I saw a nice used (well to a newbie it appeared to be nice) MIM Strat at a local GC. How do I know if the asking price ($230) was fair or not? Is there a price guide or some other way to know this?
Thanks,
KC (Jim-Bone)
230 for an MIM strat in good condition is a steal. I typically see stores getting 350-400 for them around here.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Yea $230 is a decent price if it's in good condition. I bought mine a couple years ago from GC and it was $350+ tax, so you're looking at a 33% discount.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Well, if it was black I would say it was a decent price. The black MIM strats are a dime-a-dozen. Any other color is worth more. $230 is pretty fair. If GC was selling it for $230 I wonder why... they probably got it in trade for about $100 because they definitely make $100 or so on those trade-ins. I would work the price down to $200 and get them to throw in a gigbag for free.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
From all I've seen (I paid $330 for mine), that price is pretty low and GC would know the market rate, so just be careful to make sure that it is in good shape.
I called them and asked for a little more info on it. It's a standard strat and it's a 1996 model. Don't know if that has any bearing on the price. He also said that they would come down some off of the $230 price since they are having a clearance sale.
Jim
Check it out if it sounds good and you like it and they come down a bit buy it. I love mine no problems with it.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Get it. My experience with GC used euipement has been good. I bought a used Daisy Rock that was new, as far as I'm concerned, for $200. Perfect condition, nothing wrong with it.
Sounds fair to me. What's a new one? $399? If you want to get an idea what they are going for, check e-bay and see what people are paying for used MIM's.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Okay, so I went to GC today to look at the Strat again and the price was higher than I thought it was before. It was $279.99 instead of the $229.99 I thought I had seen a few days earlier. :( Now it is quite possible I was mistaken. Anyway, instead of the used, I ended up getting a brand new MIM Strat with the HSS configuration for $299. :D (The used Strat had all single coil pickups.)
I'll post a pic when I can if anyone wants to see it.
Thanks for all the repsonses to my original post on this.
KC (Jim-Bone)
$300 bucks for a new Strat. NICE!
My dad would always talk about retirement, and allude to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And I say all you've got at the end of the rainbow is death. You're riding the rainbow right now. - Mark Borchardt
saw a white mim strat today on craigslist for 250
Was it one of the ones with the satin finish? Musicians Friend (owned by Guitar Center) had those on clearance for $299 but I thought they were all gone so I didn't mention it. Great deal! My MIM Strat is a 1992 and I love it. I bought it new and have taken real good care of it so it is perfect. It was a three single coil guitar but I got a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail at the bridge to make it HSS. Your gonna enjoy that thing. 8)
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Those things are about E400 over here, or about $500 or something. That's an absolute steal man, enjoy it! :D
