8 Best Places to Sell Musical Instruments for Cash

Do you have musical instruments that you no longer use and want to sell?

In my house, we play piano, violin, cello, and ukulele, so we know a lot about buying and selling instruments at the best price.

In this article, I am sharing:

• 8 Best Places to Sell Musical Instruments to Make Extra Money
• How to Sell Used Equipment
• How to find out the value of your equipment

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 equipment and purchasing used equipment from customers.

To sell your musical instrument to Music Go Round, you must 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, such as guitars, amps, keyboards, MIDI equipment, mixers, pro sound equipment, as well as band instruments and accessories. They then make you an offer and pay you on the spot, or you can exchange it 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 for them the same day, which is convenient. There are additional benefits when trading in your gear, such as 10% off purchasing new equipment.

Before bringing your items to Guitar Center, clean everything gently and make sure you have all the included parts. An expert will review your item, quote a value, and pay you the same day.

3. Local Music Store

There’s a good chance that there is a local music store in your city. Where I live, we have a lot of equipment, so there are a lot of options for selling and buying used equipment and accessories. It’s easy to find out if there are local music stores near you by simply doing a simple search of something like “music stores near me” on Google or on your phone’s map. You can then visit their website or call the store to find out if they buy used equipment and gear.

To get the most money for your musical instrument, you can try more than one local music store and see who will offer the most money. Some stores may also offer store credit.

4. Echo

Reverb is an online marketplace specifically for selling and buying musical instruments and accessories. Listing items on Reverb is free, and you’ll only pay a 5% sales fee and payment processing fee if your item sells. Reverb also includes plenty of tips and guides for successfully selling items 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 send buyers elsewhere.

5. eBay

eBay is a global online marketplace where you can buy and sell almost anything. What differentiates eBay from other selling platforms is the option to list an item at a fixed price or run an auction. If you have a rare or collectible item that you think could fetch you a lot of money, auctioning it might be a good idea.

Since eBay has millions of users, your listing can be seen by a lot of people, but it also means a lot more people are selling things on eBay, which creates more competition. eBay also involves physically shipping the item to you, so you’ll need to think of it as an extra layer of work when selling your equipment (for example, you’ll want to think about shipping costs).

6. Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Sweetwater Gear Exchange is an online platform specifically for buying and selling used music gear. This is a great option for selling your instruments and musical paraphernalia as the 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, ship. Creating listings on the website is easy and is 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 local people. Selling on Facebook Marketplace is also easy, because almost everyone is on Facebook.

You’ll need a clear, searchable title, like “Yamaha Acoustic Guitar – Excellent Condition.” Also, don’t forget to take great photos that show all sides of the product in natural light, as well as tag your listing with relevant keywords.

When you find a buyer, make sure you meet in a well-lit, public, safe place. It could also be a police station parking lot or a coffee shop.

8. Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the most popular and longest running places to sell musical instruments. To successfully sell your appliances on Craigslist, use a clear title including the brand and appliance, take high-quality photos with good lighting, include important details the buyer wants to know (like age, condition, etc.), and price it realistically.

Selling equipment on Craigslist can be a little difficult because you are limited to your local area. But it’s free, as there are no listing fees, which is a good thing. If you live in a heavily populated area, this may work fine. But if you live in a small town, Craigslist may 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 about where you want to sell your items. You’ll want to think about things like whether you want to sell quickly (and make 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 can make you more money. However, places like Sweetwater Gear Exchange are designed specifically for serious music buyers, so you can find the right buyer and sell quickly, but you’ll have to pay fees and shipping.

Does Guitar Center pay cash for instruments?

Guitar Center buys the equipment and can pay you cash on the spot if they accept your item. Most Guitar Center locations pay up to around $1,000 on the spot, and if it’s more, they pay via check.

Where 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 someone locally may bring you the most money, but you may have to wait a while to find someone to buy your items because your group of buyers is local and not national or worldwide. If you don’t want almost any hassle, you can go to a local music store or guitar center, but keep in mind that these stores are planning to sell this item to a future buyer, so consider how much they are willing to pay you.

How to find the value of a musical instrument?

If you want to know 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, check out listed prices and completed sales for the most accurate pricing.

How much do music stores pay for used instruments?

Music stores pay you less than they would if you sold directly to someone else because they need to resell the item to make a profit. Small local music shops may offer you between 30% to 60% of fair market value, while larger chains like Guitar Center offer depending on condition and demand.

What are the best places to sell musical instruments online?

The best places to sell your musical instruments 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, whereas places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have all kinds of buyers looking for anything and everything.

8 Best Places to Sell Musical Instruments – Summary

I hope you liked my article on the best places to sell musical instruments.

There are many places you can sell musical instruments, some of which are easier and more convenient than others. You can sell your drums, piano, guitar, violin and many other types of musical instruments, and these items are usually in good demand!

I hope this post has helped guide you in selling musical instruments!

Are you trying to sell a musical instrument?

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