How do you sell your dad’s 1962 Fender Esquire?

In 1966, my Dad walked into a Topeka, Kansas pawn shop and walked out with a 1962 Fender Esquire for $70.

Nearly 60 years later, my brother inherited the guitar and asked me to help sell it. Rather than listing specifications and condition, I sold the story.

After researching Guitar World's list of America's top brick-and-mortar guitar shops, I crafted personalized outreach to leading vintage dealers including Norm's Rare Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, Willie's Guitars, Elderly Instruments, Pittsburgh Guitars and Walt Grace Vintage. The response was immediate, every one of them reached out and Norm himself called less than 10 minutes after my email went out.

To bring the guitar's history to life, I created a mini marketing campaign: a promo video featuring the Fender and scored with Jimi Hendrix music, photographs of the guitar, the original 1966 pawn shop receipt (handwritten as "Fedders"), and a photograph of my brother holding the guitar in front of the Christmas tree the year it was purchased.

Chicago Music Exchange ultimately purchased the guitar for $15,000 and created a social media video celebrating its remarkable provenance. Even better, when the guitar was sold to a famous touring musician, Chicago Music Exchange passed along the original receipt, family photographs and historical materials so the guitar's story could continue with its next owner.

Not bad for a $70 pawn shop find.

Turns out people don't just buy objects.

They buy stories.