Do you have musical instruments you’re no longer using and want to sell? In my household, we play piano, violin, cello, and ukulele, so we know quite a bit about buying and selling instruments for the best value. In this article, I’m sharing: And more! Recommended reading: 11 Best Ways To Get Paid To Listen…
Do you have musical instruments you’re no longer using and want to sell?
In my household, we play piano, violin, cello, and ukulele, so we know quite a bit about buying and selling instruments for the best value.
In this article, I’m sharing:
- 8 best places to sell musical instruments to make extra money
- How to sell used instruments
- How to find the value of your instruments
And more!
Recommended reading: 11 Best Ways To Get Paid To Listen To Music
8 Best Places To Sell Musical Instruments
Here are the best places to sell musical instruments for the most money.
1. Music Go Round
Music Go Round is a music store with over 30 locations across the United States. They specialize in selling instruments and buying used instruments from customers.
To sell your musical instrument to Music Go Round, you need to bring the instrument in person so they can review and research the item to find a fair market value for it. Music Go Round buys all types of instruments, like guitars, amps, keyboards, MIDI equipment, mixers, pro sound equipment, as well as band instruments and accessories. Then they make you an offer and pay you on the spot, or you can trade it in for a product in their store.
2. Guitar Center
Guitar Center is one of the most popular places to sell used music gear. With over 300 locations in the United States, you’re likely to find a location near you. Guitar Center reviews items and pays out the same day, which is convenient. There are extra benefits for trading in your gear, such as a 10% discount on buying a new instrument.
Before bringing your item(s) to Guitar Center, gently clean everything and make sure you have all of the included parts. An expert will review your item, give a value, and pay you the same day.
3. Local music stores
There’s a good chance you have a local music store in your town. Where I live, we have quite a few, so there are a lot of options for selling and buying used instruments and accessories. It’s easy to find out if there are local music stores near you just by doing a simple search for something like “music stores near me” on Google or on your phone’s maps. Then you can go on their website or call the store to find out if they buy used instruments and gear.
To get the most money for your musical instrument, you can try more than one local music store and see who will pay the most money. Some stores may also give store credit.
4. Reverb
Reverb is an online marketplace specifically for selling and buying musical instruments and accessories. It’s free to list items on Reverb, and you only pay a 5% selling fee and a payment processing fee if your item(s) sell. Reverb also includes a lot of tips and guides to sell items successfully on their platform.
This is a great place to sell anything music-related because Reverb has a large, targeted audience of serious buyers. You can choose to sell locally or ship to buyers elsewhere.
5. eBay
EBay is a global online marketplace where you can buy and sell pretty much anything. What’s different about eBay from other selling platforms is the option to list an item for a fixed price or run an auction. Auctions can be a good thing to try if you have a rare or collectible item that you think could make you more money.
Since eBay has millions of users, your listing can be seen by a lot of people, but this also means a lot of people are also selling things on eBay, which creates more competition. EBay also involves you physically shipping the item, so you’ll need to think about this as an extra layer of work when selling your instrument (for example, you will want to think about the shipping cost).
6. Sweetwater Gear Exchange
Sweetwater Gear Exchange is an online platform specifically for buying and selling used musical gear. This is a great option for selling your instrument and music gear because people browsing this website are usually serious musicians looking for quality used musical instruments and accessories.
The platform has the option to sell locally or, if you’re willing, to ship. Creating listings on the website is easy and similar to Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Craigslist.
7. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a common place to sell musical instruments because it’s free to use and you can meet with people locally. Selling on Facebook Marketplace is easy, too, because nearly everyone is on Facebook.
You will need a clear, searchable title, like “Yamaha Acoustic Guitar – Excellent Condition.” Also, don’t forget to take great photos showing all sides of the product in natural lighting, as well as tag your listing with relevant keywords.
When you find a buyer, make sure to meet in a well-lit, public, safe space. This can be a police station parking lot or even a coffee shop.
8. Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the most popular and longest-running places to sell musical instruments. To sell your instruments on Craigslist successfully, use a clear title including the brand and instrument, take high-quality photos with good lighting, include important details a buyer would want to know (like the age, condition, etc.), and price it realistically.
Craigslist can be a little harder to sell instruments on because you are limited to your local area. But it is free, as there are no listing fees, which is nice. If you live in a very populated area, then this may work out just fine. But if you live in a small town, then Craigslist can be more difficult because you won’t have as many potential buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about selling musical instruments.
How do I sell my used musical instruments?
To sell your musical instruments, first think of where you want to sell your items. You’ll want to think about things like whether you want to sell quickly (and earn less money) or if you have the time and are willing to potentially get more money by waiting for the right buyer. Online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have zero fees and allow you to sell locally, which may make you more money. However, places like Sweetwater Gear Exchange are specifically designed for serious musical buyers, so you might find the right buyer and sell quickly, but you have to pay fees and shipping.
Does Guitar Center pay cash for instruments?
Guitar Center does buy instruments and can pay cash on the spot if they accept your item. Most Guitar Center locations pay up to about $1,000 on the spot, and if it’s more, they pay out via check.
What is the best place to sell my guitar?
The best place to sell your guitar depends on how much you want to get for it and how quickly you want to sell it. Selling directly to a person locally may get you the most money, but you might have to wait a while to find someone to buy your item since your pool of buyers is local and not national or worldwide. If you want almost no hassle, you could go to a local music store or Guitar Center, but keep in mind that these stores are planning on selling this item to a future buyer, so they factor that into how much they are willing to pay you.
How to find the value of a musical instrument?
If you want to find the value of your musical instrument or accessories, check out platforms like eBay or Reverb to see what similar instruments (in the same brand, of course) are selling for. Also, look at the listed prices and completed sales for the most accurate pricing.
How much do music stores pay for used instruments?
Music stores pay less than what you’d get selling directly to another person because they need to resell the item again to make a profit. Small local music shops may offer you between 30% and 60% of fair market value, while larger chains like Guitar Center make an offer based on condition and demand.
What are the best places to sell musical instruments online?
The best places to sell your musical instrument online include platforms like Reverb, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. I think Reverb is especially great because its audience is focused on serious musicians and buyers, while places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have all kinds of buyers searching for anything and everything.
8 Best Places To Sell Musical Instruments – Summary
I hope you enjoyed my article on the best places to sell musical instruments.
There are quite a few places you can sell musical instruments, with some being easier and more convenient than others. You can sell your drums, piano, guitar, violin, and many other types of musical equipment, and there is usually good demand for these items!
I hope this post helped guide you to selling musical instruments!
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