Sell & Trade Your Vintage & Used Gear

Do you have musical instruments and related gear that you would like to sell or trade-in for an upgrade?

CME Buried In Gear - Nathaniel
CME Buried In Gear - Laurel
CME Buried In Gear - Scott

Are you Buried In Gear? Help us help you by selling, trading in, or consigning your gear to Chicago Music Exchange today!

We have a dedicated purchasing team to make selling, trading, or consigning your Vintage & Used instruments quick and transparent. And it’s easy too!

Whether it’s one vintage guitar or a whole collection of vintage, mint condition, or well-loved gear, we’re prepared to make you a fair offer based on the current market value. We’ve been buying new, used, and vintage guitars from all over the U.S. since the 1990s (that’s right, before the internet!), so we’ve got the process down. 

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WHAT'S NEXT? IT'S EASY!

Just fill out the form below to submit your vintage gear and Daniel, Mike, or Dan will be in touch with you very soon!

About You
Instrument Info
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CME SELL, TRADE, & CONSIGNMENT - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How Did You Figure Out The Offer?
We buy and sell hundreds of guitars, pedals, and amps a month, so we already have a pretty good idea what this stuff is worth. But just to be sure, we research the current market every time we quote anything and we offer as much as we can for every piece. Although online marketplaces like Reverb and publications like the Vintage Guitar Price Guide are great tools that we use every day, there is nothing more valuable than our own sales data. We consider all those resources and we offer between 60%-70% of what we think the resale price is for most guitars and basses, and 50%-60% for most amplifiers, synths/keyboards, pedals, and most electronics.

Why Do You Pay Less For Amps & Pedals?
The cost associated with selling and shipping these categories is typically significantly higher than with guitars and basses. Because of this, we simply need to buy them for less in order for it to make sense.

Do You Pay More If I Trade?
We don’t want to ever pressure anyone into a transaction of any kind, so we already offer the most we possibly can up front, regardless if it’s a trade or straight sell. Keep in mind that if you are physically in the store and you are trading towards something that is also in the store, you will get a tax credit on top of your offers.

How Long Does It Take For Me To Get A Quote?
Our offers are very fair, so we are very popular! The buying team gets between 50-150 emails a day with clients looking to sell or trade! We always try our hardest to get back to people within 24 hours, but sometimes it can take longer. Thank you in advance for your patience!

How does shipping work?
In this industry, shipping is typically the responsibility of the seller, but we can provide prepaid and insured shipping labels for a flat fee for most but not all items. We do not provide labels for larger amps or most pedals.

How Do I Ship A Guitar Safely?
We’ve put together a great video to show this. Check it out here! 

*Please keep in mind that during the colder months, we wait at least 24 hours to open boxes to not shock and potentially damage items.

How Does Payment Work?
If you’re physically in our store, we research the market, make you an offer, and if you accept it, we either trade or cut you a check on the spot after inspecting and assessing the items.

If you’re shipping the gear to us, once the item is received and inspected (typically within one to three business days of delivery), we can either pay via a mailed company check or Paypal. We cannot do “friends and family” payments via Paypal, so a small Paypal fee (typically 3%) may apply as well as whatever income taxes you may have to pay (which changes from state to state and also can change from year to year.)

How Long Does It Take To Get My Payment?
We receive between 20-60 boxes a day, so it typically takes us between one to two business days to get to a box, open it, receive the items into our system, and get them thoroughly inspected by our techs. (Add one business day to that if it's during the very cold months to let the box acclimate before we open it.) Once that happens, the payment is usually initiated the same day. If a check is being mailed out, it may take up to 10 business days to arrive, but typically it’s significantly less. If payment was arranged via Paypal, it's typically instantaneous, but that all depends on many factors beyond our control that are typically related to the account holder and Paypal.

What Happens If My Check Gets Lost In The Mail?
No worries! After we wait the appropriate time to make sure the payment did indeed get lost, we simply stop-payment the original check and send you another one. Most checks arrive between 3-5 business days, but sometimes it can take up to 10 (or two weeks).

