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Thread: Consignment Advice

  1. #1

    Default Consignment Advice

    I understand that some musical instrument stores/Cafe sponsors are willing to take mandolins and sell them on consignment. Seems like I remember seeing a store or two looking for instruments to consign but can't recall which ones.

    I'd imagine the consignment route skims a lot off of the net return to the seller. Seems like it might be worth at least something though, to avoid dealing with tire kickers, packing, insuring, potential shipping hassles, returns etc.

    Never sold a mandolin. Not sure I even want to at this point, but wondering about options. Does anyone here have any experience selling a mandolin this way? Any advice about which stores are best to deal with? If and when an instrument sells, which entity is rightly responsible to settle up with the Cafe? Would a consignment sale create some conflict of interest with this site I haven't considered?

    Thanks for any thoughts/advice.
    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

  2. #2

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    As far as commissions go, they are in the 20-25% range typically. You have to decide if the reduced hassle and enhanced marketing are worth that.

    I have sold guitars on the Acoustic Guitar Forum with good success, but also sold a "vintage" Fender Jazzmaster via consignment at Willies American Guitars, and that was a good choice for me also for various reasons. Back then, Willies only charged 18% too!

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  4. #3
    not a donut Kevin Winn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I think standard consignment fee is 20%, which sounds like a lot until you figure in things like shipping, insurance, ebay/reverb/paypal fees, etc. I recently sold a mandolin through The Music Emporium, after trying ads here and on Reverb. I can highly recommend at least getting in touch with them and asking about your options. One of the options they offered was simply to buy the instrument from me for 80% of market value, which I took. It was very simple. I sent them the mandolin and they sent me a check and I was done.

    If the instrument is of higher value, what I found was that buyers were (understandably) hesitant to hand over several thousand $ to a private party. I tried selling for over a month with just a few tire-kickers. Once I did the transaction with TME and they got it up on their site, the mando was gone in a few days.

    Even if they don't purchase the mandolin outright, the 20% consignment cost is not much more than you would lose doing it all yourself, and saves an enormous amount of hassle. And dealing with any of the sponsor shops here would be safe.
    "Keep your hat on, we may end up miles from here..." - Kurt Vonnegut

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  6. #4
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Consigning an instrument is much less work than selling privately. If you consign with an established shop with a good reputation, they do all the work and take all the risk. Ask if they have insurance, though.

    20% is still the standard rate among most of the better stores, although there are a few that take more. Some shops charge a lower rate for very expensive instruments.
    Some stores also charge a listing fee.

    Most of the better stores will require that the instrument be brought up to optimum playing condition, and that any necessary repairs be completed before the instrument is listed. You will be responsible for the cost of any set-up or repair fees. If you have a good local repair person, their rates on set-up and repairs may be more favorable than those of the consigning store.

    My personal experience has been that some of the better shops can sometimes get a higher price for a good instrument than can be realized from a private sale. If they are able to get 20% more than I can get on a private sale, I'm very happy.

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  8. #5
    Registered User Denis Kearns's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I sold an “excess” Weber mandolin through Bruce’s Weber and it was very reasonable (it was an f-hole Yellowstone F and I’m more partial to the o-hole models). He even helped by providing a cheaper shipping rate to ship the instrument to his place in Montana. See details at montanalutherie.com. NFI on my part. Bruce is great to work with.

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  10. #6
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I recently consigned at the Music Emporium. They charge 20%, but my feeling was that they probably get a 10% (or more) premium on price due to the comfort of buying through a reputable dealer, and all the aggravation and hassle avoided has value. They pay the Cafe fees if they sell through the cafe. The experience was not 100% flawless but I felt that I was treated fairly and I would do it again. The shop may need to see the instrument before setting a price - I was able to walk in (with an appointment) with mine, but depending on your geography you might need to ship before the deal is finalized. The shop should give the instrument a good going over - to me there is also value in knowing that I am not selling an instrument with hidden flaws - in my case they found a hairline crack in the nut which I was not aware of, which they took care of (at my expense). I think minor setup and restringing is "free" (included in their percentage). Music Emporium policies to be aware of include: minimum value of $2500; and payment to you within 30 days of sale by them.

