RE Steve's (aka Coolkayaker1) comment that was quoted:
Difficulty selling even gently used instruments for anything approaching the going retail price for a new item is actually the
norm. For a couple of years the hot growth in ukulele demand was outstripping the availability of
good ukes, prices for those instruments were rising, and people were realizing that their "lesser" instruments often weren't measuring up. This fueled a bubble where one could often get almost all of one's money back from a "K brand," for example.
It's not so much that the popularity bubble has burst as that, as I see it, two things have happened. First, the availability of "good" ukes (both 1st tier and especially 2nd tier) has increased dramatically. Second, more retailers are in the market offering setup services that blur, for many, the distinction between a 1st tier and 2nd tier or 2nd tier and 3rd tier instrument. I.e. until a couple of years ago it was easy for even a "casual" player to truly appreciate the difference between a 1st tier and pretty much everything "lesser" because those differences were quite obvious. Now, if one is purchasing from a good retailer, the differences are still there but much less obvious than before. So, more people are willing to continue to play their "pretty decent" 2nd tier instruments while waiting for a good deal before upgrading.
I also think people may be buying in at a little higher level, again, because of the availability of eTailers doing setups and such.
To put it simply, most used sales are to people who are already players and who are looking to upgrade but the pressure to upgrade is far lower than it once was.
But that's just my $0.02 - I could be completely and dismally incorrect.
John