SA Rand decline secondhand deals or SA Built guitars

Chris-Mason

Your thoughts on our currency decline and the expected rise in prices on new gear and accessories. Does one focus on secondhand gear or support local luthiers who in my opinion are producing fantastic instruments.

Hasie

Well, it probably depends on the price range of the guitar/amp/pedal. I would support local pedal builders easily. They are generaly cheaper.

Maybe it is time to have a chat with a luthier when looking for something new, depending on the price range.

Secondhand will also get more expensive. People use the new price usually as a reference for the secondhand price they ask.

studmissile

Saddle and Nut wrote: Your thoughts on our currency decline and the expected rise in prices on new gear and accessories. Does one focus on secondhand gear or support local luthiers who in my opinion are producing fantastic instruments.

Even when the Rand is strong, I stick to secondhand deals!

ezietsman

Don't buy new stuff if you can help it (I'm one to talk, brand new guitar on the way, I couldn't get one otherwise though). Getting a custom amp or guitar from a local builder is a different thing, because you're likely unable to get that thing in the shop at all.

Amp and pedal prices are laughable here. Utterly so. It is now MUCH cheaper for me to ship parts from all over the world and build my own amp (and have a beautiful cabinet made) than even consider getting anything here. My new amp is going to cost me less than what a 40 watt Blackstar goes for.

So unless you make it, buy it secondhand, prices are lower and you don't lose a lot of money when you sell (unlike my amp :'( )

StephenG

a weaker rand actually impacts the 2ndhand market more than the new market.

because a weaker rand impacts 100% of your wallet spend, the impact of a weaker rand is felt on every purchase you make, including food stuffs etc, so extra disposable income for luxury items such as guitars is severely impacted.

2nd hand markets in most goods is a "cash only" basis, and without readily available extra disposable to buy these luxury items, means people will resort to purchasing luxury items on either store credit or credit cards.

so while there will be a drop in sales in the new market, they will still turn over business whilst the 2nd hand market becomes tougher and tougher to trade in . a weaker rand actually drives down the price in the 2nd hand market as people become more desperate to sell something and then having to price at very low levels people can still afford with what little disposable income they have left after everything else has taken their share of the wallet.

Norman86

second hand markets prices are rising way above what people paid for their stuff.
personally, I'm getting another guitar built by a local luthier than go the warmoth route, and only because the shipping and vat charges adds at least of half the final value now.