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  12. #7
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I have sold both privately and consigned. One store I like charged the usual consignment fee but then also took out Reverb fees additionally. I would check to make sure what the actually cost would be if and when sold. Many of the bigger shops will get higher prices and will also negotiate for you. They will also contact you if there is an offer.
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  14. #8

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Thank you all very much for the replies. Some great info there and some important points to consider.
    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

  15. #9
    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I, too, have found that the one shop I do consignment sales with tends to get considerably more for the instruments than I can get selling on my own. When I figure that in with the simplicity of just dropping the instrument off and waiting, the consignment fee is well worth it. Plus, and this is a big factor from my perspective, I am supporting a business that is very important to me. If we want the brick-and-mortar shops to be around, we need to support them.

    I will note that the wait-time for the sale is usually longer in the shop than if I sell through the Cafe. That's something to consider. I sell both ways and am happy to be supporting both entities.
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  17. #10
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Here in Maine, the only shop I know of that's willing to do consignments charges 25%. It's a reputable store with lots of traffic.

    We have a Guitar Center that probably does it, too, but who uses Guitar Center?

    Worth it? I dunno. I use Craig's, where I have to put us with the flake and scammer factors, and Reverb.com, where I have to deal with shipping.
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  19. #11

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I've used various shops. Carter's charges 15% which is nice. Some instruments do better in a situation where they can be on a wall and played.

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  21. #12

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein View Post
    Here in Maine, the only shop I know of that's willing to do consignments charges 25%. It's a reputable store with lots of traffic.

    We have a Guitar Center that probably does it, too, but who uses Guitar Center?

    Worth it? I dunno. I use Craig's, where I have to put us with the flake and scammer factors, and Reverb.com, where I have to deal with shipping.
    I don't think GC does consignment, but they will buy your gear (for significantly less than you'd get selling it yourself)

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  23. #13

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Guitar Center is a good source for selling if you want a quick deal done in 20 minutes. I have done many deals with them and have no complaints. BUT, you have to know how their company works and be prepared BEFORE you go to sell. IF YOU ARE SELLING A NAME BRAND INSTRUMENT and it is very CLEAN, they are interested. Their first offer will be 60% of their retail, which at first sounds low. What I've found is that they will go to 70% if you politely refuse the first offer and say I was thinking such and such or I was hoping for a little more. This applies to Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, etc. This doesn't apply to student instruments or non-professional instruments -- those will get a much lower offer. The way to prepare is before you go to GC, check their online listings, average them, and use that as a starting point. I also print out several pages as proof. If you don't have "proof" they will low-ball you. It also helps if you get someone who is a manager and deal with them each time you go to sell. Another good thing about GC is that they are always buying and also it is nothing personal to the person buying, they are just representing a store, not their own interests. Anyway, I think 70% is good considering it is within a few percentage points of what a music store might charge on "consignment" and selling that way might take months. And, once you sell it to GC, you are done and can move on to your next deal. Good luck!

    RCC56 brings up a good point that many vintage shops charge the consignor for setup, cleaning, restringing, and repairs, if needed. My experience is that is a gimmick used by many "famous" shops to pad their fee. Sometimes brand new strings are removed and restrung.
    Sometimes strings are never changed at all, but the customer is charged for them. Many of the repairs are NOT NEEDED, IMHO. I have several old receipts from a famous Nashville shop showing this type of overcharge. Obviously, selling direct to GC or another store eliminates this possibility.
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Nov-04-2022 at 4:33pm.

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  25. #14

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    20% does not even begin to cover the cost of the aggravation and the risk of shipping high dollar instruments, let alone having a pool of buyers at their finger tips.

    I have neither the tenacity nor the time to deal with tire kickers and people who hem and haw, don't want the Calton case, or want to negotiate after the fact. And don't get me started about shipping damage and claims (I have my first shipping damage on a non-instrument item that my husband sold to a collector in NY. It has been absolutely mind numbing trying to get a claim paid).

