Selling a good guitar privately sounds simple enough until you're the one doing it: photographing every angle, writing an honest description, fielding messages from tyre-kickers, negotiating on price, then packing and shipping the thing without it coming back damaged. Consignment exists to take that whole process off your hands, and it's one of the services we offer at Acoustic Centre. Here's exactly what to expect if you go down that path with us.

Consignment vs trade-in

Before anything else, it's worth understanding the two options. A trade-in is quick: we make you an offer, and if you accept, the guitar becomes ours and you're paid straight away, often against a new instrument. Consignment is slower but usually returns more money, because we sell the guitar on your behalf and you receive the proceeds once it sells. We don't buy guitars outright outside of trade-in, so for most quality instruments, the choice comes down to trade-in for speed and certainty, or consignment for a better return over a longer timeframe.

How the process works

• Submit your details. You start by sending us photos, specifications, and any known history or past repairs through our appraisal form.
• We assess your guitar. Our team reviews the instrument and lets you know whether consignment or trade-in makes more sense for that particular guitar.
• We prepare and present it. If consignment is the right fit, your guitar is set up, restrung and serviced, then professionally photographed with listing copy written by our team.
• We handle the sale. We manage enquiries, negotiate with buyers, take payment, and arrange insured shipping to the new owner.
• You get paid. Once the guitar has safely reached the buyer, payment is made to you by bank transfer within seven days.

What's included, and what it costs

Our consignment fee is a straightforward 25% of the final sale price, inclusive of tax, and it covers everything: setup and servicing, professional photography and advertising, shipping and insurance, and all payment processing and finance fees (credit card, PayPal, Afterpay, Zip and so on). There's nothing extra to budget for once your guitar is listed. We do have a minimum sale price of $2,500 for consignment instruments, so it suits quality acoustic guitars rather than budget or beginner models, which are usually better served by a trade-in.

Why consign through a specialist rather than sell it yourself

The appeal of doing it yourself is avoiding a fee, but it comes at a real cost in time, effort and risk. As a specialist acoustic dealer, we put your guitar in front of buyers who are already looking for exactly that kind of instrument, rather than scrolling past it on a general marketplace. Every consigned guitar is properly set up and photographed before it goes anywhere, which matters enormously to a serious buyer, and we handle the awkward parts privately: enquiries, negotiation, payment security, and the genuinely nerve-wracking job of packing and shipping a valuable instrument.

If your guitar needs work first

Sometimes a guitar needs a repair or some restoration before it's ready to list. If that's the case, we'll talk you through what's needed and can organise the work through our trusted repair partners, so it's presented at its best before it goes up for sale.

Getting started

If you've got a guitar you're thinking about moving on, the first step is simply telling us about it. Head to our Sell Your Guitar page, send through some photos and details, and we'll come back to you with honest advice on the best way forward, whether that's a trade-in, consignment, or just some guidance on what your guitar is worth. You can also read more about how our consignment service works.