How To Sell Us Your Stuff

Does your store buy used instruments or take in trades?

Yes. We purchase most stringed instruments, amplifiers, effects pedals, brass horns, woodwinds, percussion, keyboards, and some pro audio equipment. Or you can trade in toward something in our store.

Do you offer consignment? No, at this time we offer purchase or trade-in only.

Is there any musical equipment you don't buy?

We do not purchase everything that is brought to us for sale. Some reasons include: the seller wants more than we feel comfortable paying; we believe the item needs more work to make it sellable than we are willing to put into it; or, there isn't enough demand for the product in our store. We also do not buy used harmonicas, pianos, organs, home stereo equipment, CDs, vinyl records, or tapes. 

How do I sell my stuff?

Just bring the instrument(s) to our store with a valid drivers license. We will ask you how much you want for the items you would like to sell. We will inspect, test, and research those items to decide what we will pay for them. If we decide to buy them we will write you a check on the spot. 

What are you looking for when you inspect used items?

Many things such as: Make, model, year, color, condition, damage (scratches, dents, holes, rust/corrosion, missing parts, non-original parts, finish wear, fret wear, loose braces, cracks, seam separation, etc.), Is the neck straight? Do the electronics work properly? Does it have the original case and paperwork? The older the item, the more wear we expect, so sometimes we will buy items in rough or even poor condition if it is something we feel still has value. 

What if we can't agree on a price?

No problem. We want you to feel good about the deal so in some cases we will suggest other methods for selling your items (other stores or the internet) if we can't give you as much as you want. Or if you just need time to think about it. 

Can you tell me over the phone what you can pay me for my instrument? 

Unfortunately, we can not make any offers without seeing the items in person. Sorry, not even a ballpark figure.

Some common misconceptions:

This violin is very old and it says "Stradivarius" inside, it must be worth a lot, right?

Not necessarily. Just because something is old doesn't make it valuable. If an instrument was poorly built 100 years ago, it still is today. Also, there is no copyright or trademark protection for the name "Stradivarius" so there are literally millions of instruments, some very old, that bear that name - and it is completely legal!

My guitar is brand new, why can't you pay me more for it?

Even though the item may still look new, it really isn't. Just like buying a car, once it leaves the store it isn't technically new anymore. Even if it was never played, we can't legally re-sell it as new unless we buy it from an authorized distributor or the original manufacturer. 

I saw the same thing selling online for more money...

Remember that anyone can post anything on the web for sale at any price they like. That doesn't mean anyone will actually pay their asking price. Even if you look at the "sold" listings, often you will see what appears to be the same item having sold for a wide range of prices. Here are a few reasons why: it was "local pick up only", owned by someone famous, "for parts only", still in the original box, new from an authorized dealer, "Buy Now" for a super low price, rare color, ridiculously high shipping, bad photos, more/less desirable year made, incorrect description, misspelled words, poor seller rating, counterfeit, prototype, autographed, etc. By contrast there may be only one or two of that item that have sold and that won't give you an accurate value either. 

Also, eBay is only one of many sources we use along with resource books, other websites, and our own decades of experience in this industry. 

This instrument was owned by a famous musician so it is worth more, right? 

If you can prove it. A good story and a picture aren't enough. Verifiable provenance must be provided to get top dollar.