As my time in California winds down, I’m trying to be strategic about my trades and the items I have. I expect this project to continue in some form once I arrive in Michigan (oh, umm, I’m moving to Michigan), but I have some specific debt-related loose ends that I’d love to take care of before I leave. That means cashing out on some of these trade lines. I have about a month and a half to do that, and today was step 1.
Mike (not his real name) messaged me this morning. He asked me if I’d entertain cash offers for the guitar, which was listed for sale or trade. I said I would, and he told me he was a student, had been saving up for an electric guitar, and really, really wanted this model. We went back and forth a little bit on price, and eventually settled on something lower than what I’d listed the guitar for, but which still felt like a really fair price for it.
He wanted to buy right away, so we agreed to meet in the parking lot of the nearby Safeway (which checked two boxes for me: 1) public and safe; 2) I was overdue for some grocery shopping…).
Mike and his girlfriend met me and, reader, I wish you could have seen his face. When he opened that case he lit. up. She was really impressed, too. Lots of oooohs and aaaaaahs, especially over the deep hunter green gloss on the body and the detail on those abalone inlays. It felt great, too, because I knew I had a gorgeous instrument on my hands, and one in great condition, and I have absolutely no doubt that he’ll cherish and appreciate that guitar.
As for me, I have my first cashout that I’ll be putting toward my debts. In the grand scheme, it’s a drop in the bucket, but the method is effective, if inefficient. This trade line started with a movie projector that I had loved for many years and that I probably over-valued at $250, and after a handful of fair-but-uneven trades, I cashed out with $1,100.
Bigger things to come, but this feels like a win.
Digital movie projector line: Original item value: $250 Number of trades to date: 7 Latest trade: SOLD 2018 d’Angelico Deluxe Brighton (listed at $1350) for $1100 Total line value dollar increase: $850 Total line value percent increase: 340%
I had this beautiful bass for a really long time. Probably too long. I got it in a trade back in September. I kept getting offers but because it was so valuable I was getting a lot of combination offers — two or three items that roughly summed to the value of the bass. This was tempting sometimes, but one of my rules is to try really hard not to split items into multiple trade lines if I can help it. There’s wiggle room if it’s a really good deal, but I really do want to prioritize 1-for-1 trades.
Back in early December I first heard from Steve (not his real name). An older gentleman, he’s a guitarist-turned-bassist, and was really interested in the Warwick. He made several different offers, some that he said would require cash on either side. The Guild, though, he said he would trade straight across. Some quick research on Reverb showed these guitars sell for between $2,500 and $6,000+.
We went back and forth and he wasn’t quite sure. He was considering gifting the guitar to his son. We said goodbye and I kept re-posting the bass every now and then.
Cut to late March. Steve gets back in touch. He still had the Guild (“He can get his own guitar.”) and remained interested. We met up in a Walnut Creek parking lot and talked. He bought the guitar in the mid-1970s, second owner, and his brother played it here and there as a jazz guitarist. Steve would play a bit but it mostly sat. In the late 1970s he switched to bass (hence his interest in the Warwick), and the Guild sat in its original case for almost 45 years. It’s in ✨pristine✨ condition.
Given the condition, age, and scarcity of this guitar, I’d say it’s worth somewhere between $3,600 and $4,000. Listing it at $3,800. Jeez. I’ve had vehicles worth less than this in this project.
Onward!
1984 Mercier Le Velo line: Original item value: $200 Number of trades to date: 10 Latest trade: 2018 Warwick GPS StarBass hollowbody ($3200) for 1976 Guild X500 ($3800) Total line value dollar increase: $3600 Total line value percent increase: 1800%
The 2010 Gibson SG was, as I’d hoped, in relatively high demand. For those following along, I’d taken a risk by trading down for that guitar. The amp and case I traded away was worth a little more, but I thought the SG would be easy to move, both literally (it’s much smaller and lighter than a giant amp and heavy duty road case) and figuratively (bigger market for a guitar than for an amp and case).
