I started selling on Reverb last month and it’s been an incredibly frustrating experience. You cannot speak with a human no matter what you try. I’m not upset about the fees, it’s how buggy their selling software is and the fact that there’s no one to help new sellers or answer their questions. When you call their customer support number you get an automated message and they hang up on you! WTF? Cmon Reverb, for 10% fees you can afford to answer the phone when a seller asks a question.
Yeah I mean most of these tech-commerce companies have little to none people support and I sort of get why they do it. Doesn’t mean it’s right but it seems like it’s the norm and now pretty much every company does it. It’s like those “self-checkout” cashiers which I hate but now it’s everywhere! :(
Etsy ruined Reverb. It used to be a great site with great live support right at your finger tips with low fees, and it even offered discounted shipping rates if you used UPS....all of that is gone now. I went from selling about 1-2 things a month to selling 1-2 things a year because it just is less of an enjoyable experience, so I sell other places more often now.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATREI didn't even know they had a phone number "Hello Reverb customer service here. My Name is Mike. How may I not help you"...Click...........
I’ve sold on reverb for 5 years. Over 200 transactions and it’s been a great experience, only one time I had an instrument trashed during shipment and reverb stepped in to make everyone happy. Never seen a scammer.
My experience: 1) Buy used as much as possible. I've gotten some very good deals on mint/open box items on reverb. In some cases, I've sold those items and gotten most (or in rare cases more) of my money back. 2) I've never used the reverb bump mechanic, and I've sold everything pretty quickly without it. Most people will sort by price. 3) The very best prices I've gotten for used gear has been through local channels (facebook groups and other musician networking). If you see a deal on reverb that is physically near to you, it may be possible to bypass reverb and cut out all of their middle man fees.
That is correct and sellers know this aswell. I use reveb to find my contact buyer or seller and make direct buy or sell. Works both ways. Reverb will have troubles if they keep hiking the fees.
I agree, buying used is the way to go. Let someone else take the hit on the depreciation of new gear, there are plenty of people selling things in mint or excellent condition at a greatly reduced price!
You sir are spot on, it took me a while to figure out why after all my sales I was still in the Red. Yes, I had great gear but owed a lot more than what I had set out to do. So thank you for the video, it took the cost analysis to a higher level.
The shine has completely come off of eBay for me. Of the last five selling transactions there, four were problematic in some way with eBay doing little or nothing to assist. The number of questionable buyers has increased exponentially as well. I do wish there was a Reverb for camera gear as well.
Can't understand how identical items from unrelated sellers on eBay have cheap shipping when sold overpriced, but excessive shipping cost when sold cheap. Two different sellers, identical items just in different condition, identical shipping methods ... low-cost used item has expensive shipping cost but high-price item has low shipping cost. But how?
Pro Tip: move out of Cali and you won't have to pay tax on anything you buy at Perfect Circuit. Its like getting another 8-9% off on top of their 10% sales. Plus I usually qualify for free shipping so sometimes, it's cheaper to buy something new from Perfect Circuit than used on reverb after fees, taxes, and shipping. Buying from Thomann in Germany and SX Pro in the UK is similar. No taxes for US buyers. Shipping is expensive, but not as expensive as domestic taxes. If you buy gear made in those countries, it often beats the used prices on Reverb.
I had to sell a brand new module on Reverb recently because I it was an international purchase and the return shipping was more than the losses from selling on reverb. that one stung a little bit.
I’ve had similar experiences. E-commerce was a no brainer until recently with shooing/double tax/ potential return issues. Perhaps physical retail can make some kind of comeback or at least perhaps these are equalizing forces? Hopefully…
Yep I’m with you bro….the hefty buyer’s and seller’s add-on costs such as Reverb fees-sales taxes, shipping, etc. are outrageous!😮. We as a society are practically taxed to death!
I think the criticisms you offer are the fairest and most balanced and reasonable I've seen on a channel reviewing music kit 👍 Doesn't put me off at all but even over the video I thought, that clicking seems annoying 😂
In the past I actually had made a decent chunk of change for new modules by only buying used gear at good deals and reselling on Reverb if it doesn't work for me. I would sell when the market prices were higher than normal and usually I made profit. This only works if you're patient and only purchase used gear online. Nowadays Reverb has really made it silly to use them since they take so much in fees.. I wonder what other market places would be better.
I've been meaning to give Sweetwater Gear Exchange a try. It's just that like with small and new (since it looks like Sweetwater is giving this business a new push) marketplaces, safety and scam protection is hard to come by. We'll see how it pans out.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE as I posted before, because of loopholes and how people can abuse them, buying form reputable stores or people is the best way to do things, here, eBay or on any platform. Also read the feedback, I used a seller 4 times before the 5th went sour. The negative feedback was spot on about him, his abuse, his mannerisms, his language. He has a high amount of sales so he is "protected" by eBay, even though they're so called investigating him. This is why I only buy from trusted sources now. I feel bad for sellers though, how they can be ripped off because the buyer knows how to do it.
Thanks im trying to get a feel on selling my high end record players, eaualizers, amps, and speackers as well as sone audio recording equioment im still researching that i came into. Just trying to fugure all this out as ive only used ebay in past.
I think Reverb is a better choice. eBay is multipurpose while Reverb is very niche and specific to audio gear. For better or worse, I think Reverb works... for now...
Yeah.. this is a huge problem and its such a bummer. The question is, similar to when Amazon started having to pay sales tax, did Reverb establish a big enough lead and market dominance to remain viable? Sweetwater Gear Space and others might be making a push.
Losing money on gear just makes your taxes take longer, lol technically you could claim the loss on your gear and reduce some taxes possibly, not tax advice
The Perkons is what I had hoped the Pulsar to be. Made a mistake and bought into the hype, buying new. Think in the back of ones mind is the idea that the value will rise in time, especially with these boutique synths. Are they investments? Will we look back at these like people do classic 80s synths? Who knows... what is definite (imo) is that this is a 'golden era' of musical product manufacturing and we are fortune to be a part of it.
I can not get an answer to this but im sure you know do i pay shipping out of pocket first to get the label and get paid back once the item is shipped? or does the shipping cost automatically come out of what they paid?
I have to agree with you also. I wouldn't buy ONLY new gear. But I wouldn't just buy used gear either. It's probably a mix of both. Sometimes, if it's mission critical, like UAD gear, with plugin license transfers and such, it can be a hassle to buy used. Also, I've seen plenty of USED gear pricing that's not all that lower than new. And with new products, they come with warranty and at least a 30 day return guarantee usually.
I have only purchased on Reverb. I bought a Mesa Mark IV and it went well. 1,500.00 + shop and when I looked recently they were averaging 2800.00. but I sold a few guitars on eBay and they hit hard. I am no longer selling on eBay or Feebay if you like.
I don't like how they charge you tax on Reverb. You should not be taxed on a device that you already have paid taxes on. Sweetwater used I have really like it so far.
I've been meaning to try Gear Exchange at Sweetwater. I'll put some stuff up on it and see what happens. I think the double tax is really poorly written legislation that needs to be rewritten. I don't blame Reverb or eBay for it. But they get the brunt because they have to enforce it. :(
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE eh, its a sale and a sale is taxed, not really that crazy. Just because you can get away with not reporting selling something to a friend, its just as illegal. Think how much shit they'd have to deal with if it was like you thought. Would you pay taxes on a house? How bought land? Basically everything would be tax free as someone paid taxes on something first, its pretty simple when you really think about it. You are paying a sales tax for making a sale in the US, not an item tax for an item.
My two cents... I try to buy used or as low as possible, (some Reverb stores give crazy discounts...), plan my purchases well, and generally only sell more expensive items locally through CL or FMP. I figure If I've gotten use out of the item, think logically that should cost me something.
I've never had anything too bad happen while buying or selling on reverb. If I buy something and then later decide to sell it at a loss, I think about how much it would have cost to rent that piece of gear during the time I had it. I don't use the bump feature anymore unless I have a real dog of a product that I'm trying to unload. I also use Pirate Ship when I offer free shipping. It's a better deal than the Reverb shipping label. I've sold a guitar, a bunch of pedals and even an Ampeg V4 stack. The only time I had a problem was when a buyer accidentally made a duplicate offer to me and another seller. We both had the same item at the same price. The other guy got the sale. It was only a minor annoyance. I didn't lose any money and I sold my unit a few days later.
