ebay?

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yes i know i would never buy a keyboard off ebay for obvious reasons but have u seen how insanely cheap they are a korg x5d starts at 21 pound bidding any barely anyone has bidded and a korg m1 for 180 pounds would u trust a buyer of ebay for something so expensive?
 
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Both those keyboards went out of production over ten years ago. £21 starting for an x5d seems reasonable, as for the M1, that's simply a case of the seller being a little optimistic on price, but still seems reasonable to me.

I've bought most of my gear on ebay, and have never had any problems. Since keyboards depriciate so quickly, there are some real bargains to be had, if you are patient.
 
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Ive bought quite a lot of musical equipment form Ebay, including several keyboards.
Do your homework on prices and availabuility, and absolutely review the seller's feedback from other transactions. It definately pays to be an informed buyer.
B3
 
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I know this is an old thread, but I read a post of @Biggles which he said he wouldn't get a keyboard from Fleabay, and local sites (fb? gumt?) are worse. This really surprised me, and over the past couple of years I've got a fast SSD laptop for around £300, a couple of minikey midi controllers to use with aforementioned laptop (and reaper) so not to appear so antisocial, and quite a bit of other stuff that I would NEVER have bought full price. EG I also bought a pair of cheap lightweight keyboard speakers (20watts each and £25 each) to use as a stereo PA - It doesn't sound wonderful but then I don't really use them much, and if I lifted a big speaker I wouldn't be able to play the keyboard for a few days lol.

On the other hand, my main computer and keyboard I DID buy new, and wouldn't have dreamed of getting the keyboard without a lengthy trial in the shop. But I might not next time.

So, what's changed?
 
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Postage and fees is what has changed.

I have sold two keyboards on fleabay and in both cases the postage costs have been over £50, my Gibson guitar would have cost £110 due to the size and its weight (like a heavy 88 key DP) but the guy who picked it up was more than happy with it despite me having to pay fleabay fees of £90.

Fleabays fees are extortionate so I hardly ever sell, they used to have reduced fee promo but that has dried up

£400 of powered monitors went walkabout and it took six months to get my cash back from the crap insurance fleabay sold me.

Most of the keyboards on fleabay here in the UK are old and hence have to be questionable into their functionality, stuck in a garage or in an unheated loft will not do any keyboard much good.

We simply do not have any other sites for second hand kit other than guitar shows where you take your kit and trawl it around the dealers for the best price. Only a limited number of Music Stores do trade in and even then what they offer is poor, £450 for a keyboard that I sold for £800 on fleabay yet paid £85 in fees plus £11 for insurance.
 
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Postage and fees is what has changed.

Fleabays fees are extortionate so I hardly ever sell, they used to have reduced fee promo but that has dried up

We simply do not have any other sites for second hand kit
That's all such a shame.

I am subscribed to a thread on the moneysavingexpert forum which is supposed to let me know when ebay is doing a promotion, although haven't sold anything using these promotions so can't say from experience how easy they are to deal with. Looking at the T and Cs, they offer a sizeable 60-80% off the ebay fees, which are based on the total amount paid by the buyer, including postage and whatever. If you use automatic relisting (if the item doesn't sell ebay just restart it) then mostly you don't get the discount. For all I know, if you breathe the wrong way or click in the wrong place you might find you don't get it either.

In fairness I'm projecting from my experiences with amazon, where it's really difficult sometimes not to sign up to prime by accident - I've done it twice, which has to be some kind of record.
 
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Reviving a 13 year old thread? Pres. Clinton said he didnt inhale and also didnt smoke, although we all now know what he did with the cigar 13 years later. Keep it relevant.....
 

Rayblewit

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Ebay is relevant . .

I sold my old Yamaha on ebay.
A local guy came to my house. Tried it out . Liked it and paid me cash.
 

happyrat1

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I've sold 2 keyboards and a module this past month and a half. Sold them all locally on Kijiji and Craigslist without a single complaint or ridiculous middleman fees. I may be selling off a few more as we approach Xmas.

If you need to sell an instrument, NOW is the time. Winter is coming and people want to take up the hobby when they are trapped indoors.

Gary ;)
 

happyrat1

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BTW, if you live out in the sticks, that's no excuse. Pretty much everyone is within a hour or two's drive of some kind of city.