And after a few different offers, Tony (not his real name) sent along this offer. It’s the prettiest guitar I’ve seen in a while.
He explained that he’d purchased it brand new last year but was looking for a guitar with a Bigsby (those, I’m finding, are fiercely divisive features — some seek them out, others really hate them, few seem to fall between these poles). He didn’t mind that the pick guard was different from the original shape, for which I was thankful, because various would-be traders were turned off by that.
Something I liked about the d’Angelico, beyond its immaculate condition and gorgeous aesthetics, is its boutique nature. Fenders and Gibsons are the big names with huge draw, but smaller shops (like Carvin, which I previously traded) have a desirability for collectors, and while there may be a smaller market, it’s often a more fertile one. I’m betting on that, and it’s already bearing out; eight minutes after posting the d’Angelico on Facebook Marketplace, I had an offer.
I’m also heartened by the success this line seems to be having now. This one started as a digital movie projector, and after a few quick trades, it really languished for a bit. I’m glad to see it moving and growing!
Looking forward to seeing what’s next!
Digital movie projector line: Original item value: $250 Number of trades to date: 7 Latest trade: 2010 Gibson SG with hard case ($1200) for 2018 d’Angelico Deluxe Brighton ($1350) Total line value dollar increase: $1100 Total line value percent increase: 440%
This one feels a little strategic. It might be my first trade down, and that’s purposeful.
The 1976 Fender Twin Reverb was probably worth about $1200-$1250, given its well-travelled condition and its immaculate heavy-duty road case. It was a bit limiting, though: it was heavy, and it was big. I’m a strong guy, and I can manage moving it around on my own (I’m very mindful of lifting with my legs). And the wheels and casters are smooth and make it about as mobile as something of that shape and weight could be.
Having a small two-seater is really fun at times but deeply impractical. Of course, I knew this when I got it. (Minor update on the car: I’ve had lots of offers on it, and a few test drives and close calls, but haven’t yet found the right mutual fit. Alas, I persevere. I’d trade it tomorrow if I found the right fit.) Perhaps needless to say, this giant amp does not fit in an Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce.
So I was limited in my ability to trade it, given that I couldn’t easily bring it to someone, at least not without borrowing or renting a vehicle, which I try to avoid when I can. I also don’t love meeting people from Craigslist at or near my house. So, the amp had me in a less-than-ideal situation.
When Josh (not his real name) wrote me with the SG offer plus a little cash to balance the values, I was listening. He estimated the guitar to be worth around $1100. I think that’s probably roughly right, though with the case and the upgrades, I think the upper end of the value range is closer to $1200.
It’s a beautiful guitar, a style that I haven’t had yet. SG models have those sharp customary horns, and just ooze this aggressive feel about their design.
And it has a Bigsby tremolo and some special Seymore Duncan P-Rails pickups, both professionally installed in Oakland. Not a lot of SGs come with these, so that helps to make this one special.
So here is a beautiful guitar, in very good shape, in a style that is popular and sought-after, from a brand that is widely respected and desired. This is a good trading item to have.
Josh and I met up, outdoors, masked, and carefully distanced. I plugged in the amp and he played the guitar on it. I heard the guitar, he heard the amp. we were both sold. He liked the trading project idea and was happy to support. We also traded band info, and who knows. Maybe one day post-pandemic we’ll meet again.
Walker giving the SG that beautiful demo treatment
He loaded the amp into his van (much more practical than a 2-seat convertible) and I took the SG inside. Even as guitars go, this one is light. I’ve said this before and been wrong, but I think it’s right this time: I think this guitar will move pretty quickly, and I think will breathe some life and momentum back into this project.
Digital movie projector line: Original item value: $250 Number of trades to date: 6 Latest trade: 1976 Fender Twin Reverb amp with custom road case ($1200) for 2010 Gibson SG with hard case ($1200) Total line value dollar increase: $950 Total line value percent increase: 380%
I’m so glad to have found a good home for this guitar!
