The Price of Used Ukes

Rllink said:

I'm with several here, the risk. With any used ukulele I ask myself why? Why is this uke the one they want to get rid of. Obviously there is something the seller doesn't like about it. of all their ukes it is the worst one they have for some reason. So the price has to be low enough that I'm willing to put my concerns aside and buy it anyway.

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Earlier on in my UAS, I tried different sizes, different necks, and whatever caught my ears and eyes.

I sold some, because that size didn't work for me, (like tenor), or the neck didn't work for me. I've had injuries to my fingers that make them very particular about what does and doesn't cause discomfort.

But those ukuleles were likely perfect for someone else, and there was nothing wrong with the ukulele. The problem was me and my cranky fingers.

I think I have a better handle now on what works for me, and have some fantastic ukuleles. But I couldn't have sorted it all out without trying some other fantastic ukuleles that weren't right for me. Who knows, maybe my UAS has even been cured now. Maybe. LOL.

I've bought used from UU, and don't regret the purchases. Maybe it wasn't the right ukulele for the seller, but they're sure working out well for me.

We all have our own comfort levels with buying used, (especially sight unseen, from a stranger over the internet.) I don't know if I'd feel comfortable doing that elsewhere on the internet, but feel OK about it on UU, where I can search for their posts on various topics, see if others have bought from them and how it went, and maybe even read a NUD on that ukulele, or comments they've made about that brand/builder.

I'm sure it doesn't always go smoothly, but buying used can mean you're getting a great ukulele.

One option that can make buying used a bit less risky is buying used from a store that has a good return policy, so if it doesn't work out, you can maybe just be out some shipping costs, and not the cost of the ukulele.

Recently, I put up several used ukuleles up for sale at the same price, or in some cases $25-$50 less than I got them for, because I wanted to share with this UU community the prices I was given. By doing so, I like to think that senior UU members are more trustworthy and more knowledgeable about what they’re getting, so the transaction is good for both parties. I put several up that I hate to part with, but I am just not playing them. As I state in the Marketplace, one ukulele’s neck is just a tad too wide for me, so I don’t play it as much. One is a specialty ukulele that I don’t have time to learn how to play. But someone else could make it sing.

Rllink said:

I'm with several here, the risk. With any used ukulele I ask myself why? Why is this uke the one they want to get rid of. Obviously there is something the seller doesn't like about it. of all their ukes it is the worst one they have for some reason. So the price has to be low enough that I'm willing to put my concerns aside and buy it anyway.

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Not necessarily. I have 10 ukuleles. A couple of years ago I had an amazing opportunity to buy a really expensive ukulele at a much less expensive price, used, but I still could not comfortably afford it. I owned four ukuleles I would call "valuable" and so I had a decision to make - can I sell one of these to make it possible to afford the one I want? So - I chose among those four, and listed one of them for sale. I sold it for about half its new price (plus a case). It was not my least favourite ukulele, far from from it. It is not one I wanted to get rid of, it was the one I felt I could sell for the most value to get another (more expensive) ukulele. Of the four I could possibly sell, one I just cannot part with (my Koa Pono) and the other two are luthier-made customs that although they are expensive, probably no one else would think so as they probably have no idea who the luthier is.

Now, going back to that Koa Pono, they don't make those anymore. I paid $350 for mine in 2006 I think. I have added a MiSi pickup that was professionally installed (by the guys at Pono), and IF I were to ever sell it, (and the guys at Pono told me to NEVER sell it ) I bet I could get over $500 for it because it is in excellent condition and because there is no way to buy a new one. Plus, it's just a good one. I can't imagine ever selling it.

Kenn2018 said:

If the cost of a used ukulele is close to the cost of a new one, then I would much rather buy new. If for no other reason than I would get the setup I wanted on it. And perhaps a warranty.

The only used ukuleles I would pay near the original price for, (or maybe the cost of the equivalent model new) would be a commemorative one in excellent condition. Such as a Kamaka 100th Anniversary tenor.

So far, I have had great results buying used here on the UU marketplace. Only one was a dud, and that was almost a year ago. Mixed results buying used elsewhere.

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Having bought and sold a lot of used items on the internet from ukuleles to watches to other collectibles, I agree with this. If the used price is too close to new, most would just choose to buy new from a retailer with full post-sale support.

Now, the one notable exception is for rare, limited edition, or out-of-production items. And it's on these where I have begrudgingly paid more than retail...or in some cases been paid more than retail. For the instrument market, I find this to be relatively uncommon versus other collectibles and I believe it has to do with market demand. For watches where you have a robust used market of buyers, there are quite a few pieces trading well above retail. Meanwhile, the high-end ukulele market is relatively thin with only a number of buyers making premiums harder to come by.

glennerd said:

What was the price when new? $15? Pretty sure you don't need to discount it. :rofl:

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I think it was less than that Glenn lol. http://www.baystateguitar.com/SerialNumberProject/SerialNumbers.html

Style E went for 22.50 in 1898. Mines a Style 10 which is a standard for the day so was probably less. Amazing how light and loud it is for it's size. Not quite a banjo killer but keeps up with the dreadnaught a fellow blue grass player plays.
Sorry bout the sideway photos, don't know how to rotate.

Gets kind of surreal playing it late at night and thinking about how many before owned it. J.C. Haynes was known for hiring Civil War Veterans to work in his factory.

I've bought a small shop's worth of used stringed instruments from pawn shops while looking for the perfect ukulele for me. Some vintage stuff, some nearly new. All too cheap to pass up. A couple of mandolins, classical guitar, electric guitar, a couple of acoustic-electric guitars, acoustic travel guitar, and one vintage baritone uke...and maybe two or three others that I'm forgetting.