I’ve never bought something new and then expected to get all my money back when selling it. That’s why I always buy used, whether it’s music gear or a car. I’ve bought and sold a moderate amount of gear on Reverb including pedals, amps, and guitars. I’ll ship the small stuff and I shipped one amp once and got burned by the buyer, but Reverb did the right thing. Basically, I sold a pristine tube amp and when the guy got it, he said it didn’t work. After days of trouble shooting with him, he sent it back for a refund. When I got it back, the amp was thrashed and of course it didn’t work. It looked like the guy used his kitchen trash as packing material. I disputed the refund with Reverb and at the end of the day, they covered the refund for me only because I used a Reverb shipping label. So I don’t ship amps or guitars anymore at all. The end of the story was my amp tech did his thing and it sounds better than ever. His analysis was the guy who bought it used it as a parts amp to fix his own amp and then sent it back saying it was broken.
I think online selling platforms are all squeezing people too much. I still used Craigslist for big ticket items for the most part. I have a 2017 EBMM JP6 in mystic dream, that is still brand new condition. I wouldn’t mind selling it, but the idea of selling it online, and then shipping it doesn’t sit well with me. I also have a few other items, that I would like to sell, but the whole process is nothing I’d feel good about, so I just don’t mess with it.
The 1099 nonsense for a private citizen selling a used piece of gear is killing these used gear sites. We paid tax to purchase it, then get taxed again to sell it, and the buyer pays a new tax to purchase it. Triple taxed and more when that person goes to sell...the US Gov is a greedy bastard. Sweetwater's new used gear site is an interesting option now as they will waive the fee if you use the money earned to purchase gear on their used or new site. That is very helpful and Reverb missed the mark by not doing the same. eBay.... just sucks with zero scam protection.
don't offer to pay for any return shipping. "buyers" will return everything with the excuse that your ad was misleading. meanwhile, they give nothing and use your gear for free. ask me how I know
I buy "wherever" I can get a deal I find acceptable, but I try and always sell on Craigslist. I'd rather take the "lower" price there and have no paper trail or taxes. It usually comes out about the same profit or more.
I found Craigslist requires a bit more effort because of the face to face interaction and when you are listing a lot of gear, that can be an issue. But yeah, Craigslist is a great resource!
I scour reverb for what I’m looking for luckily I have found several synths locally. I make an offer get the sellers number and get it without paying taxes usually cheaper then posted. The sellers are happy to sell either out having to ship and pay fees!
thats one of the reasons I dont use to sell stuff so often. I use to think and plan so well what I buy and Its quite important to me to keep it, for some reasons. One is the money. Its difficult not to lose it on this process. the others are that I never know for sure if the new stuff is gonna replace wel the old, so unless something bothers me to keep it, I dont sell it. Also is this learning time process, wich they have. Its so much time learning to use the new stuff, so I prefer not to spent so much on it
@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE do you recommend shipping through Reverb or ship directly with FedEx? I sold a few items in the past year through Reverb. I talked to their customer service and I thought they want to push their shipping process through them. Thank you in advance!
I seem to sell the most gear, the fastest and for the most money on Reverb. I feel like the Reverb Bumps can get costly and does seem to be effective. It does seem to be a hidden cost to me. I don’t feel there is a better option tho. eBay is more expensive, can be hard to sell on and I feel more open to scams from buyers with less protections.
There are no shortages of gear anymore. Now there is a very large amount of used gear floating around. The days of selling near what you paid are almost gone. You can get a decent quality guitar for around $300 US. You’re not going to recoup the amount you paid 5 years ago and flipped like when there was a shortage.
So I think there are a few hardware units that could rise in value but they are a tiny minority. I think we all overestimate most of our gear value and you are right to point out the lack of scarcity in this industrialized world.
I've been doing this for 40 years. Though I've made money on rare occasions, both playing and selling guitars, I'd probably be a millionaire if I had put that money in the stock market instead. That's why it's called a Hobby. It costs money to do it. Given the state of music stores these days, it's probably the only way to experience new equipment and guitars. Now, at 64 I just accept it as the cost of my hobby, and not be in a hurry to sell what I want to sell. It moves eventually.
Personally, I stopped selling on Reverb because I was tired of “musicians” making a purchase, using the gear to play with or even use it to do some recording, and then claim it is “faulty” and returning the item. Typically they keep it for 2-3 weeks and then try to file for a return. 99% of the time the item return in perfect working condition. Like I said, they buy it knowing they will return it when they are done using it for whatever short-term thing they need it for.
It would be helpful if they could get shipping prices under control. Some of the asking prices are ridiculous haha.. especially shipping OS. Wild variability
some of these bigger and heavier units, the PULSAR for example, was $73 dollars US to ship ground UPS with insurance. This is brutal! I only allocated $50 for shipping (which the buyer usually balks at - which I don't blame them) and so I took even more loss. minus $23!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE that's a lot for sure. Try Australia, generally tech is more expensive already. Then you add shipping from a small company that isn't stocked here, which is likely and it stops my purchase. I refuse to pay that much more than most of the population. It's a joke
Watch out if you sell on Reverb. I sold a 1965 Firbird with serious wear, which I tried to show. The buyer wanted their money back and I had zero help from Reverb. I lost over a thousand dollars when you include all my costs. I feel ill about this and will always shoot a ton of pics and stress that the guitars HAVE BEEN PLAYED and show play wear after 50+ years.
I'm the one buying your silly whim purchases. I don't sell because I buy what I really want. Buying decisions are rarely pressured with music gear. Months can go by. It's amazing how the 'must have' stuff gets forgotten with the filter of time. Now apply that to the rest of your life. Then you'll join the group referred to as 'its ok for them'. Don't forget you don't pay tax on the money you save, or commission/depreciation on the junk you sell.
I sell items on eBay, Reverb, and also directly through subreddits. Music gear almost always try to sell direct on reddit first, but if that doesn't work then I go to Reverb and it ALWAYS sells. Yeah, you lose money on fees and shipping, but that's the price you pay for access to the platform. I almost NEVER buy on Reverb though. The tax you pay makes it just not worth it.
Recently sold a '71 Fender Bandmaster Reverb head. i knew i was in trouble when the customer asked if i had a Male to male power cord that came with it???? He was going to make a cord to plug into the outlet on the back of the amp. Yeah, seriously! After we straightened that out he kept complaing that no matter how loud he turned it up it just kept humming, and made a video. He had the amp on 7 and there was a hum in addition to the sound of the guitar coming across very distorted. After we checked the cabling etc I asked him if he was sure of his speaker load to which he responded "yeah it's a 2 ohm cab that usually sounds great"....For those of you familiar with old Fender amps, on the back of the amp it states specifically "4 Ohm Minimum". Im 99% sure he smoked the power transformer or at least the tubes because he basically played full volume for 8 or so hours with mis-matched impedance. He then reported to Reverb that the amp "didnt come as described" and wants a refund. Reverb is siding with the customer and want me to refund the sale price and shipping costs, but also pay the return shipping costs (around $250 total shipping costs)....
Mr Dungeon .. it does seem to be more true, than not .. retailers, if their confidence builds, .. they start taking more, & giving less, .. like, it's in the business plan, or something. And, IF a person can maintain the "like new" condition of an item .. and then resell .. 2/3's of new, is probably the very best to hope for. Plus, the pressure of electronic's vulnerability to being upstaged by newer things.
