Are you in search of the best place for selling musical equipment? If you’re a musician, there are many reasons you may decide to sell your gear.
Perhaps you really need the money or you just have musical equipment you no longer use and want to buy new gear that you now need.
While there’s countless places to sell your equipment, the hard part is choosing the right option so you can make the most money.
Considering this, if you’re trying to decide where to sell your music gear, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss the best sites to sell music equipment, such as drums, guitars, ukuleles, recording gear, accessories, and much more.
What Is the Best Place to Sell Music Equipment?
Here is a list of the 5 best places for selling musical equipment.
Some are great for things like convenience or reaching a massive customer base, while others are great for getting the most money out of selling your musical equipment.
Simply put, whatever reason it may be, they are all great options.
1. Reverb (Best Overall)
With millions of people buying and selling both used and new musical equipment on this site, Reverb.com is a great option for music lovers like you and I.
Simply put, Reverb is an online marketplace for new, used, and even vintage music gear that offers wonderful customer service and will help you with every step of the selling process. It also has some of the lowest seller fees.
When you sell your musical equipment on Reverb.com, you will receive 92.3% of what it was sold for. This is after you are charged fees for payment processing and commission.
Best musical equipment to sell on Reverb.com:
- Guitars and guitar parts & accessories: electric, acoustic, bass
- Pedals and amplifiers
- Keyboards: digital, acoustic, and electric pianos
- Synths: analog and digital
- Drum machines and samplers
- Recording gear and equipment: microphones, speakers, mixers, etc.
- DJ and audio gear
2. Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the best sites to sell stuff locally, including musical equipment. It’s also the best platform to make the most money from selling it.
This is because there are no listing fees or seller fees, meaning you will keep 100% of the profit. In addition, you won’t have to worry about shipping fees, as you will most likely sell your music gear in-person.
Because you will be selling your gear in-person, you can also request to be paid in cold, hard cash.
However, there is a downside to selling on Craigslist. Post are anonymous so you won’t know exactly who you’re dealing with. Considering this, always meet in a safe and public place with lots of people around whenever you sell in-person, regardless of which platform you use.
3. OfferUp
Acquired by LetGo, OfferUp is an online marketplace for buying and selling stuff locally, including music equipment, that has a mission to be the most trusted and easy-to-use platform.
As a result of pursuing their mission, users are able to list an item on OfferUp in much less than a minute on their smartphone.
To get started, all you have to do is download their app on your iOS or Android device, create an account, upload pictures of your musical equipment, and then write a short description.
While there are no fees if you sell your music gear locally, there is a 12.9% fee if you ship your items instead, which doesn’t include shipping. However, buyers are responsible for shipping.
If you sell your musical equipment locally, you will handle and arrange payments directly with the buyer.
4. eBay
Being among the biggest e-commerce sites and one of the oldest, I’m sure we’re all familiar with eBay.
Simply put, this online marketplace is one of the most trusted, go-to platforms for countless people who want to buy musical equipment at a fair price.
While it’s also a great option for people selling music gear because you can reach a world-wide audience, you will be charged a small fee of just 3.5% or a maximum of $350 whenever you sell something. However, listing an item is free.
Unfortunately, you will also have to deal with shipping. However, you can charge the buyer a shipping fee or just include it in your selling price.
5. Facebook Marketplace
Similar to Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace is also a great way to sell your musical equipment locally.
The process is also super simple. If you already have a Facebook account, all you need to do is set up a listing on Facebook Marketplace instead of your profile’s timeline.
If you sell your equipment on Facebook Marketplace, you won’t have to pay any fees, meaning you will be able to keep all of the profit from your sale.
You can also request payment in any form you wish, such as cash. Furthermore, you’re likely to make the sell in-person, so you won’t have to pay any shipping fees.
Places You Shouldn’t Sell Musical Equipment
Now that you know the 5 best places for selling musical equipment, here are several places you should avoid.
You won’t get scammed or anything, there’s just problems you may run into unlike the places mentioned above.
Besides, there’s no good reason you should sell your musical equipment at one of the places below instead of a site like Reverb.com, unless you’re absolutely desperate for some fast-cash.
Music Go Round, Guitar Center, Sam Ash, etc.
While a local music store like Music Go Round may be a good option to buy inexpensive musical equipment, that’s not the case for selling it.
Simply put, if you want to make the most profit from selling your equipment, avoid local music stores and other similar options, which we will discuss below.
This comes down to their business model. To make a good profit, local music stores resell any equipment they buy.
Because of this, you won’t get any more than 40% of what your musical equipment is worth. If they didn’t offer sellers as little as possible, their business model wouldn’t be sustainable and they would go out of business.
Considering this, local music stores are only a good option if you’re desperate for fast-cash, need to sell your gear quickly, and don’t care how much money you make.
Other similar places you should avoid:
- The Music Zoo
- Rogue Music Store
- Rivington Guitars
- Cream City Music
More places you should avoid:
- VarageSale
- 5miles
- Mercari
Thrift Stores
While it is a quick and easy way to sell musical equipment, the way thrift stores make money is by offering sellers dirt cheap prices for their items, as they plan to resell them.
Considering this, if you’re going to sell your musical equipment at a thrift store/second-hand shop, you’re going to get a fraction of what your equipment is actually worth.
Local Music Stores
Instead of mentioning every local music store in the United States, just know that they’re all places you shouldn’t sell your equipment. We have mentioned a few above because they are the most popular.
Just like thrift stores, if you sell your musical equipment at your local music store, they will resell it for a profit. This is the way they make money, as previously mentioned.
Considering this, you’re going to get an offer for your equipment that is much less than what it’s actually worth.
Simply put, avoid any place that will resell it for a profit. Instead, sell it to someone who will actually use it. This way, you will get a fair price for your equipment.
Garage Sale
While garage sales/yard sales are a great way to sell a lot of stuff you long longer use at once, they aren’t a good option for musical equipment.
People that go to garage sales expect the most dirt cheap prices they’ll find anywhere. Considering this, just like second-hand shops and local music stores, you’ll always be disappointed in the price you can sell your equipment for.
It may also be hard to find a garage sale goer who is interested in the specific pieces of musical equipment you have for sell.
However, if you know of a musician in your local community, they may be a great option. Simply speak to them directly and see if they’re interested in the equipment you have.
Can I Sell My Guitar at a Pawn Shop?
While you can sell your guitar at a pawn shop, I strongly advise against it. Although it may be a quick and easy option, you will not get a fair offer.
You’ll be lucky to get even 40% of its market value. This goes for just about anything people sell at pawn shops. Considering this, selling your guitar at a pawn shop should be seen as a last resort option.
Instead, you should sell your guitar on a site like Reverb.com.
Final Thoughts on Selling Musical Equipment
Although selling musical equipment is much more difficult than buying it, online marketplaces have made it easier than ever.
With that said, Reverb.com is definitely the best overall option. If you’re not interested in Reverb, you should consider Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace.
Basically, you want to sell it to someone who will actually use it and not just flip it for a profit. This way, you will make the most money.
Only sell your musical equipment anywhere else if you’re absolutely desperate for fast-cash.
