Is the secondhand market as slow as it is because of the lockdowns??

Hey guys,

It's a question for any musician trying to sell off their instruments (in order to buy new ones). I've had my drums up for sale in Western Europe for months now, and the selling is extremely slow. Never seen this before in my life, and I've been buying and trading for a few decades, always with good results and timely, up until now that is. I believe the lockdowns are largely responsible for this, as no shows are allowed since months.

What's your thoughts?


Greetings, Kris
 
It's been a crappy 12+ months for gigging drummers and it's most definitely a buyers market.

If you're buying and selling in order to make a few quid I wouldn't bother, a lot of people are selling equipment to pay bills.
 
Another possibility: The gear-buying frenzy is coming to a halt (temporarily, of course). Through much of the pandemic, people have had free time on their hands. Idleness can promote profligacy, and some were eager to squander their stimulus funds. Many purchased drums and cymbals they didn't need. They're now gazing at rooms full of gear they'll never use, either putting it up for sale or at least abstaining from buying more. Fewer purchases combined with a surplus of equipment sets the stage for a slower market. It might take time for conditions to turn around.
 
New instrument sales skyrocketed during the shutdown. Sweetwater has been selling a thousand guitars a day. There is so much demand that China ran out of containers, you have to pay a $15k surcharge to get one today. The used market may be flat because of all the new inventory and super-cheap financing flooding the market. Not to mention with the gov't throwing around thousand dollar checks, why buy used?

On the other hand, though a keyboard or guitar make perfect sense when shut in with your family, a drum set may not! They're a little noisy.
 
New instrument sales skyrocketed during the shutdown. Sweetwater has been selling a thousand guitars a day. There is so much demand that China ran out of containers, you have to pay a $15k surcharge to get one today. The used market may be flat because of all the new inventory and super-cheap financing flooding the market. Not to mention with the gov't throwing around thousand dollar checks, why buy used?

On the other hand, though a keyboard or guitar make perfect sense when shut in with your family, a drum set may not! They're a little noisy.
Yes, Sweetwater enjoyed record profits in 2020. It's hard to imagine that increased sales represented necessities. During "hard times," turning to luxuries as a means of relief isn't at all unusual, even though such thinking might be counterintuitive on the surface.
 
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I'm seeing higher prices on new stuff coming out of China/Taiwan. Renown and Saturn kits are up like $300-500 respectively compared to 18 months ago. Yamaha RC's have gone from $3300-ish to $3899.
 
People out of work, moeny short, less disposable income. Just paying the rent is tough for some.
I agree, it's like a tale of two cities. Some people and businesses have taken a thorough beating, while others flourished.
 
Many purchased drums and cymbals they didn't need. They're now gazing at rooms full of gear they'll never use, either putting it up for sale or at least abstaining from buying more. Fewer purchases combined with a surplus of equipment sets the stage for a slower market. It might take time for conditions to turn around.
This pandemic was a sure cure for G.A.S.. It only takes a few time gazing upon unused gear to tell yourself, "enough is enough".
This happened to me in 2019 and now I only have what I use.
 
I recently got a guitar and amp- the guitar was tough to get, mainly because they're apparently produced in small lots that sell quickly and get resold at a markup by people cashing in on the current gear market. The amp was easily found at my local GC, they had a few. They were noticeably low on most gear though, and had almost no used stuff in-store.
 
This pandemic was a sure cure for G.A.S.. It only takes a few time gazing upon unused gear to tell yourself, "enough is enough".
This happened to me in 2019 and now I only have what I use.
More than a cure for GAS, it actually enabled me to get a few things I wanted.

I can now say that, accessories aside (and not ruling out the occasional bargain too good to pass up) I have absolutely no need to buy any more gear for music. I literally have almost everything I need, barring a larger interface to allow micing a full drum set. That's really it.

It feels weird, but kinda good.
 
More than a cure for GAS, it actually enabled me to get a few things I wanted.

I can now say that, accessories aside (and not ruling out the occasional bargain too good to pass up) I have absolutely no need to buy any more gear for music. I literally have almost everything I need, barring a larger interface to allow micing a full drum set. That's really it.

It feels weird, but kinda good.
Agreed.
I think for some, they took advantage of the forced time off to focus on what mattered. For me it was lessons & hand development. Others, they worked on refining their gear & improving on what they had or needed.
Others just went crazy & took out stock in their local music shop. :LOL:
 
Hey guys,

It's a question for any musician trying to sell off their instruments (in order to buy new ones). I've had my drums up for sale in Western Europe for months now, and the selling is extremely slow. Never seen this before in my life, and I've been buying and trading for a few decades, always with good results and timely, up until now that is. I believe the lockdowns are largely responsible for this, as no shows are allowed since months.

What's your thoughts?


Greetings, Kris

Key Kris,

What I'm seeing is a bunch of instruments being sold at a premium price around here. No one has any money, so if they are selling instruments, they are getting as much for them as they can. For example, someone is selling a bass right now that goes for $849 new. On Craigslist, the seller is asking $725. If I'm in the market for that specific bass, I'm not paying over $500 for it, and that's if it still has tags and looks unplayed, you know?

There's also someone on the local CL that's selling a 14 x 6.5 Black Beauty with "upgrades" which include new heads and snare wires with a cheap soft case for the low price of $800. Crazy.

I did score my Ludwig Classic Maples for a pretty incredible price about a month back, but it was definitely an anomaly. I'm sure this varies around the country, but around here, it's a "nobody's market." No one is buying anything b/c they don't have money. No one is selling anything because they are asking too much.
 
Totally depends on the country, the market, and the people involved. I just sold a set within a week of posting at asking price. Lockdown schmockdown 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Definitely due to the pandemic but for people selling not for people buying (the reason is those selling are mostly selling because they need the money) and those buying are buying because (Like some of us) didn't stop working but got stimulus checks so now they can buy with that extra income.. And of course if you are selling because you are desperate you are not going to be asking a high price... Sad but at the same time I drive around and see all those help wanted signs... if you are that desperate ANY job will do can't be too good to do certain jobs if you have none and still have bills to pay so I can't feel sorry for anyone right now. A wise man once told me to not put all my eggs in one basket, I took that to mean that I needed to have more than one way to survive. I have a lot of different skills from construction to computers so if one way doesn't work, the other will but I refuse to sit idle and let unemployment take care of my family when there are TONS of jobs out there. Unless you have a legit reason such as a disability then there is no reason why anyone should be desperate in the United States there is just too much opportunity out there and not enough takers right now.
 
As a general observation, and as evidenced by my other business activities, many raw material prices have increased, as has shipping, but it's not just gross costs that are pushing stuff up.

Those who's business model is to fill a container & import (often cheaper merchandise) are now not only facing delays & increased costs, they're also having to up front shipping & agency costs. This is a cash flow killer for such businesses, & certainly in terms of finished goods, throws a bone to domestic producers. In other words, there's a bit of a reset taking place, & maybe that's not such a bad thing.
 
Supply is Maxed out , Demand is Slowing .. Sellers holding out for top dollar.. Also when marketing tells the buyer that the older ( used ) version is just as valuable as the new model there is a problem right there. Phooey!
 
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