ch willie wrote:
I have had to admit to myself that my pursuit of playing is over. Rheumatoid, osteo, carpal tunnel, cysts in my wrists--I can't pretend any long that I can work through it all. The quality of my playing isn't worth a turd anymore.
This isn't a trantrum--I've been dealing with it a while, and the pain is worsening. Doc told me that he could perform four surgeries and I'd be no better off. The damage is what it is.
I plan to keep several of my instruments, but initially, I plan to sell 9 on the first go.
The thoughts of getting rammed by Reverb fees and taxes isn't appealing. I don't even know where I'd get boxes to mail them in. I was hoping this would be something my kids would sort out after a had another decade or two of playing.
If you guys were going to sell that many at a time, what would you do? Most are fairly good pieces, nothing custom shop but nothing crap. Usual brands for a boomer.
Very sorry to hear this, brother.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
I know firsthand, with the advancement of age, some of my limbs and muscles are simply not bouncing back to where they once were either.
Yes, the IRS BS is only going to get worse. Next year's tax laws will require you to pay tax on any earnings above $600, and it's going to become increasingly harder to keep your money. Meanwhile, everything's gone up, especially shipping costs. When you bought the instrument, you likely paid tax. Now the IRS wants you to pay additional tax when you get rid of it? Furthermore, these selling sites like Reverb are going to 1099 you the
full listing amount BEFORE they took out their fees before they paid you. So you're paying a higher tax on earnings you never made. Total, complete, scumbag, robbery BS.
My first suggestion would be to post right here on leftybassist.com any instruments you want to sell. Arrange your form of payment via a method that won't be traced as a merchandise sale (i.e. get purchaser to agree to send payment marked as, "Gift"). Same goes for Craig's List or Facebook marketplace, which can be full of flakes and tire kickers that waste your time, but at least you can arrange a similar payment method or if the buyer is close enough, arrange a person to person exchange and collect cash. Cash is STILL king, and we need to preserve that. But many establishments are doing away with cash altogether, and it's absolutely insane that we would allow cash to go extinct.
Good luck!