GC trade in. Why wouldn't they do this?

[Release]

This isn't a rant about Guitar Center, and please don't make it one.

I was going to be in that area last week so I took a look at their website to see what kind of used gear they had in the shop. I saw a Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe going for $159. I have a Fender Super Champ XD that is collecting dust (for the most part) and figured that since they usually go for $160-$210 used, I could see if they would be interested in a 1:1 trade. They refused to do a straight up trade and offered me 80 bucks for the SCXD. I know that I'd only get about a hundred bucks for it with a trade in going into it but why would they not do a straight trade? They probably bought the Vibe for 80 bucks and they could have sold the SCXD for at least $180+, at least 20 bucks more than the vibe would have sold for. They would have actually come out ahead in this deal.

The manager tried telling me that GC has the old champ for $199 new on their website but the link says that the product was discontinued and no longer available. The new XD is just over $300. So this would have sold pretty quickly I would have imagined.

Anyway, can anyone tell me why they wouldn't do this? I just can't get my head around it.

 

[RCM78]

If it was your store would you do the trade? If it was my store, I'd want to make money at every transaction. Making trades for stuff thats worth about the same money doesnt pay for a store manager or owner.

 

[eschoendorff]

There is probably not enought profit margin to make the trade worth it for GC. Also, I'd imagine that pedals are easier for GC to move than amps.

 

[Maven]

They don't do straight trades on anything..always going to be some cash on your end

 

[Badfrog]

It's not a swap meet. They are there to make money. If there's money in it for them then they'll do it. I think there was a lot of wishful thinking on your part wrt the deal you offered them.

 

[Release]

Yea, I guess you guys are right. *grumble, grumble* LOL!

 

[hackenfort]

When I worked in the business, something that would sell new for $300 (assuming a 30% off MSPR discount) we would try to sell it used for $175-200, we would offer $60 cash or maybe $100 on trade providing there was enough buffer in what they were trading for.

The store always profits more in a trade, they have to profit on both items.

 

[twoheadedboy]

I saw a Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe going for $159. I have a Fender Super Champ XD that is collecting dust (for the most part) and figured that since they usually go for $160-$210 used, I could see if they would be interested in a 1:1 trade.

If they did what you were asking them to do, they would see zero profit on the Super Champ, and they would only see a profit on the Deja Vibe after selling the Super Champ. You're asking them to do two transactions to make the same profit that they would normally make on one. Not enough incentive.

 

[GCDEF]

Weren't they blowing out the SCXD a month or so ago for $199?
Here's a link to Sam Ash selling them at that price.
Here's an MF link for $199 too.

They're not worth that much to them since they're discontinued and they had to blow them out to get rid of their stock.

 

[Release]

Gotcha. That makes perfect sense.

This is why I draw pictures for a living and not deal with money.

 

[EricPeterson]

I will give you 100 bucks for the Champ.

 

[Julia343]

I look at it this way. If it's sitting gathering dust in my house and not getting any use for several years how much is it worth to me. $0 right?

Now I really do the best I can when it comes to selling. My stuff is in good shape. I take care of it. So I can sell it privately and hope I get a decent buyer who isn't going to try to rip me off. I can sell it on e-bay and hope for the same. Or if there's a lot of low value items that will cost me more in fees and shipping to sell (since craplist sucks), I can take those to GC for a trade in on something I can use. Yes I will grumble a little, but sometimes I will be surprised at what I will get for things.

If I trade in a bunch of stuff that was not being used for years and it pays for an item that gets used daily that's a win. That's how I got my POD HD500 and got $50 in change.

 

[Rockledge]

Don't forget, music stores are getting some pretty heavy competition from the net on used gear. CL is giving them a spanking.
And right now, at least in the areas I watch on CL , used gear is hard to give away, people are selling stuff pretty cheap right now.

 

[Bluzeboy]

Nobody wants to have to make 2 sells to get to one profit.. Business just doesn't work that way..

 

[Release]

Yea, but I WANTED it to happen that way. How could they not see that? LOL!!

 

[Dave2512]

GC has a trade policy. At one time it was not more than 70% of wholesale cost for items they stock. That was the starting point. Condition is obviously a factor, for anything with damage the allowance went down from there. Street value doesn't come into play with GC trades.

 

[paranoid70]

I recently traded in an amp to Guitar Center. I wanted to try to sell it myself on CL, but it was not in tip-top shape. I advertised it as such when I listed it on CL and got no offers.

I took it to GC and they offered me about what I expected them to do, so I took the offer. Weird thing was they never tried it out! I never did say that the amp worked, only that I was the owner. (The amp did work, but would definitely require some repairs.) I figured that they would try it and then offer me an even lower price when they found the defects. Lucky for me they were lazy.

 

[raymeedc]

There's a general formula for figuring out how much you will be allowed in a trade..... come up with the lowest price they could possibly offer you & cut that in half.

 

[Rockledge]

There's a general formula for figuring out how much you will be allowed in a trade..... come up with the lowest price they could possibly offer you & cut that in half.

I have had a few music store guys tell me the general rule is 40% of what they expect to get hang it on the rack for.

 

[twoheadedboy]

$0 right?

I don't really see it that way. It's worth what you can acquire or accomplish by selling it.