Well.. I haven't actually ever sold any gear yet.. and I've never bought gear thinking "oh, I'll just sell it later, and I'll break even." I wouldn't expect to break even buying something new.. but maybe if I buy used and then sell latter.. and I mean I did buy a Tempest at the bottom of the market.. and it's now worth more? What I do is spend a lot of time thinking about my goals and objectives.. and then look at gear from that standpoint.. and it's not uncommon that I'll be thinking about a piece of gear for years before pulling the trigger. But I mean it's all about my work and where I want to take my work. I think the number one problem I see is people who see gear that looks exciting and buy based on what looks exciting, or what people are talking about.. and not so much from the standpoint of their own vision or what their work kinda wants.. OR.. maybe it's that I'm kinda poor and that forces me to be extra disciplined about it.. On buying new or used.. I very often check out second hand prices.. and decide if I care. Like if I only save a small amount used.. why bother? OR.. if I think what I'm buying isn't very well made.. I'll go new. I do think there's some gear that retains it's value better than other gear.. and I'll give that some thought.. I bought an MPC Live just after the MK2 came out.. cause it was like half the price.. I had done a similar think with Elektron's Analog Four.. it was like "ok, I get the the MK2 features are all groovy.. but the feature of half the price is even groovey-er for me?" Right now there's a synth in a market place I'm thinking of buying.. that's.. sorta like damaged.. that I think I can fix.. and I'd save so much money.. that it's really game changing about my studio plans.. which means I have to spend a whole lot of time kinda thinking about.. how this would change my perspective on what I need... because it's such a different direction from what I was thinking.. but the direction I was thinking was based on the idea that I couldn't afford anything in this synth category. BUT STILL.. I have to work out if it's the right thing to do.. and for whatever reason I really have to spend time thinking about and sleeping on it.. and whatever. My experience with Reverb has been mostly good. I had this hassle where my bank decided I don't buy things as expensive as an Elektron Rytm.. so it told Reverb it might be fraud.. and there was this massive hassle.. and I lost out on a deal.. and then when I did buy one.. the guy I was buying it from.. I guess someone in his life had just passed away.. so he was not responsive to me.. and for whatever reason Reverb wasn't giving me the information that the thing had already been shipped.. so, I mean, there was that.
It would appear that you are in a somewhat unique situation relating to buying and selling studio gear. Since you are, presumably, in the business of producing TH-cam videos expenses like buying gear that you subsequently use for a review would be a tax deductible business expense. The monetary loss may substantially offset any related income. You need to factor in all financial aspects of transactions to determine the final bottom line. For those of us who have no commercial engagement the costs can just be considered as entertainment expenses. When I go to sell gear I list on both eBay and Reverb. I currently have a Yamaha VL!m Version 2 listed for sale on both platforms.
That loss can get brutal on higher end gear where it can add up fast, but at the same time as rough as Reverb's cut can feel at times it's still a lower cut than lets say Ebay at a flat 30% rate. Granted I'm mostly a buyer but I've found prices and overall usability better on Reverb compared to places like Ebay when I'm just looking for gear. It's nice to not have half a dozen unrelated items with a similar model name or SKU pop up when looking. I also tend to not go for iffy on the fence gear, if any thing I research my purchases to death as I buy synths for long term use. Case and point I considered an MC-707 for nearly a year before I finally pulled the trigger on one but as a side effect six months in and some people still think I'm in some kind of honey moon phase with it as it's just that good of a fit for what I wanted in a groovebox.
Question? Why did you think you need to replace the item in the first place? I know there is always a reason we tell ourselves but reality is that we didn’t think we needed that feature just a short time before so in the end it’s just our impulsiveness to need the latest and greatest ALL the time. And that’s what you paid for so don’t blame Reverb for making even more money of your need…
It definitely feels like I'm getting ripped off somehow being the seller... And i feel the same as you. Like I'm going to make good profit. When in reality I'm getting killed. Shipping in Pennsylvania has gone up and the buyer almost always gives me a hard time. I tell them that i put time and money into each product shipped. Very frustrating. If it gets any worse, I'll probably just sell on Facebook marketplace and CL...
That website is victim of it's own success. It's not longer the good place to find good gear with reasonable price. People started to speculate in everything. People tag some ordinary things like used pickups for the price as brand new then you have to pay the shipping. Sometimes is better to buy new in a trusted webstore. Delivery free and guaranteed. So reverb is is odd and just for listing. But the price tags are often out from the reality
Im just using the equivalent for Craigslist. Scam? Can always happen in some most unpredictable ways. But If you are careful, it's such a small and specialized market, you will smell if it stinks.
DELUSION: selling something online and expecting more than you received. common... as, yes, most of us rarely have much of a clue how much it is going to 'cost' us to sell something. but, all things considered, you really didn't 'lose' NEAR as much as you think you did... you actually AGREED to give it to someone to help you find your buyer and sell the very thing you listed, and at YOUR listed price, or for a price you later agreed to. Reverb, or anyone else, has no relation to the amount you set to sell it for. They are simply the 'middle man' in the transaction, but, and thankfully, are promoting your product on a GLOBAL scale - something you, yourself, would NEVER be able to do. Yes, you 'might' find a local buyer who would pay you the same, and not having any 'fees' involved, yes, we'd all LOVE for that to be the case for everything we want to 'set free' from our cramped man cave, but that's not reality. Music gear is NOT an investment. You ARE going to lose value when you 'sell' it, unless it has become 'vintage' and desirable beyond the many, many years you have owned it. but, you also USED it for 6 months, and NO ONE is going to give you anything NEAR what you paid for it to 'recoup' your perceived losses... your usage is your cost, not the Reverb fees, or shipping costs... those are easy and just part of the overall 'selling' equation. Ask any seller on the beloved and fantastically expensive BARRETT JACKSON car auctions: 8 % from the Seller, AND 8 % from the Buyer!! WOW! Barrett Jackson is RACKING UP the commissions... but, then again, will that same seller get that same amazing dollar amount if setting his car at the end of the driveway with a 'for sale' sign? Probably not. FEES are really just commissions. If you walk into any music store, ask them to sell your item, AT your price, and they tell you they will as long as they get an 8% commission, I would suggest that most of us would jump on the chance. IF they call and say that a customer is interested but wants you to lower to THEIR price, well, that's YOUR decision, not the store's. It's up to YOU what you sell an item for. There really is no 'LOSS' ... If you DON'T sell it, you get nothing.
Reverb froze my account for literally no reason for about two months. by the time they decided to reinstate me, I walked away, and will NEVER go back. With the ridiculous hit on your sale, you should also.
I understand that financially that's a significant loss in relation to the price you paid. Id be bummed too. I'm not in the position to buy new pieces in short enough time frames. Any purchase i make is considered without any financial return in terms of the tool creating streams of profit, like youtube videos. Theyre long term investments in aesthetic potential and productivity. I think the premium prices that secondhand gear now generally hold is a relatively recent problem. Your loss on the Pulsar seems pretty extreme, but then again it's a Pulsar and everyone knows the caveat of them being slightly unwieldy..not for everyone. For better or worse. Everyone wants more financial value held with their purchases. I hope it goes back to the way it was. Where you knew and expected to take the hit
I still don't get how items can be taxed multiple times. If you sold this stuff at a garage sale or flea market, no one is paying extra taxes. The item was taxed when it was purchased new. It shouldn't be taxed ever again unless it's a capital gain.
Great video. I think, as consumers, becoming sellers, is just not EVER gong to be profitable. I do math the same way. I'm OK with the $$$ loss as long as I get the "Satisfaction Value" out of it that I wanted. AND part of the math you didn't include is the value the NEW gear will give you. After all, you're selling it to REPLACE it with something else so that is cost + "satisfaction value" again. It's a giant carousel.....round and round we go....and then we die. Much like life itself. Just enjoy the ride. 🤣🤣
YO WOW. I've never sold on reverb but selling on eBay; kinda reminds me of that. The way you broke down the 10% savings joke. Thank you for saying that out loud. You saying the truth right there. Why are you reading my mind? The double dipping taxes should get halved and put into legislation. Also would like to know which you prefer the pulsar 23 or the porkons; like I was just thinking about this too
I'd say Pulsar 23 and Perkons are different instruments, despite them being a "kind of a drum machine". I'd say as a general statement, Pulsar is a bit more experimental and Perkons is more traditional. They both sound great in their own way! Thanks for stopping by!
I have had good experiences buying and selling on EBay and Reverb both. You do lose a chunk, especially since the shipping costs have gone up the past few years. I would sell direct to someone on Facebook instead but there aren’t any protections that I know of. eBay and Reverb will protect you but if you sell direct it takes only one time of getting screwed over, buying or selling it. The fees you pay are worth protecting you from getting screwed.
