Best way to sell instruments?
 

I’ve been envying those posters who talk about, “I bought such and such, then sold it after xxx months...”, etc. My acquisition habits have been more like a black hole - nothing escapes the gravitational field...

I need to change that, because I have my eyes on a more expensive guitar than I’ve ever owned (though not at all expensive by forum standards), and I feel like I have to let something go in order to justify the expense.

I have a viola that I haven’t played in almost 10 years, and an American Stratocaster that I bought back in the 1980s, and that I never play. Also a Greek Bouzouki that I barely touch anymore. What’s the best way to sell instruments? I’ve looked at (and bought) on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but those seem to cater to low end. And a viola or a Greek bouzouki is kind of a niche thing to begin with. Is Reverb the way to go? Ebay? How do you folks do it? What are the things to watch out for?

Thanks!

I have very limited experience as I am also a "buy and hold" guy. However, the few items I have sold, and am currently offering are all listed on local online advertising (e.g. kijiji, craigslist, used etc). I don't have the stomach to deal with remote buyers, transaction clearing, packing, shipping etc. While I have bought most of my guitars this way, I much prefer for the buyers to check out and inspect the instruments themselves, and to hand over the cash it they buy it. That said, I live in a fairly small city so this works only because I am not in a rush to sell and can wait for months or even years.

Reverb has been the most successful place for me lately.

Consider upgrading your forum membership level to charter membership for a nominal fee (as little as $25/yr.) so you can buy and sell in the AGF Classifieds. Do your homework for a bit and you’ll find there are many trusted sellers here. You can upgrade here.

I agree, that would be ideal. I’m just wondering if something like a viola even gets nibbles on Craigslist around here, even though I’m within 10 miles of New York City. The shop where I bought it has a really good trade-in policy, but I don’t want another bowed string, and that’s all they sell.

I’ve heard nightmare stories about PayPal, where buyers make false claims about not receiving the merchandise, or claim that it was damaged or not as described, and that the seller is treated as guilty until proven innocent. So, yes, I’d much rather sell for cash, in person...

Thanks, I’ll give that a look.

For the viola I would suggest a local violin etc. shop. A lot would depend on the quality though, if it's a student grade instrument those get traded in for upgrades all the time so maybe not much demand.

For the bouzouki . . . old ebay still seems to be the place for kind of oddball instruments. Ichigenkin, bulbul tarang, gadulka - ebay has 'em.

. I’ll try the shop where I bought it - they have a generous trade-in policy, but you have to be upgrading. I don’t think they’ll just buy an instrument outright. But it’s worth a try.

I originally got the bouzouki on Craigslist. I’m not far from Astoria, Queens, so a bouzouki isn’t an “oddball instrument” around here... :D.

I guess I’ll give Craigslist a chance, see what happens. If nothing happens, then on to Plan B...

Thanks!

Dang! I forgot about this.

I always like to try the local CL (no fees, no packing hassles, instant cash, etc) first and if no sale, then I resort to Reverb. I have had pretty fair luck with both...knock on wood. ;)

Thanks - That sounds like a good way to go.

Your local store may not buy the viola, but they may sell it for you on consignment, where you retain ownership but they have it in the store and try to sell it for a percentage of the selling price (with guitars sold this way the shop’s cut is typically 20 – 25% of the advertised price). As a minimum they could tell you what they think it is worth (if you are not sure).

Another alternative is to talk to local teachers in case they know someone looking for an instrument.

Your location seems like prime real estate for selling on Craigslist. Being in the DC area, it has worked for me. Last year I sold a viola on Craigslist for $1k and I've sold numerous guitars there. I bought a flat-topped octave mandolin and see similar instruments from time to time. Craigslist is generally the easy way to do it because it's always "cash and carry". That being said, I have listed some items simultaneously on reverb and offered to sell through there (at a slight increase) if credit is needed. In any case, you should have no trouble moving your stuff. Cash only. Meet at the local library or something. Make people travel to your general location.

I quite often buy gear on Ebay and if I don't like it they go straight back on Ebay, without losing overall (sometimes I'll actually gain on an item, just by investing a little time in better photos and description!)

I'm surprised Ebay isn't more common in this thread, you get entry level to very expensive niche and everything in between, plus buyer and seller protections etc. Fees are a bit of a bummer but I quite often use special offers to list items which makes a massive difference.

