How can I sell my MB in a manner that is fair

JustinJ said:

Just put the uke up for sale. I've had people in the past say they wanted said item that I had. I get ready to sell it and then they do not have the money. This is an expensive instrument and even if someone wants it, it does not mean they can pay for it.

The reality of the situation is that if they want the uke, someone will give you the money. And if they are upset about you selling it, then you do not need their friendship. I try not to sell or do any business with friends. It keeps it simple.

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That's certainly true, what you say. Yes.

Frankly, although Andrew might auction it for you, his time might well require a fee similar to eBay (who could blame him or eBay)...and, it really didn't accomplish your friend buying it right? When some foreign gazillionsire buys it, you didn't accomplish the main point of your original post: seeing one of your friends get it, even if not for top dollar.

You might just toss it on eBay for a fixed price listing, tell your friends, and let the first one with the cash buy it (or directly from you to skip the fee, as most high ticket items are listed "for sale locally" on eBay, which is within their policy). Odds are, like Justin says, they'll be no local takers. Lol. Everyone says "Hey, if you ever sell it, let me know, I'll buy it" until they suddenly think that your asking 75% of your cost is too much. Lol. Lol.

You have plenty of experience selling ukes, though, so I know you'll have a smooth transaction. You're honest and kind, that's the key, Katysax. I've always loved our discussions about ukes...KoOlaus v Ponos v etc etc. fun!

kkimura said:

Don't sell it. Your hand could get better. You could play left handed. you could keep it as a family heirloom. You might regret not having it if you sold it. Don't sell it.

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My thoughts exactly.

If HMS has an auction, it could get stuck in a glass shelf never to be played again. And that would be sad.

Someone's bound to be upset if many of your friends want it and selling to friends can potentially lead to bad blood. In that case I'd rather sell it to someone "unkown", like on the marketplace here for a fixed amount or through an auction on a different site, such as mentioned here in the thread.

Here's what I'd do. Decide on the price and advertise it here on the UU. First person who shows up at my house with the cash gets it.

dkcrown said:

I don't have any advice for selling your MB other than don't feel guilty about getting what you can for it.

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Sorry Dana but I don't feel the same as fellow MBU owners. We all know Chuck sells them cheaper than market because he wants us to enjoy his ukes. I believe it's a disservice to him if we flip those ukes for a profit. If you don't have a relationship with him, then it's just another object but most us value his friendship. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

Set what you think is a fair price. Tell your friends you are going to put the names into a hat and the one that comes up will get first chance, at that price. Chuck usually posts new builds that aren't spoken for on his website, and it is first come, first served, but since you have already let it be known the instrument is for sale, blind drawing is fair.

If your friends are your friends, they will accept it. If they don't? Might not really be your friends.

Dan Uke said:

Sorry Dana but I don't feel the same as fellow MBU owners. We all know Chuck sells them cheaper than market because he wants us to enjoy his ukes. I believe it's a disservice to him if we flip those ukes for a profit. If you don't have a relationship with him, then it's just another object but most us value his friendship. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

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Thanks Daniel....

yes most folks who are lucky enough to get a MB direct from Chuck usually have a friendship with him..so they do get a good price from him....so if he gives someone his prices he doing it for the same reason...IMO

if someone makes a large profit on his uke not really fair to Chuck...but that is how the World turns....Andrew does share the profits with Chuck on the Collector MB ukes that come up at auction....

like you I still feel that Chuck's ukes are under priced......

my 2 cents

Dan Uke said:

Sorry Dana but I don't feel the same as fellow MBU owners. We all know Chuck sells them cheaper than market because he wants us to enjoy his ukes. I believe it's a disservice to him if we flip those ukes for a profit. If you don't have a relationship with him, then it's just another object but most us value his friendship. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

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I understand where you are coming from Daniel. But I wouldn't classify what katysax is doing as flipping her MB for a profit. According to her she is selling her tenors because she can no longer play them due to hand issues. I'll take her at her word for that.

Chuck's new ukes are selling for a pretty penny now. I think all of us that know Chuck are extremely happy for him for the success that he has achieved in the ukulele world. It couldn't happen to a better guy, and he is so deserving. It has come because he works his ass off at doing something he loves to do. If you are lucky enough to be able to call him a friend, then you are a lucky lad or lass indeed. He and I had a conversation recently about selling one of his older ukes. I think that you would be surprised at what he told me.

JustinJ said:

Just put the uke up for sale. I've had people in the past say they wanted said item that I had. I get ready to sell it and then they do not have the money. This is an expensive instrument and even if someone wants it, it does not mean they can pay for it.

The reality of the situation is that if they want the uke, someone will give you the money. And if they are upset about you selling it, then you do not need their friendship. I try not to sell or do any business with friends. It keeps it simple.

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This seems so simple and logical to me. Post it on UU, set your price, first to give you the money takes it. Easy peasy - it's not personal, it's business.

Maybe go through the additional step of contacting all of your friends who have expressed interest in the past and tell them that the time and date that you plan to post it in the UU Marketplace, and stick to that time and date. That way everyone has an equally fair chance of being first in line.