I have no idea why the Gretsch Streamliner took so long to trade. This was the guitar that I got in Milpitas in that bicycle-for-cash-for-guitar deal. It was almost brand new, Walker made an awesome video for it, and it was just downright gorgeous. I mean just look at it:
Right??That’s called “candy apple red.”
There would be interest every now and then but not a ton. And when I’d make offers, a lot of times people were saying that they love the guitar but that the Bigsby just isn’t for them. I get that; it’s an accessory that’s kind of divisive, but that makes it desirable for those who are really into them. In my mind that does bring the value of the guitar up, but it also narrows the interest pool. That’s a delicate balance to strike in a project like this.
Ethan (not his real name) contacted me a month or two ago offering me an acoustic-electric guitar. I took a look at it but passed. It wasn’t quite what I was looking for, and I wasn’t sure how easily I’d be able to trade it. He remained interested, though, and just this weekend reached out with a new offer: an Epiphone Sheraton II that he told me was from the 1990s. I looked around on Reverb and yep, that’s an interesting and valuable guitar!
This finish is “tobacco sunburst.”
In doing some research and looking up the serial number, it turns out that this guitar was built in Korea in May 1989, considered almost a classic. And there were a couple nice customizations that added value and desirability to the axe: it’s got locking Sperzel tuners, and the original owner had added a Gibson Humbucker bridge pickup.
I was in. We arranged a time to meet. Ethan lives in Tracy, a solid hour-plus from where I am, so we split the difference and met in the parking lot of Tommy T’s Comedy Club in Pleasanton, CA. It was seriously classic suburban California.
We met up and talked. Ethan told me he had had the Epiphone for a few months, bought it from the original owner, but hadn’t done much with it. Cleaned up some of the pots and recently had it tuned, but otherwise he just wasn’t feeling it. He wanted to start playing more rockabilly, and so the Gretsch was something he’d had his eye on. And he was excited about the Bigsby! He said he’s kind of a gearhead and loves trying out different guitars, different pickup combinations, that sort of stuff. He didn’t have a guitar with a Bigsby yet, and was down to try it.
Before we parted we talked music a little more. Given my origins and his interest in rockabilly, I would have been remiss if I hadn’t recommended he look into a long-defunct Rhode Island punkabilly standby, the Amazing (Royal) Crowns. I hope he loves them.
We went our separate ways, and rode back excited. I’m glad to see this trade line to start to pick up. This started with my old movie projector that held so many lovely memories, and it feels good to see it contributing toward a healthy future for me.
I wonder what’s next! (Let’s be real, probably a guitar.)
Digital movie projector line: Original item value:$250 Number of trades to date: 3 Latest trade:2019 Gretsch Streamliner ($550) for 1989 Epiphone Sheraton II ($700) Total line value dollar increase:$450 Total line value percent increase: 180%
This is the biggest, riskiest, and most exciting move I’ve made yet. I’ll get to the stories (I’ll try to keep them short, but you really do need to meet one of the characters), but here are some important points that shaped this decision and this transaction:
The Ford Fusion was really hard to trade. Even as it was in great mechanical condition, the mileage was high (200k) and the cosmetic damage was really limiting. I’m glad I got it, if only to get rid of that cursed Mercedes, but that was a tough one to trade away. Selling it made much more sense.
The motorcycle was surprisingly tough to trade, too, though I think if I had held out, I would have found something or someone. There were a lot of flakes, and lots of interest but for cash only. It was my most trafficked Facebook Marketplace item for months, but nothing really surfaced as far as a mutually good deal.
I’m getting close to my first goal, which is to pay off all of my interpersonal debt. I’ve been saving money throughout this project (this is not the only thing I’m doing to work down my debts), and with that money and somewhere around $10k, I’ll be able to check that box. I think I can trade this car for something worth that in relatively short order, and then we’ll really be in business.
This Alfa Romeo is someone’s dream car, and I’m looking forward to a trade that gives them that, and gives me my first really big success.
