Advice on selling guitars

[TheBigCountry]

Looking for input on selling a few guitars to thin the herd/put towards better gear. What is the best option to get what they are worth?

Also, where can I find their approximate value on the market? I am pretty sure one is a rare find.

 

[mikeltee]

Paul Reed Smith by chance? If not put up the brands and I'll help ya. PRSs are works of art. I don't even play but bought one just because it's sooooo damn sexy.

 

[Desert_Racer]

Whatever you do, don't take it to Guitar Center on trade in. I asked an employee what their policy was on trade-ins out of curiosity and his words were, "We look up what the guitar is going for on Ebay, then give you 50% of that towards in-store credit." I would venture to say the best way to get the most money out of your sale is Craigslist or Ebay.

 

[TheBigCountry]

Paul Reed Smith by chance? If not put up the brands and I'll help ya. PRSs are works of art. I don't even play but bought one just because it's sooooo damn sexy.

Yup [emoji1] want a PRS CE 24.

I have have a Jackson DK2T hardtail in in Crimson Swirl; I upgraded the bridge pickup to a Seymour Duncan Shred

Also have a Schecter C1 Classic in one of the burst patterns.

 

[TheBigCountry]

Is that called "Scratch-Typing"?

IDK what the hell happened there. Edited to fix it

 

[SledDog]

The best way to determine what you can sell them for is to go on ebay and do a "completed listing" search. That will show you what the auctions finished at and what sold for how much. Then I'd start by listing them on reverb.com, which is similar to ebay but way cheaper. Ebay will be faster, bigger market, but on a guitar the fees are crazy.

 

[Adventurer_96]

If you're near a large city, craigslist can be good. But, be prepared for scammers, lowballers, etc. If you can, carry and have someone nearby who carries. Maybe a dude with a rifle on a van... Oh wait, that's from "Heat..."

The only problem with selling on eBay in my opinion is shipping. If it's a high enough dollar guitar, you can drop it off with the UPS store and they carry all liability if they pack/ship it. But, it will cost you, possibly $75-100 for something like a Les Paul. I've had two guitars show up with snapped necks, and as a seller I'm not willing to risk it unless I'm insured. One was fully insured by FedEx, and they refused to pay out. The seller had the pleasure of dealing with that. I've only sold a few guitars, and they've been local/FTF except for one that the UPS store shipped.

There are forums for each of the major guitar brands. If it's a Les Paul, you might be able to find someone on MyLesPaul.com who would snag it.

Feel free to PM me what you've got, and if I can't help you directly I'll try to point you in the right direction.

 

[2guard]

The problem I run into with using craigslist, is that every musician wants to trade with you unless you have a higher dollar item. The majority of them are also terribly flaky. I have answered tons of emails for people that claimed they are super interested in it, but then don't show up or don't answer back after a few emails. If you cant afford it or don't want it, just be a man and tell me. And be prepared for offers of half or less than what you are asking. I had a couple of $400-500 each guitars listed and a guy offered me $600 for both of them and wanted me to deliver them 50 miles away (and I had both listings marked firm on price). I think I am going to start putting "I don't need to sell these, I can pay my bills without selling them, so don't lowball me."

I have had much better luck buying instruments on craigslist. Sometimes people need money quick and list things really low.

There are a few guitar blue books that have a price guide in them, but I have found them not so accurate on some items. I think they focus mainly on the higher end stuff. I have found large discrepancies both ways in items under $2k, but I would say this end of the market is more volatile than the upper end anyway. I find firearms and Porsche stuff much easier to sell and easier to deal with buyers (especially older Porsche stuff).

good luck!

 

[TheBigCountry]

Thanks all. I've very hesitant to post on ebay because two times I have sold guitars on there they have been nightmares with both parties involved trying to pull a fast one on me.

Going to give Craigslist a shot and a few guitar forums. Both axe brands are pretty common and we'll known (Jackson and Schecter) so hopefully they go quick.

 

[Unknown]

I am doing the same thing you are. Fjestadt publishes books showing the expected values for guitars, guns, knives, and all sorts of other stuff. They have books for electric, or acoustic guitars. Many times your local library will have a book in stock, but it pays to check first and see when their book was published. Libraries can also borrow from other libraries just about anywhere in the nation, so if the book is at a library, they can likely find it without you having to pay for it.

I had problems finding value for a Martin OM-42 limited edition as it isn't in any of Fjestadt's books, but I got some help elsewhere.

The best suggestion I got for selling my guitar was to list it on Ebay with a reserve. That way, if my base price isn't met, I don't have to part with the instrument, and I don't have to worry about a guitar store lowballing me by 50%. Sure, I have to pay the ebay 20% commission, or $250 max, but that would be reasonable as the guitar I'm selling is worth quite a bit.

Guitar values vary based on locations. Some instruments are strong in one area, and weak in others. By putting your instrument on ebay, you get an international audience, and are thereby able to get away from some of the problems caused if interest in your instrument is weak in your area. You would get an idea of the true national/international value of your instrument.

I would try the local library first to look at the Fjestadt book for values on your guitars. Then, when you establish what the value is and what you want to sell it for, put it on Ebay with a reserve minimum amount.

Your alternative is to sell it to a guitar store, and they will treat you every bit as kindly as a local used car dealer would (I think you can gather my meaning there).