason, and then might try to haggle it down if - and only if - after playing it I really want it.

I don't haggle just for sport, only with serious intent. To me it's downright rude to engage in a price negotiation, get the price lowered, then say "Okay....well, I'll think about it." To me that's inexcusable. It's one thing to ask the seller straight out what their lowest price is, but to haggle and beat the price down and THEN walk away is something I won't do.

I never haggle or ask what the best price I can get is if I'm not ready and willing and capable of buying it right then and there. Haggling, getting a better price and then announcing that you don't have the money right then is pretty rude, too, in my opinion.

So for me haggling is a sign of serious intent. But most of the time I don't even do that, because most of the CL ads I respond to are ones where the instrument is listed for a very fair price. Amid all the ads asking for far too much money there are a sprinkling of ads with blow it out the door prices.

Those are the ads I follow up on most often, and while I suppose I could haggle and maybe save another $25 or so, I generally don't.

As for the people asking two or three times the market value for their instruments, I don't even bother following up on those ads, much less try to negotiate. There's no point.


Wade Hampton Miller

[fuman]

I think you're maybe assuming too much. I met a guy at Starbucks recently to test his Alvarez parlor. It was very reasonably priced and I had no intention of haggling. I brought the full price in cash. It was a nice guitar, and a great value. Just not for me. We did have a nice visit and talked about guitars and a bunch of other stuff, but not everybody is that social.

Consider his perspective: He already has something like what you were selling. Maybe he would have to sell his guitar to buy yours. That can be hard, for personal and practical reasons.

[PorkPieGuy]

Originally Posted by s2y

I've dealt with enough creepy CL musicians that I'd be a little too timid to meet many more.

One time I was offering guitar lessons on the cheap. I was hoping to teach lessons at my place to save on gas.
Him: would you be willing to drive to my place (in a really bad part of town)?
Me: No.
Him: could you make your place wheelchair ramp accessible?
Me: No, I don't even own the place. (I was a broke student renting)
Him: I can pay you extra to drive.
Me: Well, ok.
Him: Can I pay you in smoked meat?
Me: (didn't even reply)

I was "this close" to paying off our mechanic in grass-fed pork. It's really good stuff.

If the guy had been a farmer raising his own food, I'd have closely considered it.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by chitz

[B]but the wife and I have a policy of not purchasing anything over $500 without first sleeping on it.

Isn't that kind of the problem here though? We are talking about a guitar, not a mattress!

[Ted @ LA Guitar Sales]

Originally Posted by AdiHog

I posted my Brazilian Wingert in CL and from the hordes of scammers, one potential buyer seemed truly interested. We agreed to meet at a Starbucks where I was surprised to see him bring in a guitar of his own -- a Wingert too nonetheless!

He then sat down, whipped out a sheet music and played one tune back and forth between my guitar and his for a good 20 mins! I then slowly realized that this guy doesn't have any intention of purchasing my guitar from the get go. Rather, he just wants to test drive my Wingert and compare it to his! He didn't haggle or ask pertinent questions a genuinely interested buyer would. He didn't even inspect the guitar for dings or if the neck was straight etc. He was just focused on playing the guitars back and forth like he was in a showroom. Two cups of coffee and almost an hour later with minimal conversation, he stood up and said that my Wingert blew his out of the water and that he'll think about it. Yeah right.

I just wish that he was more upfront with his intentions. Then I would have probably even enjoyed that time chatting about guitars even without a sale, and not feel like I was used like Guitar Center.

Anybody have similar experiences?

This is what can, and does happen when you sell guitars. If you want to avoid it, than you can consign your guitar with a dealer and let them deal with it.

BTW, how were you going to get paid?

[Mickey_C]

Originally Posted by AdiHog

I posted my Brazilian Wingert in CL and from the hordes of scammers, one potential buyer seemed truly interested. We agreed to meet at a Starbucks where I was surprised to see him bring in a guitar of his own -- a Wingert too nonetheless!

He then sat down, whipped out a sheet music and played one tune back and forth between my guitar and his for a good 20 mins! I then slowly realized that this guy doesn't have any intention of purchasing my guitar from the get go. Rather, he just wants to test drive my Wingert and compare it to his! He didn't haggle or ask pertinent questions a genuinely interested buyer would. He didn't even inspect the guitar for dings or if the neck was straight etc. He was just focused on playing the guitars back and forth like he was in a showroom. Two cups of coffee and almost an hour later with minimal conversation, he stood up and said that my Wingert blew his out of the water and that he'll think about it. Yeah right.

I just wish that he was more upfront with his intentions. Then I would have probably even enjoyed that time chatting about guitars even without a sale, and not feel like I was used like Guitar Center.

Anybody have similar experiences?

I don't sell or buy guitars on craigslist. The chances of dings/zings/chips/worms/scrapes and all that are too high for somebody without cash invested to play touchy feely.

The exception would be someone like Lindsay Buckingham, in which case I'd be taking pictures or shooting video of him playing the guitar. "See that ding right there? Mr. Buckingham did that with his ring, it's at 2:23 in the video... that's why I am asking for an extra $1,000 for the guitar".

LOL

(likelihood of scenario happening a billion quadrillion to 1)

[martingitdave]

I've been fairly successful with selling on Craigslist. I generally am selling for a fair price. I meet in public places, and I ask the buyer to do the driving. If I were in the midst of an experience like the OP, and I felt he was "joy riding", I would have informed him that my time was limited to 20 minutes. If he wanted more time, I would gladly sell it to him.

That said, I have been avoiding Craigslist of late. Too much risk and low reward.

[fazool]

Isold a guitar on CL once. Met the buyer in a public place and he took it almost without erxamining it. A few weeks later he listed it on eBay with a copy-paste of my description, asking about $25 more. Idon't think he was after a profit but it was strange.

A wonderful experience Ihad was buying from a local guy through eBay. We met in a restaurant lot. I loved the guitar. Counted out the money and he gave me $75 back just because.

[SFCRetired]

Well it would depend on if your guitars were identical. Not knowing your brand of guitar I don't know if it was the same model? Was it?

But I have been tempted to take a guitar I was interested in getting rid of and trying it out beside one I might be interested in myself. But I have never done it.

Or if I wanted a guitar similar in tone but with a different body style.