How to Sell a Guitar [All Possible Ways]

(Last Updated On: March 14, 2023)
How to Sell a Guitar

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No matter what you want to sell—a guitar, a piano, a car, or anything else—there are a few rules you must abide by before placing your ad or trying to make a sale. These guidelines must be followed and respected, regardless of whether they were established for ethical or business reasons. You need to know how to take high-quality photos of your item, in this case, your guitar. Describe it in detail, including any flaws or imperfections, even if doing so won’t help you sell it. And set a fair price so that you and the buyer can both walk away satisfied. 

We’ll provide you with the best advice on how to prepare your guitar before you list it, write effective guitar ads, set a fair price, and show you exactly where and to whom you can sell your guitar if you want to avoid losing a lot of money selling it. So, let’s take a look at the best ways to sell your guitar and maximize your profit.

How to Sell a Guitar

There are many ways to sell your used guitar. You can try selling it on websites like Craigslist, Reverb, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. These are some of the best places to sell your used gear and ensure that you get the most money for it.

Reverb is a great place to sell your guitar, as it’s one of the largest online marketplaces for selling all kinds of new and used musical instruments. You can list your guitar on Reverb for free and keep 95% of the sale price, while Reverb keeps 5% as their commission fee.

eBay and Facebook Marketplace are two other excellent options to sell your guitar if you’re okay with the 6% fee and $0.30 that eBay deducts from the sale’s total, as well as Facebook Marketplace’s 5% selling fee. You could always pay an extra fee to boost your ads on both of these websites if you want your ad to be seen by more people and reach a wider audience.

The only option among these four that doesn’t charge a listing or a selling fee is Craigslist.  Unfortunately, it’s the riskier choice and has a reputation for scam artists. If you decide to sell your guitar on Craigslist, make sure you meet the buyer in person and get paid in cash. Keep in mind that cash and personal checks are the two most secure payment methods when selling goods or services on Craigslist.

Last but not least, you can always ask close friends and family members if they are interested in purchasing your guitar before turning to an online marketplace, as that is ultimately the safest option.

Check our article on Finger Protectors for Guitar Players

Things to keep in Mind before You Sell your Guitar

You Sell your Guitar

Before you list your guitar online, you have to make sure it’s in good shape, clean, and well-advertised so that people are tempted to buy it. Let’s take a look at how you can promote your guitar so that it sells quickly.

Determine your Guitar’s Value

In order to set a fair price for your used guitar, you have to remember or look up what you originally paid for it. The last thing you want to do is set a price at random, just to later find out that the price was too low and you lost a couple of hundred bucks selling it, or you never actually found a customer for it because the asking price was too high. If you can’t remember what you paid for it, check out the manufacturer’s website or websites like eBay to see what someone with a guitar similar to yours is selling it for. Once you’ve determined the ideal price, add 5-10% so you’d have some wiggle space for negotiations and ensure you avoid losing a lot of money.

Clean it up

No one is interested in buying a dusty, dirty guitar. Just because someone is buying a second-hand item doesn’t mean they have to feel like they’re getting something that’s been used once and then left in a dark, dusty corner for months or years. If you want to sell your guitar, you need to make it look like you’ve barely played it and have always meticulously cared for it.

Just grab a microfiber cloth and thoroughly clean your guitar, including the body, bridge, fingerboard, frets, and tuners. If you’re selling an electric guitar, make sure you get the knobs and controls and clean up any dust that has been collected in those nooks and crannies.

You can always go the extra mile and purchase and install a new set of strings if you feel like you’ve worn out your current ones.

Right about now, your guitar should look as good as new.

Take Pictures

Try to take high-quality pictures of the guitar from every angle, preferably during the day. Avoid taking the pics at nighttime as some sites don’t like to utilize flash. Don’t use any editing software or filters, and try to keep the photos as real as possible.

Don’t be hesitant about taking close-up shots of any blemishes or imperfections on the guitar; you want the buyer to be fully informed about the condition of the guitar before making a purchase, not surprised when the guitar arrives. Be as truthful as you can.

Product Description

When listing your guitar, make sure you list every detail about it, including the brand and model, the year it was manufactured, materials, weight, color, price, condition, and whether you are including any accessories (like a case, picks, tuner, etc.) If your guitar is in poor condition, be honest about it and describe its flaws. If it’s in excellent condition because you’ve carefully maintained it over the years, it’s important to highlight the fact that it’s in pristine condition to attract more potential buyers.

Be Patient and Kind

Once you’ve listed your guitar online, you should receive a ton of messages and questions from potential buyers. Whether it’s about the guitar’s condition, how long you’ve had it, or what it’s made of. Some may try to haggle over the price, and others will question you about issues that you’ve probably already addressed in your ad. So, be prepared to respond to any question, no matter how banal you may initially perceive it to be. Being patient and polite will go a long way toward making the transaction go really well and smoothly and ultimately finding a respectable buyer for your guitar.

Not only guitar, but you can also list your guitar recording mic on Craigslist, Reverb, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.

FAQs

How can I find out what my guitar is worth?

You can go to usedprice.com and check out your guitar’s value under “Musical Instruments Blue Book.” Feel free to also check out bluebookofguitarvalues.com, and Reverb.com’s price guide. You can also visit websites like eBay and see if other sellers are selling your guitar model and at what price.

Will Guitar Center give me cash for my guitar?

Yes. Guitar Center will offer up to $1000 for your guitar as long as it’s in good condition. However, if you're thinking about purchasing a new guitar or instrument from them, you might be able to get more money in store credit.

Are guitar sales declining?

No. Even though the guitar market had witnessed a decline in sales during the US financial crisis and Covid, it managed to bounce back and show an increase in both acoustic and electric guitar sales, particularly with large music retailers as opposed to small music retailers who took a harder hit.

Conclusion

If you want to effectively market your guitar and get a fair price for it, be sure to stick to our advice and the steps we provided. We sincerely hope that we have made the process of selling your guitar much easier and addressed any concerns you may have had. If parting with your guitar is bittersweet for you, it’s important to sell it to someone who seems like they’ll take good care of it. The buyer’s level of interest and willingness to take good care of your guitar can be measured by the questions they ask, so pay attention to the buyer’s inquiries! Good luck!

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