No muss, no fuss, no nasty eBay fees or selling limits. Only downside, you might break the internets when EVERYBODY logs on to UU at that designated time and date

Hi katysax,
I hope your hand heals.
I have an idea....you could donate your MB to TBUS to be raffled off at the TBUG. We use the funds for good causes.
Just thinking.....and kidding.
I think you'll find downsizing to be a healing thing. I try to keep the flow of stuff going, but still have too much crap. (But no MBs)

I think posting in the marketplace is a fair and reasonable way to do it. You cannot beat the sound of playability of a MB. I sure would love to have one to play again.

Seems to me that you want a friend to have the MB but don't know how best to determine a market price that is accurate and fair. How about asking the folks at HMS, Ukulele Friend or someone who deals in custom MB for an estimate. I'm not sure they would be comfortable doing that but maybe they would. I bought a used MB from Ukulele Friend for the price they had listed. That means the previous owner sent it to them, or sold it to them, with some price set. Thus they had a figure in mind without an auction format. That way you would have a realistic/fair price in mind and could offer it to your friends at that price. Then the "names in a hat" may come into play.

^^^This is an excellent idea. Perhaps a private message to Andrew at HMS would yield an appraisal. I can't think of anyone who has a better view of the uke market at any given time.

As problems go, deciding how to sell a MB uke has to be at the top the list of ones I'd like to have, lol... Good luck -- it's cool that you are approaching this in a thoughtful way.

If it was my dilemma (and I had horrible hand pain for years about 4 years ago from extreme overuse via mousing and keyboarding at my last job, to the point where I could no longer type and could barely button a shirt), I would sell every other tenor and keep one or two concerts and a soprano, and the MB. I would detune the MB a full step and capo it to a concert scale length, say the second fret so it would still be in "C" tuning. I would continue to play the snot out of it, because that was what I bought it for.

Then I would start nutritional support supplements and stop eating gluten grains and nightshade plants, because even though some of my friends laugh at me, when I stopped eating a basket of cherry tomatoes from our garden every day my hand pain was about 1/20 what it was just a couple days later, once the RSI also started healing. I still have arthritis commensurate with my age, but as long as I have my pizzas with white garlic sauce and stay away from potatoes and tomatoes and wheat, my hands don't puff up and ache. Everybody laughed at me when I said take magnesium glycinate for your back pain and RLS, and my mom has finally been able to cut back her opiods and is less anxious too. She even worked on her neighbor, the hard case who buckled when she couldn't sleep from awful restless legs on top of back pain and went to her doctor who said "Take magnesium". She took some of that exact form that I had given my mom and hasn't had a problem with RLS since. Shocking.

I am also loving my 24" scale guitars and actually learning stuff on them, and even have a few full scales that I stretch over (I can reach 4 frets), and a few years back even a concert uke hurt me to play. I am also very careful how I use my hands now that I don't abuse them. AND I got a better job!

Just a thought. Your friends can wait.

You probably will regret selling once you do, so I would keep it if I were you. I've regretted selling my MB since the day I sold it last fall.

CiceroAnon said:

You probably will regret selling once you do, so I would keep it if I were you. I've regretted selling my MB since the day I sold it last fall.

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I am confused now you say you had a MB and sold it....where did you get it from(direct from Chuck?) or from another owner and what kind of wood was it made from....

sorry but seems like your story does not match your other post.....IMO

I just read your new post...so you were the one who tried to sell your MB for 50K....do you work for Pinol Ukulele?

sorry Katysax but I got to call out this guy....

I am the 50k loser, you got me and that disqualifies me from ever getting on the MB waiting list.
No, I don't work for Pinol, but I do think they are not given a fair shot ever since that thread from you know where.

So, what doesn't add up? I purchased the MB on ebay for 5k, failed to sell it for 50k and sold it for much less than that.

CiceroAnon said:

I am the 50k loser, you got me and that disqualifies me from ever getting on the MB waiting list.
No, I don't work for Pinol, but I do think they are not given a fair shot ever since that thread from you know where.

So, what doesn't add up? I purchased the MB on ebay for 5k, failed to sell it for 50k and sold it for much less than that.

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just seems like you work for Pinol, I am wrong I guess.....anyway like I said at least you owned up to it......I give you credit.....most people buy a MB because they want and can afford to play the best....and they can call Chuck their friend.....I have many ukes and I have met almost all the builders....to me it makes the ukes more precious to me....the builders are hard working and humble....makes my ukes feel like part of me....

Chuck is certainly the best imo and just to get a response from him gave me chills. I have played many ukuleles but none of them have the "mana" that the MBs have.

I should ask Pinol to hire me....just kidding, lol.

Hawaii 50, I am jelous of your ukulele collection. Are they in order by your favorites?

CiceroAnon said:

Chuck is certainly the best imo and just to get a response from him gave me chills. I have played many ukuleles but none of them have the "mana" that the MBs have.

I should ask Pinol to hire me....just kidding, lol.

Hawaii 50, I am jelous of your ukulele collection. Are they in order by your favorites?

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NO..order of how I bought them...