Sales tax "Yes" if you live in California where they are based and order from them directly. No if you order from Mim's, HMS, ... and do not live in their states.
What's up with the Blackbird secondary market?
- Thread starter YogiTom
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Sales tax "Yes" if you live in California where they are based and order from them directly. No if you order from Mim's, HMS, ... and do not live in their states.
It all depends on the market. If there are buyers who are willing to buy a slightly discounted Blackbird, then the discounts will be small. Personally, I would never buy a used ukulele without a hefty discount over a new one, and nothing less than Mint without the price being quite slashed. You can never truly know the condition of a used uke, and that unknown to me is worth a lot of $. But if there are people willing to pay more, it makes no sense to sell for less.
Rllink
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I'm in agreement. Not saying I would never buy a used ukulele, but I would always wonder why someone was selling such a "great ukulele," and why they "hardly ever played it."
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Joyful Uke
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I've bought used, and haven't regretted any of the purchases. All were from UU.
Hardly ever played could be for a number of reasons. Maybe they were trying a different size ukulele, and it wasn't comfortable for them. Maybe the neck didn't work for them. Maybe "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans", and time was demanded elsewhere. Maybe it's a great ukulele, but just not for that particular person. Lots of possible reasons.
I also don't mind if someone else enjoyed a ukulele for a while before I buy it from them, as long as it's still in excellent condition, which all my UU purchases have been. If it's been well cared for, it still might be in better condition than buying one from a music store where people wander in, bang around on the instrument for a while, with no concern about the instrument itself.
Jerryc41
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I was thinking more along the lines of sales from individuals, rather than businesses. eBay now adds sales tax - not sure about Reverb. It used to be that if a business had a nexus in another state, it had to collect sales tax. (Nexus, also called “sufficient physical presence,” is a legal term that refers to the requirement for companies doing business in a state to collect and pay tax on sales in that state. For example, if you sell goods or services in Los Angeles, you must file and pay California state taxes.) Now, I think any business will be obligated to collect sales tax on out-of-state sales. UU and Fleamarketmusic don't collect tax.
Rllink
Well-known member
Yes, I understand where you are coming from, just not the way I like to do it. I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy used, under the right circumstances I might. But I'm speaking my own opinion with the original post in mind. Others may certainly have their own.
70sSanO
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The Supreme Court ruled that states can collect sales tax on online sales even though there is no physical presence in the state.
The rub is how states implement the ruling (obviously some states have no sales tax) and if there are thresholds that need to be met to trigger the tax. I have made recent purchases off eBay and have not been charged sales tax on some purchases.
John
The rub is how states implement the ruling (obviously some states have no sales tax) and if there are thresholds that need to be met to trigger the tax. I have made recent purchases off eBay and have not been charged sales tax on some purchases.
John
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I'm looking for a blackbird clara. if anyone wants to sell theirs, please drop me a message 
concerning why to sell such an instrument, I mean there's a lot of people who seem to buy lots of ukuleles but only play their favourite in the end or don't mind about the money and end up not playing as much. why not sell it then. (--> to me for example )
concerning why to sell such an instrument, I mean there's a lot of people who seem to buy lots of ukuleles but only play their favourite in the end or don't mind about the money and end up not playing as much. why not sell it then. (--> to me for example
)
Jerryc41
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I'm looking for a blackbird clara. if anyone wants to sell theirs, please drop me a message
concerning why to sell such an instrument, I mean there's a lot of people who seem to buy lots of ukuleles but only play their favourite in the end or don't mind about the money and end up not playing as much. why not sell it then. (--> to me for example
You have a good point. After hearing people rave reviews about the Clara, I had to order one from the company because there was nothing on the used market. Now that I have one, I can't imagine selling it. It's tough, so I don't have to worry about it, and the sound is beautiful. When I placed the order, they said it would take eight weeks. It was ready in five. If you want one, order it from the company. If you're waiting for a low price on a good used one, you'll have a long wait.
The $50 shipping charge surprised me, considering that it came by truck and took a week to get here. Priority Mail would have cost $50 for that size and weight. I'm used to two or three day delivery. The last truck delivery I received was for a Fluke, and that cost $5.30 from CA.
lfoo6952
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There is a used Clara and a used Farallon on the Gryphon Stringed Instruments website. Both are nicely discounted.
Neil_O
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I am interested in a Farallon. Does anyone have an opinion as to when their construction techniques changed to reflect what they are now? I remember people having certain issues many years ago, but now that I want one, I'd like to find out when they changed to the current era.
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Vintage Martins for example are priced all over the place. People will ask whatever they believe the instrument is worth. Some bought "high" and expect to recoup their "investment" without a loss, perhaps even make a profit. It's that way with everything, ukes included. The wait for a Farallon, 6-8 weeks depending partially on options. Some people can't wait and others are looking for a "deal". I purchased a "stock" Farallon from LA Guitars in the beginning of June for the then list price of $1416.00 (immediate gratification). I live in the desert so it makes a lot of practical sense and I really love it. I like it so much that I am thinking about ordering another with some "custom" features like a radiused fretboard and pickup, maybe even a side port. I'm waiting for a friend to come visit who owns one like that I can play side by side with mine to see what I think. If that were to happen, I would put mine up for sale. Simple as that. eBay is a pretty efficient market as far as getting the best price for anything. An asking price is just that and if you don't agree with it, so what? Don't buy it and move on...
That's the problem with Ukuleles. We often pay significantly more for a new one. However when selling we sometimes get 1/3 to 1/2 of the purchase price (of it does sell). In addition as the price increases there are fewer buyers. And the individual who is in the market for the model we're selling has to come along. Very few ukuleles have extreme demand such as for a Moore Betah. Bu it does seem that less expensive ukes sell quicker.
Believe it was in 2019. I bought a Clara after the change.
Neil_O
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Thanks! I bought a used Clara recently and I believe it's about 2014. The face of the headstock looks warped a little, but everything else is pretty awesome, especially the playability.
Neil_O
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Thanks! I think I may just order one from Blackbird so I can get the sunburst and their latest construction process. I don't think I want the sound port though, because it'll be plenty loud without one. My Clara is so loud it's almost embarrassing.
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I'm not really sure about the sound port. My friend has it and isn't convinced either way. That's why he would like to play mine side by side. Just to see... Blackbird recommends the sound port for low-g. I'm not sure why. Mine is plenty loud and sounds great as is, so only a side by side comparison would sway me one way or the other. If you are going to order one, definitely speak with them directly.
Before I ordered, I visited their site in central SF. That allowed me a direct comparison of a flat and radiused fretboards. You could call them and see if they have one with and without a soundport... also radiused if interested . was worth a trip irregardless.
Added: They also changed one to a high G (normally come with low G) for me to compare. I ordered a high G but now have it as a low G.
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UkeStuff
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Wow! Talk about a resurrection of an old thread. I didn’t know what FMM was at the time (Flea Market Music). Crazy!
Neil_O
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Ignore history...doomed repeat!
