Need advice on listing price for x20 opus

[nuttyprof]

Hi all, first, this is not a classified ad. I just need sone advice on what I might list my x20 opus for. Mint with lr Baggs anthem pickup. I got it around Christmas only so it's pristine.

I was looking up comparisons but these go on sale so rarely and on the forums, once it's sold, people delete the price..

Thoughts?

[mot]

I think it all depends on how badly you want to sell it. If you are in no hurry, go higher than any guesses you have. If you are in a hurry go lower. I am sure the guitar will move fast if you are anywhere near the high side of a $1000, so you have that as the bottom and somewhere around the current new prices as the top of the range of viable asking prices.

I was first offered more than I paid for my X20 about a bit less than a year after I bought it. It was my fault because I let a friend use it for a set because I wanted to see what it sounded like from the audience side. I have gotten an unsolicited offer about once a year and am still willing to sell, but the price has to be right because I would take the money and go back to Alistair to get another with a few tweaks to the basic model.

[jdinco]

I recently sold an 18 month old X7 for $1000. plus shipping if that helps. I would think you should be around $1500. for the X20. Plus or minus a hundred.

[Joel_man]

If you’re willing, start with what you paid

[mot]

Originally Posted by Joel_man

If you’re willing, start with what you paid

Probably work because there are a lot of lurkers that don't want to wait several months for an Alistair special. Let me tell you that was a long wait and it was less than the average wait time compared to what I have seen reading around here.

If I were to list mine today I would probably try for 1.2 to 1.5 times what I paid for it at first. I have been offered that much, but I got mine in 2013.

[nuttyprof]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I especially like the idea of listing it at 1.2-1.5 of what I paid.

I think that's what I'll list it at and settle for what I paid. =)

[byudzai]

sooooooooooooooo.... what ARE you selling exactly? (I know you said not classified but.... can we at least see it?)

In general, I've always found that wooden guitars might sell used at about 50% of their new value. If traded in for a new guitar those instruments might sell at about 30% of their new price.

With CF, I haven't cared. I always buy high and sell low. I am quite successful. when I put a guitar up for sale, it is generally gone in less than a day. I figure any loss as rental. I've rented some pretty incredible guitars and always felt the price was right. That includes CF instruments.

For example, if and when I ever get my Emerald X10-OSN, thin-bodied electric, it may become my only guitar. My other three nylon strung instruments will by advertised on this site. There will be some incredible deals there. The truth of the matter, I've had a series of remarkable guitars at a very low rate of rent.

Hope that helps.

[GBG]

That is a good way to look at it!

The rental method has enabled me to run through 12 carbon fiber guitars. When I first started with CF I thought I'd collect every nylon string example, but soon realized that such a collection would involve more of my resources than I wanted to spend. I am currently sitting on three CFs that I haven't been able to let go, but ultimately I will be getting it down to one definitive guitar--my guitar.

[Methos1979]

The Opus models were the 'bare bones' Emerald CF's and as such had the lowest prices new and used. That said, since they are no longer offering that line and the Artist series prices are all going up you can likely get a little more than you would have selling a year ago.

Based on my foggy memory I remember Opus prices back then new were around $1,750 and they would sell used somewhere around $1,300, give or take. I would think you could get at the very least around $1,500 for it and probably more if you start a little on the high side and then come down.

As someone said, it depends on how fast you want to sell vs. how patient you can be.

[fazool]

The X20 Artisan (with cutaway and factory-pickup list price is $1825.

So the value of a brand new X20 Opus would be lower than that, obviously.

They discontinued the Opus series but, if they were still making them new, the price would possibly be in the $1500-1600 range.

So, let's say $1550 brand new.

I think a used one would sell for $900-1200 (roughly 60%-80% of new).

Now, the unavailability of Opus and the previously higher new prices will artifically drive it's value up, but people will get very close to the point of saying "why buy a used Opus, when I can get a brand new Artisan from the factory, used, with a warranty for a tiny bit more?".

Obviously it's "worth" whatever someone is willing to pay for it. You asked for opinions, so I was just sharing mine.

[jdinco]

I agree with Fazol, those saying to sell it for 1.2 to 1.5 times the new cost are way off I think.

[nuttyprof]

Good points.
My thinking is this. I totally didn't realize the bare bones cost of an x20 was 1850. Thought it was higher than that for some reason.

I do have an anthem pickup upgrade though, bringing the cost up.

Thanks for the advice folks!

[mot]

Originally Posted by jdinco

I agree with Fazol, those saying to sell it for 1.2 to 1.5 times the new cost are way off I think.

I said that based on two offers I have gotten for mine from two different people. One offer was about the same as I paid for it originally about 6 months after I got it and the other was about two years ago from a former bandmate and he offered about 1.2 times what I paid for it. The numbers I have seen here and there suggested here are a bit higher which is why I suspect the price is only going to go up. My X20 is in as good of condition as it was the day I opened the box (plus some light scratches here and there from heavy use). It's a red Opus with upgraded tuners, so somewhere between the most recent standard Opus and an Artisan. So I am guessing that the price is going up somewhere around 5% a year or better.

Which brings me back to my original point. If you want to move it, then a reasonable price would be somewhere around the original price (P) plus some accounting for inflation (I) of 5% over the years (Y) less a used discount (D) of say 40% or P(I^Y)D. So if you have a $1000 guitar for 2 years that's in good shape a reasonable asking price would be $1000*(1.05^2)*.6 = $660. If you only figure a 20% discount and 10% inflation over 5 or 6 years, then you would be close to that 1.2 number that I was offered a couple of years ago. I figure the higher price is from the relative scarcity of an Opus, but I could be wrong. Either way I don't plan to sell it anytime soon nor do I expect any offer to exceed the current new prices.