Sell Your Electric Guitar in the US

Used electric guitars in the US typically sell for $110 to $605. Guitars are one of the few things on this list where age can add value rather than remove it, which is why the range runs so wide.

What electric guitars are worth in the US

Condition	Typical	What it means
New with Tags	$606	Unused, tags or seals intact
Like New	$515	Barely used, no visible wear
Good	$394	Light signs of use, complete and working
Fair	$273	Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part
For Parts	$151	Not working or incomplete, sold as seen

Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.

What lifts the price

A straight neck with a working truss rod
Recognised makers and models with an established following

What pulls it down

Refinishing, which can sharply reduce value on collectable instruments
Fret wear deep enough to need a re-fret

Selling an electric guitar in the US

Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

Two practical things shape a US sale. Shipping is priced by dimensional weight as well as actual weight, so a light bulky item can cost far more to send than a heavy small one — measure the box before you quote. And meeting in person is common enough that many police departments now run designated safe-exchange areas in their car parks.

Demand rises through the spring cleaning season and again around college move-in in August, when furniture and small appliances move fastest.

Working out what yours is worth

Sight down the neck from the headstock to check for relief or twist
Check whether the pickups, tuners and bridge are original

Getting it ready

Check the fret wear, particularly in the first five frets, and sight the neck for relief and twist.
Note whether anything has been modified — replacement pickups, tuners or bridge — because buyers care and will spot it.

Photograph

The headstock showing brand, model and serial
The frets along the neck, angled to reveal wear

Put in the description

Whether the pickups, tuners, bridge and electronics are original
Fret wear, neck condition, and whether a case or gig bag is included

Brand, model and finish: “Fender Player Stratocaster, Sunburst, MIM 2019”. Country of manufacture matters enormously on electric guitars and belongs in the title where you know it. Say clearly if anything is non-original, because modified guitars sell fine when disclosed and badly when discovered.

Steady all year with a Christmas lift. Recognised brands and models hold value strongly and sell within days when priced sensibly; unbranded instruments move slowly.

It costs nothing to list

There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the $606 a buyer pays is the $606 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.

Where in the US

The United States is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of the United States with their own page for electric guitars.

Common questions

Where can I sell an electric guitar in the US?

List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

Is everything original?

List any changed parts. Modifications are common and often improvements, but the buyer is pricing an original instrument unless you say otherwise.

Does refinishing a guitar lower its value?

On a collectable instrument, significantly. Originality matters more to those buyers than cosmetic tidiness. On a working guitar it matters much less.

Should I set up the guitar before selling?

A basic setup costs little and makes the instrument play well in the buyer’s hands, which is usually the moment they decide.

More: how to sell an electric guitar, what electric guitars are worth, or Music & Instruments across the United States.