Established: 1982
Location: 145-147 Elgin St. Carlton. Melbourne.
Hours Of Operation:
Mon – Fri: 11:07 am – 6:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 11:07 am – 3:00 pm
What is Music Swop Shop? We are a second hand musical instrument store that handles a wide variety of used items, from entry level to rare and collectable goods. The ‘Swop’ part of our name often lends itself to some confusion as we don’t actually swap instruments. It’s just too hard to change our name after 30 years of operation. Although many customers sell their instrument through us and then put the money towards another item in store, in that sense they’re swapped.
How does it work exactly? We sell everything on behalf of others on consignment for a 20% commission. There are no time limits or hidden charges and customers can take their items back at any stage without incurring charges.
How did you come up with the idea of a second hand consignment music retail store? We find consignment is the best way to get a fair price for any item. We don’t have any vested interest in anything so aren’t trying to buy for extremely low and sell for an inflated price. We keep an eye on current worldwide markets and keep our prices to what we think is reasonable and attractive. We walk the line keeping both buyer and seller happy.
How has your website played a role in the business? A major help in the success of our store is our up-to-date website which is synchronized with our database. So anyone can keep on top of everything we have in store, subscribe to categories, latch on to an RSS feed or get automatic notifications when something they are after comes in.
Your point of difference? Most new retail stores only sell new gear, so what we get in here simply cannot be found anywhere else so easily. Our product range spans over the last one hundred years. Plus one can physically see, feel and hear what’s in store. We welcome trial runs here and frequently encourage our customers to create as much noise (variations on the term ‘music’) needed and from every orifice necessary to make sure they’re happy with their purchase. Come on down and check us out, everyone else does!
Phone: (03) 9348 1194
Website: http://www.musicswopshop.com.au
