Seasonality to harp buying?

[Karen]

Our family has been watching used harp listings in the greater Seattle area for a few months…knowing that eventually we would be in the market for our 13 year old’s first pedal harp. It seems like all of the sudden there aren’t that many listings. Do people tend to buy harps at Christmas? Is there a season that more used harps enter the market? It seems like slim pickings to be honest.

[hearpe]

It may honestly be circumstances not even acknowledged by those in charge. I’m speaking mostly of climate disasters that have been building and which many want to ignore or seem like business as usual, when there has been a marked change. How many harps have been burned in the copious amount of housing lost in wildfires for instance? Or damaged or lost in flooding, or severe storms or hurricanes? It is obviously SOME raised number, but when is it enough to actually affect the market? The price of used cars has dramatically shot up in the past year. The stressful loss of house and home and dwelling, and the decline of civil behavior probably aren’t helping production of new harps either. And then there are the the Corona effects.
Other than that, I can’t say. I’ve occasionally followed the harp market on ebay and several sites, including this one. They are generally slow moving items unless exceptional deals. And yes, unfortunately, the prices have risen steadily and dramatically the past half decade I think more than than the one before that.

[Biagio]

In normal times there are two periods in the year when things are slack for people selling their harps: now, the holiday season; and late Spring when there are more bookings for weddings, concerts and other gigs.

It’s possible, indeed probable that with the corona virus spread in Seattle as well, people are just not thinking about selling. I doubt that the California and eastern WA wildfires have anything to do with it in the Seattle area, but that’s always possible.

[Karen]

Thank you both. Much appreciated.

[Gretchen Cover]

There are always harps for sale. Check with the harp guild techs, the local chapters of the American Harp Society, Anderson insurance. Many harps are sold word of mouth. Harps cannot be shipped if weather is too hot or too cold.

[Author]

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