Well hey man I'm not sure that you really lost your 700 and some odd dollars really because the selling price was the selling price you asked for what you got for it I mean you didn't lose that amount. used gear never sells for what brand new gear sells for and irregardless everything is getting expensive anyway anymore but you didn't lose $700, I don't see how you get to the $700 ticket because the price of a transaction is what it is and what you paid for it back when is non-consequential to what you sold it for, you can't figure it in that fashion, well I mean I guess you can but it doesn't make any sense then of course you're going to be disappointed if you look at it from that angle, you didn't lose the $700 you had to pay taxes and then the fee for using their service I don't think the prices are really all that out of line with everybody else and they have great exposure to boot, I don't know I just don't see the $700 thing here I just don't see that at all. the way you're looking at it seems like they'll never be a win for you you'll never feel like you're going to come out ahead or come out even if you look at it from that angle. if you want to start looking at it from that angle then you need to start buying gear at lower prices wait wait and wait until you get a screaming deal on something and then purchase it and then when you go to resell it you're not going to feel so banged up, but I just don't think that's the right way to look at it. it doesn't make any sense to me, that's my opinion unsolicited of course. :)
I feel your sentiment but it’s nearly impossible for people not living near places like Hollywood or Nashville. Yeah, sadly the internet has killed small retail
eBay will always side with buyers in cases where an item is damaged or w/e, this is why I refuse to sell anything through them. eBay will always side with sellers when it comes to how buyer's report them and then the negative feedback is simply removed, this is for high profile sellers who have high volume sales. I have seen both sides and try to avoid both as much as possible, eBay is a shocking place for an abuse of both buyers and sellers. Reverb is worse from what I have seen, there is one certain content creator who sold their DSI Evolver on there, well knowingly that it was faulty. The buyer claimed that it had 27 faulty knobs, the seller's response was, "well it's old and these things happen". The buyer got a partial refund. This sort of behavior makes it a hive for people that do abuse loopholes, but they have had both of their stores shut down, 1 due to abuse of customers, the other store was shut down due to breach of already having a store shut down. At least there was some justice that prevailed. My advice is only buy from reputable stores on either platform, otherwise it can get really messy with someone who ends up losing money.
Like I said, I've had almost all positive experience from Reverb. My only beef currently is that legislation in place for online transaction is super punitive for small private sellers. ie. 1099 and double tax on used gear.
With all due respect, your problem on the Pulsar transaction wasn't Reverb, but your bad decision to buy a piece of gear that you only kept for six months. Next time, think before dropping $2300!
Hey appreciate the feedback. But…Did you watch the video? No one said Reverb was at fault other than Reverb can be exactly as you describe, costly. So yes I came to the same conclusion that we should “think” before we buy. But sometimes life happens and you have to sell gear earlier than you’d like. So I recommend marketplaces with lower transaction fees. But they also have draw backs. Thanks for the comment again.
yeah... I have some regrets but ultimately, I think I really hated those alligator clips. It seems small but it's a thing. It was very unfun and not intuitive to work with. If they can update that to just standard patch points, I'd reconsider repurchasing.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I think you recommended their Eurorack delay. Only negative I've read is that its hard to tame and dial in a delay to semi-sync to the beat. Is that really the case? Or just someone not used to a delay which doesn't have MIDI clock in capability. lol
It’s a resource here in the US. But it’s getting to be quite the e-commerce site with many pro vendors advertising and fewer private listings. If you are selling, especially if you are willing to let it go for less, Reverb has done well for me, just liquidating. If you are a buyer looking a deal, it’s feels like it’s getting harder to find deals.
What are my thoughts? Well, they're this: almost NEVER buy gear new! Unless it's for a specific reason. And then, if that "buying new" threshold has been met, then make sure that it's reasoning is based on an "I'm buying this for the pleasure of the thing-NOT because I think I can flip it later for, basically, the same amount of $$" I just looked at Reverb: I saw another Pulsar 23 for-you guessed it: $1750! And, this is this sellers' initial asking price. When it's all said and done, that seller may sell it for less than that. What you just realized, in viewing your Reverb payout, was the Inflated Price of that item. With very, very few exceptions, the gear that we just paid full price for drops dramatically in price-literally-as soon as you walk out the door with it. You're NOT going to get anywhere near that price, for the lion's share of gear that you sell. Buyers aren't stupid. They're thinking like I am: 1. If you think I'm going to give you a mere 1-3% markdown on this piece of gear you're trying to sell on Reverb/Facebook/Whatever, you're out of your mind. For that type of money, I'll just go to a store and spend the extra 1-3% for a new unit, with a 30 day return policy, AND the assuring feeling of knowing that I'm the only one who's ever owned this (this is why you pay for new.) 2. You, the seller, know what I know, and you know that all the other sellers know what I know, so regardless of what you're saying you'll take for this item, the fact of the matter is this: in the end the market will either force you to come down on your price, or you'll realize you're unwilling to take the loss that you'll have to take, and you'll pull the item. You can't get the market to do what you want it to do-we get the price the market will bear. I'm not sure why you're feeling compelled to buy such an expensive item, and then sell it within 6 months, but if you want to conduct your purchases/sales like this, then I'd suggest going to Reverb and buying used, because the used prices-of any item that's been in the wild for long enough for there to be enough out there so as to take from said item it's "Sheen of Novelty/Rareness"-will be much, much closer to the actual value of the item. Remember: the store-bought price is ALWAYS an inflation of it's actual value. Always. It's what stores call "Markup". And as someone who has worked at a major Music Gear retailer, I know this for a fact: the markup on an enormous amount of items-highly desirable items, of all stripes-is ASTOUNDING. Trust me on that. And yes: I've bought and sold many, many items on Reverb. The fees can sometimes be a bit of a bummer, but then again, I just don't ever remember leaving a transaction feeling that I just got had. I've bought many really good items (like my new condition MPC Live II Retro Edition for $900, which later had to be serviced, and because it was still under warranty, I later received from Akai a completely new replacement, just as one example). And I've sold a lot of things well too, and because I marketed them well, and these items were very well taken care of, I got really good prices for. So, yeah, Reverb has some bummers to it, but my feeling is: if you use Reverb well, then it ends up feeling like an undeniable positive. Being disappointed about losing $700 on an item that you bought new, and in so doing immediately submitting yourself to the whims of the market-I don't feel-is the best way to feel good about any Reverb sale. My two cents.
It really fucks me off how difficult it is to verify my account. I'm currently in my overdraft, and they say I can't verify my account until I have at least £300 free. THE WHOLE FUCKING REASON IM SELLING MY EQUIPMENT IS TO GET OUT OF MY OVERDRAFT!!! I told them I can legit verify my details in a hundred different ways, and I tried to call their support number, but they give you an automated message, tell you to piss off to their website, then hang up! Buying on Reverb is great, Selling is a fucking nightmare
I started selling on Reverb last month and it’s been an incredibly frustrating experience. You cannot speak with a human no matter what you try. I’m not upset about the fees, it’s how buggy their selling software is and the fact that there’s no one to help new sellers or answer their questions. When you call their customer support number you get an automated message and they hang up on you! WTF? Cmon Reverb, for 10% fees you can afford to answer the phone when a seller asks a question.
Yeah I mean most of these tech-commerce companies have little to none people support and I sort of get why they do it. Doesn’t mean it’s right but it seems like it’s the norm and now pretty much every company does it. It’s like those “self-checkout” cashiers which I hate but now it’s everywhere! :(
Etsy ruined Reverb. It used to be a great site with great live support right at your finger tips with low fees, and it even offered discounted shipping rates if you used UPS....all of that is gone now. I went from selling about 1-2 things a month to selling 1-2 things a year because it just is less of an enjoyable experience, so I sell other places more often now.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I called ebay customer support a month or so ago and got a real person.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATREI didn't even know they had a phone number "Hello Reverb customer service here. My Name is Mike. How may I not help you"...Click...........
What is their number? I could not find one except an oversees number.
I’ve sold on reverb for 5 years. Over 200 transactions and it’s been a great experience, only one time I had an instrument trashed during shipment and reverb stepped in to make everyone happy. Never seen a scammer.
They are out there! Sadly.
My experience:
1) Buy used as much as possible. I've gotten some very good deals on mint/open box items on reverb. In some cases, I've sold those items and gotten most (or in rare cases more) of my money back.
2) I've never used the reverb bump mechanic, and I've sold everything pretty quickly without it. Most people will sort by price.
3) The very best prices I've gotten for used gear has been through local channels (facebook groups and other musician networking). If you see a deal on reverb that is physically near to you, it may be possible to bypass reverb and cut out all of their middle man fees.
That is correct and sellers know this aswell. I use reveb to find my contact buyer or seller and make direct buy or sell. Works both ways. Reverb will have troubles if they keep hiking the fees.
I agree, buying used is the way to go. Let someone else take the hit on the depreciation of new gear, there are plenty of people selling things in mint or excellent condition at a greatly reduced price!
