GC used gear inventory

YamahaGuy · #1 04-01-2020, 06:31 AM

For fun, I like to watch my local Craigslist for a deal too good to be true. Also, I like to peruse Guitar Center's used gear once a week and have found some terrific deals on used gear. Normally, their inventory of used gear is large. As of late, the inventory is very small. I wonder why. Have they closed certain stores altogether and thereby excluded their used gear from the online used gear? Just wondering...

jklotz · #2 04-01-2020, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

For fun, I like to watch my local Craigslist for a deal too good to be true. Also, I like to peruse Guitar Center's used gear once a week and have found some terrific deals on used gear. Normally, their inventory of used gear is large. As of late, the inventory is very small. I wonder why. Have they closed certain stores altogether and thereby excluded their used gear from the online used gear? Just wondering...

My guy at the local GC used to give me amazingly good value for my trade in's. About 6 months ago, he told me they weren't able to do that anymore. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Goat Mick · #3 04-01-2020, 06:50 AM

Our local GC has temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 issue. I’m sure stores have closed all across the country which means stuff coming in on trade and very low used inventory.

Nyghthawk · #4 04-01-2020, 06:51 AM

The GC here is closed. Store inventory is no longer showing used gear. I suspect that is true all over.

Scotso · #5 04-01-2020, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

For fun, I like to watch my local Craigslist for a deal too good to be true. Also, I like to peruse Guitar Center's used gear once a week and have found some terrific deals on used gear. Normally, their inventory of used gear is large. As of late, the inventory is very small. I wonder why. Have they closed certain stores altogether and thereby excluded their used gear from the online used gear? Just wondering...

yes...they pull online inventory from stores that have been ordered closed(as they cannot ship from a closed store). This inventory will return upon the reopening of stores.

And yes about used pricing. The days of deals are more limited. Individual stores can no longer offer a price outside of a corporate approved price. From what I have been told is that there was too much variability btw stores on used profitability so corp decides offer prices now and decides selling prices for used equipment. Individual stores have some latitude to discount from selling prices but not much more than 7-8% off.

Occasionally you will see some serious deals but generally their prices are pretty realistic. For instance I recently saw a Breedlove Revival Voice which was originally listed for about $2300 marked down after several months to around $1300 and sold quickly at that price. So it happens but not without corp making the decision.

fazool · #6 04-01-2020, 07:47 AM

I've been very impressed with GC's used inventory and prices lately. I've bought two guitars from there recently and I find their prices are consistently better than eBay or Reverb.

Bob from Brooklyn · #7 04-01-2020, 10:32 AM

I've bought a couple used guitars from GC recently. One I had sent to my local store. Good prices and 45 day inspection period. I also notice the recent reduction in available inventory. Certainly it's due to the current situation and manpower.

GirlNextDoor · #8 04-01-2020, 10:47 AM

Hi everyone:

I am pretty new to the forum, though I have learned much about acoustic guitars, particularly older Yamaha dreads from posts on AGF over the years.

I purchased a used LD-10 last year from Guitar Center, and it was a very pleasant transaction. The guitar was in excellent condition, but the funny thing is, it had a pickup installed and that was never cited in the description. The pickup not only worked, but it sounded wonderful. It did not come with a case but I did not need a case.

BTW, I have had good experiences with Music Go Round too.

I check their used inventory frequently too, and have noticed its decrease. When everything opens back up, and companies get back online, that will change.

Deb

JERZEY · #9 04-01-2020, 11:44 AM

GC is closed more or less nation wide.

The system they use at GC dictates the price range they can buy a certain item at. Its not up to the sales person anymore. They assign the item to a catagory and the computer takes over from there.

Ralph124C41 · #10 04-02-2020, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JERZEY

GC is closed more or less nation wide.

The system they use at GC dictates the price range they can buy a certain item at. Its not up to the sales person anymore. They assign the item to a catagory and the computer takes over from there.

Exactly. In fact I've called some stores and I have seen weird prices, more for a used non-unique guitar than what it sells for new or incorrect prices on models (for example a lower-priced guitar with a similar name to the higher-priced model in the series gets the higher price.) I get responses like ,"Well we put it in the computer and it tells us the price to charge." However the problem is the sales agent inputted the wrong information to get the price.

So you can get great deals (I got my Epiphone AJ500MNS with the original hardshell case for $300 and I got an Alvarez RD20s with OHSC for $99. I've seen the Epi sell for about $500 or more and I've seen another GC listing for the RD20S without the case for something like $250.)