Ukes On Ebay

Hi. Just finished a visit to Ebay-- so many ukes for sale there. Wow! There are sure a lot of ukes but many are the same make and model. I only looked at concerts and it took me a long time. 99.9% of the listings are "Buy It Now." I was surprised to see there were almost none for sale by non-business sellers. I'm sure some major retailers are also selling on Ebay also. I'm a noob and was just looking. I would not buy a uke on Ebay unless I really know what I'm doing and have done some comparative pricing. I'm sure there are some over-priced ukes on there as well as some "fair" deals. I recall one item where the seller was charging $80 shipping (maybe from Antarctica?). My conclusion is to do your research, compare prices, and then ask for a some input from the nice folks on this forum. If you happen to live in a place where there are a lot of stores selling ukes, visit them. I would prefer to buy from a local store up to a point (There are none that stock ukes here). However, if I find the same item for let's say $150 or more less, then I'll take the cheaper deal even it's online. I've bought and sold many items on Ebay, but it's not the first place I would go to look for a uke. Just my 4 cents worth

Stan

Aloha Stan,
Buying sight unseen can be really a disaster...in short, you may save some but there are chances and risks you take...plus you don't get a good set up...some dealers do them for free, so in the long run you may not be saving any money if you find out you need a setup or need to drop the action that may cost some.....just to let you know..good luck, Stan.... Nice Name..

Thanks Stan, I understand. I'm taking my Lanikai tenor s-t in to have the lower g string put on and will ask for a tuneup at that time. The place is 99.9% guitars, but I'm sure they have probably done a few ukes also. Been in business for a lot of years. I bought a couple of Little Martin guitars there. The uke is oh so much easier to play. I did buy my Tenor on Amazon, but they have an easy return policy. The Lanikai is distributed by Hohner, a German company. I've bought a harmonica and recorder from them in the past. I fully admit that I still don't know much about ukes though.

Shastastan said:

I'm taking my Lanikai tenor s-t in to have the lower g string put on and will ask for a tuneup at that time.

Click to expand...

Why are you taking it to someone for a string change? In most cases, a low G string will fit fine, worst scenario is there's a little slippage at the nut because the slot isn't quite wide enough, which can be easily filed a bit. I'll admit that changing strings isn't my favorite pastime, but it's something every player needs to learn to do.

Hi itsme. Your point is well taken. I'm having them do a tune up so they might as well do the string which I already have since my wife wants to use it. I do all the tune up, cleaning stuff on my horns and I have 5 of those. It seems crazy that I have that many, but I use them for different gigs and venues. I'm hoping not to end up with that many ukes.

Shastastan said:

Hi itsme. Your point is well taken. I'm having them do a tune up so they might as well do the string which I already have since my wife wants to use it. I do all the tune up, cleaning stuff on my horns and I have 5 of those. It seems crazy that I have that many, but I use them for different gigs and venues. I'm hoping not to end up with that many ukes.

Click to expand...

Don't worry. you won't. you will end up with more
























Ever heard of UAS?

And watch out for professional music sellers on eBay (and Amazon)! Most of the companies that are selling there are using it for things they can't seem to sell in the shop. Private sellers, or non-music sources, are a better source. I've been pleased with the 6 (4 used, 2 new) I've bought through eBay, and none were music shops.

My Amazon was not so good, and it was new from a music provider. I would never have bought the instrument in a shop due to the wood grain looks. But there was really nothing I could say was wrong with it in order to return it.

I've bought a few ukes off Ebay and you really have to be careful. I've only had one bad ukulele experience using Ebay. I paid $700 for a Martin style 1 that ,according to the music store that was selling it, was in original condition with no cracks. The guy that owned the store is supposed to be an authority and writes for different guitar publications. Anyway , the bridge had broken off and was reglued so poorly you could see daylight underneath and globs of glue. I got my money back, most of it. It was a really bad experience, the guy was an
a$$hole. I'd really like to name his store but probavly better not to.
Buyer beware , you have to be careful .

Depends on the seller and their reputation in the uke community, too. I would buy something off eBay from Mim or Uke Republic any day of the week - but I know both Mim and Mike and they are both top notch. MGM is sadly out of the eBay game, but he was another person I trusted without any hesitation.

For all three, though, I no longer bother with the whole eBay thing - a direct email or call is a lot nicer!

I ordered a concert today from Mainland. For $219 it's worth it to me to know what I'm getting. No ebay ukes for me unless I know the seller , but then you can make direct contact anyway as bbcrts sez.

Ebay is a real snake pit, especially with ukes. I have purchased a couple from Ebay that were not as advertised. If you are in the market for a used uke, I recommend a reputable store like Elderly. You will pay a bit more there than on Ebay but they will stand behind what they sell. Buying here or on the Flea Market Marketplace is also a vastly superior option. I don't even have an Ebay account anymore. They will rip you off coming and going (seller or buyer).

I will have to say that I have mostly gotten bargains on ebay over the years. I only got ripped off once and that was my fault for trusting someone to pay. It was my dumb mistake. Another time I bought a trumpet mouthpiece that was worse than the pic and stated description showed, but I only lost a few bucks. I have done okay selling stuff on ebay that I was unable to sell anywhere else so there is a use for it. In fact, I just bought some leather picson ebay which I really like that are not available in our local stores. here. For musical instruments though, you better know something about the item before you buy.

I sell on ebay. Here is my take.

Would I rather you buy from me off ebay... heck yes! PLEASE! I will give you a better deal too!

That being said... this is why I am on ebay...

Once I thought about pulling all my ebay listings and a friend made a good point. Having a ebay store is like having a store in the mall as opposed to a strip mall. More traffic.

Ok, something to be aware of when it comes to ebay. Some people sell EVERYTHING... not just ukes. And they are "drop shippers". Basically someone semi-uke savvy that can sit at a computer, keep tabs on who has what in stock, and list it on ebay. They typically use stock photos. When you buy from a drop-shipper, they call the company the uke is distributed by and they say, "Hey! I need an X model uke sent to X address under by business name X". They do not handle the uke, they do not quality control the uke, and they do not set it up. So, although I would rather sell items off ebay, the extra few sales and income and exposure it allows for is worth it for me. But I am also brick in morter, trained in set ups, and do my best to send my ukes out as perfect as possible with as much disclosure on any perfections as possible.

So sometimes, ebay is a necissary evil. I would do something like Amazon store and what-not, but it does not make it possible to list the actual uke you are getting. So yeah, there is some boogers on ebay, but some good things too!