santacruzom Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hi folks, I'm hoping to get some feedback (yeah...comedy) regarding this little amp. A friend gave it to me a few years ago, but I haven't really used it. It has the original speaker and tubes and actually still works. Frankly, the speaker needs to be replaced. It has to be more than 45 yrs old. Anyway, another musician asked if it was for sale, and since I don't play with it, I suspect that it is. I have done a bit of research and it seems that these amps are going for $400 plus on eBay. I'm hope that someone can give me a better sense of its value. It's looks a little rough, but I guess its not so bad for a 60's Skylark. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 This is the sort of thing that does get snapped up on eBay, even in these harder times. I couldn't give you any idea of the value but $400 is probably top dollar, for a very clean one. What is the wattage and how big is the speaker? Don't do anything to it or replace/repair any parts. If there are similar amps on eBay, it's very worth watching how much those go for. If you are familiar with eBay you will know that putting it on sale for roughly what it is worth means no takers, because everyone wants a mega-bargain. So you start low (you can withdraw it up to about 2 days before auction time if no bids) and hope a bidding war gets going. What will get you the money is if the amp looks clean, the photos are good and your description ('rare opportunity to buy one of these desirable amps!') accurate. Apologies if you know all this already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santacruzom Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Thank you. I appreciate your suggestions. I've bought several items through eBay, but I haven't sold any. I do have an account, though. I was afraid that $400 was top dollar. This is a 5 watt tube amp with a single 10" speaker. I'm thinking that maybe $200-250 would be fair. Regards, Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I own a newer model GA-5. I love it. I've seen them sell for $300.00 at the lowest (bought mine for $350.00) and I've seen people ask $999.00 for them. A good starting price is $200.00. It should sell between 300 and 400 if you find the right buyer. Craigslist had one like mine recently for $425.00. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellion102792 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I've seen my '67 Skylark on eBay ranging from $200-800, obviously the $800 has been relisted a few times with no success. Anywhere over maybe $450/500 I feel you're starting to enter collector-price territory where they want pristine or NOS condition. These amps are little workhorses and should be priced as such, $200-250 sounds pretty fair. You could rake in a little more if you wanna play off the vintage aspect but for the most part that price range is probably what you'll get selling it on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santacruzom Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Thank you for the advice. I'm still thinking it over. I need to find out what I would have to invest to get it in good playing condition. Frankly, I haven't priced speakers yet and dont' really know the best 10" for the money (for an amp like this). I'm pretty sure that tube sets are available, so I'll have to find out what they're going for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 If it sounds OK I would sell it as is. That way the buyer knows it's not been messed with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Bone Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 The original speaker is best, unless it is totally non-functional. In that case, at least include it with the amp as it still has value (re-coning the original is better than many replacements). But if it works, leave it the hell alone! Same for tubes, but here is more for the sake of economy. Thank you. I appreciate your suggestions. I've bought several items through eBay, but I haven't sold any. I do have an account, though. I was afraid that $400 was top dollar. This is a 5 watt tube amp with a single 10" speaker. I'm thinking that maybe $200-250 would be fair. Regards, Frank Okay, so say you start the bidding at a bit under $200. Keep in mind though, that there are costs involved. There is PayPal's fee, along with eBay fees. These are not generally "cheap" and may cost up to a total of 10% or so (never sold there myself, but have looked into it, and I have bought hundreds and hundreds of items there). Also, auction ending time is crucial to a high bid. End it in the evening on a Sunday (Eastern time) is probably your best bet (not so late as to cut out the West Coast). Remember to list CONUS only, unless you want to deal with high shipping to AK or HI, or even higher for outside the US. And keep your shipping charge reasonable, but don't be afraid to make a few dollars there also. At a minimum, make sure your costs are covered (homework is in order here). Listing time also somewhat important, don't go for a three day listing. Make it a week or ten days. Gives more potential bidders time to find your item. Once you've sold it and been paid, protect your feedback. Pack it well, don't skimp (again, shipping charges should more than cover your costs). Ship it promptly (bought a pedal board once, the guy didn't ship it for a week, said he needed to get a box- I think he was upset I got such a good deal -he followed very little of the tips above, which spell bargain for buyers). He knew when he listed it when it would sell, or close (I think I used BIN 2 days before auction end, 3 day auction- so he still knew it could be sold anytime in the next 2 days). Try to ship it the Monday after auction end (assuming it ends Sunday). And include a note asking them to leave feedback once they are satisfied, you're not really off the hook at least until then- ask them if there are any issues to please contact you BEFORE leaving feedback, and do all you can to satisfy them if they do. Another option of course is to list it in some classifieds (there are some here in the Gibson Forum I think), as well as Craig's List (I've not spent a lot of time there, but not had the best luck there, I like a much bigger market- YMMV). Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santacruzom Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Great advice, T-bone. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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