Get paid to own a new guitar every 3 mo.

[Gearjoneser]

Because of the advent of easily buying and selling guitars on Ebay, a thought crossed my mind. I realize it's nothing new
to some people, but if a person wanted to, they could do this....

Pick a price range you'd like to stay in. $600-$1500 most likely.

Possibly sell your least favorite guitar to get some funding.

First Rule: Don't become attached to the trader guitars.

Now, Find your first aquisition, and buy it now, or bid to win.
Try to pay as little as possible for the best you can afford.

For three months, give or take, play the guitar, but be careful not to devalue it with any wear or dings.

Have an auction going for that same guitar, or have it in the trade papers or on the net, for sale at a higher price than you
paid. This insures that any money you pay out for auctions is covered completely.

When it sells and the money is in hand, buy another one,
again, as low as you can pay, for the best you can afford.

If you don't ever get attached to a guitar,
you can literally keep doing it as often as you like.
You'll always have a beautiful new guitar. You'll only come outta
pocket on your first aquisition, and every guitar after that is like a new free guitar.

If you do become attached to an aquisition, find another guitar in your arsenal and list it for sale.

This method will either keep you playing a nice new guitar every three months, or allow you to upgrade your entire collection without digging into your pocket for anything but buffer money.

Many people do this solely for the purpose of getting better gear, but if you learn to do it methodically, it's like getting paid to have a new guitar, anytime you want one.

 

[JOLLY]

I believe Scott practiced that theory for quite some time.

 

[Gearjoneser]

I believe Scott practiced that theory for quite some time.

Jolly, you fall into the category of guys that do this - without
selling anything. You could probably buy a new HEMI
if you parted with some of your less played axes!

 

[JOLLY]

I hear ya man. I'm about ready to sell all of my Epiphones except maybe two, my B.C. Rich's, and a few other things.

 

[MDS]

Oh man, that's been standard operating procedure for me for several years now. My friends all think I own 30 guitars because I always have some new thing I think I'm gonna like. Invariably I'm disappointed and go hunting around again.

I am slowly making progress though. I have at least a couple axes I never think of selling...

Mike

 

[Gearjoneser]

Yeah, that's been my operating procedure, too.

I find it increasingly difficult to part with the true gems.
I'm pretty much at the end of my GAS now.
Now, when trying to pick the guitar I want to pass along,
I almost back down and say "NO MORE" Keep'em all.

I'm thinking of continuing, but for profit only. And, in the meantime, I can always play what I'm selling.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

I've gone through more than 50 guitars in the past couple years doing this. But it's not a money-maker. The used market has been pretty soft for more than a year now that I've noticed. It's not as easy to sell high on ebay as it was a couple years ago (some exceptions). Great times to buy though. Generally speaking I don't make a profit, but I make enough so that the habbit supports itself without too much trouble.

 

[JOLLY]

I forgot about you TC. You're one of the kings of wheeling and dealing.

 

[y2stevo]

great idea gearjonser, ill have to look into it..

 

[Gearjoneser]

I've gone through more than 50 guitars in the past couple years doing this. But it's not a money-maker. The used market has been pretty soft for more than a year now that I've noticed. It's not as easy to sell high on ebay as it was a couple years ago (some exceptions). Great times to buy though. Generally speaking I don't make a profit, but I make enough so that the habbit supports itself without too much trouble.

Yeah, I noticed that as the economy slipped, so did Ebay.
A lot less auctions now, than 2 yrs ago. I hate seeing that some of my gear appears to be lower in value than it should.
I think the bombardment of music gear in recent years has caused this. It's almost unbelievable how many guys there are out there buying guitars and other gear! It's almost unfathomable to think that every company cranks out thousands of guitars a day, in ADDITION to the huge used market.
And so few guitar bands out there that are good???
That's what really boggles my mind.

 

[HolyDirt]

i'd never be able to do this... i'd want to keep the guitars

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

i'd never be able to do this... i'd want to keep the guitars

 

[shred-dog]

that is what i have been doing with my amps! but i think i will keep the soldano and trade/sell my kick ass mesa .50 cal+ and get a marshall ! and the cycle continues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gunner]

Nah.....too hard to find a decent lefty guitar...so I get attached to any I buy too easily.

 

[Norman_T]

Is'nt this what they do in the used car market?

I think that you have to be very careful what you buy and what you get rid of. You can also get emotionally attached to guitars and if you were to go down this line then treat it as a business. Otherwise you could get seriously burnt!! Just my opinion.:7:

 

[sweet_lou]

I have been doing this to support all the hobies that I have gone through in my 54 yrs. Everything from hot rod parts guns ,cameras, now guitars and amps. I keep falling in love with stuff but I do well enough to get an upgrade hear and there but not usually any real profit. As long as I'm having fun and not loosing money I am happy

 

[Surgeon]

I forgot about you TC. You're one of the kings of wheeling and dealing.

Yeah, this guy must have played (and owned) every guitar I ever wanted.... someday...

 

[orbiter]

I noticed that the deals on ebay are fewer and futher apart .. still there though.. 3 yrs ago it was much better ... I thinks its just because more and more people got hip to it.

The other trick I use to get cheap quality gear .. is that I buy from "rockstars" who are clearing out the old to make room for the new.. so far I've gotten 4 guitars and my triple rec 1/2 stack this way. sooooo cheap.

starving college students are another ex+ sorce of quality gear for little $.

Craigs List is a great sorce as well.. not as good as the recycler .. but we cant all be in L.A.

 

[Chaos]

I think that trading up is a good way to play the best guitar you can afford at the moment. It also allows you to try a variety of guitars so that you can ‘discover’ which features suit you best.

However I do not think it is a good way to make money. Many times you are lucky to break even when you consider the amount of time invested in finding / buying / selling guitars. Every transaction adds shipping costs that have to be added to the selling price to break even. 10 guitars shipped at $25 -$40 each would require you to find $250 -$400 more profit than the last owners found. (And that is just to break even – not accounting for time)

And of course, one bad eBay transaction and you could be back at square one...

 

[mrfjones]

this is all very true and i do this to a point, i sell the old gear to make money for the new gear but i don't usually make any profit, i just put a little of my own money in and i can get some much better gear. thats the way i got my bluesbird and my soldano