Gary ;)
 
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I've used the bay to clear out all sorts of musical gear and have had only minor issues like people not paying etc. It happens and when it does I cancel and relist. Not a huge issue. It sure beats trading stuff in or selling on Craig's List. I have also bought at least 50% of my gear on the Bay with very few minor issues.
 

happyrat1

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Places like Ebay p*ss me off because by the time you add up customs duties, middle man fees and shipping costs any extra money you make goes to them.

I'd rather sell on craigslist and the local equivalent and give someone a decent deal and still get my fair price for the hardware. Same goes for buying local when buying used. I've bought a couple of old Roland MT units from japan, supposedly reconditioned., from Ebay and they both stopped working within a year of purchase. They lie, like everyone else. So I'd much rather lay my actual grubby little hands on the merchandise before I fork over the dough.

To be honest whenever I do browse ebay for boards I almost choke on my coffee when I see some of the idiotic prices people are asking.

Sure some legitimate stores like sweetwater advertise on there as well, but it's just as easy to order direct from their websites.

The used stuff? Caveat emptor.

Gary ;)
 

Rayblewit

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Places like Ebay p*ss me off because by the time you add up customs duties, middle man fees and shipping costs any extra money you make goes to them.
I dumped ebay when they dumped paypal.
Now (as a seller) ebay wants your bank account details to make payments from buyers to your bank after they take out their fees. Now they want 13% of what you sell for. On top of that they can refund the buyer at anytime by withdrawing from your bank account.
Bugger that! I had a 1000 + positive rating with them. Never was I giving them my bank details. They lost my business when they became greedy.
Too much power for my liking.
- Ray
 
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Places like Ebay p*ss me off because by the time you add up customs duties, middle man fees and shipping costs any extra money you make goes to them.

I'd rather sell on craigslist and the local equivalent and give someone a decent deal and still get my fair price for the hardware. Same goes for buying local when buying used. I've bought a couple of old Roland MT units from japan, supposedly reconditioned., from Ebay and they both stopped working within a year of purchase. They lie, like everyone else. So I'd much rather lay my actual grubby little hands on the merchandise before I fork over the dough.

To be honest whenever I do browse ebay for boards I almost choke on my coffee when I see some of the idiotic prices people are asking.

Sure some legitimate stores like sweetwater advertise on there as well, but it's just as easy to order direct from their websites.

The used stuff? Caveat emptor.

Gary ;)
You obviously have better luck selling locally than me. Whenever I advertise locally on FB Marketplace or CL stuff just sits. On the bay everything I put up goes pretty fast. The other positive is that I get the money up front which means no money changes hands in person and no one at my house testing gear before they buy. No thank you.
 

happyrat1

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happyrat1

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BTW.

Ebay happens to own Kijiji. But the service is available entirely free of charge. Instead they prefer to "upsell" the free ads with premium placement charges (If you really want to sell a pig) but that is entirely optional.

Ebay started up the site way back around the turn of the century because Canadians are CHEAP and we LOATHE cross border shipping and mainly to compete with Craigslist.

Anyway, there must be similar pennysaver/buy and sell websites in your state or city or country. If you are in the US, Reverb is a great website for American deals. UPS gives domestic shipping great rates.

In Canada as well as most other "Furren" Lands we get gouged straight up the peehole on shipping and taxes.

Me? I leave no stone unturned. I use Craigslist and Kijiji both, though to be honest, most of my sales go thru the latter.

I've had people travel up to 80 miles for some of my deals.

"If you price it.... (right)... They will come" :D

Gary ;)
 
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In the end its whatever works best in your own Country.

eBay has worked for me but its fees and the Paypal standard fees are both too high but at least Paypal are now history in that they do not have to be used.

eBay has been very successful for me in selling Motorcycles, the UK used market was via adds in a couple of magazines, both failed me but eBay did ensure that they sold. A single fixed fee was high but I added that to the price that I placed in the mags and both bikes sold for the asking price. One guy drove 200 miles with a trailer and the other came up on a train from 300 miles away.
 
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I travelled 160 miles to pick up my latest keyboard which I bought in an auction from ebay, best absolute bargain I have ever purchased second hand !
 

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