You sir are spot on, it took me a while to figure out why after all my sales I was still in the Red. Yes, I had great gear but owed a lot more than what I had set out to do. So thank you for the video, it took the cost analysis to a higher level.
my main reverb thing is guitars but your video is really good.
The shine has completely come off of eBay for me. Of the last five selling transactions there, four were problematic in some way with eBay doing little or nothing to assist. The number of questionable buyers has increased exponentially as well. I do wish there was a Reverb for camera gear as well.
Have you tried KEH for selling your camera gear?!
Can't understand how identical items from unrelated sellers on eBay have cheap shipping when sold overpriced, but excessive shipping cost when sold cheap. Two different sellers, identical items just in different condition, identical shipping methods ... low-cost used item has expensive shipping cost but high-price item has low shipping cost. But how?
Pro Tip: move out of Cali and you won't have to pay tax on anything you buy at Perfect Circuit. Its like getting another 8-9% off on top of their 10% sales. Plus I usually qualify for free shipping so sometimes, it's cheaper to buy something new from Perfect Circuit than used on reverb after fees, taxes, and shipping. Buying from Thomann in Germany and SX Pro in the UK is similar. No taxes for US buyers. Shipping is expensive, but not as expensive as domestic taxes. If you buy gear made in those countries, it often beats the used prices on Reverb.
I had to sell a brand new module on Reverb recently because I it was an international purchase and the return shipping was more than the losses from selling on reverb. that one stung a little bit.
I’ve had similar experiences. E-commerce was a no brainer until recently with shooing/double tax/ potential return issues. Perhaps physical retail can make some kind of comeback or at least perhaps these are equalizing forces? Hopefully…
Yep I’m with you bro….the hefty buyer’s and seller’s add-on costs such as Reverb fees-sales taxes, shipping, etc. are outrageous!😮. We as a society are practically taxed to death!
I think the criticisms you offer are the fairest and most balanced and reasonable I've seen on a channel reviewing music kit 👍
Doesn't put me off at all but even over the video I thought, that clicking seems annoying 😂
In the past I actually had made a decent chunk of change for new modules by only buying used gear at good deals and reselling on Reverb if it doesn't work for me. I would sell when the market prices were higher than normal and usually I made profit. This only works if you're patient and only purchase used gear online. Nowadays Reverb has really made it silly to use them since they take so much in fees.. I wonder what other market places would be better.
I've been meaning to give Sweetwater Gear Exchange a try. It's just that like with small and new (since it looks like Sweetwater is giving this business a new push) marketplaces, safety and scam protection is hard to come by. We'll see how it pans out.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE as I posted before, because of loopholes and how people can abuse them, buying form reputable stores or people is the best way to do things, here, eBay or on any platform.
Also read the feedback, I used a seller 4 times before the 5th went sour. The negative feedback was spot on about him, his abuse, his mannerisms, his language.
He has a high amount of sales so he is "protected" by eBay, even though they're so called investigating him.
This is why I only buy from trusted sources now. I feel bad for sellers though, how they can be ripped off because the buyer knows how to do it.
Totally agree about that “too good of a job” on all of the fees
Thanks im trying to get a feel on selling my high end record players, eaualizers, amps, and speackers as well as sone audio recording equioment im still researching that i came into. Just trying to fugure all this out as ive only used ebay in past.
I think Reverb is a better choice. eBay is multipurpose while Reverb is very niche and specific to audio gear. For better or worse, I think Reverb works... for now...
I haven't tried Reverb yet, but a lot of people have said they bought Chibsons on there.
Reverb's fee increase and now the 1099K tax law have pretty much killed my interest in buying or selling on the site.
Yeah.. this is a huge problem and its such a bummer. The question is, similar to when Amazon started having to pay sales tax, did Reverb establish a big enough lead and market dominance to remain viable? Sweetwater Gear Space and others might be making a push.
Losing money on gear just makes your taxes take longer, lol technically you could claim the loss on your gear and reduce some taxes possibly, not tax advice
The Perkons is what I had hoped the Pulsar to be. Made a mistake and bought into the hype, buying new. Think in the back of ones mind is the idea that the value will rise in time, especially with these boutique synths. Are they investments? Will we look back at these like people do classic 80s synths? Who knows... what is definite (imo) is that this is a 'golden era' of musical product manufacturing and we are fortune to be a part of it.
I can not get an answer to this but im sure you know do i pay shipping out of pocket first to get the label and get paid back once the item is shipped? or does the shipping cost automatically come out of what they paid?
You have options - if you do your own shipping, you have to pay upfront. If you use Reverb’s shipping, they deduct it from your payout.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE oh I see thank you I'll just print a label from them I looked absolutely everywhere and couldn't find an answer
How much would it have cost to rent the item for that same amount of time?
yup I haven't bought or sold anything since 2022. I feel like I get stiffed as a buyer and as a seller.
I wish I was you
I disagree with the don’t buy new sentiment. I’ve had to use no quibble 2 year Sweetwater guarantee often enough to know how valuable it is.
I have to agree with you also. I wouldn't buy ONLY new gear. But I wouldn't just buy used gear either. It's probably a mix of both. Sometimes, if it's mission critical, like UAD gear, with plugin license transfers and such, it can be a hassle to buy used. Also, I've seen plenty of USED gear pricing that's not all that lower than new. And with new products, they come with warranty and at least a 30 day return guarantee usually.
I have only purchased on Reverb. I bought a Mesa Mark IV and it went well. 1,500.00 + shop and when I looked recently they were averaging 2800.00. but I sold a few guitars on eBay and they hit hard. I am no longer selling on eBay or Feebay if you like.
I don't like how they charge you tax on Reverb. You should not be taxed on a device that you already have paid taxes on. Sweetwater used I have really like it so far.
I've been meaning to try Gear Exchange at Sweetwater. I'll put some stuff up on it and see what happens. I think the double tax is really poorly written legislation that needs to be rewritten. I don't blame Reverb or eBay for it. But they get the brunt because they have to enforce it. :(
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE eh, its a sale and a sale is taxed, not really that crazy. Just because you can get away with not reporting selling something to a friend, its just as illegal. Think how much shit they'd have to deal with if it was like you thought. Would you pay taxes on a house? How bought land? Basically everything would be tax free as someone paid taxes on something first, its pretty simple when you really think about it. You are paying a sales tax for making a sale in the US, not an item tax for an item.
Excellent and sober discussion.
thank you so much!
My two cents... I try to buy used or as low as possible, (some Reverb stores give crazy discounts...), plan my purchases well, and generally only sell more expensive items locally through CL or FMP. I figure If I've gotten use out of the item, think logically that should cost me something.
I've never had anything too bad happen while buying or selling on reverb. If I buy something and then later decide to sell it at a loss, I think about how much it would have cost to rent that piece of gear during the time I had it. I don't use the bump feature anymore unless I have a real dog of a product that I'm trying to unload. I also use Pirate Ship when I offer free shipping. It's a better deal than the Reverb shipping label. I've sold a guitar, a bunch of pedals and even an Ampeg V4 stack. The only time I had a problem was when a buyer accidentally made a duplicate offer to me and another seller. We both had the same item at the same price. The other guy got the sale. It was only a minor annoyance. I didn't lose any money and I sold my unit a few days later.
Reverb is still kinda useful no doubt!
I’ve never bought something new and then expected to get all my money back when selling it. That’s why I always buy used, whether it’s music gear or a car. I’ve bought and sold a moderate amount of gear on Reverb including pedals, amps, and guitars. I’ll ship the small stuff and I shipped one amp once and got burned by the buyer, but Reverb did the right thing. Basically, I sold a pristine tube amp and when the guy got it, he said it didn’t work. After days of trouble shooting with him, he sent it back for a refund. When I got it back, the amp was thrashed and of course it didn’t work. It looked like the guy used his kitchen trash as packing material. I disputed the refund with Reverb and at the end of the day, they covered the refund for me only because I used a Reverb shipping label. So I don’t ship amps or guitars anymore at all.
The end of the story was my amp tech did his thing and it sounds better than ever. His analysis was the guy who bought it used it as a parts amp to fix his own amp and then sent it back saying it was broken.
You forgot about the 1099 form you will get at the end of the year.
I’m done with reverb.
Thanks for the video!
yeah...