    Save yourself the headache and consign the instrument. I have shipped instruments to TME when I could not get down there to consign them. I've done business with them for more than twenty years now. They are good people, and Joe and Adam run a very tight ship.

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  27. #15
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I don't see that anyone has mentioned Mandomutt as great place to buy and consign instruments. I've bought from, consigned, and traded with Kevin at Mandomutt several times over the years, and he's always been great to work with. He places ads here on the cafe pretty regularly, his fees are reasonable, and he's a good guy. I also consigned a Weber oval hole with Montana Lutherie, and Bruce and Mary Weber were a pleasure to work with. Their fees to sell your mandolin are very reasonable. Bruce's love of mandolins is obvious, and he's definitely the guy if you want your mandolin checked out and tuned up before selling.

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  29. #16
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I've had good experiences with Elderly and Dusty strings, certainly they both sold (about 5-6 banjos and mandolins total) for far more than I could have gotten. Elderly used to charge 15% for higher priced pieces but have changed their intake

    https://www.elderly.com/pages/sell-trade-consign-form
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  31. #17
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    I just received a marketing email from the Music Emporium which indicates that "We generally consign at 25% for instruments valued from $3,500- $12,500." This is an increase from the 20% that they charged a year ago.

  32. #18
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Good for them, I think that is excessive unless they can get you way more than anyone else.

  33. #19
    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    The last two mandolins I sold were through Kevin at Mando Mutt. Being a little over 2 hours down the road, he met me about halfway to pick them up. We picked a starting price and communicated if we thought it was time to lower it a bit. He took good pictures, listed them online, found buyers for both, handled all the payment, shipping, etc. and sent me a check. It was well worth his reasonable cut for me to not have to hassle with it, especially the shipping!
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  35. #20

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Buckingham View Post
    Good for them, I think that is excessive unless they can get you way more than anyone else.
    Depends on how you value your own time and your sanity.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  36. #21

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    Depends on how you value your own time and your sanity.
    IME selling a mandolin usually consumes very little time. Snapping photos, posting a couple online ads, recording a minute long audio sample, responding to inquiries, accepting digital payments, and domestic shipping in total takes 2 hours tops. It becomes time consuming if shipping international or there are shipping snafus. I’ve been lucky to have never dealt with a dishonest or otherwise malevolent buyer.

    For me, the main advantage of consignment is they usually can sell the mandolin faster than I can.

  37. #22

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Yep he's a good un the MUTT

  38. #23

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Quote Originally Posted by joh View Post
    IME selling a mandolin usually consumes very little time. Snapping photos, posting a couple online ads, recording a minute long audio sample, responding to inquiries, accepting digital payments, and domestic shipping in total takes 2 hours tops. It becomes time consuming if shipping international or there are shipping snafus. I’ve been lucky to have never dealt with a dishonest or otherwise malevolent buyer.

    For me, the main advantage of consignment is they usually can sell the mandolin faster than I can.
    Hopefully, your luck will hold out.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  39. #24
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    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    When I downsized in 2018 I sold several instruments on consignment at Lowe Vintage in Burlington, NC, near where my son was in college (at Elon) and about 1.5 hours from me. At the time they charged 20% for more expensive instruments and 25% for those that sold for < $1500 iirc (obviously, it’s been a few years and that number may not be correct or current). I also sold one guitar to GC because I ended up needing it before it sold at Lowe, it was easy, and I got about what I would have after the consignment fee anyway.

    The guys there were great to deal with, always reached out if they got reasonable offers below asking, and I didn’t have to deal with the shipping or all the people asking me to send extra pics/silly questions/ low ballers, etc. Well worth it to me.

    I agree the Mutt is good to deal with as well. Got my Kelley from him just before the downsize…

    The Classifieds are a great resource and request a much lower percentage, but you’re the one dealing with all the peripheral activities.

  40. #25

    Default Re: Consignment Advice

    Had good experience buying my Girouard from MandoMutt

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