Pedal culture is killing everything we love

[Jwar]

I'm actually not talking about just one company. There are several companies that sell the same way on Instagram and I don't fault them for it. It creates cash revenue which is great. However, drop selling does not work forever. It can't. Your market becomes saturated at some point just like regular selling. On the one hand it's awesome for builders, on the other hand it's not. It just depends on what they want out of the longevity of their business. It's like with any business. In order to keep going, you have to keep people interested. Currently they are interested in competing against each other to rip each other off. Nothing has really changed, it's just gotten a tad easier. That being said. I take great pride in destroying that type of selling on Reverb. I will buy more than one of a limited pedal with the sole purpose of selling both not only under market but like 50 bucks under. Why? I used to do it right?? I did it a few times, I was deemed a monster for doing so, then I actually started thinking about how obnoxious that is.

ILF used to be so cool because you could jump on the forum and score something killer and limited and it wasn't for a stupid bitch ass price. These days, it's all about the money.

Zero fucks here given bro. I'll still sell my limited shit under market when I sell it now. I just don't care anymore.

[neonblack]

I mean, you're helping in general by keeping the average prices at least a little more reasonable hah

[coldbrightsunlight]

ILF used to be so cool because you could jump on the forum and score something killer and limited and it wasn't for a stupid bitch ass price. These days, it's all about the money.

Totally agree I miss those days.

Builders would do weird limited stuff and it would be cheap new, then it would circulate around bst for a while even cheaper because there wasn't a market for limited run weird stuff


I'm just glad I've got a hard rule not to do that around here. Not that I've ever actually been tempted to break it, since it's all just slightly different stuff hype is dumb let's all use $22 boss pedals

[Gone Fission]

I dunno.

The difference between DAM variants of Mk II Tonebenders or X’s Muff mod vs Y’s Muff mod is kind of narcissism-of-small-differences territory.

I’m not keeping up with the granular and glitch machines, are they as homogeneous? Because what I’m seeing looks like FOMO that some pedals really have unique properties to put to use. But buying one every month when some of them seem like they would take at least six to properly explore seems like a mismatch.

But is there enough real, long-term and broad demand for these to be sold like a DS-1?

Maybe wait for the speculators buy-and-hold strategy to hit a cash flow crunch or for their widows to liquidate their collections?

[Jwar]

Sad thing is I already do that. I have scored so many super rare pedals for cheap it’s nuts. People realize at some point that no one will pay what they are asking anymore and then I swoop in. Other times builders will re-release old classics and destroy the used market.

Most recently I scored a COB from PE for 220 when they have been listed since the company went under for close to 1k. Ridiculous. Mine is new too. It’s not a collectors item because it doesn’t have the old mojo (lol) But I got it for less than a 1/3 of the price those assholes on Reverb wanted.


I’ve scored all my Metasonix boxes for under 400 (some for 200), when they sell for 800. I’ve scored rare old pedals for 150 or less too and they are worth way more.


I scour the net and wait. I always try to get a deal these days. Really it’s the only way I can afford to buy anything and even then, barely.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I dunno.

The difference between DAM variants of Mk II Tonebenders or X’s Muff mod vs Y’s Muff mod is kind of narcissism-of-small-differences territory.

I’m not keeping up with the granular and glitch machines, are they as homogeneous? Because what I’m seeing looks like FOMO that some pedals really have unique properties to put to use.

To be honest I think the distinction between the different things is effectively the same.

Two given hype glitch pedals might on the face of it have much much bigger difference between each other in tone and functionality than any of the mojo tonebender/fuzz faces/etc. do. But the difference to the end product or the listener is effectively the same: minor variations in the sound, and maybe you play a bit differently with a different sound going on.



This isn't to knock people getting this stuff. I own a whole bunch of fuzzes, other pedals, synths because I enjoy the differences, and I post about stuff like this a lot on the forum. It's fun. Just like Mojo Bluesman appreciates the differences between his tubescreamers, and Jason Instagram appreciates the differences between all his glitch pedals.

But let's be real, nobody else does.

[Blackened Soul]

I give pedals another year and modular another 2 then it's all going to be banjos.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I'm going to get ahead of the curve and buy up all the best tone rocks now before everyone else joins in the trend. Then I'll make a mint when everyone's thrown away their banjos and we're all bashing rocks with sticks.

[qersty]

man this thread is making me anxious that i gotta find a banjolele NOW if i ever want to fulfill my dream of playing novelty hawaiian music

[Blackened Soul]

man this thread is making me anxious

I've off loaded almost 90 pedals in the last 6 months.. just keeping and trading for what I absolutely need. the banjpocalypse is coming

[Chankgeez]

Good thing you fixed that typo. I was gonna ask if you'd ditched your DOD Grunge Box collection.

[Blackened Soul]

Good thing you fixed that typo. I was gonna ask if you'd ditched your DOD Grunge Box collection.

wasn't a typo.. damn computer was trying to add it's own ideas.. but yes I have sold most of my DOD and other cheap 90s dirt boxes, all I have left is a Buzz Box.... And my Deathmetal, which I will never sell.

[Lurker13]

I'm going to get ahead of the curve and buy up all the best tone rocks now before everyone else joins in the trend. Then I'll make a mint when everyone's thrown away their banjos and we're all bashing rocks with sticks.

Well don't forget to buy up all the best sticks too.

[mathias]

There’s always been unobtanium pedals (at least for the budgets I’ve had) throughout the years. Not new.

Pretty Years, the original Goatkeeper, Klon (not that I wanted one), any of the Hollow Earth pedals (LOL I feel like I’m going to hit a nerve with jwar by bringing these up)

[coldbrightsunlight]

I would still class Pretty Years as new - as in the secondary hype market was pretty much immediate which wasn't the case for Brian's earlier small one-off batches at all. But yeah, always a thing since before I got into pedals 10-15 years ago. Limited run stuff, things with waitlists that people can't be bothered to be on so they pay double, things that are discontinued... The hype and flipping behaviour happens with a variety of release models but jwar was specifically talking about the drop release thing. Don't recall that happening as much in ye olde dayez but maybe I'm wrong.

But I still feel like it's relatively new in the grand scheme - this much money being around weird nerd gear stuff

I'm going to get ahead of the curve and buy up all the best tone rocks now before everyone else joins in the trend. Then I'll make a mint when everyone's thrown away their banjos and we're all bashing rocks with sticks.

Well don't forget to buy up all the best sticks too.

Oh I'm handmaking my own sticks donchaknow? Buying sticks is like, so 2019.