And let’s be real here: This car is amazing and very, very fun to drive. Even as it’s beautiful, sexy, and an absolute blast to experience, it’s not quite my style. I feel strange and self-conscious driving it with the top down (but it’s still fun af so you better believe I’m driving that thing with the top down on nice days, and definitely taking it on one day trip up and down the PCH because when am I gonna have this opportunity again?). I think if I weren’t expecting to trade it so quickly, I’d be worried that this was a potential mid-life-crisis purchase. But I really don’t want to hang onto it for long if I can manage, and I truly do just see it as an asset for this project. And it feels like a very valuable one.
So, three quick stories:
Selling the 2012 Ford Fusion
Not a whole lot to say about his one. I had kind of given up on trading that car a while ago when every offer I made or fielded was a bad fit. As I mentioned above, the mileage and body damage really made it a tough trade for the value I wanted to get. Selling it was more manageable, though, and after trying a few different listing prices, I met a new family who just needed a reliable car.
They’d just moved to Pittsburg from the city, and while he’d be working at home with their 6 month old, she was still working in San Francisco, so they needed another vehicle that was reliable to get her there and back. But what about the damage on the car? “Oh we’re not worried about that, we know a guy who does body work.”
It’s amazing how much value fluctuates when you know a guy.
We met up in a parking lot, and after a brief test drive and a quick ATM visit, they drove off in their separate cars and I walked home with $3700 to put toward this project.
Selling the 2006 Honda Shadow
After selling the Fusion, this bike was my primary means of travel for a couple of weeks, and at some point I decided to sell it. I think it was when I saw a beautiful old Mustang for sale that I really wanted. If I could just get some of that extra cash from a bike sale, I could get the Mustang and have some cash left over. That didn’t work out, but I’m fine with it.
The guy who bought the bike… he’s maybe my favorite character so far. I’ll try to keep the story brief and just show the highlights, but it was such an interesting thing to watch.
So a couple Thursdays ago I get an email from an address with the display name DRAKE B. RUDE. The email message is brief and it’s kind of scattered, but he asks if the bike is available and tells me he has cash in hand. I confirm that it’s available and we agree to meet for a test ride that evening at 7pm. He texts me at 6:45 saying he’s running a half hour late. No worries, I go home and return a half hour later. More texts. More updates. A glint of girlfriend-blaming misogyny in one of the texts. Eventually he shows up around 8:15, later and darker than I’d hoped. He arrives in something like a 1991 Toyota Corolla, very beat up but running, and as he pulls up he gets out and is finicking with something, the engine still running.
“Hey man! Sorry one sec… the… the screwdriver I use for the ignition, I always drop it and I can never find it, hold on…”
Drake is a jolly guy, maybe 25, probably 6 feet tall and like 140lbs soaking wet. Scrawny pale guy with a buzzed head save for a few dreadlocks here and there. And very friendly. He fawned over the bike and put on all of his protective riding gear (he said his girlfriend requires it), and rode it around the lot. He loved it but wanted to sleep on the decision. Fair.
Next day I check in with him around 1, then again around 3. No responses. I get a text around 5:30 that he’d just woken up, and is gonna get his feet on the floor and then head over to the ATM to withdraw some money. He won’t be able to get it all at once, because of daily withdrawal limits, but we negotiated a little and agreed to meet Sunday evening when he’d have the cash.
Some more planning shenanigans happened but eventually we did meet (he was more than an hour later than he’d said), and he showed up with his friend, who I guess was lending him some money for the bike. Drake was short a hundred bucks, and he told me that when he was paying me, and said he could get the rest to me tomorrow. I sighed, said fine, and wrote that money off. I was still selling the bike for more than the last guy was going to pay, and it still put me in a good position for the project, so whatever. I just wanted it to be done, really.
I got a surprise text from him the next day, wanting to make arrangements to settle up.
He kept having ATM troubles, then had Venmo troubles, and finally messaged me Friday that he was going out of town for the weekend and wanted to square up before hand. He told me where to meet him, and then he couldn’t find the place (lol), so I found him nearby, and he gave me the last of the cash.
