Should I..Guitar center trade

[actorcool]

I am interested in bringing my gibson les paul studio lite to trade at guitar center. What could I get?

 

[bgriffin]

Don't do it. Guitar center is horrible with trades because they don't need trades really. Trade/sell it here, you'll get much better results IMO

 

[jazzandmetal?]

First of all, you can get more on Ebay, craigs list or here in the Emporium.

If you must trade it in, look on ebay. What are they going for in completed auctions. That is about what GC should tag it for. They will give you between 50 - 70% of what they tag it at depending on condition.

This is how trades and or buy ins should work at GC.

 

[masayako]

Not recommended. GC sucks at trade.

 

[Austinrocks]

worst possible place to trade gear.

 

[bynt]

Just to let you know how the formula works at the store where I give lessons. As I've been told (I don't know, I dont' work at the store I rent a room from them) it's a rough standard. Cheaper gear gets you less, more expensive gear gets you more, but not much:

They look up your guitar and find the list. They cut list in half because that's pretty much what they're going to sell it for. Then they cut THAT price in half. That's what they give you!!!

List price: 3000.00

You get: 750.00

I don't know about GC but some stores will give you more in trade than cash. I do know that Musician's Friend was going to give me like 750.00 or 800.00 (I can't remember exactly) for a 05 Les Paul Standard. It's a racket. It sucks because you have to do more work but it's way better to sell it outright.

 

[ModusOperandi7]

oh god dont do it, go to ebay if you have to, GC will rip you off more than a pawn shop would.

 

[michael30]

I am interested in bringing my gibson les paul studio lite to trade at guitar center. What could I get?

Screwed.

 

[padavis]

Well... heres another way to look at it. If you find something you want a lot more, don't want to deal with the hassle of selling it yourself, and you are okay with paying a bit more plus the guitar you got to trade then do it.
I sometimes think of it as renting a movie or video games. You put some time on that guitar didn't you get some value out of it? If you find something you want a lot more why not just take a hit and get on with it.
Selling on here can be really drawn out and shipping correctly can be a hard thing to do when you work every day of the week. So, I don't know... sometimes its okay to take a hit and just get on with it. If you bought new you will be taking a hit regardless.
Also, sometimes GC will work with you. For some reason they do not like G&Ls where I am from and I have picked up some stellar Legacies trading.

 

[Guitar Josh]

GC is not always horrible with trades. If you are trading up SIGNIFICANTLY, they will work with you. For example, there is a TA priced at $2500 at my local GC. That is a ridiculously high price. When I asked my guy there, he said that's what they had into it, the guy traded up for $5k worth of gear. It's all about how GC stores account for trade-ins and sales. Cooking the books really, but that's the only way I'd do it.

 

[mwc2112]

Here's the thing, GC has to make money on used gear. Otherwise it doesn't make sense for them to carry it. To sell it, though, they have to compete with eBay, etc. That means they can't give you the amount you would get on eBay because then they will not make any money off of it (and, in fact, lose money by taking up floor space on a non-profit item).

So no, it's not a racket, it's just business. If you bought and sold used gear for the purpose of making money you would *have* to buy lower then you sell it for. It's as simple as that.

 

[steved0x]

I was in GC recently and a gentleman was trying to trade in a Les Paul Std, he wanted $1300 and they gave him $1000 (I was waiting to buy some strings or something and overheard it). The next week I was in and they had that guitar for sale for $1700 It was a pretty nice guitar in good condition, could have sold it somewhere for close to $1700, I felt pretty bad for the guy for only getting $1000.

Steve

 

[kaptainkaffeine]

I was in GC recently and a gentleman was trying to trade in a Les Paul Std, he wanted $1300 and they gave him $1000 (I was waiting to buy some strings or something and overheard it). The next week I was in and they had that guitar for sale for $1700 It was a pretty nice guitar in good condition, could have sold it somewhere for close to $1700, I felt pretty bad for the guy for only getting $1000.

Steve

This is the best possible outcome you could hope for if you go this route.

 

[Boris Bubbanov]

I was in GC recently and a gentleman was trying to trade in a Les Paul Std, he wanted $1300 and they gave him $1000 (I was waiting to buy some strings or something and overheard it). The next week I was in and they had that guitar for sale for $1700 It was a pretty nice guitar in good condition, could have sold it somewhere for close to $1700, I felt pretty bad for the guy for only getting $1000.

Steve

Other than the (very satisfying) import Baker example just cited, this is about as good as you will ever do. Things are just too hectic in a GC type environment; too crazy of a setting for one guy to be in command and keep associates from helping out their friends and connections.

I contemplated snagging some of these would be sellers as they go out the door - but when you sniff around, you realize the guitar has a problem, or it being offered for sale by someone other than the rightful owner.

I don't perform eye surgery. I think people who can trade successfully with Guitar Center and not be run over are about as rare as competent eye surgeons. Don't try this on yourself.

 

[kurtsstuff]

Ahh...another "Gettin screwed over thread"!! Carry on!!