I think online selling platforms are all squeezing people too much. I still used Craigslist for big ticket items for the most part. I have a 2017 EBMM JP6 in mystic dream, that is still brand new condition. I wouldn’t mind selling it, but the idea of selling it online, and then shipping it doesn’t sit well with me. I also have a few other items, that I would like to sell, but the whole process is nothing I’d feel good about, so I just don’t mess with it.
The 1099 nonsense for a private citizen selling a used piece of gear is killing these used gear sites. We paid tax to purchase it, then get taxed again to sell it, and the buyer pays a new tax to purchase it. Triple taxed and more when that person goes to sell...the US Gov is a greedy bastard. Sweetwater's new used gear site is an interesting option now as they will waive the fee if you use the money earned to purchase gear on their used or new site. That is very helpful and Reverb missed the mark by not doing the same. eBay.... just sucks with zero scam protection.
Yeah this law makes no sense and it needs to be updated.
Mostly it's the Greedy State Gov.
@@rosewoodsteel6656 its state reps follow what the fed gov did since they got away with it, why not add in state govt too. It’s all theft.
don't offer to pay for any return shipping. "buyers" will return everything with the excuse that your ad was misleading. meanwhile, they give nothing and use your gear for free. ask me how I know
I buy "wherever" I can get a deal I find acceptable, but I try and always sell on Craigslist. I'd rather take the "lower" price there and have no paper trail or taxes. It usually comes out about the same profit or more.
I found Craigslist requires a bit more effort because of the face to face interaction and when you are listing a lot of gear, that can be an issue. But yeah, Craigslist is a great resource!
I scour reverb for what I’m looking for luckily I have found several synths locally. I make an offer get the sellers number and get it without paying taxes usually cheaper then posted. The sellers are happy to sell either out having to ship and pay fees!
thats one of the reasons I dont use to sell stuff so often. I use to think and plan so well what I buy and Its quite important to me to keep it, for some reasons. One is the money. Its difficult not to lose it on this process. the others are that I never know for sure if the new stuff is gonna replace wel the old, so unless something bothers me to keep it, I dont sell it. Also is this learning time process, wich they have. Its so much time learning to use the new stuff, so I prefer not to spent so much on it
This is a great point. Constant buying and selling has a lot of hidden costs too, shipping, and packaging/time spent also.
I just realized that shipping is the most expensive going on. Shipping costs twice the value of the instrument if it is over 40 pounds or 20 kilos.
Biggest winners in this is UPS and FEDEX. Have you seen their earnings??
@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE do you recommend shipping through Reverb or ship directly with FedEx? I sold a few items in the past year through Reverb. I talked to their customer service and I thought they want to push their shipping process through them. Thank you in advance!
I seem to sell the most gear, the fastest and for the most money on Reverb. I feel like the Reverb Bumps can get costly and does seem to be effective. It does seem to be a hidden cost to me. I don’t feel there is a better option tho. eBay is more expensive, can be hard to sell on and I feel more open to scams from buyers with less protections.
There are no shortages of gear anymore. Now there is a very large amount of used gear floating around. The days of selling near what you paid are almost gone. You can get a decent quality guitar for around $300 US. You’re not going to recoup the amount you paid 5 years ago and flipped like when there was a shortage.
So I think there are a few hardware units that could rise in value but they are a tiny minority. I think we all overestimate most of our gear value and you are right to point out the lack of scarcity in this industrialized world.
I've been doing this for 40 years. Though I've made money on rare occasions, both playing and selling guitars, I'd probably be a millionaire if I had put that money in the stock market instead.
That's why it's called a Hobby. It costs money to do it. Given the state of music stores these days, it's probably the only way to experience new equipment and guitars. Now, at 64 I just accept it as the cost of my hobby, and not be in a hurry to sell what I want to sell. It moves eventually.
Wise words…
Personally, I stopped selling on Reverb because I was tired of “musicians” making a purchase, using the gear to play with or even use it to do some recording, and then claim it is “faulty” and returning the item. Typically they keep it for 2-3 weeks and then try to file for a return. 99% of the time the item return in perfect working condition. Like I said, they buy it knowing they will return it when they are done using it for whatever short-term thing they need it for.
It would be helpful if they could get shipping prices under control. Some of the asking prices are ridiculous haha.. especially shipping OS. Wild variability
some of these bigger and heavier units, the PULSAR for example, was $73 dollars US to ship ground UPS with insurance. This is brutal! I only allocated $50 for shipping (which the buyer usually balks at - which I don't blame them) and so I took even more loss. minus $23!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE that's a lot for sure. Try Australia, generally tech is more expensive already. Then you add shipping from a small company that isn't stocked here, which is likely and it stops my purchase. I refuse to pay that much more than most of the population. It's a joke
Watch out if you sell on Reverb. I sold a 1965 Firbird with serious wear, which I tried to show. The buyer wanted their money back and I had zero help from Reverb. I lost over a thousand dollars when you include all my costs. I feel ill about this and will always shoot a ton of pics and stress that the guitars HAVE BEEN PLAYED and show play wear after 50+ years.
Yes. Be full and honest with descriptions. It's the best defence.
when you sell on FB marketplace, do you only sell locally, or do you sell and ship to locations further away?
for FB, it's gotta be local, cash on hand. Too many scammers
What song is used?
It's some random jam I put together.
I'm the one buying your silly whim purchases. I don't sell because I buy what I really want. Buying decisions are rarely pressured with music gear. Months can go by. It's amazing how the 'must have' stuff gets forgotten with the filter of time. Now apply that to the rest of your life. Then you'll join the group referred to as 'its ok for them'. Don't forget you don't pay tax on the money you save, or commission/depreciation on the junk you sell.
“Filter of time” is a wise observation! Thanks for sharing
I sell items on eBay, Reverb, and also directly through subreddits. Music gear almost always try to sell direct on reddit first, but if that doesn't work then I go to Reverb and it ALWAYS sells. Yeah, you lose money on fees and shipping, but that's the price you pay for access to the platform. I almost NEVER buy on Reverb though. The tax you pay makes it just not worth it.
appreciate the insights!
Recently sold a '71 Fender Bandmaster Reverb head. i knew i was in trouble when the customer asked if i had a Male to male power cord that came with it???? He was going to make a cord to plug into the outlet on the back of the amp. Yeah, seriously! After we straightened that out he kept complaing that no matter how loud he turned it up it just kept humming, and made a video. He had the amp on 7 and there was a hum in addition to the sound of the guitar coming across very distorted. After we checked the cabling etc I asked him if he was sure of his speaker load to which he responded "yeah it's a 2 ohm cab that usually sounds great"....For those of you familiar with old Fender amps, on the back of the amp it states specifically "4 Ohm Minimum". Im 99% sure he smoked the power transformer or at least the tubes because he basically played full volume for 8 or so hours with mis-matched impedance. He then reported to Reverb that the amp "didnt come as described" and wants a refund. Reverb is siding with the customer and want me to refund the sale price and shipping costs, but also pay the return shipping costs (around $250 total shipping costs)....
😢
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE thanks for letting me vent! i do like the video
@@rabolinger pretty much most of TH-cam is ranting so you're in good company! :)
Mr Dungeon .. it does seem to be more true, than not .. retailers, if their confidence builds, .. they start taking more, & giving less, .. like, it's in the business plan, or something. And, IF a person can maintain the "like new" condition of an item .. and then resell .. 2/3's of new, is probably the very best to hope for. Plus, the pressure of electronic's vulnerability to being upstaged by newer things.
Well.. I haven't actually ever sold any gear yet.. and I've never bought gear thinking "oh, I'll just sell it later, and I'll break even." I wouldn't expect to break even buying something new.. but maybe if I buy used and then sell latter.. and I mean I did buy a Tempest at the bottom of the market.. and it's now worth more?
What I do is spend a lot of time thinking about my goals and objectives.. and then look at gear from that standpoint.. and it's not uncommon that I'll be thinking about a piece of gear for years before pulling the trigger.
But I mean it's all about my work and where I want to take my work. I think the number one problem I see is people who see gear that looks exciting and buy based on what looks exciting, or what people are talking about.. and not so much from the standpoint of their own vision or what their work kinda wants.. OR.. maybe it's that I'm kinda poor and that forces me to be extra disciplined about it..
On buying new or used.. I very often check out second hand prices.. and decide if I care. Like if I only save a small amount used.. why bother? OR.. if I think what I'm buying isn't very well made.. I'll go new. I do think there's some gear that retains it's value better than other gear.. and I'll give that some thought..
