Sarasota Guitar Company was a local independent chain of guitar specialty shops, launching its original store in Sarasota and eventually expanding to open a second location in Bradenton, Florida.

The company was an authorized dealer for many top guitar brands, amplifiers, effects pedals and accessories, and also offered lessons and repair services for stringed instruments and gear. A large part of our revenue came from online sales, which I oversaw as Web Store Manager and Shipping Director.

The Suncoast of Florida was ground zero for the Great Recession, and owner Scott Cook specifically designed the business model to be competitive in an unstable economy. He negotiated with guitar manufacturers to buy up their “factory-second” inventory. These were brand new instruments with some minor cosmetic defect that the companies deemed unworthy to sell at full price, but were otherwise structurally and sonically in mint condition.

The catch was these guitars typically don't come with a manufacturer's warranty, which allowed SGC to fill that gap with their in-house "Certified Guitar Guarantee." They offered a one-year parts and labor warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee with no restocking fee and no strings attached.

This deal also extended to online sales, which is why a big part of my job was accurately identifying any blemishes or imperfections and adding thorough notes on the condition of each instrument to every product listing before posting the item on our eBay store. When new orders came in, I would take each guitar outside to photograph every angle and detail in natural light. Then I’d look up the manufacturer’s description and specs for each model, and write my own assessment pointing out any possible flaws.