When you buy an instrument from us, you can TRADE it back in for the same price you paid toward a more expensive guitar! Who else does this?!? Say you buy a guitar from us for $1,000. But six weeks, six months, six years, six whatevers later you wish you had that fancy abalone inlay version for $1,500 instead. You can then upgrade your guitar and get your full $1,000 in trade and only pay the $500 difference! So right now you're saying, "How can you guys do it? What's the hook?"
1) You have to be smart enough to buy your new OR used instrument from us originally.
2) You have to have your receipt showing what you paid! (Our upgrade policy applies to the original owner only.)
3) It must be in "similar" condition to when you bought it. That means a small mark is OK on a guitar we sold you new, BUT if it's got a broken neck, was painted seasick lime pink, and then dragged 4 miles down a gravel road...it is NOT in similar condition! (Lord knows we wouldn't have sold one of those!).
4) This is an "upgrade" policy. The guitar you are trading up for must be a minimum of $100 more than what you paid on the first guitar. Tax and Shipping are NOT included--only the price of the guitar.
5) You cannot trade up toward consignment guitars (only because the consignee wants $$$ not a guitar in trade).
6) This policy does not apply to "CUSTOM" or "SPECIAL ORDER" instruments. (Sorry, but that hot pink acoustic guitar with the orange fur fingerboard and Bigsby you ordered isn't as valuable to other folks, no matter how cool it is!).
7) Our upgrade policy is dedicated to helping you find the right instrument to fit your playing style. It's intended that you will play it, enjoy it, and then upgrade as your playing style and interests change! So after you make your first 100% trade (two days, two weeks, or twenty years after you buy an instrument) we limit 100% upgrades to one (1) instrument per year (365 days after your last 100% trade), per person. This encourages players to let their instrument "open up" to its full potential before being upgraded to another new choice. No two-for-one trades allowed. However, you can trade at 80% of your original purchase price for instruments bought at Buffalo Bros as many times as you'd like. (For instruments not bought at Buffalo Bros, please inquire.)
Funny, that's the same thing our accountant asks us! Seriously though, we do this because we want to help our customers upgrade to better instruments as their playing improves and their styles change. And we want you as a LONG TERM customer. Why would you take it to someone else to trade in for less? So, instead of buying from some store who'll tell you your $1,000 guitar is only worth $200 in trade because you put a fingerprint on the fingerboard, bring your guitar back to us! Plus it makes you think we are incredibly cool and modest guys. Best of all, it frustrates the living heck out of our competition!
Some dealers out there are going nuts over this policy. Some try to copy it but beware, some offer it only on NEW guitars only! (Not new & used like us!) Some offer a "sliding scale" of 75% to 100%. (Where we give you 100%). So while "Imitation is the highest form of flattery," no one does it like us! So don't be fooled, it all started here with Buffalo Bros many many years ago! We're the originals! Who else does this but us?