Best place to sell guitars?

[Jamie89]

Due to a split I'm getting rid of everything except my charvel. Put an ad on Gumtree. Is there anywhere else that is a good place to sell guitars? I'm not usually a seller so don't know the best places. I usually buy on ebay but cant stand selling on there, too many idiots. Don't have quite enough posts on here to sell on here either. Thanks

[Philly Q]

I still find eBay pretty good, to be honest, if only because so many people use it.  I don't think I've ever had anything not sell eventually, unless I just changed my mind and decided to keep it.

Of course their fees are outrageous (and ever increasing), but it goes with the territory unfortunately.

Free places like forums (and Gumtree?) are probably better to maximise your selling price, in theory, but you'll likely wait a lot longer to find a buyer.

[juansolo]

Yep, gotta concur with that. eBay, despite taking the piss big time on fees these days, is still the place to sell stuff. Most forums aren't usually interested unless you're giving stuff away.

[JimmyMoorby]

I'm scared of posting a guitar to some one I dont know and its not an unreasonable fear ive heard some right horror stories from people I know and also had some right jokers contact me in the past. 

I've bought one guitar through ebay and sold one but neither were concluded on ebay. Some private messages were sent back and forth between me and some one else fairly local and it saved the need for fees and a faceless deal.

Bottom line id use ebay to try and sell locally or get some one to come to you on your own terms.  If they come try it out and leave happy there cant be any 'fun and games'.

As you have said there are some right creatures on ebay!

[Philly Q]

I'm not trying to say eBay's great and wonderful, but it's really not all that bad!

I've bought and sold dozens of guitars through eBay, some ended up in face-to-face deals, but most were through the post.  I've bought from the USA and Japan loads of times, I've sold to guys in Germany, Spain, Hungary, France, Poland..... a couple of times things have gone wrong and I've had to sort them out, but nothing's ever been seriously damaged or "lost" in the post.  Ninety nine times out of a hundred, it works fine.

If you're the seller, you're doing most of the work so don't give the buyer any grounds for complaint, control all the things you can control - be honest, take good pictures, describe things accurately, answer questions (even the stupid ones), pack the things well, send them quickly.  That's all you can do.

[Ian Price]

Agree with everything Philly has said. The only thing I'd add,  and this is obvious, is that you should avoid email exchanges with people questioning what you're selling to try and get a better deal for themselves.  This happened to me with a 70s Tele. The prospective buyer tried to convince me the guitar want what I said it was and that it wasn't worth anywhere near as much as I was asking. Then came a load of abusive emails when I refused to agree to the price he was willing to pay me because he would be doing me 'a favour'. Shortly after that I blocked him.

A few weeks later I sold the guitar for the price I wanted to someone in Norway. I've been an ebayer for years abd that was by far the worst experience.

[JimmyMoorby]

I'm not trying to say eBay's great and wonderful, but it's really not all that bad!

I've bought and sold dozens of guitars through eBay, some ended up in face-to-face deals, but most were through the post.  I've bought from the USA and Japan loads of times, I've sold to guys in Germany, Spain, Hungary, France, Poland..... a couple of times things have gone wrong and I've had to sort them out, but nothing's ever been seriously damaged or "lost" in the post.  Ninety nine times out of a hundred, it works fine.

If you're the seller, you're doing most of the work so don't give the buyer any grounds for complaint, control all the things you can control - be honest, take good pictures, describe things accurately, answer questions (even the stupid ones), pack the things well, send them quickly.  That's all you can do.

Good to hear that. I think most people dont have problems but ive heard of headstocks snapping in the post and people sending empty cases etc and this is from people I know BUT those people still continue to buy and sell through ebay so maybe they just put it down to one of those things??  Some thing ill never do any way but id get too emotional if any thing went wrong

Most people are alright on ebay though.

I remember some clown threatened me over ebay and from his name he was clearly eastern european which I only bring up because of what he said to me'  He said the parcel was lost and despite my advice refused to go to the post office to check....it ended up coming back to me I told him this and he said  'Typical English person and typical of this Country you blame every one else but your self how do I know if I dont get parcel I should pick it up at post office?  Stupid Country.  You can keep the money but I know where you live'.

Reported it to ebay thinking theyd kick him off but they never did.  Not really bothered personally but could really upset some one.  Just thought id share that random and pointless story any way!  Not much doing at work

[Jamie89]

Going nicely on gumtree so far. Just about sold 3 guitars, still another 7 to go though as well as two heads a 4x12 and a 2x12 Hurts enough selling my babies without the extra stress of selling over the net. I could always take them to cash converters and get half of what they are actually worth... Would be pretty funny seeing my Jem racked up with the generic shite guitars you get there!

[mrkensei]

Maybe a bit late to the party but Uk guitar/amp/gear exchange  on facebook is fantastic for moving gear.

[Lew]

I stick it on eBay and add 10% more than the price I have it on the forums for.