And he’d tricked out the bike! Painted the tank black, gave it some green LEDs, really made it his own. He was so happy.
I asked him where he was heading out of town. “Oh, I’m kind of a gun nut, so I’m heading out of town to go pick up an AR-15 that I ordered.”
Gaaahhhhh. Drake you’re the strangest, nicest, kindest guy I know that doesn’t seem to have any of his shit together but insists on following through on his commitments. Best of luck to you.
Buying the Alfa Romeo
This car was not my first choice.
Initially there was a gorgeous restored 1972 Ford Mustang in shiny blue with white racing stripes that I wanted, but that ship sailed fast. Then there was a 2010 BMW 3-series, and that guy sold it right out from under me. Ah well. But this one was available and the seller was responsive, and it looked like a good deal for me.
But, I had to take BART to get to Walnut Creek. That’s where the car was.
I doubled up on the masks (N95 underneath, layered cotton mask on top) and stood for the whole ride. I’m still kind of freaked but the car was mostly empty and I was really careful, never that close to anyone, so, fingers crossed.
John (not his real name) is a suburban dad who has a bunch of cars and trucks. He bought the Spider a few years ago and he and his wife would take it on drives down the 1 or up to Napa. It’s been a fun summer car for him, but he needed the room in the garage and it was time to move on from it.
And he gave me the whole history. Original owner drove it off the lot in 1987, rode it through the East Bay hills for 15 years or so before giving it to his son. The son rode it a bit, then garaged it for 12 years. In those years, as the car only sat, the wheel hubs warped, and so John, when he bought it, replaced the hubs, and this time with wider ones. It’s one of the only things not original on the car, and it makes turns so snug and huggable.
The body is in amazing condition. Minor dings if you look closely, and only one spot with a scratch and some rust, around a wheel well, but the paint is original. He told me that only about 5% of the ’87 Spiders came in gold, the rest were mostly red and black. This one is pretty rare.
I took it for a test ride and was so, so nervous, but I couldn’t help but have a lot of fun. I was mostly trying to gauge whether this was a car I could offer in good conscience to someone else. I wasn’t really testing it as a user, I was testing it as a trader, and it passed all of my tests.
This is my favorite part: The original owner was experiencing a weird electrical phenomenon where the battery was draining for some reason when the car was off. As a hack, he had a killswitch installed, so he could just disconnect the battery from whatever was draining it. Later, a savvy mechanic was able to diagnose and fix the actual problem, but the hidden killswitch remains, now as an anti-theft feature.
I took a walk to consider the purchase. The lowest price John would take was $6500, having listed the car for $7500. My research showed that these cars, in good shape, regularly sell for $9k-$10k, and Hagerty’s values that model in “good” condition at $14k. Nothing jumped out at me as a reason for the car to be worth any less, I think John is just a motivated seller (and he purchased the car for about $8800 in 2017, from the original buyer’s son who just wanted to get rid of it). I think I got this car for a steal, and I think someone will want to trade their newer pickup truck, or later model BMW, or their running and partially refinished ’65 Mustang, for it. He had other people coming to see it that weekend; there’s interest.
So, I got it, and I rode home with the top down (PROTIP: Drive through the Caldecott tunnel in a car with the top down, it’s WILD). I was giddy. This project is nuts.
The plan now is to hopefully trade it once, and sell whatever I get in that trade for cash. Depending on what I get in that sale, I should be able to pay off my first big debt, which will be a huge relief and an enormous success. I also still have $1200 left over, so I have that to play with in terms of getting something else that’s tradeable.
Oh, and lastly: This car is COVID-safe if we have the top down and wear our masks. Amazing air circulation when there’s no roof. So, hit me up if you want to take a ride. Do it quick, though, I expect this to go fast.
