What's Your Thought Process Prior to Selling or Keeping Your 'Ukes

Peterjens

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Just wondering what your thoughts are when considering selling or keeping your 'ukes. I started playing in 2013 and continued until about late 2015 but then stopped. I thought playing would be something I would do during retirement but the thrill is gone. I occasionally pick up a 'uke that rests on the coffee table and strum a song or tow but my days of jamming for an hour are past.

So here I sit with a collection of 'ukes. I don't need the money although I could sell a couple for a set of Callaway irons (my new passion) but in the back of my mind I think that since most of the 'ukes are vintage they have the chance to hold or better yet rise in value if I keep them. No one in my family is the least bit interested in playing 'uke, at least not now.

So, all you sellers/keepers out there, what pivotal thoughts compel you to sell or keep?
 
I tend to sell things off that I am not using to simplify my life, clear out clutter, whatever. I don't want to hang on stuff just to have it.
 
Great question. I have only given away or sold 4 ukuleles so far—a Cordoba 15CM to a family member, two Enya Mahogany laminates that were $20 to family members (bought as gifts) and my Pono Pro Classic (sold on UU). With the Pono, I loved how it looked and it played great. I played my less impressive (visually) Opio Tenor (Sapele) more. When a used Acacia Opio Concert came up in UU, I had to buy it (and I love it) and I had to be honest about how much I was playing the Pono and sold it. No regrets.

I was basically given an Aklot Concert for review—and I would recommend it although their business model caused Barry Maz to pull his review. Anyway, I like it—but at Thanksgiving my niece, who is going into worship music, saw the two ukuleles I gave to family members and said, “I have been wanting to buy a ukulele.” So my wife asked me if we could buy another Enya laminate to give away—and they aren’t $20 any more (probably never again). Then I remembered the Aklot and told my wife we could give her that, with a actual shoulder strap and new tuner. My wife was worried that I was giving up a personal item.

Honestly, now that I have some very nice instruments (no true K Brand), I could easily go down to my two Opios, my Martin S1, my Outdoor Ukulele, and my Bonanza Ameoba Tenor. Everything else could go if needed. So maybe some things will pop up here on UU. Probably not.

And I’m not done shopping—just done for a while.
 
Why do I hang on to my ukes?
(I've been learning to play harmonicas lately.)
Because I'll return to playing them again.

I may not be as involved with the Seasons threads as I was, but it is nice to pick up a uke to play a simple tune on it, just for the difference. Trying to learn too many instruments is my problem, since I found out that I could actually play one. :)

Over my 18 months of uking, I amassed quite a few - I needed to find what was right for me.
I have found what I like now, & they are the ones that I use the most.
(Even my UAS has likely stopped. ;) )

I gave away 6 of my lower priced ukes, because I liked the thought that someone else could get to enjoy them, & they weren't worth the hassle of trying to sell.

So here I sit, still with quite a selection to choose from, & I like to give them all a turn every now & again, though I pick up my small bodied tenors, or my long neck sopranos the most, I sometimes plug in an electric & give the built in effects of my amp an airing. :cool:
 
“So, all you sellers/keepers out there, what pivotal thoughts compel you to sell or keep?”

I know that I keep too much stuff in my life and think that it does hold me back to some extent. However I’m not good at selling things and, as I mostly manage to live well within my means, I don’t need the cash. Keeping stuff does enable me to return to past hobbies and interests after a few years or decades, so it gives you flexibility. That same stuff though takes up physical space and ties up cash too that could be better used in other ways. There’s a balance point between those two situations and it’s differerent for us all. The vintage Ukes that you have might hold or appreciate in value, alternatively your estate might later sell them at a clearance price whereas a sale by you now would have a much better long term result, they might also degrade in storage too or the market might collapse (stuff like that happens). To secure the situation it might be wisest to sell the vintage Ukes, or most of them, now - to me that has a plus of enabling other folk to enjoy them now and actively maintain them for future users.

I don’t play expensive Ukes but I have given away several, it makes space in my life and home for other things and they have given joy to others. Following my own advice is a challenge, but in moderation I suggest selling some of the long unused stuff that’s either taking up the most space or tying up the most cash to give room in your life for other stuff.
 
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Your situation is a bit different than the usual buyer/seller as you are drifting away from the ukulele towards golf. I did the opposite, I was a golfaholic who found salvation in the ukulele:p

I have bought and sold a lot of ukuleles. The ones I have kept through all the buying and selling have met all these criteria in order.

#1 is sound, I have to absolutely love the sound.
#2 is playability because if I can't play it well it will not sound good
#3 is looks, coming from a woodworking background ukes with beautiful high quality woods capture my heart.

So deciding on what ukes you should keep, make your own list of "criteria" and see how the instruments you own place themselves.
 
It’s tough. I have a tendency to hoard. (Happy miser) So, I work extra hard at moving things out. If I gave it up, I’d only keep one.
 
I like to buy expensive stuff in stores if possible. All my ukes, though not particularly expensive to some of you, were bought in stores. I usta go to a store (2 or 3 good ones nearby), pick one out, give it a try in the store, and then, if I liked it okay, I’d buy it. If it needed some adjustment, I’d take it back and have it done, usually free. I still have all of them including two banjoleles which I consider “little banjos” now.

