Will Tone Tailors Buy My Gear?
Do you have GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)? Tone Tailors can offer relief! But seriously, buying and trading music gear is sometimes half the fun of being a musician. Everyone loves trading up into bigger, better pieces of equipment; especially if you’ve got heaps of gear hanging around the fringes of your studio or practice space. Whether you want to declutter or combine the value of your unused gear into a high-end purchase, this blog will fill you in on how Tone Tailors handles trades and used gear purchases:
How to Prepare to Sell Your Gear:
As a brick-and-mortar shop, we see our fair share of walk-in “street buys” as we call them. Maybe you have a grocery bag of pedals or an old, brown Gibson hardshell case (please be a goldtop, please be a goldtop!) In any case, someone will always be at the front counter to check out your used gear and start the process of finding its value. With that said, here’s how you can prepare to sell your gear at Tone Tailors:
STEP 1: Inspect & Test Gear
If possible, you should always test your gear to the best of your ability so you’re not caught off guard if something doesn’t seem quite right. Trust us, we’ll find that scratchy pot or loose jack! Be sure to note any structural damage to guitars or any mechanical issues with pedals. However if you’re not quite sure, our on-site guitar techs can test things like pickup output, truss rod movement, or hardware functionality.
STEP 2: Find Estimated Value
It’s fairly simple to calculate what you will receive for your used gear. For total transparency, we used sites like Reverb or Ebay and check for closed listings of the gear you’d like to sell. Then, given the item’s condition we usually offer 50-60% of those previously sold listings. Although this rate is subject to change, we will always give you an honest price for what your gear is worth!
STEP 3: Payment or Store Credit
Tone Tailors offers checks or store credit as payment options for your gear. If you want to take the money and run, be our guest. However! If you want to apply your payment toward a new piece of gear it works like this:
We subtract your payment from the cost of your purchase, only taxing the remainder. As a result, you are able to save more than if you were to buy the same item elsewhere at full retail pricing. That’s why it pays to trade with us! Please be aware that we only accept purchases from those 18 years and older, with a legal form of identification.
Buying vs. Consignment
Tone Tailors also offers consignment sales for customers looking to sell high-end or rare instruments and gear that lists for over $2,000. With this option, we offer 70% to you after the new owner’s return window closes (14 days.) This can be a better option not only for a higher payment, but because Tone Tailors will handle all the documentation of your instrument, fielding buyers’ questions, and shipping it with the utmost care.
Essentially, you drop off your gear and come back for the check without any of the hassle! Additionally, your instrument is monitored and insured while at our shop so there is no risk to you.
What Won’t Tone Tailors Buy?
Generally, we stick to buying guitars, basses, pedals, pedalboards, amps, and select drum equipment. We’re also open to pro audio like microphones, rack style units, mixers, keyboards and synths, or interfaces. However, keep in mind that if we can’t test your gear it’s not likely we will buy it. Additionally, if your gear is not fully functional it will not be purchased. That is of course if you’re not offended by us buying it for parts only; just don’t expect top-dollar!
Now that you know how to sell used gear at Tone Tailors, come on in and bring us all you’ve got! If it’s too cumbersome to bring into the shop, email our sales manager Glenn (glenn@tonetailors.com) and send him photos and the relevant information.