1999 Ducati Monster line: Original item value:$1000 Number of trades to date: 3 Latest trade: 2006 Honda Shadow for $cash & 2012 Ford Fusion for $cash for 1987 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce ($6500) Total line value dollar increase:$5500 Total line value percent increase: 550%
Less than 24 hours after I posted the Firebird T, it’s been traded.
It’s a gorgeous guitar and I expected there to be interest but, I mean, damn. that was fast.
I posted the Firebird to Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist last night around 9pm. Dave (not his real name) reached out today around lunch, offering his Gretsch. I was initially skeptical, with my instinct telling me to wait and see what other offers I might get.
But then I started researching this particular Setzer model, and I saw the photos Dave sent, and it didn’t make sense to wait. At best, the Firebird T was worth between $1700-$2000. This model Gretsch regularly sells for $2200-$2500. This is as textbook a trade up as I’m liable to find.
And when I met Dave today (at the same little intersection where I traded the Gibson Les Paul Gold Top for the Firebird T!), he told me why. He doesn’t really love semi-hollowbody guitars. He bought it 5 years ago from Guitar Center, played it for half an hour, and then never really touched it again. Dave has 7 Les Pauls. Dave has maybe 23 guitars. Dave does not have any Firebird models.
Another great example of the relative nature of value. This Gretsch would sell for a higher price than the Firebird, but the Firebird was worth more to Dave.
And with that, I’ve surpassed the 10x mark, having begun this trade line with a $200 pink bicycle and now have a world-class guitar to trade.
So curious to see where this goes.
1984 Mercier Le Velo line: Original item value:$200 Number of trades to date: 8 Latest trade: 2017 Gibson Firebird T ($1950) for Gretsch G6120SSU Brian Setzer signature ($2400) Total line value dollar increase:$2200 Total line value percent increase: 1100%
Confession: I’m not actually sure that my previous guitar trade was a successful trade upward.
I kept getting messages telling me that my listing price for the 2017 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Tribute was too high, that it was more appropriate for a Gold Top guitar, not a Gold Top Tribute (I’m learning that these nuances matter, a lot, to the tune of hundreds of dollars). Some messengers were kind and polite about it; others less so. Still, I think the Carvin-for-Gibson trade was a good one, not least because it’s brought me here:
Will (not his real name) wrote me around 5:30pm yesterday inquiring about the Gold Top Tribute. He asked if I’d be interested in a same-year Gibson Firebird T. After a little research it looks like these models, in very good or excellent condition, can regularly go for $1,700+. Some have gone for more than $2k. Given that I may have overestimated the value of the Gold Top, this was a good deal for me if the guitar he’s offering is in good shape.
He sent a photo. It looked gorgeous.
I did a little more research, though. That same year, Gibson released a Firebird T Studio, which sells for (you guessed it) hundreds less than the original Firebird T. I asked him which it was.
“The Studio has humbuckers and a different fretboard. This has some nice mini buckers specific to the Firebird T. Nice and hot.”
Confirmed. It was a T. Thanks Will.
I wanted to make the trade that day if I could. It’s been several times that I’ve agreed to make a trade one evening and the next day the person backs out. That’s their prerogative, of course, we’re all allowed to change our minds. But I’m learning to try to embrace enthusiasm when it’s present. (As I’m writing this, I just sent a text to someone who emailed me an hour ago about the motorcycle I have for sale/trade. Strike while iron is hot.)
Will was coming from San Ramon but happy to meet me on my side of the Bay. He had band practice but could get here afterward, around 9ish. Too late?
I said it was fine. Problem is that I don’t want Craigslist or Facebook randos to know my address or see my house. I’ve already dealt with enough unstable people through this project (well, one, but that was plenty) that I’m doing what I can to protect myself. Maybe one day I’ll write a post about the measures I’m taking…
Anyway, I asked him if he’d meet me at a nearby park, and he agreed, but the more I thought about it, the less comfortable I was with that. Me, alone, with a $1500 guitar, in an unlit park… I didn’t like it. He seemed to sense my unease over text, and offered to meet me somewhere else. I suggested an intersection, one about a block from my house (but he doesn’t know that), and it was a deal.
