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martind28lh - Posted - 12/23/2025: 12:19:53
My pal, who is now in his mid 80s wants to sell a Sully banjo he paid £1683 for in 2004. He is wondering what it might be worth now and what might be the best way to sell it without too much hassle. Is anybody able to offer any advice on this? Where might be the best place to start? The banjo comes with a case. He lives in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. Any advice would be most welcome.
Edited by - martind28lh on 12/23/2025 12:23:00
HSmith - Posted - 12/24/2025: 00:04:03
Hi Graham
Of course, it could be advertised here in the Classifieds, but most users of this site are five-string players, and your friend's banjo is a tenor. However, people do advertise tenor and plectrum banjos for sale here, so it's worth a try. Buyers need a full written description and lots of photos of the instrument out of the case, including inside the body (take the resonator off). It's worth remembering that this site attracts viewers from all over the world, so he'd need to be prepared to pack and ship the instrument.
It may find a UK market on the Facebook group 'Banjo Club Uk', but he'd need to join the group before posting a For Sale ad.
Alternatively, he could sell it on consignment through people like findajo.co.uk/ or johnalveyturner.co.uk/banjos/tenor-banjos/
Finally, he could sell it via a specialist instrument auction house like gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/ or even eBay. Of course for these last options there would be a seller's fee.
Hope this helps.
pasdimo - Posted - 12/24/2025: 06:50:57
You can sell it on Reverb also.
Banner Blue - Posted - 12/24/2025: 09:42:17
1) Have you or him tell his friends in the music community it is for sale. Someone who knows the banjo may want it.
2) Quickest sale is to an instrument dealer/music store for a wholesale amount of around 50 to 60 percent of what the dealer (not you) believes it might sale.
3) Slower but reliable sale is consigning it to a PROMINENT dealer/music store in used and vintage instruments.
4) Sale it through Banjohangout, Facebook, ebay, Facebook, and Reverb or similar personal sales outlets. This is a lot of work (photos, descriptions, video of being played, possibly packing, shipping, taking a return, shipping damage). This could work well if the brand of the banjo is well known. If the banjo maker is little known--does not have a reputation, the banjo will not attract much interest. Most musicians are very brand conscious.