 

[ohshait]

Just to let you know how the formula works at the store where I give lessons. As I've been told (I don't know, I dont' work at the store I rent a room from them) it's a rough standard. Cheaper gear gets you less, more expensive gear gets you more, but not much:

They look up your guitar and find the list. They cut list in half because that's pretty much what they're going to sell it for. Then they cut THAT price in half. That's what they give you!!!

List price: 3000.00

You get: 750.00

I don't know about GC but some stores will give you more in trade than cash. I do know that Musician's Friend was going to give me like 750.00 or 800.00 (I can't remember exactly) for a 05 Les Paul Standard. It's a racket. It sucks because you have to do more work but it's way better to sell it outright.

yes! ive been saying this for years, this is what i believe they are doing, cutting the price in half...twice. ridiculous practice it is, you will have better luck on ebay or in the emporium.

 

[Tone Disciple]

Okay, I am going to go against the grain here - FWIW - For what it's worth!

First of all you won't get screwed unless you take an unreasonable offer! Nobody is going to make you take their trade offer.




Second - I have come out way ahead on several trades at GC and here is how I did it.

• You need to have some piece of gear they do not routinely buy wholesale. They are not going to give you a lot of trade value on merchandise they can buy new at wholesale prices.
• I have traded Tom Anderson, Matcheless and Marshall out of production models there and gotten great deals.
• It helps if you are interested in some unusual high end pieces that they have had trouble moving.
• I traded my Matchless for a high end custom shop Strat.
• I traded my Tom Anderson for a really nice Gibson Les Paul Elegant which is often seen in photos here on TGP.
• I traded my Marshall Artist 30 in on a Bad Cat Hot Cat 30.
• Finally - the beauty of a trade with GC is that - and this policy may have recently changed - you can try the piece you get in return for the trade for 30 days and return it for a cash refund (not your traded in gear) if you do not like it. I am not sure how they are treating this in the days of re-stocking fees, but that used to be the way it was.

So here is the trick - Know what you want and what you are willing to add on your end for the trade.

• Get their best price on the gear you want to buy before approaching them on a trade deal.
• Let's say you want a PRS McCarty - they might get down to $2000 to sell that piece.
• Next - you might think you could sell your LP Studio here at TGP for $700. Bottom line is you might be willing to put $1300 with your Studio to get a new McCarty - remember these are just examples. When they assign a trade value to your piece they will either low ball you or raise the sale price of the piece you want from them. I always tried to get the maximum value for the piece I was trading and then get the price of the piece I wanted to buy to match the dollars I was willing to offer. So - in this example if they offer you $500 for your studio tell them they would have to get the McCarty down to $1800 - the difference is still $1300 - so you might have a deal. OR - the better option for you is to suggest to them that they give you $1000 for the Studio (I have no idea what they are really going for these days) and that they sell you the McCarty for $2300. Tell them that way it looks better on their books and you still get the guitar for $1300.
• Why do it this way? If you take the McCarty back they will refund $2300! Which in effect means you got $1000 for your Studio!

I know - this is a hassle - hey - it is just like trading in a car. And it is a good option when your piece might not sell for what you need out of it otherwise. The real key is having something they want and doing your homework to know how much you are willing to put with your piece towards the upgrade!

 

[Intelligentpony]

Always sell before trading with any dealer. No dealer will give market value for your trade, ever. Mom and pops or a big box store all have to make money so you will get wholesale price for a trade, period. Yes you will more than likely get a lower offer from GC but shop it around all the stores where you live before trading it off. If you want market price sell it outright, just don't expect it from a trade deal. Nearly every dealer I have dealt with offers 50-70% of market on a trade. Before you bash GC try taking something to a guitar show and you will really see low ball offers from the dealers.

Ever trade in a car? Same deal.

 

[chaddy45123]

the best way to do this is know your guy at the gc at mine when i go in its like norm at cheers but i only buy from one guy and he knows how i keep my equiptment. so when i go in and pick a piece out and ask him about it he tells me what he can sell it for which is usually much lower than the sticker then i tell him what gear i wnat to trade and how much im willing to give most of the time they wont turn down a reasonable offer but there have ben a few times that ive traded in a piece of equiptment for $1000 and seen it on the shelf a week later for $1050

 

[Pikesoldier]

you will never get market value out of gc, or a pawn shop, or a mom and pop... and you'd be ignorant to expect full market value for it. why would gc buy your piece for 500 and sell it for 600 when they can buy a new one for 400 and sell it for 700? gc works on margin just like every other store on this planet. a grocery store works on margin... how much can i buy these peas at verses how much can i sell these peas for? same thing with guitar center. its a business. if you want full value (or anything close to it) do the legwork and sell it yourself. if you want money today, then gc is an option. you dont "get hosed" by gc, you effectively pay them for a service. it would be awesome if they were able to do this for free and pay you full price for your shmegged gear, but they do have rent, bills, and employees to pay. people who see this otherwise need to understand the whole "store" concept.