Sell, Trade, or Consign Your Instrument at HMT!
Do you have an vintage/used instrument that you want to sell? Maybe you want to trade it towards something here at the store? Perhaps you have an instrument or piece of gear that typically sells on the market for over $1000, we may offer to consign it for you.
We are always on the lookout for used instruments in good condition!
You may drop your item off at the store anytime during our open hours. If you have more than 3 items we ask that you call first as space is limited and we may not be able to accommodate. Generally, we do not make any offers on the spot - so please be prepared to leave your item with us for evaluation. Typical turnaround is 7-10 days. You will receive a claim check for your item.
By accepting an item for evaluation, House of Musical Traditions, is in no way obligated to buy, trade, or consign and reserves the right to pass.
We do not accept items for sale/trade/consignment that would need to be shipped to us.
Consigned items are typically sale ready at the time an offer is made. If repairs are recommended, we will require the consignor to pay for repair costs before the instrument is put on consignment. Please see our Repairs page for basic rates on some repairs.
Instruments must be left on consignment for a minimum of 30 days. After 30 days, the consignor may reclaim the instrument if they wish (please call HMT first to make sure the instrument is still there and hasn't recently sold). HMT may request that the consignor pick up their instrument, and/or recommend that the price be lowered in some cases if the instrument does not sell. If we want you to retrieve the instrument but we are unable to contact you after repeated attempts over a 90-day period, ownership of the instrument reverts to us.
We are required by Montgomery County law to report secondhand personal property acquisitions to the county police, to prevent the sale of stolen property. When dropping off an item for consideration, you will be asked for a photo ID (drivers license or passport) which will be scanned and submitted to Montgomery County's secondhand property database.
Estate Sales:
Our store has assisted with the sale of many larger estate collections of musical instruments & equipment, both in the DMV area and beyond. If you need help selling a larger collection of instruments from a family estate, please contact us (preferably by email). On-site visits for evaluation may be possible in the DC/MD/Northern VA areas.
Payment
Consignments are paid 30 days after the instrument sells. Payment will be mailed in the form of a check to the consignor, or electronically by Paypal or direct bank transfer. If the consignor would prefer to pick up their check in person, they must contact HMT first. It is the consignor's responsibility to notify HMT if contact information has changed.
Web sales
HMT may choose to advertise a consigned instrument on our website, and/or in our Reverb or eBay store. If the instrument sells on Reverb or eBay, we will deduct those service's listing/selling fees from the consignor's net (these range from 5-10% depending on the listing type). Listing on these services greatly increases the chances of sale. HMT handles all listing preparation, research, photography, communication with buyers, packing and shipping.
HMT will not be responsible for minor damage to the instrument due to normal environmental changes (fluctuation in temperature and humidity due to the change of seasons). In the case of partial or complete loss due to accident, we will either cover the repairs or purchase the instrument from you at the rate of 70% of your lowest acceptable price as stated on the consignment ticket.
Please contact us if you have any other questions!