Used gear 2026

[Alpha Stryke]

 

[RaceU4her]

Insane

 

[BABMusic]

Most used gear, if you don't lose some money on it, it's not going to sell. Only the stuff that's in super high demand is selling for top dollar.

 

[Geo]

Anything not made in Japan or the USA is garbage and will never hold any value.

 

[70 Mach 1]

he forgot to add in packaging at the UPS store.. they are thieves. I recently shipped a head and its was $146 to box and pack

i just trade in to GC take whatever they offer and be done with it

if i feel the offer way way low i will just wait and go back when another sales dude is there or try another GC

but yeah to buy used sometimes for a few $$$ more just get one new

 

[Floyd Eye]

he forgot to add in packaging at the UPS store.. they are thieves. I recently shipped a head and its was $146 to box and pack

i just trade in to GC take whatever they offer and be done with it

if i feel the offer way way low i will just wait and go back when another sales dude is there or try another GC

but yeah to buy used sometimes for a few $$$ more just get one new

That’s ridiculous. I boxed up 2 amps and sent them to @klugster using cardboard I had in my garage. I’m quite sure he was cussing me getting them out of there. Way more secure than anything UPS would do. Definitely not worth $150.

 

[pipboy90]

he forgot to add in packaging at the UPS store.. they are thieves. I recently shipped a head and its was $146 to box and pack

i just trade in to GC take whatever they offer and be done with it

if i feel the offer way way low i will just wait and go back when another sales dude is there or try another GC

but yeah to buy used sometimes for a few $$$ more just get one new

Pirateship and Shipnerd are really the only viable ways to ship stuff yourself nowadays. Shipping stores will always rip you off. The trick is to keep an amp box or two around in case you need to sell an amp. Or, you can grab a box from Home Depot/U-Haul and buy packaging material yourself. It will still be cheaper than taking it to a shipping store.

 

[klugster]

That’s ridiculous. I boxed up 2 amps and sent them to @klugster using cardboard I had in my garage. I’m quite sure he was cussing me getting them out of there. Way more secure than anything UPS would do. Definitely not worth $150.

That was alot of cardboard and tape hahahaha

 

[Alpha Stryke]

When im forced to buy retail cuz its just as much as used you know it suxx.

 

[Toneboner]

That’s ridiculous. I boxed up 2 amps and sent them to @klugster using cardboard I had in my garage. I’m quite sure he was cussing me getting them out of there. Way more secure than anything UPS would do. Definitely not worth $150.

That’s heartening to know some people make the necessary effort to box stuff properly. Double boxing, extra foam, no voids etc. It’s really not that hard to scrounge up extra material to do it right. But damn is it enraging to receive an amp u just spent <$1k on that was packed barely well enough to make it around the block let alone an airplane ride.

 

[napalmdeath]

He's 100% right. People are totally unreasonable these days and some are completely out of touch with reality. I price shit to move, and take my lumps. That's realistic.

There's stuff here that's unrealistic, and TGP has really spiked to sellers wanting top-dollar.

 

[Floyd Eye]

That’s heartening to know some people make the necessary effort to box stuff properly. Double boxing, extra foam, no voids etc. It’s really not that hard to scrounge up extra material to do it right. But damn is it enraging to receive an amp u just spent <$1k on that was packed barely well enough to make it around the block let alone an airplane ride.

I left no voids. Just more thick cardboard.

 

[CoreyW]

That was alot of cardboard and tape hahahaha

Oh you think thats bad... wait til tomorrow!

 

[CoreyW]

That’s heartening to know some people make the necessary effort to box stuff properly. Double boxing, extra foam, no voids etc. It’s really not that hard to scrounge up extra material to do it right. But damn is it enraging to receive an amp u just spent <$1k on that was packed barely well enough to make it around the block let alone an airplane ride.

I spent a few years in the experimental aircraft parts service world, and had to ship stuff all over the world. I learned how to pack things very very well. I have always wondered if maybe I was over doing it. You order a new $2000 amp, and its just an amp suspended in styrofoam blocks... Yeah you have suspension from side crushing, and pretty good stability, but there are voids all over the box. I would imagine these companies do a lot of research on the minimum needed to provide a safe shipping experience, but every single one does far less padding than almost any seller I have bought from on a used gear site.

 

[Nigel]

Pirateship and Shipnerd are really the only viable ways to ship stuff yourself nowadays. Shipping stores will always rip you off. The trick is to keep an amp box or two around in case you need to sell an amp. Or, you can grab a box from Home Depot/U-Haul and buy packaging material yourself. It will still be cheaper than taking it to a shipping store.

Shippo is legit too.

 

[Toneboner]

, and its just an amp suspended in styrofoam blocks... Yeah you have suspension from side crushing, and pretty good stability, but there are voids all over the box.

The last amp I bought (was not a Friedman). I could reach my hand in the hole and feel bare amp. No protection,, tho it did have nice foam corners that kept it ‘suspended’, as you say, by a couple inches of space. Almost refused it on the spot and sent it back. “Luckily” the hole was so big I could shine a light inside and see that miraculously the amp was unscathed.

I’ll never understand people that give ZERO fucks once they slap a shipping label on a sold item. You have to be utterly moronic to think that’s where the transaction ends,, like verging on scammer level unethical to take someone’s hard earned $$ and put a big fuck you in the box like that.

Which comes back around to taking a lo$$ on selling used gear. Have a bottom price you’re not willing to go below if it means cheaping out on how u send it. Besides most people would be willing to pay a bit more for shipping if it means some assurance that it actually survives the trip. I know I would

 

[CoreyW]

The last amp I bought (was not a Friedman). I could reach my hand in the hole and feel bare amp. No protection,, tho it did have nice foam corners that kept it ‘suspended’, as you say, by a couple inches of space. Almost refused it on the spot and sent it back. “Luckily” the hole was so big I could shine a light inside and see that miraculously the amp was unscathed.

I’ll never understand people that give ZERO fucks once they slap a shipping label on a sold item. You have to be utterly moronic to think that’s where the transaction ends,, like verging on scammer level unethical to take someone’s hard earned $$ and put a big fuck you in the box like that.

Which comes back around to taking a lo$$ on selling used gear. Have a bottom price you’re not willing to go below if it means cheaping out on how u send it. Besides most people would be willing to pay a bit more for shipping if it means some assurance that it actually survives the trip. I know I would

Im not talking about sellers on used sites cheaping out on shipping... I was talking about OEMs and their methods of packaging, and assuming (probably correctly) they have done a lot of research into the most cost effective way which is pretty minimal compared to what I have received in most of my online purchases.

You're dead on regarding the sale not being complete until the buyer has received and inspected what was sold.

 

[romanianreaper]

I think a lot of us older guys get shit for talking about the good old days but they really were. The Internet and phones wiped out the idea of finding a good deal, getting lucky with a bargain, etc. Some prince in Saudi Arabia can buy a guitar from Merle in Iowa in about 5 minutes.

I try to buy in person and if I can, from a Mom and Pop store or Music Go Round, etc.

 

[EGW-Eric]

Pirateship and Shipnerd are really the only viable ways to ship stuff yourself nowadays. Shipping stores will always rip you off. The trick is to keep an amp box or two around in case you need to sell an amp. Or, you can grab a box from Home Depot/U-Haul and buy packaging material yourself. It will still be cheaper than taking it to a shipping store.

Pirate Ship is a great secret. I ship guitars all the time for $35-50 insured.