I wrote the other day about a jam session I had with an acquaintance of mine.
While hanging around outside and saying goodbyes and so forth, I was peering into the window of the studio where they also had stuff for sale. There was a big selection of pre-owned pedals – mainly BOSS ones and they all seemed to be marked at SDG $120 (about USD $80). Nestled among all the CS-3s and DS-1s and normal run-of-the-mill stuff I suddenly spied a reddy-purplish box in mint condition with ‘DM-3’ marked on it. GASP! A BOSS DM-3 in original (mint) box sitting there gathering dust in a store window in a backwater part of Singapore? What!?
I looked around to see if anyone else had seen it, then took a closer look. It was in the box, so I had no way of telling what its condition was going to be like, but the box was in excellent, near perfect condition with very little fading and no bumps. I had actually bid on a DM-2 box to house my own sample (note – *just* the box) over a year ago, which ended up going for about $50 USD in the end, so seeing this baby looking so well, I couldn’t wonder at what a great condition the pedal inside would be.
The studio was too busy for me to get to the store owner at that point, plus I had to say goodbye to all the new folks I had met, then buy some dinner and rush it home, so I resolved to return the next day to see if I could get the DM-3.
That night I did some checking on eBay. BOSS DM-3s were going for at least $200 USD and many of those were unboxed and a little beaten. If I could secure this VGC one I could probably flip if for a 300% profit – assuming I would even sell it. I began quaking a little with excitement.
The next day, I left the office early and took the train out East. The store was right near the station. I had deliberately dressed a bit slummy and wore jeans and a Tee to disguise myself a bit. It was the middle of the day – bands would not be jamming. I would be able to get near the store owner. I saw him outside the store, carrying a baby and talking to a couple of old uncles. I walked up to the window and started casing the joint – pretending to snoop around disinterestedly and poking a couple of the cheap guitars that were hanging up.
I turned my attention to the window with all the pedals in it. There were so many and there it still was – the DM-3 box, nestling on top of a couple of old TS-9s. I swallowed a couple of times and looked around to see if I could catch the store owner’s attention.
“Hello, yes, can I help you?” he said.
“Are all these for sale?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“This Octaver – says $120 – is that the best price?’”
“All prices are there.”
“Ok – thanks. Can I look at one of those TS-9s please?”
“Ok – wait ah..”
I pretended to look around some more and eyed up some other pieces. “Oh – what’s that on top of that. I’ve never seen one of those before…” I said, playing dumb and pointing at the DM-3.
“Oh, that one not for sale.” I began to shrink.
“You said all these were for sale. Why is it there if it isn’t for sale?”
“That is rare BOSS analog delay – very collectible. Are you a collector?” What the hell was this old uncle doing having an actual knowledge of what he had in his possession! The utter bastard!
“No” I said (not really a lie, but I didn’t really want to say that I wanted to pay peanuts for it then sell it for a vast profit on eBay). “I just never heard of one of those and was wondering what it was like. Ok, well it’s not for sale then…”
“No.” Denied.
“Ok then.”
I slinked off defeated. Bastard. I considered my next move, possibly involving waiting until the dead of night, a stocking mask and a brick through his window…
