Thinking of selling my collection

[sebastien32]

At the peak of my collection, I had 49 Boss pedals. My initial goal was to collect them all but I slowly got bored and the cash required to get the rest was not really available. So I made the decision to only collect the original made in Japan one. So all the non-MIJ have been sold.

Fast forward to today and I "only" have 34 made in Japan pedals. The problem is that I still need the 9 missing ones and it still mean a lot of $$$.

The big decision that I need to make: Continue or sell them all!!! I would says that I'm 80% decided on selling them. I think that the only thing keeping me from selling them is the work involved (clean them, take all the photos, create the listing on reverb, deal with all those transactions...).

I'm also thinking about selling my entire collection as a whole but that would take a long time to sell versus selling them individually.

Any of you have experience with selling a large part of your collection?

[laurie]

Any of you have experience with selling a large part of your collection?

Yes. I liquidated a collection of 400+ pedals about 10 years ago.

I think that the only thing keeping me from selling them is the work involved (clean them, take all the photos, create the listing on reverb, deal with all those transactions...).

I started doing this but it got very tiresome very quickly. Selling one-by-one was taking almost all my spare time.

My approach changed. I would bundle 5 pedals together - one expensive and rare, and 4 mediocre... just to get rid of the 4 mediocre ones. It was heartbreaking.

After I sold about 100 pedals this way on eBay (Reverb.com wasn't a thing back then) it was still taking too much of my life so I bundled the remaining 335 pedals and sold them as a single lot. I got AUD$8000 for them, or an average of about $25 per pedal.

That SUCKED. But at the time it was better/easier/more time-effective than selling them one-by-one. It was bad, but not as bad as it seems today - this was in 2013 and the massive price increases hadn't happened yet. If I still had the 400+ pedals, they would be worth a lot more today <sigh>.

I advertised for $10,000 and had a few offers and took the highest one of $8000. Interestingly I had "Australia's biggest pedal collector" refusing to offer more than $6000 and whining like a small child when I wouldn't accept it.

I estimate I could have received double what I got if I had stayed the course and sold them one-at-a-time.

In summary, it isn't good news:

• Sell them as a single lot and take the hit

• Use a lot of your time to sell them one-at-a-time

[sebastien32]

Use a lot of your time to sell them one-at-a-time

Selling 39 pedals individually is a lot of work but compared to 400 pedals, it's nothing lol!!!

The thing is I never use them. they are sitting on a shelve collecting dust. I have an AxeFX3 so I have no need for them. It's kind of hard to have 8k$ of pedals collecting dust. Having the complete collection would be different but I still miss some expensive one to complete my MIJ set (VB-2, DM-2, DC-2...). I would probably have to investing another 3k to complete the set and finding deals is way more harder that a couple of years ago.

I will probably start be getting rid of the one that I'm sure I will never use. Once it will be started, there will be no going back.

[laurie]

I will probably start be getting rid of the one that I'm sure I will never use. Once it will be started, there will be no going back.

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[Luke Drifter]

Ive liquidated chunks - all my Tokai Pedals, most of my Stive Top DOD units except a few favourites, all my DS-1s except my favourite. Never more than about 6 at a time. Ive regretted some (the DODs, the DS-1s which I am restocking) and i usually sell them for way less than they fetch a couple of years down the track.

If you are an enthusiastic player, I doubt you'll ever sell them all, so just sell a chunk (like you did with your nonMIJs) all it takes is one bargain and you're back in the game.

[fuzzbuzzfuzz]

Ouch, yes it's a difficult challenge. I'm pondering some sales too - mostly of those series that I simply wouldn't have time/space/cash to complete (Ibanez Power Series for example or DODs) and ones where I think "I haven't used that since I bought it.... ten years ago!!".

I have a sentimental purchase memory of many so they stay, but in recent years a lot have come online, and the vibe is a bit different - more easy come easy go. But I sympathise massively. There are a couple of BOSS pedal sale groups on FB which may be a simple direct hit for say a bundle sale.

I've personally reached a point where there's not enough time to use what I have, and storage is becoming an issue. That said I'm gunning after any cheap big box EHX and they're massive! lol

My general rule is to first usually sell:

• Those that could be bought back later (in theory if not in cash)
  Duplicates
  Junk units or repairs
  Those that I simply don't vibe with (digital chorus/distortion,  flangers, black pedals lol)

Good luck!

(P.S If it were me, I'd keep a back-up set of 4 key BOSS just in case the AxeFX goes down, I call it the Chris Rea 4 - Delay/ Comp / Drive / Chorus- DM-2, OD-1, CS-2, CE-2 (he used a few other brand subs but the saying holds!). They'll all hold value, get you through any live jam and not take up much space.

Actually, I'd keep a BCB-6 with the 6 in - add PN-2, PH-1/R!

[laurie]

Junk units or repairs

Keep me in mind for these

[fuzzbuzzfuzz]

Junk units or repairs

Keep me in mind for these

Will do! Might need a shipping crate!

[Ricey]

Since you have so many pedals, have you considered putting together a pedal board consisting of all your very best pedals that you would actually use? I know you said you have an AxeFX and those are great too, but you might one day regret selling all your pedals. I did that once back in the late 90's-sold all my pedals and bought a Boss GT-5 multiFX, which was state of the art back then. I still have the GT-5 and it still sounds great, but I did eventually end up buying all my pedals back, and more, at considerable cost. You could put just the ones you would actually use on a board and sell the rest. I think you might find that you would enjoy breaking out the old school board from time-to-time. I use my GT-5 as my small board for practice and rehearsals and my pedals for my primary rig; however, you could reverse that strategy.

[Pepe]

Oh, that's a very good thought, Ricey!