Guitars and amplifiers sell on maker and date. Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Guild and Rickenbacker guitars have a strong market, and the serial number, usually on the headstock or inside the body, dates the instrument. Original finish, original parts and the original case all matter: a refinished or modified guitar sells for noticeably less than the same model left alone, so don't refinish or swap parts before selling.
Band instruments have a steady student and pro market. Flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and trombones by Yamaha, Selmer, Buffet, Bach, Conn and King resell well, and a few professional models, such as older Selmer saxophones, are sought after on their own. Dents, missing mouthpieces and stuck valves or keys lower the price, and we photograph them rather than hide them.
Violins need care with names. Thousands of violins carry a label reading Stradivarius or another famous maker; almost all are factory instruments made in Germany, Bohemia or elsewhere in the late 1800s and 1900s, copying the label along with the design. They still sell as student and player instruments, but the label alone means nothing, and the listing will not repeat it as fact. If a string instrument might be important, we will say it needs a specialist luthier or auction house.
Pianos are the honest exception. Most older uprights, spinets and consoles have little or no resale value, and moving one properly costs money. Grand pianos from makers such as Steinway, Mason & Hamlin and Baldwin can be worth selling, and the serial number inside the case dates them. We will tell you at the walkthrough which kind you have before anyone pays to move it.
Guitars, band instruments and violins ship well, so they are listed on eBay and our own shop for buyers across the country. Pianos and organs sell locally, collected by the buyer's movers.
What we will not claim.
We describe an instrument from what we can see and photograph. We will not say it plays well, holds tune or needs no work unless you tell us so, and the listing will say exactly that. Keep cases, bows, mouthpieces, straps and any receipts or repair records with the instrument; they help it sell.
What the family receives.
- ✓A free walkthrough, or a first look from photos of the instrument, its labels and serial number
- ✓A written quote before any work starts
- ✓Each instrument identified by maker and serial number, with the case kept with it
- ✓An honest view on pianos and organs before anyone pays to move them
- ✓Prices researched against sold listings for the same model
- ✓Guitars, band instruments and violins shipped to buyers nationwide
- ✓No playing claims you have not made
Why VaultXL.
Serial numbers, not stories
We date guitars, pianos and band instruments from their serial numbers and marks.
Labels are not makers
A Stradivarius label is described as a label. A name goes in the title only when the instrument supports it.
Straight talk about pianos
If an old upright will cost more to move than it will sell for, you hear that first.
Left original
We never refinish, re-fret or swap parts to dress an instrument up. Collectors pay for original.
Where we serve.
Charlotte · Myers Park · Eastover · SouthPark · Foxcroft · Dilworth · Elizabeth · Cotswold · Ballantyne · Huntersville · Cornelius · Davidson · Matthews · Mint Hill · Waxhaw · Fort Mill · Rock Hill
Start with a walkthrough.
A free walkthrough in your home, then a written quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked.
Most older uprights, spinets and consoles sell for little or nothing, and moving them costs money. Good grand pianos by makers such as Steinway, Mason & Hamlin and Baldwin can be worth selling. The maker and serial number tell us which.
Almost certainly not. Factory makers copied the label along with the design for well over a century. It can still be a good player's violin, and we sell it as what it is. If something about it suggests otherwise, we will refer you to a specialist.
Fresh strings are fine. Avoid refinishing, replacing parts or anything that changes the guitar, because original condition is what collectors pay for.
Yes. Student and intermediate instruments from good makers resell steadily, especially with their cases. We photograph every dent and missing part so the buyer knows exactly what arrives.
Every project is quoted in writing after a free walkthrough: a non-refundable setup fee set in your quote, and 15% of what sells after marketplace fees. You keep 85%.
