Quick Answer (30-Second Read)

Your best selling option depends on three factors: timeline, guitar value, and effort tolerance.

Decision tree:

• Need money within 24 hours → Pawn shop

• Guitar worth under $500 → Pawn shop or Guitar Center

• Have 60+ days + guitar worth $500-2,000 → eBay/Reverb

• Vintage worth $1,500+, want payment in days → Specialist dealer

• High-end ($5,000+), can wait 2-3 months → Consignment

The Complete Comparison Table

When to Use Each Option

Use Pawn Shop When:

If ANY of these apply:

1. You need cash within hours (rent due, emergency)

2. Guitar is worth under $500

3. Convenience matters more than money

4. You don't care about maximizing value

What pawn shops actually pay:

• Guitar worth $500 → Expect $150-250 cash

• Guitar worth $1,000 → Expect $300-500 cash

• Guitar worth $2,000 → Expect $600-1,000 cash

Math: 30-50% of actual value

✅ Good choice if:

• Emergency financial need (bills due tomorrow)

• Guitar is common/low value

• Zero time flexibility

• You value speed over money

❌ Bad choice if:

• Guitar might be valuable/vintage (get appraisal first)

• You have ANY time flexibility (3-5 days gets 2-3x more)

• Guitar is worth over $1,000

• Not genuine emergency

Critical: If your guitar is pre-1980 Fender, Gibson, or Martin, do NOT go to pawn shop first. Get free expert appraisal. Difference could be thousands.

Use eBay/Reverb When:

If ALL of these apply:

1. You have 60-120 days to wait

2. Guitar is worth $500-3,000

3. You can handle:

   • Taking 10+ quality photos

   • Writing detailed descriptions

   • Packing and shipping ($100-250 cost)

   • Answering buyer questions daily

   • Potential returns or disputes

4. You want 85-90% of retail value

The real math:

Example: $2,000 guitar on Reverb

• Sale price: $2,000

• Reverb fees (8%): -$160

• Shipping + insurance: -$150

• Net to you: $1,690 (84.5%)

• Your time: 15+ hours

• Average days to sell: 60-90

Compare to specialist dealer:

• Offer: $1,500 (75%)

• Fees: $0

• Shipping: $0

• Net to you: $1,500

• Your time: 1 hour

• Payment: 3-5 days

Tradeoff: $190 more for 60 extra days + 14 hours work

✅ Good choice if:

• Common guitar with 50+ sold comps

• You're comfortable with technology

• Can take professional-quality photos

• Don't mind 60-120 day timeline

• Willing to handle shipping/returns

❌ Bad choice if:

• Timeline pressure (estate, moving, bills)

• Guitar has condition issues (hard to convey online)

• Can't take good photos

• Don't want to deal with lowball offers

• Uncomfortable shipping expensive items

Reality check: ~40% of Reverb listings never sell (overpriced, poor photos, or nobody wants it at that price)

Use Specialist Vintage Dealer When:

If MOST of these apply:

1. Vintage Fender, Gibson, or Martin pre-1980

2. Guitar is worth $1,500 or more

3. You want 65-80% of value in 3-7 days (not 3 months)

4. You need expert authentication

5. Timeline pressure (estate, moving, financial need)

6. You want certainty (no deal falling through)

7. Don't want shipping risk

What specialist dealers actually pay:

Timeline: 3-5 days from contact to cash in hand

Example: $5,000 vintage Stratocaster

Option A: Sell to Edgewater

• Offer: $3,750 (75%)

• Timeline: 5 days

• Your effort: 1 hour

• Risk: Zero

Option B: Sell on Reverb

• Potential sale: $4,500

• Reverb fees: -$360

• Shipping: -$150

• Net: $3,990 (79.8%)

• Timeline: 90 days average

• Your effort: 15 hours

• Risk: Might not sell, buyer could return, shipping damage

Difference: $240 more on Reverb for 85 extra days + 14 extra hours

✅ Good choice if:

• Peace of mind worth more than extra 10-15%

• Timeline matters (estate, moving, bills)

• Don't want shipping risk

• Need authentication/expertise

• Want guaranteed payment

❌ Skip dealers if:

• Modern guitars under $1,000 (Reverb better)

• Mass-produced instruments (not specialty)

• You have 3+ months and want absolute maximum

• Guitar is worth under $1,500

Use Consignment When:

If ALL of these apply:

1. Guitar is worth $5,000 or more

2. You can wait 30-90 days (no time pressure)

3. You want 80-90% of sale price

4. Guitar is highly desirable (not common)

5. Top shops: Carter Vintage (15% commission), Gruhn's (~20%)

The consignment math:

$10,000 guitar on consignment:

• Sale price: $10,000

• Commission (15%): -$1,500

• You receive: $8,500 (85%)

• Timeline: 30-90 days average

• Effort: Low

vs. Selling outright to dealer:

• Offer: ~$7,000 (70%)

• You receive: $7,000

• Timeline: 3-5 days

• Effort: Very low

Tradeoff: Extra $1,500 for 2-3 month wait

At higher values, this math makes more sense.