I bought an MPC Live just after the MK2 came out.. cause it was like half the price.. I had done a similar think with Elektron's Analog Four.. it was like "ok, I get the the MK2 features are all groovy.. but the feature of half the price is even groovey-er for me?"
Right now there's a synth in a market place I'm thinking of buying.. that's.. sorta like damaged.. that I think I can fix.. and I'd save so much money.. that it's really game changing about my studio plans.. which means I have to spend a whole lot of time kinda thinking about.. how this would change my perspective on what I need... because it's such a different direction from what I was thinking.. but the direction I was thinking was based on the idea that I couldn't afford anything in this synth category. BUT STILL.. I have to work out if it's the right thing to do.. and for whatever reason I really have to spend time thinking about and sleeping on it.. and whatever.
My experience with Reverb has been mostly good. I had this hassle where my bank decided I don't buy things as expensive as an Elektron Rytm.. so it told Reverb it might be fraud.. and there was this massive hassle.. and I lost out on a deal.. and then when I did buy one.. the guy I was buying it from.. I guess someone in his life had just passed away.. so he was not responsive to me.. and for whatever reason Reverb wasn't giving me the information that the thing had already been shipped.. so, I mean, there was that.
I think as a hobby, mulling over gear is half the fun for sure! :) Thanks for sharing!
It would appear that you are in a somewhat unique situation relating to buying and selling studio gear. Since you are, presumably, in the business of producing TH-cam videos expenses like buying gear that you subsequently use for a review would be a tax deductible business expense. The monetary loss may substantially offset any related income. You need to factor in all financial aspects of transactions to determine the final bottom line. For those of us who have no commercial engagement the costs can just be considered as entertainment expenses. When I go to sell gear I list on both eBay and Reverb. I currently have a Yamaha VL!m Version 2 listed for sale on both platforms.
I think that’s a fair assessment! Appreciate the perspective!
That loss can get brutal on higher end gear where it can add up fast, but at the same time as rough as Reverb's cut can feel at times it's still a lower cut than lets say Ebay at a flat 30% rate. Granted I'm mostly a buyer but I've found prices and overall usability better on Reverb compared to places like Ebay when I'm just looking for gear. It's nice to not have half a dozen unrelated items with a similar model name or SKU pop up when looking. I also tend to not go for iffy on the fence gear, if any thing I research my purchases to death as I buy synths for long term use. Case and point I considered an MC-707 for nearly a year before I finally pulled the trigger on one but as a side effect six months in and some people still think I'm in some kind of honey moon phase with it as it's just that good of a fit for what I wanted in a groovebox.
Yeah Reverb is the lesser of two evils when compared to eBay
Not only is the buyer and seller paying taxes, you pay taxes again when they 1099 you
I like reverb the best. Unless it is really unique gear I assume 25% loss on resale.
yeah, it's kinda the only game in town for most of us who don't want to take risks with locals
Question? Why did you think you need to replace the item in the first place? I know there is always a reason we tell ourselves but reality is that we didn’t think we needed that feature just a short time before so in the end it’s just our impulsiveness to need the latest and greatest ALL the time. And that’s what you paid for so don’t blame Reverb for making even more money of your need…
It definitely feels like I'm getting ripped off somehow being the seller... And i feel the same as you. Like I'm going to make good profit. When in reality I'm getting killed. Shipping in Pennsylvania has gone up and the buyer almost always gives me a hard time. I tell them that i put time and money into each product shipped. Very frustrating. If it gets any worse, I'll probably just sell on Facebook marketplace and CL...
Long time seller on Reverb.
That website is victim of it's own success. It's not longer the good place to find good gear with reasonable price. People started to speculate in everything. People tag some ordinary things like used pickups for the price as brand new then you have to pay the shipping. Sometimes is better to buy new in a trusted webstore. Delivery free and guaranteed. So reverb is is odd and just for listing. But the price tags are often out from the reality
Im just using the equivalent for Craigslist. Scam? Can always happen in some most unpredictable ways. But If you are careful, it's such a small and specialized market, you will smell if it stinks.
scammers goona scam.. :(
Can i ship to Indonesia?
yea but expensive
DELUSION: selling something online and expecting more than you received.
common... as, yes, most of us rarely have much of a clue how much it is going to 'cost' us to sell something.
but, all things considered, you really didn't 'lose' NEAR as much as you think you did... you actually AGREED to give it to someone to help you find your buyer and sell the very thing you listed, and at YOUR listed price, or for a price you later agreed to. Reverb, or anyone else, has no relation to the amount you set to sell it for. They are simply the 'middle man' in the transaction, but, and thankfully, are promoting your product on a GLOBAL scale - something you, yourself, would NEVER be able to do. Yes, you 'might' find a local buyer who would pay you the same, and not having any 'fees' involved, yes, we'd all LOVE for that to be the case for everything we want to 'set free' from our cramped man cave, but that's not reality.
Music gear is NOT an investment. You ARE going to lose value when you 'sell' it, unless it has become 'vintage' and desirable beyond the many, many years you have owned it.
but, you also USED it for 6 months, and NO ONE is going to give you anything NEAR what you paid for it to 'recoup' your perceived losses... your usage is your cost, not the Reverb fees, or shipping costs... those are easy and just part of the overall 'selling' equation. Ask any seller on the beloved and fantastically expensive BARRETT JACKSON car auctions: 8 % from the Seller, AND 8 % from the Buyer!! WOW! Barrett Jackson is RACKING UP the commissions... but, then again, will that same seller get that same amazing dollar amount if setting his car at the end of the driveway with a 'for sale' sign? Probably not.
FEES are really just commissions. If you walk into any music store, ask them to sell your item, AT your price, and they tell you they will as long as they get an 8% commission, I would suggest that most of us would jump on the chance. IF they call and say that a customer is interested but wants you to lower to THEIR price, well, that's YOUR decision, not the store's. It's up to YOU what you sell an item for. There really is no 'LOSS' ...
If you DON'T sell it, you get nothing.
Reverb froze my account for literally no reason for about two months. by the time they decided to reinstate me, I walked away, and will NEVER go back. With the ridiculous hit on your sale, you should also.
That’s sad to hear. While fees can be rough, I’ve had nothing but great customer service from Reverb so that’s a bummer.
I understand that financially that's a significant loss in relation to the price you paid. Id be bummed too.
I'm not in the position to buy new pieces in short enough time frames. Any purchase i make is considered without any financial return in terms of the tool creating streams of profit, like youtube videos. Theyre long term investments in aesthetic potential and productivity.
I think the premium prices that secondhand gear now generally hold is a relatively recent problem. Your loss on the Pulsar seems pretty extreme, but then again it's a Pulsar and everyone knows the caveat of them being slightly unwieldy..not for everyone. For better or worse.
Everyone wants more financial value held with their purchases. I hope it goes back to the way it was. Where you knew and expected to take the hit
Yeah, live and learn. It's all part of it tho.
I still don't get how items can be taxed multiple times. If you sold this stuff at a garage sale or flea market, no one is paying extra taxes. The item was taxed when it was purchased new. It shouldn't be taxed ever again unless it's a capital gain.
Great video. I think, as consumers, becoming sellers, is just not EVER gong to be profitable. I do math the same way. I'm OK with the $$$ loss as long as I get the "Satisfaction Value" out of it that I wanted. AND part of the math you didn't include is the value the NEW gear will give you. After all, you're selling it to REPLACE it with something else so that is cost + "satisfaction value" again. It's a giant carousel.....round and round we go....and then we die. Much like life itself. Just enjoy the ride. 🤣🤣
Well said yeah! :)
YO WOW. I've never sold on reverb but selling on eBay; kinda reminds me of that. The way you broke down the 10% savings joke. Thank you for saying that out loud. You saying the truth right there. Why are you reading my mind? The double dipping taxes should get halved and put into legislation.
Also would like to know which you prefer the pulsar 23 or the porkons; like I was just thinking about this too
I'd say Pulsar 23 and Perkons are different instruments, despite them being a "kind of a drum machine". I'd say as a general statement, Pulsar is a bit more experimental and Perkons is more traditional. They both sound great in their own way! Thanks for stopping by!
