eBay - Buying Music & Instruments

Subject: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: GUEST,Johnny in OKC
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 07:46 PM

Has anyone had good/bad experiences buying same on eBay?

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: jaze
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 08:30 PM

I have bought/won several cd's on e-Bay and have never had a bad experience. Some brand new, some used but all good quality. I love e-Bay!

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: NicoleC
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 08:53 PM

Beware of instruments on eBay, particularly new ones. Many are factory seconds, and most have never been professionally setup even once. Then there are legit dealers who also sell perfectly good instruments on eBay; so just research your seller carefully, and insist on a return policy you can live with.

Beware listings where the seller claims not to know anything about instruments, especially those who sell them frequently on eBay! Reputable used and vintage sellers will offer a trial period and will be able to knowlegably answer your questions. If it's a local dealer, you may be able to audition the instrument in person.

There are few true "bargains" on eBay, but you might find the instrument of your dreams for a fair price if you use some caution and common sense. Personally, I don't think anything is a substitute for holding a playing an instrument before buying. Before hunting on the internet, check out your local small music shops, who will probably offer a fair price, too. The service will almost certainly be better, and you'll know what you are buying before you plunk down your money.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 09:33 PM

A friend bought a new upright bass (Chinese) from a dealer through eBay. The neck had so much back-bow that it was unplayable. He finally got his money back after much hassle.

I bought a guitar (not through eBay but through online classifieds) with the bridge in two pieces due to a crack through the saddle slot. A minor repair, but not mentioned in the seller's comments.

Another Mudcatter had troubles last Fall with having sent an eBay seller a check for a guitar and then not receiving the guitar. I think he finally got it several weeks later.

I'm sure some people have had good experiences with eBay and other online services. I just don't know any of them.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Midchuck
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 10:03 PM

I bought what is probably my number one guitar overall - my 0002H Collings - on eBay. I couldn't have gotten one otherwise. I paid a thousand less than it would normally have been worth because it had one good sized case-latch type ding and a couple of finish craze lines. Nothing that affected it in the slightest as a player's instrument. I also bought another superb guitar new from a maker, after I lost it because I had the high bid but didn't meet the reserve, and he e-mailed me after the bidding closed and offered it to me for my high bid. I probably paid about a third of what that one should have gone for in a high end music store. But the maker's relatively unknown and had to move instruments fast.

So far, I've been very lucky on eBay, but I doubt I'll buy high end instruments there much more. (Aside from the fact that my gig fund is now drained) I think there's more and more suspicious, or downright crazy, stuff going on there as time goes on.

I know of some owners of really pricy vintage guitars who have seen their own guitars listed for sale by Indonesians, or the like. Guys just pull the information and pictures off the owner's websites or guitarist forums, put them up for sale and get someone, I suppose, to send them a check.

Peter.
Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: alison
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 02:03 AM

I know people who have picked up good mics at a fraction of the cost......

I got some really pretty whistles... beautifully decorated but totally unplayable....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: UB Ed
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 09:12 AM

It scares me a bit; I can't imagine buying a guitar (even an electric) without playing it...But it is tempting.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 03:11 PM

Same as any other way of buying something, BUYER BEWARE! Ebay encourages people to do as thorough a check on the seller as they can. Check the feedback section. I have left positive and negative feedback on sellers. There is also a section called ask the buyer where you can email questions about the item. If you get no answer, or one that is very broad in scope, you might want to look elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 04:50 PM

I've bought Bose speakers, Peavey powered mixers and Shure SM57 & 58 mics, as well as bulk strings, and I've not had any problems yet.

Seamus

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 05:30 PM

I bought an old autoharp, which, once Night Owl tinkered with it, seems to be just fine, or so shesays. Well, it does sound great when she plays it! The seller was quite nice, packaged it up really well and it was as represented and I didn't know diddley about them when I bought it.

Not an instrument, but I also bought a laptop, after many weeks of careful watching, asking questions, etc. and it's working quite well two years later, no problems.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 07:52 PM

I bought several packs of "vintage" condoms on e-Bay and the guy was a lying sack of shit! He said they had "collector" value and not a single one of them held a damn thing!!! I should have realized there'd be a problem since he said he was having a "Blow-Out" Sale............

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: GUEST,Johnny in OKC
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 07:52 PM

Thanks for all the good advice, Mudcats!
Johnny in OKC

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 09:19 PM

hello.i,started,a,thread,about,this.
a,coulpe,of,weeks,ago,at,mfolkinfo.
see=www.folkinfo,org.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 09:22 PM

ps.,and,this,is,not,BS,anyway.
Bs,is,not,music,ie,footbal,fishing,etc.
if,you,put,bs,then.the,music,people,wont,see,it.john

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 03:03 AM

My husband just purchased a flamed maple, single cutaway, 30 year old Ibanez 2355M (Gibson ES-175 clone or so called "lawsuit guitar") badged as a Bradley. The instument is beautiful and plays better than most 175s. The bonus is that, as it turns out, it has an early Gibson Humbucker in the neck position. He was very nervous as it was his first purchase on eBay and it took forever to arrive in Canada, but it was a great buy and very well packaged by the seller for shipping.