My banjos and a mandobanjo are a different story though. I’ve had to buy them from the internet. I really like to deal with Elderly but I’ve bought from Amazon too. Most of of them are Gold Tones, which I like a lot, but I have a good Deering too. I hate to buy all the same kind, but I’m lookin’ at a very nice Gold Tone 5 string A scale now. Banjos cost much more than ukes, so I try to be more careful.

I’ve had very good luck so far, and I still own, and play, all that I’ve bought. I’d probably sell 1 or 2 of them, but I’m not working at it. I don’t like my red Flea or one of my banjoleles, but they play okay.

I really believe that it’s the player that’s important and not the instrument. Some are good whatever they play. :eek:ld:
 
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I ask myself these questions (but not aloud, of course):

1) Have I stopped playing it regularly?

2) Do I no longer look forward to playing it?

3) Does it essentially duplicate something I already have?

4) Will selling it help me justify buying something else (not necessarily another ukulele, but definitely something music-related).

If I answer “yes” to two of those, I start writing up an ad and taking photos. (At least that’s the best-case scenario.)
 
You think these people have a thought process? LOL

They're all just crazy Uke players. ;)

I just posted this in fun, I couldn't resist. :shaka:

crazy-thinking-cap.jpg
 
......
And I’m not done shopping—just done for a while.

Since you don't yet own a banjo uke, you obviously are NOT done shopping! (Even though Tony would never forgive you.)
 
I have enjoyed experiencing a lot of different ukes over the last 5-6 users (more than 50). On the other hand, I don't like having stuff I don't use much. I keep four "at hand" and the others are stored in a closet. So I periodically rotate the four that I keep out. So far, I have found that about 12 ukes is the most I can play enough that I don't feel guilty about not using them. I expect to always keep one spot for rotating ukes. Having amassed some pretty amazing ukes that cannot be easily replaced, it is getting harder and harder for me to let them go, though I have in fact let several very special ukes go. I've come to realize that there are many more very special ukes than my current limit of 12, so I cannot have them all. ;-)

If for financial reasons I had to get down to 3-4 ukes max, it would be a very, very hard decision. It's very possible given the nature of my work, so I'm often asking myself, "Self, which 'x' ukes which I keep if I had to pare down to that number?" ;-)
 
My thought process with keeping/selling ukes is pretty much applicable to all possessions - in general, if it hasn't served a purpose in three months, I tend to think of selling/donating/passing on to a more appreciative owner. But then I live in a 250-square-foot house where this line of thinking is pretty much necessary to maintaining sanity!

I've never owned more than 6 ukes at any given time - in fact, that's what I own now, and I feel like it's too many. I'm considering re-homing one or two of them but for various reasons this time around I'm breaking my three-month rule and going with "when the time is right, I'll sell."
 
Its my thought processes after selling instruments that worries me... I'm starting to regret getting rid of that Squier strat that I had...
 
" in the back of my mind I think that since most of the 'ukes are vintage they have the chance to hold or better yet rise in value if I keep them."

I don't know how the ukulele market is (or will be) for vintage ukuleles, but this was just in an article on guitars:
http://acousticguitar.com/celebrated-vintage-guitar-store-to-close-this-weekend/

"Vintage guitar sales have dropped by 20 to 30 percent in the last two years, says Umanov, and young buyers are increasingly shopping online. “To put it in very simple terms, the business model has changed.” “If you want to sell guitars, you have to have less expensive stuff—new or old—which is less expensive for a variety of potential reasons. I’m not interested in it.” "

Something to consider, at least, is that the market can change, (for better or worse.)

I don't own any vintage ukuleles, and am actively playing, but my approach is that if I'm not likely to give a ukulele much playing time, I bet there is someone else who will be delighted to have that ukulele. As I've experimented with different ukuleles, I've found that some are more comfortable for me to play than others, and the less comfortable ones don't get as much use. But, they're likely perfect for someone else, and it's a shame to let them go to waste.
 
I'd only get an old uke if it was an exceptional player, & I certainly wouldn't pay a high price for a pre used uke.

It's old, like clothes/shoes, it's been used, it's wearing out - may take a few years, but it is still wearing out - much rather have a new one. :)
 
I'd only get an old uke if it was an exceptional player, & I certainly wouldn't pay a high price for a pre used uke.

It's old, like clothes/shoes, it's been used, it's wearing out - may take a few years, but it is still wearing out - much rather have a new one. :)

I agree. I’m really picky when buying things, and I usually enjoy what I finally get. The internet kinda limits that now, but I guess we just can’t always shop good stores.

I’ve always kept whatever I’ve bought (so far). I may not love it, but I don’t hate it. Old stuff is old . . . :eek:ld:
 
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So far, hoarding is the name of the game. But that's easy for now: I've only got a handful of instruments. I imagine I'll begin unloading as soon as I find I have a sufficient number of instruments that it becomes unwieldy or inconvenient to own them all.
 
I haven't sold any ukuleles, but I have given two of them away. My justification was that I didn't want them anymore.
 
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