or for trading and upgrading.

Would love to hear your views. Don't mind a trade and pay some cash for better guitar, and I udnerstand that you have to bring a guitar in great shape in most cases, but other than that, what stores have the best policies.

How is buffalo bros on trade/consign sales.

thanks,

Stuart

I live near Buffalo Bros. They will do both, but you get 80% of their price on trade ins. Cotten in Nashville is one of the best if you want to trade or consign.

+1 on Cotten Music. Darcy and Kim are great to work with!

80% is pretty much the standard. Podium will give you 90 if you buy another guitar. Cotten is excellent; my OM1 koa is there even as we speak. Check it out (please).

Good recommendations. My view-You will always fare better if you sell your guitar yourself in the open market. I have looked at it all different ways and doing it yourself is definitely the most lucrative way to come out the best. Remember, if you trade, the dealer is going to offer you lower than market value so they can turn around and sell it at market value. It's best to remain patient and work the deal yourself.

Pardon my digression. Buffalo Bros. and Cotten are very reputable stores to do business with. They will be as fair as economics allow them to be.

I've sold some guitars through Elderly. If it's worth over $500 they will only take a 15% cut. One thing I've found w/ them though, is once you get your guitar to them, they'll assess it. Then, they might tag on some fix-it fees. They do this so it's in prime shape to be put up for sale. In my case it was a fret dressing. They do have a good turnover rate, since their site is well-visited. Took about a month to sell a '90 Gibson SST Chet Atkins Model in one instance. It worked out real good for me, since I got the guitar for a good price originaly! They also have other options available too!

Elderly: buy, sell, trade

thanks guys,

Cotton indicated 20% if consignment, but 40% if traded and that is a problem. Haven't had a response from Buffalo Bros. Guitar gallery will let you trade at 20% and will do 15% for consignment. Have an email into Rudys.

Cotton is a good choice because the guitar has flame maple back and is in mint condition. I think Kim's enthusiasm would sell guitar more quickly, but it's a bigger risk, since can't trade. And want to travel down in spring.

Hard to know isn't it.

Stuart

Trade-in is always a drubbing. Person to person is best, if you know a lot of musicians with a lot of money. Not many do. Thus, consignment.

This is why networking with other musicians (especially guitar players) is very important. Selling privately is much better. You can sell on the guitar forums and possibly still make more than consignment. Everyone is right about the "standard" 20% although I've been able to do 10-15% a couple of times but those are exceptions.

Ace
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stuart, i have some questions (perhaps i am denser than i thought)....are you saying that cotten is giving you 40% for your trade or is she taking 40% of the value off the trade (giving 60% of the value)?

actually 60% is not bad- i once took a 50% drubbing, but it was a martin d-15 and i only had 500 in it. but still 50% is a bit much to swallow.

i've had hit or miss luck with consignments........sometimes guitars languish on the wall of the shop where i consign. sometimes they go quickly. i've sold a bunch of stuff myself but the last time i had someone come over (an in-person transaction) to buy something (it was a mandola) they broke the tailpiece by tuning it up too high and then proceeded to scrape the top of the instrument when yanking on the bridge. never even offered to pay for repairs. never again.

They take 40%.

No. I found a place that will take 15% or will offer 20% (they take) if I buy a guitar from them. I know the market value, so it's a very good deal. Or do 20% consignment at Cotton. Another good deal because of Kim.

But wouldn't trade at 40% loss. That's a bad deal.

Stuart

I've used Mass Street Music a few times, with good results.

I've heard Elderly Instruments is good for this, but have not used them.