BJFE / BearFoot fx Guitar Effects Community

Something else Ive had a number of email questions about lately is BJF standard and customshop pedal resale ...

I can see both sides of this and think it might be good to air it out abit right here.......

As the US Dollar falls and the EU RoHS kicks in, used prices could get farther out of hand and I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on what might help keep more of us 'happy'.

Since I havent been appointed Master of the Universe (yet ) I still have to deal with the reality of the world we live in like everyone else.

Supply and demand have alot to do with the price of used goods in any market. I personally would rather see as many as possible of the customshop pedals kept 'in the family' here so we get extended feedback on them......

But I also realize that sometimes people need to get what they can out of thier property ....

I would like to encourage people that need to move pieces to put them up here first if they can....... but I also understand that an open auction can bring the most and if thats your aim then ~~~


anyway ~ anyone have any thoughts on this ( try and keep it thoughtful and please don't get personal

Hey Donner,

I've been a long time supporter of Bjorn and many, many boutique makers of pedals, cables, amps, etc. In fact, almost everything I own is made by some guy in a little shop somewhere.

I recently listed one BJF pedal of mine on Ebay. I've had 11 BJF/MP pedals and this is only the second I have sold. The other nine are staples that I use literally daily. I've also been very active on this forum, in the tourboxes, posted reviews and communicated with Bjorn directly about his designs.

I listed the starting price of this auction at exactly what I bought the pedal for direct, not at an inflated price. If there is any profit off of the auction, I will put it back into Bjorn's products so that everybody wins.

Because no one in my area carries BJF or MP pedals, the only way to try them is to buy first or play them as part of a tourbox. Because of the weak US dollar the prices are definitely getting out of hand. I buy every pedal with the intention of keeping it but there are so many flavors and only so many each of us can afford to keep. I also bought a new amp recently which has changed the basis for my entire sound. Things change but Bjorn's designs are consistently good and our addiction for them only grows steadily.

I think capitalism is OK as long as everyone is informed, upfront and honest. Supply and demand is surely a factor. Gas prices affect us on a global scale and when they go up, the price of literally everything goes up. I've sold many a pedal over the years and only made a profit on a small few. I justify it by putting any extra money back into that designer's company. It's also a small way to combat the rising prices and still be able support the boutique community. If Bjorn feels differently or taken advantage of in any way, I will certainly cancel that auction immediately. To me, it is more important to support the designers themselves above all else.

I'll speak up on the Customshops. Being relatively new to "the colors of tone" addiction (about a year) I'm not part of the core group here on the forum. Therefore I don't get to participate in the R&D stuff. I drool over the pictures and hang on every word of the feedbacks to see if said pedal would work well in my arsenal. I'm not alone here. You guys are very fortunate to be able to try these pedals out. Much of my time is spent scouring for a used pedal to try out with my rig and see if its a match. To find a standard BJFE pedal is almost luck, especially one that I havn't tried yet. So it really saddens me when Customshops are thrown out to the world. Those pedals are gone. There was a particular Folk Fuzz on TGP for a fair price. I was the first to respond (dumb luck). When the seller checked his mail and saw the bombardments for the pedal, he pulled it and put it on ebay. That pedal...Gone. A month later he responded to a BJFE want ad that I had out. I told him I didn't want to deal with him. He called me a "self-righteous fool" in an email. WOW! I think the pedals should be offered up here, for the brotherhood. Jack up the price, make some cash, but give some of us who don't have the opportunities a fair shot at the pedal before they are gone. Make us promise to sell it back to you if we don't like it. I fully understand supply and demand and really don't have any qualms about it. Thats why MP's are around. But the Customshops are special and should receive special considerations! And on the other hand, its your pedal to do with as you like. Freedom is a beautiful thing! This is going to be an interesting one Donner. Thanks for cranking it up!

Donner wrote:I cant stop someone from selling thier Customshop pedals, but they wont get anymore.....

hows the no more working because it always seems like the same guys buying & selling to me,outside of the random raffle winner?or do you just need i really good excuse to sell it & then you're cool to buy more?

I can't find this quote from Donner anywhere on this post. Is this actually true?

I do recall Donner saying that in a previous thread, but can't remember which thread it was. My understanding of the customshop stuff if that the cool thing to do is the offer them up for the price you paid to other BJF forumites. I admit that I was a little sad to see JKoeth's SYOD on ebay. It'll probably go for over $500 and I'm not about to pay that for it. I understand the desire to get the "most" out of a pedal when you sell it, but I like the idea of keeping thee customshop stuff in the family here.

Alright, my bad guys. Point made. I thought I was doing the right thing by listing it for what I paid and not an inflated price like some folks.

I'll cancel the auction and post a raffle for BJF Forumites here. Is that cool? A hundred bucks or so certainly isn't worth upsetting anyone, especially not my BJF bros!

The funny thing is, I got alot of responses offering crazy money and I turned them down saying I don't want to be an extortionist!

OK, guys. I just ended the auction. Again, my apologies. I must have missed the posts about forum ettiquette.

I'll post another thread under the buy/sell section and I'll draw names from those who post that they would want it. That way, we keep it in the family.

Unfortunately, I don't know how to post videos so it won't be as dramatic as Donner's stuff. If you're interested, check there. I paid $400 when I got it direct from the customshop so that's all I'm asking plus shipping and paypal fees.

I think that is the most fair way to go. Sound good?

it would be cool to see them offered up here first,,,,and a raffle is good since most people cant hang here all day. Plus I realize that people arent always about the right of first refusal when offered more money so it doesnt always pay to have sent the first contact anyway.

Its still tough passing it along as I notice there are over 1000 members now,,how would one control the winner of the raffle from auctioning it?

I understand both sides,,,its a tough to please everyone, not sure there is an answer to keeping more of us happy.

btw the quote came from the "709 BBOD" thread.

no worries JKoeth,,do what you feel is right.

cabo wrote:
btw the quote came from the "709 BBOD" thread.

yup.
http://tonesafari.com/phpbb/viewtopic.p ... c&start=10

Donner wrote:hmmmm yup, its a weird corner....

Value is a convoluted thing....


I cant stop someone from selling thier Customshop pedals, but they wont get anymore.....
All of those pedals are on waiting lists and I will always give someone the next name on the list to sell it to if it doesnt sit with thier rig,,, and a few have taken me up on that and they are still on the other lists All thats important is that they are top shelf creations that will always hold there value a $500 dollar item that resells for $500 is a better buy than a $200 item that resells for $150

as far as the $700 BBODs and $1000 SYTs those are discontinued collectors items now - theres less SYTs than CJODs

Vintage guitars have gone insane the last couple years


And yes unfortunately the US dollar is circling the toilet at the moment and US goods are relatively cheap on ebay if you want to sell overseas

who knows where it will stop........

But yes these are unique tone providers and thats thier real value , as long as they resell for about what they sell for I dont care, none of mine are for sale....but its good to have the backup value there