On a Tight Budget: Buy Used Musical Instruments

Most parents, at one time or another, face the expense of purchasing a musical instrument for their kids. Unlucky moms and dads sometimes go through this a number of times when a single child decides to chuck the flute for a violin or take up the French horn when he or she already has a saxophone or guitar. Smart parents and other adults have learned a cost-saving measure: they buy used musical instruments to keep from cutting their budget to ribbons.

While the focus here is on ways to locate and buy used musical instruments for kids just taking up music, most of the techniques will work just as well for adults who want to learn an instrument without paying too much. Some of the simplest guitars today, unless very cheaply made, can often cost at least $250 and that's the classic, non-electric, acoustic style guitar. Add electric and the required amplifier, and you can easily pay a minimum of $400 without any effort. If you aren't fully sure you will want to continue with one particular instrument for sometime to come, it can be hard to justify the expense, especially if you are on a tight budget.

Used instruments can truly vary in condition from ones that are in mint shape and almost new to ones which have been through the mill and back a few times. By the time someone gives up an instrument, that musical device's best days may be behind it. However, there are enough in very acceptable condition to make it worth your time to seek out and buy used musical instruments where you can find them.

Finding them is the key! But there are some good places to begin your search. These include:

- on ebay
- in local classified ads, especially in newspapers and journals that specialize in buying and selling used merchandise such as trading post publications
- on bulletin boards
- at swap meets and flea markets
- at yard and garage sales

Yet you probably can't afford to stop there if you fail to locate a decent, affordable used musical instrument. If you looked at all the food store bulletin boards, try one that may be in your local music store. Some shops feature private ads posted by other members of the local musical community that may offer used instruments.