Reverb doesn't have much traction in the UK, nor does Craigslist.

10 miles from NYC? Craigslist all the way. You’ve got a massive population close by.

best way to sale is dont over price it, music gear doesnt sale like it once did, you always hear people saying- look at the great buy i got- a think a used market fair price is the best option

Craigslist is a good place to start. Free and easy to post. You just have to weed out some tire kickers and a few scammers, but with patience almost anything will sell there.

Right, craigslist to start, but meet at a neutral location. Lots of guys meet up at their local police station!

We have a local newspaper with a free classified section, and it's even more popular than craigs locally. That's another possibility for you, possibly.

If that doesn't move, I'd go with reverb next. Reverb sale fees are ~3% while Ebay fees are 10%, I believe, except for guitars, which are close to 3% (thanks for competition from reverb). You'll want to get a paypal account, although reverb processes credit cards for another ~3% (similar to paypal). The only pain with reverb is packing and shipping, but that's the "cost" of doing business. Despite the horror stories, problems with a reverb sale are rare.

I did the same thing - sold off a number of instruments to fund a really nice guitar or two. It was worth the hassle. You can do it! Best of luck!

Thanks, I think that’s the best way to start on the more offbeat stuff. I’ve played with Facebook Marketplace, but that seems to cater to really low-end stuff. And some of the interactions have been very weird.

As far as pricing is concerned, I’ll start at what I think is a fair price. If no nibble, I’ll come down. A wise man once told me that you might get less then you ask for something, but you’ll almost never get more.

Thanks. I’ve heard about the “neutral location” thing, but of all the stuff I’ve bought on Craigslist (never sold anything), only one seller insisted on a meeting in a parking lot. I know that if I’m buying something like a guitar, I want to sit and play it a little. That’s hard to do in a parking lot - particularly during the winter. But it’s good to keep in mind. Some of those viola players can be a rough crowd! :D

That's my approach as well. I think CL is fine if you are reasonably vigilant and willing to just say "no" to buyers that seem off. Reverb gets you a much bigger pool of potential buyers.

ebay is now charging 3.5% on guitars and amps and I think pedals? Violas?

https://www.ebay.com/rpp/sell-guitars

viola
 

I would look at the consignment option-if it is a midlevel.
There a number of stringed instrument stores in Nassau County and Suffolk on LI that may be able to help.

As others have said, barring that-go with CL and cast a wide net in the greater NYC area.

Wish I had the extra money, I would be interested.

That’s a great idea. I’m on the wrongs side of Manhattan for Nassau/Suffulk, but I’ll bet there are places on the Jersey side as well. I’m also going to get in touch with a chamber workshop and a community orchestra that I played with - maybe they have some leads.

I really appreciate all the great suggestions I’ve gotten in response to this question. Thanks, everyone!

If there are any music schools your way, as well. I live in New England and we have a few performing arts/music high schools in addition to the conservatories, etc.

Viola is a wonderful instrument, miss playing it.

I've had success selling on the AGF classifieds, Reverb, and Ebay.

AGF is cheapest but tends to take longer. Things sell fastest on EBay, but it costs the most. Reverb is right in between in both regards. I've moved a couple of bicycles on Craigslist, but have never been able to sell a guitar there.

To be perfectly honest, I don't like the face-to-face interaction or the inevitable haggling that Craigslist entails. I think it's best for smaller-ticket items.

Me too, though I played much more violin. It gets an undeserved bad rap, maybe because its cousins are flashier. But there’s nothing else like that sound.

I only got to play the viola for a short time, and only played one real concert when orthopedic issues (cervical stenosis and arthritis) made it pretty much impossible to even hold a viola or violin. Physical therapy helped a lot, but I’ve lost so much ground on both violin and viola that it’s just frustrating to pick it up nowadays. Thankfully, I can still play guitar and am learning banjo.

You’re almost making me want to keep it... But... there’s that guitar waiting for me to buy it. (Little voice in my head saying, “Would it really be so bad to have both?” Bad voice! Bad, bad voice!!! :)

They are noted for being Violant.

If we're heading in that direction . . .
 

Viola Jokes, Part One (of three!):

http://www.mit.edu/~jcb/jokes/viola.html

Many conservatories have pre-college divisions, and this includes Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes. You might give them a call and see if there is any interest from either the program or if they have students who might be interested.

There’s not a huge market for violas, but even a store that does student rentals might be interested.