YogiTom
Well-known member
(Not naming names or specific posts so much as calling out something I have noticed over the past few months of casual marketplace browsing)
I may be mistaken (happens quite a bit), but it feels like whenever I see a listing for either Blackbird uke pop up on the marketplace here or elsewhere that the initial asking price is just slightly less than or equal to what the new "stock" instrument would cost.
Compared to other brands, it always seems like the Blackbird ukes are resold (or at least hope to be sold) at a much higher price than I would ever pay for one second-hand. The normal 25-30% off original purchase price does not seem to apply to this brand from the listings I've seen.
I've also noticed that many listings seem to come up for sale shortly after being received by the original owner. To me, this doesn't make me excited to buy, even though I too have been excited by a new uke only to turn around and sell or return it shortly after buying. I get that people might not love something once they hold it, but this feels different. In my mind, perhaps more akin to ordering a custom uke from a wood-working luthier, fully spec'd out to your liking, and then deciding "meh...not for me".
And I'm not sure it matters too much (i.e., just something that bugs me personally), but in any given Blackbird listing there is almost always a reference to "how long you would have to wait should you buy one new"...why? It is just a few weeks. It's not like getting in line for a Hive, where there is a real investment of time to wait for your new build.
Why--with this brand and no others--do folks feel compelled to spell out how the ordering process works in their sales pitch? To me it just reads, "Hey, you could order the uke you really want, spec'd out the way you want and you could wait a couple weeks for it to be built. Or you can pay basically the same amount for my customized uke and get it now!" Aside from the instant gratification, what is the benefit of reminding potential buyers that they could always just order their own from Blackbird?
I realize the answers to these questions and observations might not have any rhyme or reason...I'm just hoping someone has some other perspective as to what is going on with this brand and why they are listed at such a higher asking price relative to original price when compared to the rest of the secondary market.
I appreciate any insight y'all might have.
-Jeff
I may be mistaken (happens quite a bit), but it feels like whenever I see a listing for either Blackbird uke pop up on the marketplace here or elsewhere that the initial asking price is just slightly less than or equal to what the new "stock" instrument would cost.
Compared to other brands, it always seems like the Blackbird ukes are resold (or at least hope to be sold) at a much higher price than I would ever pay for one second-hand. The normal 25-30% off original purchase price does not seem to apply to this brand from the listings I've seen.
I've also noticed that many listings seem to come up for sale shortly after being received by the original owner. To me, this doesn't make me excited to buy, even though I too have been excited by a new uke only to turn around and sell or return it shortly after buying. I get that people might not love something once they hold it, but this feels different. In my mind, perhaps more akin to ordering a custom uke from a wood-working luthier, fully spec'd out to your liking, and then deciding "meh...not for me".
And I'm not sure it matters too much (i.e., just something that bugs me personally), but in any given Blackbird listing there is almost always a reference to "how long you would have to wait should you buy one new"...why? It is just a few weeks. It's not like getting in line for a Hive, where there is a real investment of time to wait for your new build.
Why--with this brand and no others--do folks feel compelled to spell out how the ordering process works in their sales pitch? To me it just reads, "Hey, you could order the uke you really want, spec'd out the way you want and you could wait a couple weeks for it to be built. Or you can pay basically the same amount for my customized uke and get it now!" Aside from the instant gratification, what is the benefit of reminding potential buyers that they could always just order their own from Blackbird?
I realize the answers to these questions and observations might not have any rhyme or reason...I'm just hoping someone has some other perspective as to what is going on with this brand and why they are listed at such a higher asking price relative to original price when compared to the rest of the secondary market.
I appreciate any insight y'all might have.
-Jeff
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