The Cost of Uke

how many ukes do you all have that you need SPREADSHEETS to keep track of the prices :rofl:

"I politely decline to answer on account that I may incriminate myself."
:smileybounce:
 
The only time I think about price is when I'm getting ready to buy a uke. I include shipping costs as part of it. I bought a Lanikai Thinline Bocote recently, saw it from two stores online, calculated all the costs and chose the store with lower shipping and a first time buyer discount. Instead of paying $399.95, I paid $359.95.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

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I saw this thread earlier today and a few thoughts crossed my mind.

1) Going to a factory/shop where a ukulele is made changes the value of the instrument...it becomes a memory and an experience beyond the instrument itself. This makes it more valuable for us (individually)...but if you ever sell it people really won’t care.

2) Regarding buying an instrument, you can always ask for a discount or a lower price. That goes with “new” items, too. This isn’t going to work in some places (e.g. the Apple Store), but other vendors may throw in something else, or offer a different model (or a scratch and dent) at a significant savings. Sellers may react negatively to a lower price, may say “no,” or may offer a counter offer...but then you don’t have to buy it, either. Sellers are usually at a disadvantage. When online, I also look for existing discount codes and try to use them whenever possible. I could have used a Strings By Mail discount yesterday...and I know a nw code will be coming with the shipment when it arrives.

As a buyer, what I do depends on where I am at financially, and what my perceived value of an item is. Ultimately, I don’t want to have to pay more for something than I have to...and I’m sure you all feel the same way. I’m not going to be political, but a few of my close friends have been very loud and upset about coming tax changes that will benefit them financially...but none of them are going to send a check back to the government to say, “I really don’t want this money.”
 
Yep. Seems like ages ago, and it was. I am a dinosaur in computer years Ha ha!

Harvard Graphics, WordPerfect, ccMail, VisiCalc, MultiMate, Autodesk Animator...and so many others...

Luckily for dosbox I can still play Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Jazz Jackrabbit and Lemmings ...even in 2018 :)

sorry for the digression

I've been using WordPerfect for decades - best word processor going.
 
how many ukes do you all have that you need SPREADSHEETS to keep track of the prices :rofl:

Right now, I have 33 in the house, three on the way, and two on the horizon. Ridiculous? Yeah, just a bit, but I can't resist. :rolleyes:

I like to say I play my ukes just about every day - when the new one arrives. : )
 
I saw this thread earlier today and a few thoughts crossed my mind.

1) Going to a factory/shop where a ukulele is made changes the value of the instrument...it becomes a memory and an experience beyond the instrument itself. This makes it more valuable for us (individually)...but if you ever sell it people really won’t care.

2) Regarding buying an instrument, you can always ask for a discount or a lower price. That goes with “new” items, too. This isn’t going to work in some places (e.g. the Apple Store), but other vendors may throw in something else, or offer a different model (or a scratch and dent) at a significant savings. Sellers may react negatively to a lower price, may say “no,” or may offer a counter offer...but then you don’t have to buy it, either. Sellers are usually at a disadvantage. When online, I also look for existing discount codes and try to use them whenever possible. I could have used a Strings By Mail discount yesterday...and I know a nw code will be coming with the shipment when it arrives.

As a buyer, what I do depends on where I am at financially, and what my perceived value of an item is. Ultimately, I don’t want to have to pay more for something than I have to...and I’m sure you all feel the same way. I’m not going to be political, but a few of my close friends have been very loud and upset about coming tax changes that will benefit them financially...but none of them are going to send a check back to the government to say, “I really don’t want this money.”

1. Definitely! That's why I might pick up my Fluke in person when it's finished. I like to have memories with acquisitions.

2. Again, definitely! Music dealers want to move product. I usually phone them about a purchase, and I often get a discount. A ukulele sitting on a shelf isn't making them any money.
 