I use eBay quite often for stuff, particularly art and white LEDs. So far we have only had positive experiences, but you have to know about the stuff you are looking for and really check out the seller's feedback and spend a lot of time just looking. Also I only pay by money order. Costs a bit more, takes a bit longer, but I don't like to put my credit card info out on the internet.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 06:24 AM

Metchosin, I understand your concern, but have you ever handed a waitress your credit card in a restaurant? That's a LOT riskier than a secure site on the net.

I used eBay to find a replacement for the Palm portable keyboard that I'd left on the plane, which they don't make any more for my ancient IIIxe. Only 6 bucks! Of course, the shipping was 9...and the seller shipped it surface mail instead of UPS, which means it took about 4 weeks to get here to Hawaii! (But at least he didn't charge me the faster shipping rate, and he did research it when I asked him what was taking so long.) I also found a Big Boggle game, which they don't make any more, either. Don't know if I'd buy an instrument, though it sounds like some of you have had good experiences. Anyway, I'm not currently in instrument-acquiring mode--now that I've started to play and accompany Irish tunes in DADGAD tuning, it feels like I have a whole new instrument to learn!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 11:25 AM

I know it's not without risk either Mark, but there is something in me still that can't make the leap of faith unless I've looked them in the eye or heard their voice. It makes me feel a little more secure to use a credit card with a very low credit limit in circumstances where it is out of my sight.

To add to my occasional paranoia, my daughter has just completed a 2 year, heavy duty programming course and now constantly berates me about the amount of info I have put out on the net about myself. Seems the more you know about computers and the net, the more circumspect you become in their use.

Most exciting bargain for me, so far, has been 10 LED bars that I'm going to use for under cabinet lighting in the kitchen and alternately run them on battery for use during occasional power outages. I managed to get all 10 bars including shipping for 20 dollars Canadian. Individually they are worth about $25 US each, just for the parts.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 12:51 PM

...bought a 1997 Les Paul Standard DC .... seller was forthright in his description - it had a broken tuner, replaced with a functional but mismatched one. He said it'd been played very little and judging from the lack of fret wear or scratches and dings, I believe him. It's a beautiful guitar, cosmetically and otherwise: action, tone, feel, etc. He didn't mention that one of the volume knobs was loose, or that the pick-up switch was a little noisy, but maybe he thought, as I did, that these indescrepancies were too minor to mention. It's not anything that can't be easily fixed. I've bought 5 guitars in the last five years, all out of a catalog except for the LP, and I'd never played any of them before I bought them...so far I've been satisfied. Then again, I'm not that picky. YMMV. I'd buy off e-Bay again, the same way, if I got the urge.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: TIA
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 01:02 PM

Just bought a euphonium on ebay. Have played the exact model in a music shop, got it on ebay for less than 1/2 retail. Hope it arrives as described. I'll post to let you know.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Gypsy
Date: 19 Jun 03 - 10:32 PM

Thus far, have had good luck. One hammered dulcimer, 1 twelve string guitar, FOUR mandolins, and assorted stuffs. All were as represented, except the dulcimer, which was a real sleeper, and quite a fine instrument. It was better than represented. But, we did the homework, read the feedback, and communicated with the seller before purchasing.
Oh yeah. A word on credit cards. If you DO have a problem with misrepresentation of merchandise, most card companies will go to bat for you and get your money back. With a MO or check, yer outta luck.
So there's my tuppence worth.

Subject: RE: BS: eBay - Buying Music & Instruments
From: Songster Bob
Date: 20 Jun 03 - 10:45 AM

I'm a regular on Ebay, buying and selling. I've had a few disappointments and a few "Rembrant on the back of grade school painting" finds, but in general, I get 'em for 10-20% less than they are "worth." That is, what I may be able to get for 'em somewhere else, or even on Ebay if I have better pictures and accurate information (buyers appreciate accuracy, and even pay more if I can tell them exactly what they're getting). I have had only one negative feedback, where I glanced at a guitar, called it "near mint" when it was more likely refinished, and then had my buyer ignored my instructions for getting his refund, which I offered immediately. Sigh. I had to negative-feedback him in turn when he didn't return the guitar when I sent the refund. Double sigh. Can't people read simple English?

Anyway, if you know what you're getting, you can do well. I got a nice Hoyer archtop guitar recently for less than $200, because the seller said it needed a heat-press for the neck. I then bought a heat-press, 'cause I have at least four or five guitars that needed one anyway. Once I straighten the neck on the Hoyer (and observe it a while, to make sure it doesn't bow back up immediately), I'll sell it for enough profit to pay for the heat-press (not to mention the profit on the other guitars that press has or will improve).

I even have two Ebay instruments on consignment at our local folkie store, House of Musical Instruments (in Takoma Park, MD). One is a 1951 Martin 0-15 that is loverly and un-cracked, un-warped, and undamaged. The other is a 1923 Gibson trap-door tenor banjo, the kind with the "pre-Mastertone" tone ring. Both of these will go back on Ebay if they don't sell at HMT.

In fact, I'm intending to put some six or seven stringed instruments on Ebay in the next week (once the battery charger I recently bought arrives, so I can recharge my digital camers). A couple of Japanese 1960s electric guitars, a Kalamazoo-made Epiphone thin-line archtop with one pickup, and a stratocaster. Look for auctions by Songbob.

Bob Clayton