Tried to sell an amp on Reverb...

[The Retro Rocker]

So, I have this Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp....American made...mint condition. Sounds great, works perfectly, but it weighs 50 lbs! (OK, more like 48, but it felt like a TON when I was lugging it from home to gig to home again!) And because I'm playing acoustic AND electric, I was also using a Fishman Loudbox Artist. Yeah, two amps! Too much to lug. My back was KILLING me!

Then I discovered the Quilter amp, the MP200!!!! Two channels, one for each guitar! 100w per channel. Everything I need...and only 17 lbs! So...I sold off the Fishman and finally decided to part with the Fender, so I put it on Reverb "for local pickup only", cuz I didn't want to hassle shipping a heavy tube amp.

Well..I got an offer from a guy, he would pay my asking price, and asked if I would please UPS it from my house in Los Angeles to his place in So Carolina. He wanted me to just drop it off at UPS and have THEM package it and ship it insured! He figured it would be about 100.00-125.00 with insurance!

It's like 225.00!!!! I went to two different UPS locations. 225.00 to pack and ship a 440.00 amp! Needless to say, it killed my deal! (140-150 of it is for the actual shipping, the rest is for packing and insurance) But I looked on the Reverb site and I see guys offering up these amps for sale and shipping is like 40.00!! How is that possible???

 

[AcornHouse]

Packing it yourself is key. $40 may be a little low, but using fedex or USPS ground service are usually cheaper. And, if you can do business to business, it's less, too. It's well below the 70lb extra weight surcharge threshold. Taking it to ups and having them do it is like handing them a blank check.

 

[GAD]

UPS stores are privately owned. They can charge whatever they want. Fedex is corporately owned and all the same.

Also, like AcornHouse wrote, pack it yourself and you'll save big.

Or just tell him you won't ship it.

 

[geoguy]

I would let the buyer know what the UPS stores want for packing/shipping fees, & let him choose what to do.

Given the amp's weight & value, I would try for a local sale via Craigslist.

You'll still have to deal with a few folks who want to low-ball you re: price, but at least the transaction will likely be a cash sale in a public place, with no shipping required.

 

[Los Angeles]

Hey Retro Rocker, is it an HDRIII?

 

[tjmangum]

Even the 140-150 shipping charge does not sound right. Pack it up and put it on the bus. Probably far less than $100.

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Hey Retro Rocker, is it an HDRIII?

No. It's an American Made Hot Rod Deluxe, 1996, in EXCELLENT condition.
https://reverb.com/item/2068998-fender-hot-rod-deluxe-1996-black-silver-made-in-the-usa

It has a much sweeter sound and I did the "George Benson mod"...replaced the first tube with a 12 AT-7. Makes the volume much easier to control with no loss of tone.