Gibson demo shop prices

[Spazeack]

Yes I know there have been various posts about this. That being said I just don’t understand the prices on their reverb site. They want and get full retail prices on old damaged and dinged up guitars. What am I missing here?

When it first started you could score a deal now it’s just a bit ridiculous. I am not blaming Gibson people are buying them at their prices. It’s just lost on me.

At what point do you think the market will return to normal? I am thinking maybe 1-2 years? Just my guess.

 

[Roxy13]

My guess is once people have no choice but to go back to work and begin paying rent and other bills.

 

[rockstar232007]

I don't see the issue?

People pay OTP money for guitars w/fake aging. These guitars are naturally aged, so...

 

[Spazeack]

The artificial aging thing is lost on me. Let alone to pay extra for it. To each their own

 

[mjross]

And it turns into a replica thread that quick!

 

[InTheEvening]

Yes I know there have been various posts about this. That being said I just don’t understand the prices on their reverb site. They want and get full retail prices on old damaged and dinged up guitars. What am I missing here?

When it first started you could score a deal now it’s just a bit ridiculous. I am not blaming Gibson people are buying them at their prices. It’s just lost on me.

At what point do you think the market will return to normal? I am thinking maybe 1-2 years? Just my guess.

Used prices will go down as things normalize, right now demand is high and supplies low, but at some point supplies will go back up and all the people who bought up used gear will need to sell. Only thing is I’m not sure if it will go back to old prices or settle on a new “normal” that’s in between old and current prices.

As for demo shop, some of their stuff has some cool quirky or unique mods, some might perceive those guitars to have some collectors value or just like that it’s something unique and pay the premium for it.

 

[Red Planet]

Everything seems high to me though I'm from the age when a Les Paul was $750.00.

 

[JMP]

Everything seems high to me though I'm from the age when a Les Paul was $750.00.

Those days are long gone.

 

[fretout]

Those days are long gone.

I’m hopeful that the LP Studios return back to the $500.00 price point on the used market.

Studios have always been about giving a player the Les Paul tone by offering an American-made guitar that was devoid of any frills found on a standard.

But, as long as people keep paying the inflated prices for guitars…

 

[moreles]

High retail is the current standard. A generic CS Strat is $2500 used -- for what is essentially a machine-made, assembled parts guitar (tho' executed to high tolerances). These are way overpriced from one perspective, but the market supports it, so it's hard to argue "rip off." Below $1K there are a billion excellent "budget" guitars, so anyo9ne who doesn't need luxury goods can get a genuinely fine guitar for relatively little $$$. I've yet to hgear a good explanation for why the bottom hasn't fallen out of the higher end market. "Stimulus checks" is the rationale often cited.

 

[pillbug]

Used prices will go down as things normalize, right now demand is high and supplies low, but at some point supplies will go back up and all the people who bought up used gear will need to sell. Only thing is I’m not sure if it will go back to old prices or settle on a new “normal” that’s in between old and current prices.

As for demo shop, some of their stuff has some cool quirky or unique mods, some might perceive those guitars to have some collectors value or just like that it’s something unique and pay the premium for it.

Lock the thread right here.

 

[danzego]

Yes I know there have been various posts about this. That being said I just don’t understand the prices on their reverb site. They want and get full retail prices on old damaged and dinged up guitars. What am I missing here?

When it first started you could score a deal now it’s just a bit ridiculous. I am not blaming Gibson people are buying them at their prices. It’s just lost on me.

At what point do you think the market will return to normal? I am thinking maybe 1-2 years? Just my guess.

I don’t recall there ever being deals when it first started. In fact, the prices look lower to me now compared to when the “Gibson Demo Shop” first started on Reverb.

I haven’t looked in a couple of weeks, but I don’t recall seeing anything going for full retail price recently. When it first started, just about everything was. I clearly recall all of the Standard 50’s and 60’s going for the usual $2499, though that could be because Gibson was trying to pass them off as “prototypes” at the time.

 

[Justin_Case]

The shop has over 1100 feedback ratings, so the actual sales count has to be somewhat higher because not everyone does leave feed back. They seem to be doing OK

The pricing is in line with Guitar Center and other retailer's Used prices. The difference is the descriptions are accurate and the photos are well done, in addition the 2 year playability warranty and you are provided with a written copy of the inspection they do on the guitar. Free shipping helps too.

The better deals don't last long at all.

 

[kelsodeez]

Blame trogly. He's the one that said they were underpriced and it's seems like gibson tends to listen to him

 

[DaveSG]

Weren't there some ES-335 variants on there that were $20,000+ ? They are not there any more, somebody bought them...

 

[Spazeack]

I guess I am just one of those people that needs a deal lol. They had some blue burst plain top that has peace signs on the knobs. I just thought the 1899 asking price was high for what essiently was plain top standard. I asked if they where open to offers they replied back no they don't take offers. lol. it sold 2 days later.

 

[Snowdogyyz]

I had been looking for a 60’s neck Goldtop standard for a long time. All used ones on reverb, eBay, and even the main forums were priced way high- $2k and up.
I bought a nearly mint condition 2012 Goldtop from the demo shop for $1800. It was listed as very good but could have been excellent. Very minor defects only. So not all their prices are high.

 

[JMP]

With the demo shop, I’d guess you generally get what you pay for. As long as the quality and price generally align, I think all is well.

 

[ARandall]

Generally in threads about prices and the like you get 4 basic personality types responding:

1. The person who says no guitar should ever cost more than $X - fullstop. This is typically someone who knows absolutely nothing about guitars and how they are made (nor that businesses are out to make a profit) and is trying to avoid being recognised as such by belligerently pretending they know everything. They're the same people who think that a Custom without an ebony board should be significantly cheaper, even though the difference in fretboard purchase prices is likely to be in the range of $10

2. The person living in the past - who bemoans the time when guitars cost half or a quarter of what they do now. This tends to become a Monty Python "4 Yorkshiremen" type scenario where people continually one-up each other with the cheapest price they remember. Also a feature here is the convenient forgetting of the purchase power of those same dollars back then.

3. The hopeful. Where they desperately want prices to be a bubble because they missed out on a deal a short while back and the budget doesn't allow for a purchase in today's structure.

4 The realist - who simply understands that its reality that prices generally trend upwards - as thats what its been like for the entire lifespan of even the oldest person on the forum.

 

[Rocco Crocco]

I guess I am just one of those people that needs a deal lol. They had some blue burst plain top that has peace signs on the knobs. I just thought the 1899 asking price was high for what essiently was plain top standard. I asked if they where open to offers they replied back no they don't take offers. lol. it sold 2 days later.

That guitar is a "Les Paul Peace" model. It usually goes for more $$ than a Standard. The fact that is sold two days later indicates it was priced correctly.