He showed up about 45 minutes later in his truck with his girlfriend by his side. She was awesome, a real trip. We had the two guitars rested on the truck’s tailgate and we were inspecting them. “Is this how guys trade guitars?” she asked. “Girls trade makeup swatches and it’s like, it’s a whole thing.”
Will was super chill. He was really excited to trade away a guitar that mostly sat in his closet for something he would play. He loves Les Pauls, and wanted to start gigging again (but how? Where? I’m confounded), but this Firebird was too nice for him to bring out to shows. I told him about my trade project and he and his girlfriend seemed to love the idea. They wished me well and told me they hope the guitar might turn into a car one day.
Me too 🙂
Personal note: I expect I’m one trade away in this line from having achieved a 10x value multiplication. This line began with a $200 bicycle. This whole thing is nuts.
1984 Mercier Le Velo line: Original item value:$200 Number of trades to date: 7 Latest trade: 2017 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Tribute ($1550) for 2017 Gibson Firebird T ($1950) Total line value dollar increase:$1750 Total line value percent increase: 875%
That last trade for the Carvin was a bit of a risk, but a calculated one, and it paid off this weekend.
As I’ve learned during this project, there are a few guitar brands that have real draw. The combination of name recognition and often fierce brand loyalty means that they have both widespread appeal and a dedicated and fervent fan base. Fender and Gibson are the two that I’ve seen with that kind of power. Epiphone and Ibanez are respectable brands, too, but don’t have the gravitas of those big names. Paul Reed Smith guitars seem to be right between a Carvin and a Gibson, with a little more name recognition, but still kind of a guitarist’s guitar, and a following that absolutely swears by them. I’m sure there are others.
Carvin, though, who are they? They seemed to be a somewhat small, boutique outfit who had been around for a while, with a reputation for good quality guitars that weren’t all that widely available. This made it risky with real potential payoff, though; it’s a lesser-known brand, but with potentially a lot of interest among those who have heard of it.
That ended up being the case with Greg (not his real name). Greg wrote and offered me a beautiful Gibson Les Paul guitar, with a near-immaculate satin gold finish, no dings, dents, or scratches, and only the slightest wear. Looking into it, I found that that guitar had sold in the past for anywhere between $800 and $1,800, and I’d valued the Carvin at $1,550. But I wasn’t finding many of this Gibson model available, and with its high quality and excellent condition, scarcity is my friend.
“I have tomorrow off,” Greg told me on Thursday. “I’m coming from Sonora, so, bit of a drive.”
He must mean Sonoma, I thought. And he’s right, forty-five minutes is a bit of a drive for a trade but hey, I’ve done it (shoutout to that Stockton Denny’s!) But no, he meant Sonora, in the Yosemite foothills.
That’s a 2 1/2 hour drive. One way.
I really didn’t want to make this guy drive that far if I wasn’t sure. So I thought on it, did some more research, thought about how long I’ve wanted to have a Gibson guitar to trade, and decided to go for it. If his guitar was in worse shape than he’d let on, that wasn’t on me.
And of course it wasn’t. It was just as he’d described and just as beautiful as I’d expected. And he was so happy with his get. “I have like seven Les Pauls at home, and I’ve always wanted a Carvin.” It always feels really good to make trades where the other party is getting something they really want.
And, the guy made the drive worth it. On the way out he stopped in Tracy to see his daughter. Was gonna head to Elk Grove outside of Sacramento on his way back to stop and see his brother. He made a day of it. That made me feel better.
As for me, I was able to meet him outside the Guitar Center in Emeryville, make the trade, and get back home without having to eat into much of my Friday workday.
One weird story from our exchange: We were both in masks, and there were some paramedics taking a break outside their ambulance nearby. Greg motioned to his mask (we were both wearing masks) and he said to me, “This stuff drives me crazy. You look at the EMTs and they’re not wearing masks, and it just…” He shook his head.