Lately I've been looking at a couple of Ibanez Mikro Bass's that I thought I might be able to bolt a shorter neck with a wider nut on to convert to an electric uke or a tenor guitar. And an Ibanez Ergo-something 5-string bass because it's in perfect shape and way too cheap. And a Deering Goodtimes banjo that at 200 was slightly more than I wanted to pay for a curiosity.

Some day I may buy a new uke to get the dimensions and wood I want, that I likely won't find in my preferred cash and carry used market.

Patrick Madsen said:

I think it was less than that Glenn lol. http://www.baystateguitar.com/SerialNumberProject/SerialNumbers.html

Style E went for 22.50 in 1898. Mines a Style 10 which is a standard for the day so was probably less. Amazing how light and loud it is for it's size. Not quite a banjo killer but keeps up with the dreadnaught a fellow blue grass player plays.
Sorry bout the sideway photos, don't know how to rotate.

Gets kind of surreal playing it late at night and thinking about how many before owned it. J.C. Haynes was known for hiring Civil War Veterans to work in his factory.

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All kidding aside, that's a fine looking guitar and well taken care of.

It has been said many times in this thread, but nothing stops you from asking for the same you payed for it.
Only you will only get what people will pay.
If the uke model is readily available brand new in a shop, most people would choose to get the new one. I would.

The example of the attractive, but out of production, koa Pono is a good example on when a recent 2. Hand ukulele can be worth more than you payed originally.
It is supply and demand here.

Patrick Madsen said:

I think it was less than that Glenn lol. http://www.baystateguitar.com/SerialNumberProject/SerialNumbers.html

Style E went for 22.50 in 1898. Mines a Style 10 which is a standard for the day so was probably less. Amazing how light and loud it is for it's size. Not quite a banjo killer but keeps up with the dreadnaught a fellow blue grass player plays.
Sorry bout the sideway photos, don't know how to rotate.

Gets kind of surreal playing it late at night and thinking about how many before owned it. J.C. Haynes was known for hiring Civil War Veterans to work in his factory.

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I have the same Bay State guitar. Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood. Plays and sounds real nice.

Patrick Madsen said:

Gets kind of surreal playing it late at night and thinking about how many before owned it.

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I bought a Rolando banjo uke from someone on UU, and a previous owner's name is carved inside, "Grace Neely '20".

Jerryc41 said:

I bought a Rolando banjo uke from someone on UU, and a previous owner's name is carved inside, "Grace Neely '20".

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I like to personalize my stuff like that.

Rllink said:

I like to personalize my stuff like that.

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Jake is totally willing to autograph ukes for people. I wonder if he would carve his name into one.

The only ones I'm personalizing are a Flea and some Flukes - with paint on the tops.

Jerryc41 said:

Jake is totally willing to autograph ukes for people. I wonder if he would carve his name into one.

The only ones I'm personalizing are a Flea and some Flukes - with paint on the tops.

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It aint mine til I put my name on it.

Rllink said:

It aint mine til I put my name on it.

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Now where'd I put that Dremmel tool?

glennerd said:

Now where'd I put that Dremmel tool?

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Did you check inside the body of the last uke you marked?

MopMan said:

Did you check inside the body of the last uke you marked?

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Mark it inside? Now there's an idea!

Once I realised that I would never be satisfied with a factory built instrument, I knew I would be looking at custom builds. Buying a used instrument was my gateway to this level of instrument. I figured that I would have to try different woodsets, neck shapes and widths, etc, before I would be confident enough to commission my own build.
That proved to be a good strategy and one that wasn’t too expensive to ultimately reach my goal.
It was also fun actually experiencing the work of various excellent Luthiers.

I was just talking via phone with a retired luthier who owns Arrowhead Luthiery. He has more stringed instruments in an old 2 story house than you can shake a stick at. One is a very old Martin guitar in original condition that looks brand new. He has Civil War era and older instruments that are still playable. He's a very savvy horse trader. Hearing his stories about each instrument he's acquired makes for a very interesting afternoon. Some of them are pretty close to priceless.
He's unafraid to ask for top dollar for you to buy one, too.

Nickie said:

I was just talking via phone with a retired luthier who owns Arrowhead Luthiery. He has more stringed instruments in an old 2 story house than you can shake a stick at. One is a very old Martin guitar in original condition that looks brand new. He has Civil War era and older instruments that are still playable. He's a very savvy horse trader. Hearing his stories about each instrument he's acquired makes for a very interesting afternoon. Some of them are pretty close to priceless.
He's unafraid to ask for top dollar for you to buy one, too.

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That would be a great way to spend an afternoon. Fascinating for sure.

If he's interested in selling some of his collection, you might refer him to Dave Rogers of Dave's Guitar Shop in La Crosse, WI. https://davesguitar.com/ He owns one of the largest independent guitar stores in the Midwest. And has a huge collection of important and historical guitars and other instruments and amplifiers. He might be very interested in the Martin or other items. Who knows? At the very least, it's a contact and they could swap stories.

I would personally never make permanent markings on an instrument. Well perhaps something I found decorative, but a name, ain't going to happen. Not even on the inside. I dont plan on selling my ukes, but the thought of them losing any appeal for others to have at some point for having my name engraved would just seem destructive. And I wouldnt let anybody put their signature on it either.
But people are different that way, just dont sell your marked ukes without warnibg people that it has etchings like that, people should know and be able to choose.

Also, the plan of all 2 hand ukes being sold at 90 of the retail price if a price cartel was made - that would only work for some hard to get by ukes.
Most people are ready to pay more than 10% ekstra for being the first to own an instrument.
But go ahead, set your price high. Nobody is forced to buy it. If someone is willing to pay, they are. And if people try to haggle, the high er the starting point the higher the possible price.