❌ Skip consignment if:

• Guitar worth under $3,000 (commission not worth wait)

• Any timeline pressure

• Common model (may sit months or never sell)

• You need certainty

Decision Framework (Choose Your Path)

Step 1: How fast do you need money?

Step 2: How much is your guitar actually worth?

Step 3: What's your effort tolerance?

Step 4: Is it vintage or rare?

Step 5: Speed vs maximum dollar?

How to Protect Yourself From Getting Ripped Off

Get Multiple Offers (Always)

Minimum: Get 3 offers before selling

1. Pawn shop offer (baseline)

2. Specialist dealer offer (fair market)

3. Research Reverb sold prices (max potential)

Compare total value:

• Factor in timeline (days vs months)

• Factor in effort (hours of work)

• Factor in fees (shipping, platform fees)

• Factor in certainty (guaranteed vs might not sell)

Red Flags to Watch For

🚩 "Need answer RIGHT NOW"

• Legitimate buyers give you time

• Pressure = lowball

🚩 Way below market without explanation

• If significantly below, ask why

• Should explain based on condition, market

🚩 Won't explain valuation

• Transparent buyers show their work

• "That's just what it's worth" isn't explanation

🚩 Extreme variation between offers

• One offer 50% lower than others = question it

• Could mean guitar rarer than you thought

Do Your Own Research

Check Reverb "Sold Listings" (not asking prices):

1. Filter for SOLD items only

2. Match your exact model and condition

3. Look at recently sold (last 90 days)

4. This shows actual market value

Note: Sold listings show what people paid, not what sellers hoped

Real Seller Scenarios

Scenario 1: Emergency Cash Need

Situation: Rent due in 2 days, $600 short

Best option: Pawn shop

• Will offer $200-300 for $800 guitar

• Not ideal, but solves immediate problem

• Cash in hand today

Why not Reverb? Takes 30-90 days
Why not dealer? Might take 3-5 days (too long)

Scenario 2: Inherited Vintage Guitar, No Rush

Situation: Inherited 1963 Gibson ES-335, worth $12,000, no financial pressure

Best option: Consignment at top shop

• Can wait for right buyer

• Will get $10,000-10,500 after commission

• Maximizes value

Why not dealer? Would offer $8,000-9,000 (faster but less)
Why not Reverb? High-value guitars risky to ship yourself

Scenario 3: Estate Settlement

Situation: Estate executor, must liquidate within 30 days, 1965 Strat worth $8,000

Best option: Specialist dealer (Edgewater)

• Will offer $6,000-6,400 (75-80%)

• Payment in 3-5 days

• No effort, no shipping risk

• Certainty (estate can close)

Why not consignment? 30-90 day timeline, no guarantee
Why not Reverb? Too much effort for executor, 60-90 days

Scenario 4: Common Modern Guitar

Situation: 2015 Mexican Fender Strat, worth $600

Best option: Reverb or local sale

• Reverb: Can get $500-550 after fees

• Local: Can get $450-500, faster

• Too low value for dealer interest

Why not dealer? Modern guitars not focus
Why not pawn? Would only offer $150-250

The Bottom Line

There's no single "best" way to sell a guitar.

The right choice depends on:

• Your timeline (hours, days, or months?)

• Your guitar's value (hundreds or thousands?)

• Your effort tolerance (zero hassle or willing to work?)

• Your situation (emergency, estate, or downsizing?)

Our Commitment

At Edgewater Guitars, we give honest guidance—even when it means recommending a competitor:

• "Your guitar will do better on Reverb"

• "This isn't valuable enough for a dealer"

• "Consignment makes more sense for this"

We'd rather earn your trust than make a quick sale.

When you ARE a good fit (vintage American guitars worth $1,500+), we:

• Pay fairly (65-80% of value)

• Move quickly (3-5 days)

• Handle everything professionally

Get Your Free Appraisal

No obligation. No pressure. No games.

We'll tell you:

• What you actually have

• What it's worth today

• Best selling option for YOUR situation

• Fair offer if we're the right choice

Call (440) 219-3607 or contact us online.

You'll know exactly what you have and what your options are. Then decide what's right for you.

FAQ

How much do pawn shops pay for guitars?

Pawn shops typically pay 25-50% of actual market value. Example: Guitar worth $500 → expect $150-250 offer. Best for emergencies or low-value guitars only.

How much do vintage guitar dealers pay?

Specialist vintage dealers pay 65-80% of retail for pre-1980 American guitars (Fender, Gibson, Martin). Payment in 3-7 days. Faster than consignment/eBay but less than selling direct.

What percentage does Reverb take?

Reverb charges ~8% total (2.7% payment processing + ~5% selling fee). Plus $100-250 shipping. After all costs: 85-90% of sale price. Timeline: 30-120 days average.

When should I sell to a pawn shop?

When you need cash within hours, guitar worth under $500, or you're getting a loan (not a sale). Never for valuable/vintage guitars.

How long to sell a guitar on Reverb?

Average: 60-90 days. Range: 14-120+ days depending on desirability, pricing, photos. ~40% of listings never sell.

Consignment vs selling outright?

Consignment: For $5,000+ guitars, 30-90 day wait, 80-90% after commission (10-20%).
Outright: For need payment within week, accept 65-80% for speed and certainty.