The short version
- Typical range: £50 – £250 — see the full acoustic guitar value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Music & Instruments
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Check the neck for relief by sighting down it from the headstock, and measure the string height at the twelfth fret.
- Inspect the bridge for lifting and the top for cracks, particularly around the soundhole and along the grain.
- Fit a fresh set of strings if the current ones are dead. It is a few pounds and it makes the guitar sound and photograph far better.
The photographs that sell an acoustic guitar
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The full guitar front on, against a plain background
- The bridge and soundboard close up, showing any lifting or cracking
- The neck sighted down its length, and the headstock showing the brand
- The action at the twelfth fret, plus any dings, buckle rash or repairs
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Brand, model and body shape: “Yamaha FG800 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, Solid Top”. Whether the top is solid or laminate is a genuine value driver and worth stating. If it is a three-quarter or parlour size, put that in the title — buyers searching for a smaller guitar need to find you.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Brand, model and body size or shape
- Whether the top is solid wood or laminate
- Action height at the twelfth fret, and any neck relief issues
- Any cracks, bridge lifting or previous repairs, and whether a case is included
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about an acoustic guitar. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Measure the string height at the twelfth fret and give the figure. High action is the most common reason a cheap guitar is unplayable and the buyer will ask.
Examine the soundboard carefully in raking light and photograph anything you find. Top cracks are repairable but must be disclosed.
Slide a thin piece of paper under the bridge edge. Lifting is a serious and expensive repair, so buyers check it first and honesty here protects your rating.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The acoustic guitar value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £150 sale — roughly the middle of the range for an acoustic guitar — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £150 |
| Poshmark | −£30 | £120 |
| eBay | −£20 | £130 |
| Mercari | −£15 | £135 |
| Etsy | −£10 | £140 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Steady all year with a lift before Christmas and in September. Recognised brands sell within a fortnight; unbranded beginner guitars are plentiful and slow.
Post only in a hard case, with the strings slackened and the headstock well padded — that is where guitars break in transit. Local collection lets the buyer play it, which sells a guitar far better than photographs.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used acoustic guitar worth?
Typically £50 to £250, with solid-top instruments from recognised brands well above laminate beginner guitars. See the acoustic guitar value guide.
Should I restring before selling?
Yes. A fresh set costs a few pounds, makes the guitar sound immediately better to anyone who tries it, and signals that the instrument has been looked after. It is among the best-value preparation you can do in any category.
Does a crack make a guitar unsellable?
No, but it must be shown and described. Top cracks are routinely repaired and many buyers will take the work on at the right price. Concealing one guarantees a dispute at handover.
See also: what a used acoustic guitar is worth · browse live music & instruments listings · condition grades explained.