Second-hand music & instruments in London, England typically sells for £15 to £800 (about $20 to $1,100). Brand and playing condition decide most of it, and an instrument that has been set up properly is worth more than one that has sat untouched. Cosmetic marks matter far less here than on almost anything else.
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Buying music & instruments in London
London turns over more second-hand goods than anywhere else in the country, and for a reason that has nothing to do with taste: the sheer density of people moving in, out and across the city. It has a deep vintage and designer resale culture that predates the internet, so buyers here arrive knowing what a fair price looks like and will say so.
Instruments have to be played before they are bought, and that single fact makes the local market the only sensible one for anything beyond a cheap starter. Sellers expect you to want to play it, and a seller who does not is worth being careful about.
What to check in person
Ask what it has been stored in and where, because an unheated room does more harm over a winter than years of playing. On anything electric, work every switch and socket while it is plugged in, and listen for crackle as the controls turn.
Collecting it in London
It needs a car boot rather than a bag, so agree somewhere you can actually stop for a few minutes. That is easier away from the centre than in it. Around Camden, Brick Lane and Peckham are the parts of London where this sort of thing tends to change hands.
Most small handovers happen at a station, because almost everyone is on the Tube or the rail network and almost nobody wants to drive. Driving into the centre means the congestion charge, the ULEZ and somewhere to park, so for anything you can carry, agree a station and a time. Anything sofa-sized needs a van and a realistic loading plan.
Selling your music & instruments in London free
Rental tenancies here turn over faster than anywhere else in the UK, and a tenancy ending usually means an entire flat being cleared in a week. Add several hundred thousand students across dozens of institutions and the supply is effectively continuous.
Fit a fresh set of strings or reeds before anybody comes to try it, since a tired set makes a good instrument sound dull. Have somewhere quiet to demonstrate it, and gather the case, stand, lead and any paperwork into one place beforehand. Lifts in September as lessons restart, and again after Christmas.
Most private sales settle by bank transfer or cash on collection. Faster Payments clear in seconds, which makes a transfer as safe as cash for the seller — wait for it to land before the item leaves your hands.
Music & Instruments worth listing in London
Same region (England)
If nothing in London suits, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield each have their own music & instruments page, and a seller will often meet part of the way for something worth the trip.
More in London: everything second hand in London, or Music & Instruments across the United Kingdom.
Prices converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate; sellers set their own price.