Right now, I have 33 in the house, three on the way, and two on the horizon. Ridiculous? Yeah, just a bit, but I can't resist. :rolleyes:

I like to say I play my ukes just about every day - when the new one arrives. : )

This thread is drawing out all the addicts ha ha ha
I feel at home here
 
Haha...why would I want to track how much $$$'s I lose on UAS...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
Don't want to derail the thread, but it would be nice to just acknowledge the many funny comments without having to quote each one :p
 
I've never went to such lengths to determine how much money I spend on anything. I've just never thought about it. But now that it has come to my attention, I bought an Ohana Soprano ukulele last fall. But I spent close to six months waiting for it to find me. In that time I went to a ukulele festival in Minnesota with the intention of finding a ukulele there. But I didn't find one and finally ended up buying it on line when I got back. So does that count? Can I add the cost of the gas, the cost to get into the festival, the cost of the hotel room, and all the food and drink in the search for it? Because that is one expensive ukulele if I can. I'm not sure I like this game, now that I think about it.
 
Right now, I have 33 in the house, three on the way, and two on the horizon. Ridiculous? Yeah, just a bit, but I can't resist. :rolleyes:

I like to say I play my ukes just about every day - when the new one arrives. : )

:cool: I haven't seen that many in a store.
 
I've never went to such lengths to determine how much money I spend on anything. I've just never thought about it.

I can't say that I never have but I rarely do. At the same time, I'm a realist so I'm also going to take into account the cost of a case, the cost of a set-up (if any) and the cost of a humidifier when I come to a total cost in my mind. (I've only owned 4 ukes, 2 of which I still own.) It works the same way on the selling side. I won't claim to have sold something for $xx without taking into account Ebay and PayPal fees - the cost of selling.


But now that it has come to my attention, I bought an Ohana Soprano ukulele last fall. But I spent close to six months waiting for it to find me. In that time I went to a ukulele festival in Minnesota with the intention of finding a ukulele there. But I didn't find one and finally ended up buying it on line when I got back. So does that count? Can I add the cost of the gas, the cost to get into the festival, the cost of the hotel room, and all the food and drink in the search for it? Because that is one expensive ukulele if I can. I'm not sure I like this game, now that I think about it.

I think taking that trip into account is taking things too far. Your cost is what you paid to get it online plus any add-ons such as a case, etc.
 
If you are a true collector you would record the costs, maybe itemised into components, as part of your collector data base. If you don't keep a data base, you are more likely to be an accumulator than a collector. Also you would keep track of the sales prices using eBay and other sources. The actual amount is not the point of keeping the data for a collector. The point is that you know what is a fair trade or selling price, including postage, when you come to haggling for a swap or a purchase from another collector. You need to swap and buy and sell to be able to maintain and build a good collection, so keeping the price data is an important part of being a collector.
The real value in any ukulele is how much enjoyment you get from it. But it does pay to stay aware of how much it is worth in dollars for several reasons. You never know when you may be forced to sell it. You also need to know how much other people will pay for it so you can use appropriate care and security arrangements. And it if gets lost or damaged, keeping the sales and monetary data is very useful in making the insurance claims. Loss and theft and forced sale are things that no-one wants, but they do happen. It is not hard to keep the sales data, and you need to include the cost of postage and other items that you can claim on insurance.
When we buy ukes, they are the best thing on the planet and there can be nothing wrong with them sometimes in our imaginations. Looking at the sales price and resale values can bring a good dose of much needed reality.
So I think the delivered price of your uke is worth keeping, and it is worth following re-sale values, even if you are just an accumulator.
If you are lucky enough to be able to drive to MFC to pick up a uke. The money is not a real concern, the round trip is a privileged adventure that most people on the planet cannot access.

Very good! Especially the last two sentences. :eek:
 
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I've never went to such lengths to determine how much money I spend on anything.

I use Quicken to keep track of my expenses, so getting totals is just a few clicks away. I can tell you how much I spent on food in 2010. Yes, it can be depressing. All that money wasted on food. Just think of the great ukes I could have bought. :(
 
I use Quicken to keep track of my expenses, so getting totals is just a few clicks away. I can tell you how much I spent on food in 2010. Yes, it can be depressing. All that money wasted on food. Just think of the great ukes I could have bought. :(
My wife uses some program to track spending, but she doesn't include my random purchases, so ukuleles aren't included. Neither are golf or motorcycles.
 
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