Brokering Service

Do you want to sell your synth but don’t have the time, or just hate the whole process of having to deal with people you don’t know, or so called tyre kickers?

 

Perhaps your synth needs servicing or some repairs before you can sell it and that’s just more hassle to deal with?

 

Wouldn’t it be great if someone else did all the work and you just got the cash once it’s sold!

 

The RL Music Synth Brokering Services has been designed so that we manage the entire servicing & sales process on your behalf and make it a simple, safe and painless way to sell your instrument. We have been Brokering Synths for 17 years and helped many customers in finding new homes for their equipment.  The range of synths we have Brokered is very wide-ranging, for example; Moog Modular, EMS VCS3/AKS, Minimoogs, Memorymoogs, OB-8, MS20, Serge Modular, Roland System 700 Modular, Odysseys etc.

Services Options:

 

Commission Basis

We charge 25% commission of the final sale price and service the synth and sell it with a full 3-month warranty to the new owner. The cost of servicing and managing the entire sales process is all included in the 25% commission charge. The synth has a higher retail value than that of a privately sold item due to the servicing and warranty etc so the commission rate is relative.  The warranty the instrument is sold with is 3 months full parts & labour.

For example: We advertise a serviced & guaranteed instrument for £2200 and upon sale, return you £1650 – our gross commission is £550.  As soon as the synth has been sold and paid for then we would transfer the £1650 to your bank account.  The private market value of the instrument could be around £1650 so the objective is to achieve a reasonable market price back to you.

Cost Plus Basis

We agree on a price that you would be happy to accept taking into account the current condition of the synth.  We then sell the synth with the full servicing and warranty etc. but whatever price we managed to sell the synth for over and above the agreed sales value we had with you then we retain this to cover our costs & profits etc.

The reason we operate 2 different options is purely down to the type and value of the instrument.  Cost Plus Basis is mainly used for high-value items usually priced beyond £30000+

For example: if you wanted us to Broker a large vintage Modular then the 25% Commission Basis could make that too expensive.  On the ‘Cost Plus Basis’ we would (in advance) agree on the payment you want from the sale and then we would then find a buyer at a higher price to reflect our investment into servicing/restoration.  Additionally, the warranty offered by supplying this high-end modular system from a specialist dealer, and the knowledge that we are experts and can support the system long into the future, adds a lot of assurance and value to the new owner.

Alternately You Can Sell The Synth To Us ‘as-is’

The alternative to all the above is to see if you would prefer to just sell the synth as-is now to us in order to release the cash from the sale straight away.  The purchase ‘offer-rate’ is going to be lower than the perceived ‘market rate’ as we have to finance the purchase and take the synth into stock and invest in the servicing/restoration and other tangible business overheads – so this becomes a capital outlay rather than a service.

If you have any questions on the above service and would like to discuss your requirements then please contact Richard Lawson via the ‘contact us’ page.

TESTIMONIALS

“I have dealt with RL Music many times over the years buying (e.g. a  Buchla 200e, parts of a System 700), using their brokering service for some very high-value vintage synths including a Moog System 55, LAMM, etc, servicing vintage synths (is there nothing super synth man Kent can’t fix?) and sales often involving complex international management and transport issues –  And I wouldn’t hesitate to do so again, because of the very high levels of personal service, knowledge, enthusiasm, commitment, and integrity.”

John Grant, synth enthusiast and collector. London

“I’m very glad that I’ve trusted Richard to sell my Prophet 5 and Roland TR-808. His passion and care for vintage synths is amazing. I am really pleased he has managed to find the items new enthusiast owners and it has been an absolute pleasure to deal with him. Thank you! ”

Tim Tor, synth enthusiast. UK

Terms & Conditions

The instrument must be shipped to KSR in London for assessment before we can agree to advertise it.  The cost of transport to KSR is your responsibility.

The instrument must not be advertised anywhere else whilst we are engaged in brokering it for you.

The Minimum term to broker your instrument is 6 months.  If after 6 months we are unable to find a buyer then we will contact you to advise and discuss if a revised price should be considered or if the service should be terminated.

If the service is to be terminated after 6 months then we will return the instrument to you at our cost (for UK-based clients only). If you decide to terminate the service before the minimum 6 month period then the cost of returning the instrument will be covered by you.

Servicing only takes place once we have been able to find a buyer.

Before accepting the instrument for brokering we must be supplied detailed high-res photos and a written assessment of its cosmetic and operational condition.

We reserve the right to refuse to accept the instrument for brokering if: the item is not as described and/or requires more than servicing (repairs or major restoration) or is cosmetically flawed so that resale at the anticipated rates will not be achievable due to its condition.

Instruments requiring repairs before the sales process can start will be identified & priced from a free-of-charge, non-obligatory assessment carried out by KSR. All the time & materials charges relating to the KSR recommendations are payable in advance and the work must be carried out before the sale of the instrument can take place through RL Music.

Due to the servicing and general business costs, items with a market value below £1000 UKP cannot be considered for The Synth Brokering Service.