Hey, music dudes – we’re going to sketch out a picture. Ready for it? You have all the music gear you could ever want. Too much gear, in fact. The amount of dust it’s collecting is making you sneeze, so you decide to check out Reverb.com to see if you can sell your music paraphernalia and early back some Benjamins. Of course, there are pros and cons of selling on Reverb.com. But you have questions about Reverb’s sales fees, Reverb sales tips, and how to price your precious collection so it will sell. We have the answers to these questions and a few bonus tips. Let’s start down this rocky rabbit trail.
What Fees Does Reverb.com Charge for Selling Gear?
Luckily, selling on Reverb.com is a breeze. You can list your gear for free, with no strings attached. When your instrument finds a new home, you pocket 91.8% of the sale. That’s the final price minus our straightforward fees. Let’s do some quick math (quick maf) to get the numbers crunched. Remember: it’s the same amount every time. Reverb transaction fees are broken down into a couple of separate components.
The Selling Fee
Reverb acts like the vendor for music aficionados everywhere and only asks for a nickel on the dollar. Only if you sell your gear for a dollar and they only get a nickel, that nickel isn’t going far. The 5% stays the same no matter what, and you get unlimited free listings and transparent pricing for that.
We hate it, too, but there’s pain in any necessary process. That might apply more to working out than selling your gear, but stay with us. There is a 3.19% processing fee – plus 49 cents. We’re not making it up; it’s 49 cents.
How Can I Price My Gear to Sell Quickly on Reverb?
Wanna unload your gear fast on Reverb? Here’s the no BS guide to getting it done quickly, so you can go back to playing music and researching ideas like Ultimate Guitar Tabs versus Songsterr.
1. The Price is Right
Don’t be the music tycoon pricing your gear high above all the other humanoids. No one will buy your gear, and you’ll waste your time. Check the Reverb Price Guide for recent sales to get an idea of what you can ask for your gear. Choose a price that’s fair to you–remember you’re paying Reverb transaction fees–and fair to the folks buying your gear.
2. Take Offers
Don’t be desperate – legend is that buyers can smell desperation. Let buyers throw offers your way and marinate in them until you see an offer you like. Nearly half of used gear sales start with an offer, and nearly half of the counteroffers close the deal. Stay open to haggling. This isn’t your cool uncle’s music marketplace anymore.
3. Lit Listings
Snap well-lit pics from all angles. Don’t be the person selling a suspect piece of gear from a dark bedroom on that social media marketplace. You know the one. Write a description that you’d want to read if you were searching for gear. Make sure the condition, features and any rad quirks are clear. Throw yourself in the buyer’s shoes and make the information accessible to anyone browning.
4. Know Your Fees: Reverb’s got fees, so price accordingly. You’re looking at a 5% selling fee plus a 3.19% + $0.49 payment processing fee. That’s 8.19% + $0.49 per transaction. Keep these in mind to get the cash you want. It’s less than 10% off the top, which is less than Uncle Sam takes out of your paychecks.
5. Sales Tips: Hit up Reverb’s how-to guide for creating killer listings. Follow these tips to boost your chances of selling faster and for more dough.
Now take back the time you saved with these tips to learn about the 7 Best Free Plugins for Mixing Drums. You might end up being surprised!
Can I Negotiate Fees on Reverb.com?
We set ourselves up by crowing about the power of negotiation in our Reverb sales tips section. However–and does that word make us feel like serious business folks–negotiation with Reverb only occurs between seller and buyer, not between vendor and host. The fees stay the same – no matter what. Big, little, and whatever is in between. While we can see this being annoying for dudes selling small gear, ultimately, saving stress and negotiation allows Reverb to do its job. If you’re not okay with the fees, then Reverb may not be the location for you to sell your gear.
An Open Marketplace
Reverb.com provides music dudes everywhere a marketplace to sell their gear, connect with other gearheads, and focus on looking at new gear. It’s not social networking. It’s not a garage sale. And it’s not your mom’s basement. Or, if it is, maybe take your gear upstairs for better lighting. It provides transparent pricing and set fees, allowing you to figure out fast if it’s the right place to offload your gear and make back a bit of cash.