Is Their Any Gear That You Don't Buy?
Although we sometimes make exceptions, here are some categories that we typically avoid buying:
- Very large and inexpensive amplifiers or keyboards
- Inexpensive solid state practice amps
- Very inexpensive pedals
- Pedal boards
- Pedal power supplies (especially if they don’t include everything they came with)
- Accessories like stands, headstock tuners, cables, etc.
- Loose cases and gig bags-woodwind, brass, or orchestral instruments
- DJ equipment and lighting
- Most pro audio and recording equipment (with exceptions)
- Instruments that require a lot of work to be functional
- Many inexpensive entry level instruments that simply do not have very much resale value

Do You Need Something From Me Before We Transact?
By law, we need a copy/picture of your photo ID before we can do a transaction of any kind. This is because we are required by law to report all transactions to law enforcement via LeadsOnline. As a result, we can only cut checks to the names as they appear on the photo ID.

Do You Offer Appraisals For Insurance?
No we do not, but we can recommend a couple options.

What If I Decide I'm Not Ready To Transact But Decide To Do It Down The Road?
Our offers are typically good as long as the market doesn’t change drastically and we still have a need for the gear. Please contact us and we can research the market again.

Do You Do Consignments?
Yes we do! We typically prefer to buy outright, but there are some occasions when consigning makes more sense. Details can be discussed once we receive information on the items you’re looking to sell through our online form. Our consignment commission is a sliding scale based on what we think the item is realistically worth and can be seen below:

- $1-$5K = 30%
- $5.1K-$50K = 20%
- $50.1K-$100K = 15%
- $100.1K and up = 10%

Do You Buy Collections?
All the time! Multiple times a year, in fact. We love collections. Depending on the size and value of the collection, we can even arrange transportation. We've picked up collections from Florida, Georgia, Texas, New York, Boston, Arizona, Colorado, Californa, and all over the Midwest. Please call or email us at vintagebuyers@chicagomusicexchange.com to discuss.

Do You Buy Internationally?
Unfortunately, due to negative experiences beyond our control (primarily with shipping companies), we are not buying internationally until further notice. Thanks for understanding.

*For any trade or selling transactions at Chicago Music Exchange, due to the potentially sensitive nature of some of the finish materials used on instruments and the pending weather factor changes, we will typically wait up to 24 hours to open the gear sent to us. Then another 24-48 hours to process the instrument. We appreciate your patience!

*Due to unpredictable taxes and duties, CME typically does not purchase internationally.

*And when it comes time to ship vintage and used instruments we can help make it easy, safe, and painless! Check out our guide on How to Ship A Guitar!

Nathaniel 'Elvis' Murphy Takes You Through Selling & Trading at CME!

Whether it’s one vintage guitar or a whole collection of vintage, mint condition, or well-loved gear, we’re prepared to make you a fair offer based on the current market value. We’ve been buying new, used, and vintage guitars from all over the U.S. since the 1990s (that’s right, before the internet!), so we’ve got the process down. 

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SELL & TRADE REVIEWS

Kim V. - 2/2/23

"Such a great place! Daniel and Dan were so wonderful explaining the process of selling my guitar thoroughly. They handled an emotional sale with grace and compassion. I also observed the other interactions between staff and customers and was impressed with their friendliness and knowledge. I would recommend the store and the entire staff for all your music needs." 

Greg E. - 9/2/23

"I worked with Mike L. and Wrenn to trade in three bases and get one in return + cash. Both were fantastic and the process was super smooth, especially considering the complexity of the deal. This was my second time dealing with CME and I am now officially going to use them for everything I need. Can’t say enough about this shop and I have dealt with hundreds of guitar stores - CME really is the best." 

Dominic D. - 5/15/23

"They helped to make it a really easy and enjoyable experience. It was my first time at the shop and in Chicago and everything was great. I was really blown away by the service and selection and ended up getting two guitars that I had been eyeing for a while. I’ll definitely be back soon with some more gear." 

Tom W. - 2/22/20

"I have purchased lots of guitar gear from this store. They have an amazing selection, the staff is really knowledgeable, and their trade in policy is very fair compared to other companies I have dealt with. I just recently bought a Friedman Runt 50 and hope to make additional purchases when things open back up. I always suggest going during the week and early during the day. It gets really busy on the weekends and it is hard to find an empty room to try out equipment. They also are willing to offer deals with certain products. I can't recommend this store enough."

Josh R. - 3/26/24

"It was a pleasure working with CME, the experience was friendly and professional." 