And I was like, “Yeah man I hear you.” But immediately I thought, wait I’m actually not sure which thing this guy is complaining about. Is it that he’s frustrated that even EMTs aren’t following the basic public health advice? Or is he suggesting that EMTs don’t wear the masks, so this all feels like a big hoax? It honestly was unclear to me.
Anyway as I usually do, I said at the end, “Well, normally I would shake your hand, but…” And he was like, “Nope, I’m good with that,” as he turned away with his new guitar.
So maybe that gives me my answer.
And, as always, here’s Walker making sweet sounds
1984 Mercier Le Velo line: Original item value:$200 Number of trades to date: 6 Latest trade: 1996 Carvin DC400M electric guitar ($1550) for 2017 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Tribute ($1750) Total line value dollar increase:$1550 Total line value percent increase: 775%
I’ll admit to having been a little concerned about the stratocaster.
It was a gorgeous guitar, and Walker made it sound beautiful in the demo video they made. But, as Walker knew from the very first play, and I learned when they told me, the pickups were a little weird. A little off. Maybe it was the wiring? They just sounded a little grating. (“Tell them it’s ‘set up for a lo-fi sound,” Walker advised.) The pickups, they could be fixed, but I’m not trying to put a whole lot of time (and no money, if I can manage) into fixing up the things I get in this project.
Still, the strat was beautiful, and somewhat popular. I had almost traded for a gorgeous Gibson Les Paul in TV Yellow, with robotic tuners (!!), much like this one. But I hemmed and hawwed and just as I’d agreed to the deal, the trader had gotten word that someone had purchased it on Reverb. Sad trombone. (Sidenote: Sometime I may put together a “The Trades That Weren’t” post to talk about some of the near misses. There are stories there, too.)
So this guitar got a lot of views and a decent amount of interest, but nothing quite worked. Then on Friday night, just as I’d reposted the Craigslist ad, Manny (not his real name) got in touch.
Hi there. Nice looking Strat. I’d be willing to trade my gorgeous ’96 Carvin DC400 w/tweed case. Gold hardware, locking tuners, block abalone inlays, all original. If this sounds interesting, give me a call. (xxx)xxx-xxxx.
Interesting indeed, Manny, tell me more. And the photos he sent were super promising. I was very interested in a guitar that looked like this (these photos are my own):
He sent me a couple videos, too. “I like the guitar a lot,” he told me, “but I’m mostly doing jazz any more and the pickups are just too hot. I took it to a shop to have the pickups swapped out for some EMG’s, but the active electronics didn’t allow for it. A good axe.”
A good axe. He was in Santa Rosa but happy to make a drive. Where did I want to meet? I suggested something not far past the bridge. How about that Starbucks in Hercules? Just off the highway?
“Sounds good,” he wrote. And then, “It’s a tradition. This Carvin came to me in a Starbucks parking lot in Fairfield, six years ago.”
And this morning, we brought it full circle.
As per usual, Walker was very happy to oblige in testing it out and making a video for me to share with prospective traders. And, wow. Every video gets better.
Walker also discovered just what a dope guitar this is. Not only is it gorgeous, with its gold hardware and solid body, but it’s got locking tuners, and coil splitters for each pickup! That means you can use the knobs to adjust just how active each of the four pickups are at any given time. Not a super common design, and very cool.
Now if you’ll excuse me, someone in a Facebook chat just offered me a motorcycle for the guitar. (Def gonna say no lol, it’s a project bike, but it’s a Harley! And looks super cool! I wonder what else he’s got!)
**UPDATE: Awwww 🙂 Got an email this morning from Manny:
Strat’s found a good home. Here she is with her predecessor. Super playable. Thanks.
This warms my heart. I’m so glad he’s happy with it ❤️
1984 Mercier Le Velo line: Original item value:$200 Number of trades to date: 5 Latest trade: Upgraded 2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster ($1250) for 1996 Carvin DC400M electric guitar ($1550) Total line value dollar increase:$1350 Total line value percent increase: 675%
#traded 