Selling Used Guitars Online
Written by dreach on August 16, 2008 – 12:47 am -If you no longer are enjoying playing your current guitar maybe it is time to start looking around for a new one. While you are having fun looking for the next perfect guitar, it is also time to think about selling the old one. Have you considered trying to sell it online?
The beauty of selling used guitars online is that there are no geographic limitations. You can find customers anywhere in the world. The benefit also of selling online versus a consignment arrangement is that you get to keep most if not all of the money yourself. If you take your guitar to a music store or used instrument dealer, thirty or forty percent of the selling price will go to them.
So, if you are ready to begin your online selling adventure, here are 5 tips to make it go smoothly:
1. Take a flattering picture of your instrument. Since this is a used guitar that you are selling the buyer will want to see a clear picture of the condition of the instrument. Try not to conceal anything. Make the picture look good but don’t try and deceive the buyer.
2. Write a compelling description. Try and inject a bit of passion into your description without creating hype. Also, it is useful to tell the potential buyer why you are selling. Are you just tired of the instrument? Have you decided to sell your acoustic guitar because you are only interested in playing electric?
3. Decide how you will accept payment. Don’t forget that the buyer may live on the other side of the country. Do you want to wait weeks for a money order to arrive? One service that many people use is PayPal. You receive your money instantly and there is also a comfort level for the buyer as they can always use PayPal in the event of a dispute.
4. Make sure that you figure out what the shipping costs will be to various parts of the country. You need to also decide whether you will sell outside of your country. If you live in Canada, will you ship to the United States? Also remember, that when you ship across borders there are custom and taxation issues. Are you paying this or is the purchaser?
5. Where do you want to post your ad? You can use an online auction site like Ebay or a classified ads site like Kijiji, Craig’s List or Guitars for Sale Online. If you use Ebay make sure you are clear on how the auctions work. What happens if you find a buyer through an ad in Craig’s list and yet your auction has a week to run on Ebay and you have some bids. You can probably get out of the auction but just make sure you know what you are doing so that you don’t find yourself locked in an uncomfortable situation.
And in the end. Have fun! The sooner you sell that used guitar the sooner you can buy a new one.
Tags: Used guitars
Posted in Buy and Sell Guitars |