Store Mark-Up's

[jibberish]

Has anyone here worked in a typical high-volume guitar store, with a large inventory of used guitars?

All things being equal, with vintage acoustics, what percentage of the tag price tends to be the shop's bottom line?

For example: If a tag on a 1052 Gibson says $6k, for how much lower will they actually sell it? How do you know this? Please explain your experience.

[slimt]

All depends if you walk in with cash.  If they pay there employees a commission or if there paid by the hour. 
 

they usually have mark a 20% up if consigned.  or what ever a vintage book price guide dictates on condition. 

[jibberish]

15 minutes ago, slimt said:

All depends if you walk in with cash.  If they pay there employees a commission or if there paid by the hour. 
 

they usually have mark a 20% up if consigned.  or what ever a vintage book price guide dictates on condition. 

Nice. Thanks!

As mentioned, please tell me about how you arrived at this opinion.

[slimt]

10 minutes ago, jibberish said:

Nice. Thanks!

As mentioned, please tell me about how you arrived at this opinion.

I have friends that work at both.   Commission , they can relax a bit on price.
straight time worker can wait till someone walks in and will pay the price.   There are other guitars to sell so theres no focus on just one.   
 

talk to the store.   See if they budge.    Most wont.   As soon as a vintage guitar is sold below whats market. That could reflect on others of the same.    Most are not that desperate.   

[Boyd]

I saw a used 1965 J-50 for $3300 on the Guitar Center website in 2014. About 10 months later I noticed they had lowered the price to $2400. Went to the store in person first thing in the morning and had the acoustic room to myself for almost an hour, played it and several other vintage Gibsons. Finally offered $2000 for the J-50. Salesman had to talk to the manager who made a couple phone calls. They accepted my offer without haggling and I bought it.

Not going to attempt to make any generalizations here, but that's my story. In this case, it had obviously been sitting around for a long time and they wanted to get rid of it.

[fortyearspickn]

I think it helps if you come across as a serious customer - knowledgeable in general and informed/appreciative of the particular brand and model.  I'm guessing a salesman would rather stare out the window than deal with someone who doesn't know how many strings a guitar has.  Conversely, if you can modestly demonstrate you know something about bracing or tuners or what a rosette is -  they might think you also know something about pricing.     I foolishly asked if an H'bird TV  I saw online at the  GC in La Mesa had electronics and the salesman on the phone sort of sneered.  I didn't get a discount.   Same situation -  online sale/phonecon with Rainbow Guitars in Tuscon, but better informed questions on a J45-C and I got a nice discount.     so, for example, if you can either baffle or dazzle  the salesperson on your knowledge of 1052 Gibsons - they may come down quite a bit from $6K. 

[jibberish]

On 6/10/2021 at 11:45 PM, slimt said:

I have friends that work at both.   Commission , they can relax a bit on price.
straight time worker can wait till someone walks in and will pay the price.   There are other guitars to sell so theres no focus on just one.   
 

talk to the store.   See if they budge.    Most wont.   As soon as a vintage guitar is sold below whats market. That could reflect on others of the same.    Most are not that desperate.   

Thank you!