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Sell Your Gear in Chicago: Stores That Buy & Trade
7 stores in Chicago, Illinois show real evidence of buying, trading, or consigning used gear — 7 with it confirmed on the store's own site — guitars, basses, amps, pedals, the lot. The process is the easy part: walk in with the instrument, let their buyer look it over, get a quote — usually one number for cash and a higher one for trade credit (shops often go around 20% higher in credit, since it keeps the money in the building). The part worth doing right is the comparison: with 7 buying stores in town, a second quote is a short drive away, and it's the single best negotiating tool you have. Stores are ranked below by local reputation (rating weighted by review count), and where players' reviews talk about trade-ins and offers, the quote is shown — that's the reputation you're choosing between.
4. Rock N Roll Vintage & Synth City
4.7 ★★★★★ 191 reviews
“Recently sold some guitars and bought a new one here. The experience was great from start to finish. Heith gladly looked at my modest instruments and offered me exactly what I was…” — Brett
6. The Chicago Electric Piano Co.
4.7 ★★★★★ 46 reviews
7. Rare Birds Music
5 ★★★★★ 39 reviews
“I got my Taylor set up at Rare Birds. The guitar tech did a wonderful job setting the action and neck relief, and left the guitar sparkling clean too. Very fair prices, and Brian…” — John
Selling gear in Chicago: the short checklist
- Call before you carry. "Do you buy used gear, and is your buyer in today?" takes thirty seconds. Some shops quote any hour they're open; at others, the person who writes the numbers keeps their own schedule.
- Show up with the sellable version. Wipe it down, fresh strings if it's a guitar, original parts back on (bring any swapped parts in the case pocket — they count), and bring the case. Clean, original, and cased is gear the shop can hang tomorrow, and the quote says so.
- Know your number before they say theirs. Look up what your model actually sells for used, then expect the offer to land well below it — that gap is the shop's margin and risk, not an insult. Roughly half to two-thirds of street value is normal territory; fast-moving models quote at the high end.
- Ask for both numbers. Cash and trade credit — the credit number is usually meaningfully higher (around 20% more is common). If your next purchase is inevitable anyway, credit is the better math; if you just want out, take the cash.
- Get the second quote. 7 stores in town buy gear, and they know it. "Any room on that?" plus a competing number across town is the entire negotiation — polite, expected, and it works. For high-end or vintage pieces, also ask about consignment: slower money, but usually more of it.
Sell your gear near Chicago
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