Alison A. - 4/01/24

"Thanks for making it so painless!" 

Randy H. - 4/27/23

"That was the best trade-in deal I've ever had. Makes it worth not messing around with selling online." 

H. R. - 2/4/14

"I was heading up to Chicago for various reasons, and I was looking to sell/trade a few guitars I had. I emailed them ahead of time and had it somewhat worked out.I probably could have made more money by selling them on Craigslist or ebay, but I honestly tried for a long time, and I had no buyers. So after some thought, these guys were willing to step up and make the trade for an item I wanted, so I went for it. 

So when I arrived they checked out the items I brought and all was well. It took awhile because it was on Saturday and they were busy. I got my paper work and they shipped me the item (It was out of stock everywhere). They also shipped me a gig bag for free. Zero money was exchanged. 

I was very happy with the deal, I initially felt like I could be getting ripped off, but no one was making me do the deal. I could have said no, and again I tried to sell the items but they were just not selling. So I felt I got a good deal, because I wanted the item, and they made it happen. The next time you want something there, try doing a trade? They maybe able to help you.

Also, just a word on the store. WOW. I mean WOW. You do not see collections like this anywhere. It is really unbelievable and overwhelming. Everyone I dealt with or spoke to was nice and polite. I didn't like how you would have to go in a little room to plug in the electrics to play them, but I get it.

If you are a fan of music and guitars, go to this place, it is like a dream come true!

Eddie C. - 1/27/23

"I have bought 2 vintage guitars from them and have come in many times. I really like that they have booths where you can test out gear. It's also great you don't need to hear really awful guitar playing blasting in the background especially guitars that are woefully out of tune!

The store is boutique and high end. They not only have great guitars but really nice boutique amps and pedals as well. I love the fact that they actually let you try vintage instruments. Most of the guitars here would be behind a glass at big box stores.

The last guitar I bought was a 1955 Gibson LP Jr. It was amazing that they had 2 50s Juniors and I actually got to play both and pick the one that was right for me. Interestingly, they actually sounded quite different and definitely had a really different neck profile. There are maybe a handful of stores in the country with the amount of stock and inventory on vintage instruments and happy to have one in Chicago!"

Josh D. - 2/27/21

"Traded in for a Custom Shop Duotone strat 2012. I have never been this impressed with a guitar within a few hours of playing it. Guitar was packaged and shipped with extra care. Scott, Jason, Karl, and Jon were a huge help throughout the trade process. You definitely get the best trade in value for your used instruments here. Kind, caring, and helpful staff. Willing to go the extra mile for the customer if you need it. Highly recommend Chicago Music Exchange."

Nick “Nicko” J. - 2/17/22

"One of (if not) the best guitar stores I’ve ever been too. Great customer service. Great selection. Great prices. Great trade in values. And you can play any guitar here from the 100 dollar to 30000 dollar range. Simply do yourself a favor and stop on in!"

Aaron L. - 3/11/18

"Unreal selection of guitars new, used, and vintage, as well as a large inventory of effects pedals. And a separate space for percussion.

Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I brought in some used gear to sell and they were honest about what they could offer, and what they would sell it for. Even recommended I just list a few things myself on reverb.com to get a better price.

The acoustic room here is unlike any I've seen. HUGE inventory of vintage Gibson's and Martin's, plus pretty much everything else. If you are looking for a cheap starter guitar, CME is NOT the place for you. But if you are looking for an awesome vintage guitar and are willing to pay a bit for it, spend and hour here and find one that sings to you.

Pierre W. - 4/2/24

"I told all my friends to come to you guys if theyre selling or buying. You guys are excellent!"

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VAULT AT CHICAGO MUSIC EXCHANGE! 

Do you have a piece of gear worthy of the vault?! Call us at (773) 525-7773 or chat us on our website and we can help present your gear in a truly amazing experience for musicians and collectors that come to Chicago Music Exchange from all over the world!

LEARN MORE HERE!

If you have additional questions regarding the sale or trade process, or if you would like to get the ball rolling, call, email, fill out our form, or stop by and visit us in the showroom anytime.

We look forward to meeting you!

-The team at the Chicago Music Exchange

Contact us to discuss your collection today (773)-525-7773 or email us!

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