Official Luthiers Forum!

_________________
"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

_________________
"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I have been so focused at work for the past few months I haven't had a chance to look around the new section(well much of anything for that matter ), but I think it looks great. A lot of really nice looking goodies

Rich

Ok fair enough. . I just felt that, if you look at whats on this forum, PeterM as an example sold flexiab for a better price then what vendors could sell, Strings in bulk, extremely nice prices. so far all ive seen sold in this forum has been good deals for the luthier. So when I go into the classifieds section and think that most of us think in the terms of help one another I was mistaken i guess. as YES I do see capitalism ! and I guess I didn´t think so many were aiming on becoming wood vendors.

A note, I am not trying to aim my words on someone special !! But I do feel that its a difference to be a vendor from being a luthier ! A luthier pays his staorage etc through building guitars, a vendor through selling wood !. If I sold my car I cannot sell it for the same price as the car vendors.

And also, Yes I do WANT the wood I see around. Just that if I buy a set of lets say malaysian ebony for 300 and up from a vendor, and it happens break during transport, I will most likely get another set. would I get that from in here aswell ? if not then is this accounted for in the price ? As an guarantee etc. if we now are talking capitalism . I was telling Bob C a while back I was looking for some mac for bindings, he even put in some extra stuff for free !!.

Buy a used mercedes benz for 100 000 from me, or buy it from a vendor for 90 000.

Ps I as always have a smile on the face as writing this, so I am a bit hope no one takes this personal. I am just a bit crank I dont have the money to buy the beautiful wood I see around.

I can only speak for myself and the wood I am selling, but since you brought up the Malaysian Blackwood (ebony) I suppose it warrants some response. I have no interst in being a wood seller, I simply have more MBW than I will ever use.

My prices are about what the market is for similar quality, but here are some considerations that factor in.

1) I only buy the very best wood. I am very pickey about wood, and my woods are top shelf. It is a constant obsession with me to make these finds, so I feel that my stuff is at least as good (often better) than the best stuff on the market currently.
2) My wood is stickered and kept at meticulous temperature / humidity levels for 6 months before it gets stacked
3) Most of it is seasoned for AT LEAST 2-3 years

With respect to buying wood fro vendors I don't build with ANYTHING that comes into my shop for at least a year and often more. So I am selling wood that is ready to build with. No offense to the sponsors (because that is often where most of my wood has come from) but I think my woods have some advantages over new wood.

I guess I never expected that people would sell things at fire sale prices in the classifieds. I certainly don't see anything wrong with asking market price for good materials.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Interesting points being made across the board. Ultimately, I think people are just going to buy things for whatever they feel they're worth regardless of what the seller is trying to sell for. If the seller is truly aiming to get too much, then chances are he just won't be able to sell until he lowers his asking price. The market, I believe, has a way of inherently balancing itself so that eventually you'll see a reasonable standard.

What, we're operating a "Free Market" forum here? How is that possible? Doesn't seem fair!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

When I sell used tools, a used car, or anything that can be said to have declined in value since it was purchased new, my price reflects that, and I have always gotten the impression that people have felt they've gotten a good deal buying stuff like that from me. In the case of premium quality tonewoods that I carefully selected when I bought them, and paid top dollar for myself, I see no reason to sell below current market value. Their value has not declined in any way. In fact, I agree with Brock that their value has actually increased for being aged, though I am not asking a higher price on that basis.

If anyone buys wood from me here and isn't happy, I will make it right, so you can buy with the same confidence as you would from a vendor.

I'm not writing this to defend myself or anything, just to offer a perspective in the hopes of increasing understanding. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I imagine my point of view reflects that of others selling stuff here, to some extent.

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Ok guys, this calls for a group hug, ok .

I do understand your point of views ! (but then again I guess thats why I am always broke )
Allthough we all think in our own way, I hope there´s no hard feelings.

Sincerely, your friend Lars.

Lars I don't think any of these guys has any hard feelings on ya! Points of view are necessary. Period.

_________________
There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

Lars, I don't want there to be any hard feelings, either. I guess I do feel there's been some implication that Brock and I and maybe some others are out to "make a buck" off our OLF pals, that we're motivated by profit, or something of that nature. Speaking for myself, I just want to say that that is not where I'm coming from at all. When someone buys some of my wood, I'm looking for a win-win situation. They win by having the opportunity to get some excellent wood out of my stash (some of which is hard to find, and which I've done a lot of leg work to get) at a fair price, and I win by getting to convert some of my wood inventory back into cash so that I can do some shop upgrades. We're helping each other out. That's my motivation. I can't really see why anyone would want me to lose out by selling my wood at a price below its value; nor do I want anyone to lose out by paying me more than its value - this is not about taking advantage of each other in any way. It's about mutual benefit.

As I said before, if anybody is interested in what I have but finds wood of the same type and quality from a reputable vendor for a lower price (in my own searching, I have not), please let me know and I'll adjust my prices so that it feels entirely fair to both of us. I would imagine that others selling wood in the classifieds would likely do the same.

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

No need for a group hug on my end. I am not upset. I rarely get upset over differing opinions. We are good.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

FWIW, I bought a set of Brock's wood, and I'm pretty happy. That is a beautiful set of MB.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I am just very glad that now one shot Lars.....

I consider myself a "buyer", at least a buyer of raw materials, and a seller of finished goods. I try not to buy more than I think I'll use myself, so I will rarely have materials to sell.

That being said, I consider the wood that I have gains value every year I own it. Unless it cracks or something.

Most materials I've bought from a builder, seems to be picked from his better stuff, and worth a premium, though usually is at current market, or even slightly below.

If a builder sells materials at a loss, that is a bad omen.

_________________
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

NOW 1 shot !!! Thanks my friend hahahaha.

I have retired and withdrawn back to the woods .

Lars.

No wood flipping here, we don't want a wood bubble.

I dunno, Some of the wood that is up for sale(some of the best of the best examples of figured woods, or extra hard to get fine cuts of rare M. Blackwood) that are cut, surfaced and dried(ready to go). Are not easily or cheaply replaced. Those rare bits are going to be expensive. Personally, I didn't notice anything priced out of this world, actually the prices seem discounted vs what a dealer would need to charge today(look at what you are getting).

I know I enjoy resawing, searching for, and processing wood. I do it as a hobby, and at occasional events I am fine with selling at prices that feed my hobby(what I figure it takes to replace, cover costs, and gain a little extra wood so I could offer more next time). That wouldn't be possible if I was buying retail and selling, or trying to sell regularly as a business. Very much a swap meet trader kinda thing, absolutely not sustainable in a business sense(totally different cost structure, motivation, and need to profit). Classifieds and auctions will have bargains pop up every now and then, but you can't expect sustained super deals and selection. That selection and availability requires a business cost structure to support it.

Not sure if that perspective is helpful Lars , but that is kinda how I view things(FWIW).

Lars, do you have a local hardwoods retailer? I have managed to get some truly great guitar wood that way. In the last year and a half (just by checking) I got a gorgeous figured granadillo board for $40 (got two sets out of it), an outrageous figured black walnut board, also 2 sets (about $40 also), a highly figured waterfall bubinga stick (3 sets) $60 and more... Had to borrow a friends resaw to cut em up but now I have them. I know it's probably not aged over a year yet but at the rate I'm going, by the time I get to the stuff it'll be vintage Anyway, I figure it beats getting blocked off.