Alembic Value

[elzie]

I just purchased a 4 string Epic on ebay for $895. Of course, it needed a whole lot of tlc when I got it, but it is a great bass non-the-less. Two Alembics now and I feel like Rami Jr.
 
Yes, pics to come when I finally put it down....
 
Paul TGO

[longhorncat]

Would you like to know why no one bid on your Epic?
-   You've never sold anything on eBay before!
 
You have a 17 positive feedback for buying stuff, but no history of selling.  The better your selling feedback, the more buyers will trust you won?t steal their $1000.  You have to start small or you?ll take a big hit in potential final prices.
 
You also need better pictures.  Nothing sells better than a bight, shiny instrument.  There is a great web site for learning how to photograph basses.  I?ll post the link when I can find it.
 
 

[jetbass79]

I've thought that ebay wasn't a particularly good place to try to sell vintage stuff because people who generally buy vintage stuff want to play it first because vintage basses are so inconsistent.  I sold a '76 Strat and got a grand out of it after three attempts and the listing had all kinds of good pictures for illustration.
 
I think the difference with Alembics is that they don't have high resale value but they at least hold it.  I've noticed the normal procedure for a lot of people who aren't totally sure about purchasing a custom made Alembic buy a used one to see how much they like it.  Then they decide to go for the gusto and sell the one they bought used for more or less what they paid for it.  Or they just keep the one they bought and order a custom one.
 
There's no mystery as to why vintage Fender basses and guitars keep going up in value: attrition.  There are fewer and fewer in the pool for consumption each year and they have a particular vibe about them.  At one point I had four vintage Precisions...but only one of them was worth keeping.
 
I was confident enough in the Alembic product that I didn't even go out and play one before I ordered mine.  To drop $3500 on something without ever playing anything like it and have it be absolutely smashing says a lot about value to me.