I’ve not found the AGF to be higher priced than other places, and I’ve purchased guitars on eBay, Reverb, in stores, Craigslist, you name it.
The listed price is often high as most sellers will reasonably expect to be asked for a price reduction. Some of my very best/easiest transactions have been on this forum. Most people on this forum know enough about guitars to properly advertise relevant issues (like the need for a neck reset, fret leveling, etc) and so I don’t get surprises when I buy stuff here. I’ve had some very bad luck with places like Reverb lately. One guitar described as “mint” was covered all over with dents, scratches, abuse. Not a huge deal. But my most recent was described as having no issues other than a few repaired cracks in the back. Not mentioned: 1) crack in the heel, 2) need for a neck reset, 3) cracked top seam, 4) loose saddle leaning forward 15-20 degrees, 5) frets so out of level you can’t get any sound on certain frets. Reverb will help you on some of these transactions, but I’d rather deal with the knowledgeable people here.
People with a high post count from AGF are the gold standard for sellers, in my experience, and I don’t really feel they charge more. Sometimes you have to be patient or drive a hard bargain.