I have had good experiences buying and selling on EBay and Reverb both. You do lose a chunk, especially since the shipping costs have gone up the past few years. I would sell direct to someone on Facebook instead but there aren’t any protections that I know of. eBay and Reverb will protect you but if you sell direct it takes only one time of getting screwed over, buying or selling it. The fees you pay are worth protecting you from getting screwed.
Well hey man I'm not sure that you really lost your 700 and some odd dollars really because the selling price was the selling price you asked for what you got for it I mean you didn't lose that amount. used gear never sells for what brand new gear sells for and irregardless everything is getting expensive anyway anymore but you didn't lose $700,
I don't see how you get to the $700 ticket because the price of a transaction is what it is and what you paid for it back when is non-consequential to what you sold it for, you can't figure it in that fashion, well I mean I guess you can but it doesn't make any sense then of course you're going to be disappointed if you look at it from that angle, you didn't lose the $700 you had to pay taxes and then the fee for using their service I don't think the prices are really all that out of line with everybody else and they have great exposure to boot, I don't know I just don't see the $700 thing here I just don't see that at all. the way you're looking at it seems like they'll never be a win for you you'll never feel like you're going to come out ahead or come out even if you look at it from that angle.
if you want to start looking at it from that angle then you need to start buying gear at lower prices wait wait and wait until you get a screaming deal on something and then purchase it and then when you go to resell it you're not going to feel so banged up, but I just don't think that's the right way to look at it. it doesn't make any sense to me, that's my opinion unsolicited of course. :)
That's why I never sell anything.
Well that’s one way to do it! :)
I would never buy gear I couldn't check out in person.
I feel your sentiment but it’s nearly impossible for people not living near places like Hollywood or Nashville. Yeah, sadly the internet has killed small retail
I have purchased many pieces of gear on Reverb, probably near 15 +/- pieces... Every single purchase turned out 100% satisfaction..
you won't get your money back unless you buy used at a good bargain
eBay will always side with buyers in cases where an item is damaged or w/e, this is why I refuse to sell anything through them. eBay will always side with sellers when it comes to how buyer's report them and then the negative feedback is simply removed, this is for high profile sellers who have high volume sales.
I have seen both sides and try to avoid both as much as possible, eBay is a shocking place for an abuse of both buyers and sellers.
Reverb is worse from what I have seen, there is one certain content creator who sold their DSI Evolver on there, well knowingly that it was faulty. The buyer claimed that it had 27 faulty knobs, the seller's response was, "well it's old and these things happen".
The buyer got a partial refund.
This sort of behavior makes it a hive for people that do abuse loopholes, but they have had both of their stores shut down, 1 due to abuse of customers, the other store was shut down due to breach of already having a store shut down.
At least there was some justice that prevailed.
My advice is only buy from reputable stores on either platform, otherwise it can get really messy with someone who ends up losing money.
Like I said, I've had almost all positive experience from Reverb. My only beef currently is that legislation in place for online transaction is super punitive for small private sellers. ie. 1099 and double tax on used gear.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I think the more we move away from mom n pop stores, it's just going to get a little more messy.
With all due respect, your problem on the Pulsar transaction wasn't Reverb, but your bad decision to buy a piece of gear that you only kept for six months. Next time, think before dropping $2300!
Hey appreciate the feedback. But…Did you watch the video? No one said Reverb was at fault other than Reverb can be exactly as you describe, costly. So yes I came to the same conclusion that we should “think” before we buy. But sometimes life happens and you have to sell gear earlier than you’d like. So I recommend marketplaces with lower transaction fees. But they also have draw backs. Thanks for the comment again.
DO NOT ENCOURAGE THIEVES USE THE CLASSIFIEDS BE PATIENT AND GET THE BETTER PRICE.
patience! :)
Bump is NOT needed
Summary. Stupid people make stupid decisions. They like to blame others.
Reverb is for crazy people who think their junk is worth more than gold. Hate Reverb
Haha ouch! :)
Sell eurorack modules - not the Pulsar. C'mon... ;-)
yeah... I have some regrets but ultimately, I think I really hated those alligator clips. It seems small but it's a thing. It was very unfun and not intuitive to work with. If they can update that to just standard patch points, I'd reconsider repurchasing.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I think you recommended their Eurorack delay. Only negative I've read is that its hard to tame and dial in a delay to semi-sync to the beat. Is that really the case? Or just someone not used to a delay which doesn't have MIDI clock in capability. lol
They make a delay eurorack? I don't think I did? @@BlackMan614
Why are you blaming Reverb for your loss when it was you that set the selling price? Do your homework!!!
Appreciate the feedback, but did you actually watch the video?? It’s me literally “doing homework” :)
Reverb must be different in in USA, in the uk its practically unusabe, with zero customer service. Utter shite.
It’s a resource here in the US. But it’s getting to be quite the e-commerce site with many pro vendors advertising and fewer private listings. If you are selling, especially if you are willing to let it go for less, Reverb has done well for me, just liquidating. If you are a buyer looking a deal, it’s feels like it’s getting harder to find deals.
Screw Reverb
I think reverb is a massive Ripoff 🚽😵💫👎
I mean to be fair, it’s a good resource. It’s just that you need to know the costs involved.
What are my thoughts? Well, they're this: almost NEVER buy gear new! Unless it's for a specific reason. And then, if that "buying new" threshold has been met, then make sure that it's reasoning is based on an "I'm buying this for the pleasure of the thing-NOT because I think I can flip it later for, basically, the same amount of $$"
I just looked at Reverb: I saw another Pulsar 23 for-you guessed it: $1750! And, this is this sellers' initial asking price. When it's all said and done, that seller may sell it for less than that. What you just realized, in viewing your Reverb payout, was the Inflated Price of that item. With very, very few exceptions, the gear that we just paid full price for drops dramatically in price-literally-as soon as you walk out the door with it. You're NOT going to get anywhere near that price, for the lion's share of gear that you sell.
Buyers aren't stupid. They're thinking like I am: 1. If you think I'm going to give you a mere 1-3% markdown on this piece of gear you're trying to sell on Reverb/Facebook/Whatever, you're out of your mind. For that type of money, I'll just go to a store and spend the extra 1-3% for a new unit, with a 30 day return policy, AND the assuring feeling of knowing that I'm the only one who's ever owned this (this is why you pay for new.) 2. You, the seller, know what I know, and you know that all the other sellers know what I know, so regardless of what you're saying you'll take for this item, the fact of the matter is this: in the end the market will either force you to come down on your price, or you'll realize you're unwilling to take the loss that you'll have to take, and you'll pull the item.
You can't get the market to do what you want it to do-we get the price the market will bear.
I'm not sure why you're feeling compelled to buy such an expensive item, and then sell it within 6 months, but if you want to conduct your purchases/sales like this, then I'd suggest going to Reverb and buying used, because the used prices-of any item that's been in the wild for long enough for there to be enough out there so as to take from said item it's "Sheen of Novelty/Rareness"-will be much, much closer to the actual value of the item.
Remember: the store-bought price is ALWAYS an inflation of it's actual value. Always. It's what stores call "Markup". And as someone who has worked at a major Music Gear retailer, I know this for a fact: the markup on an enormous amount of items-highly desirable items, of all stripes-is ASTOUNDING. Trust me on that.
And yes: I've bought and sold many, many items on Reverb. The fees can sometimes be a bit of a bummer, but then again, I just don't ever remember leaving a transaction feeling that I just got had. I've bought many really good items (like my new condition MPC Live II Retro Edition for $900, which later had to be serviced, and because it was still under warranty, I later received from Akai a completely new replacement, just as one example). And I've sold a lot of things well too, and because I marketed them well, and these items were very well taken care of, I got really good prices for.
So, yeah, Reverb has some bummers to it, but my feeling is: if you use Reverb well, then it ends up feeling like an undeniable positive. Being disappointed about losing $700 on an item that you bought new, and in so doing immediately submitting yourself to the whims of the market-I don't feel-is the best way to feel good about any Reverb sale. My two cents.
appreciate your perspective! :)
It really fucks me off how difficult it is to verify my account. I'm currently in my overdraft, and they say I can't verify my account until I have at least £300 free.
THE WHOLE FUCKING REASON IM SELLING MY EQUIPMENT IS TO GET OUT OF MY OVERDRAFT!!!
I told them I can legit verify my details in a hundred different ways, and I tried to call their support number, but they give you an automated message, tell you to piss off to their website, then hang up!
Buying on Reverb is great, Selling is a fucking nightmare
:(