With many new speakers on the market promising you a better user experience, you may want to upgrade them from time to time by paying full price or trading off your old speakers to get new, better ones. The question is, are your old speakers worth anything?
Your old speakers are worth something, and how much will vary by brand, age, design, and of course, demand. That said, always keep your old speakers if possible. Vintage collectors looking for unique old speakers may offer hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the right brand.
The rest of this article will discuss why you shouldn’t dispose of your working or good-conditioned old speakers and what you can do with them if you no longer want to keep them.
How Much Can You Get From Selling Old Speakers?
In this age of rapid consumption, many products lose their value quickly. A car you buy today loses its value the minute it heads off to the road.
Most speakers face the same fate, too, but that doesn’t mean the old speakers you have lying in your house now are worthless.
If you found unique vintage speakers that still function in your garage, good for you. Wipe the dust off with a soft brush, and polish them using an oil finish if their color has worn off.
They might be worth a couple of thousands of dollars to serious vintage speaker collectors.
On the other hand, most of the old mainstream low-end speakers out there aren’t worth much. The speakers usually must be considered Hi-Fi, made by a reputable brand, and be in great condition to sell for good money.
Repairing speakers that no longer work doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, though. If you have wood speakers that look very old, you can always give them a touch-up using oil varnish.
Related article: Do Hi-Fi Speakers Wear Out? What You Need To Know
However, it will be harder to repair speakers that have been damaged by water, so you might want to send them over to a professional who could fix the problem for you if this is the case.
Not many people would spend money on repairing old speakers, but if the speakers are one-of-a-kind and still working, such as the Quad ESL-57, it might be worth fixing after all.
If you’re interested in selling your old speakers, look into the following websites:
Vintage Speakers
There are many folks today who buy vintage-looking things for their home decors or personal collections. It won’t surprise you if you come across someone who wants genuine vintage items, such as vintage speakers from over 30 years ago, and they would pay over a thousand dollars for one.
Check out Vintage Audio World for a vast collection of vintage speakers that are selling for hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars.
Not all of these are older makes, and you may find a buyer if your speakers are in good condition.
While there is no guarantee that your old speakers will sell for a fortune, mainly if you sell them to pawnbrokers, it’s comforting to know that perhaps someone out there might appreciate the old speakers that once gave you much joy.
It’s also nice to know that you won’t contribute unnecessarily to landfills. And a few extra dollars for your pocket is better than nothing at all.
Some of the top vintage speakers you can find today are the KEF 104/2 Reference, Wharfedale E30, and Advent 5012. You can find vintage speakers selling on eBay for up to a couple of thousands of dollars.
If your old speakers are not vintage Hi-Fi, they may be worth a lot less.
Related article: 10 Common Speaker Problems and How to Fix Them
What Can You Do With Old Speakers?
Not all old speakers will be worth any money. If they are not a special brand or design or are broken beyond repair, the chances of anyone spending serious money are slim to none.
But that doesn’t mean you should throw them away.
If you’re searching for a new set of speakers and don’t want your old speakers any longer, give them a new life by repurposing them. Otherwise, try to donate or sell them rather than sending them to the landfill.
Repurpose Old Speakers
If you have old desktop speakers that still work, you can actually still use them but for other stuff.
What about making your beautiful but non working speakers into decorative furniture for some of your favorite home displays.
Some people use their old speakers as small bookshelves or if you have two larger speakers, try turning them into bedside tables.
You can also use the old cabinet and turn them into modern speakers with a vintage touch.
Use your imagination and your DIY skills and you will defiantly come up with great uses for your old speakers.
Or you could turn them into a musical charging station. To do this, you need to disassemble the speakers using only a pocket knife and screwdriver.
When removing the speaker parts, you want to keep the essential components for the charging station: amplifier, transformer, and drivers.
Get a container big enough to place the components and make holes in the container where the wires can go through. Using a drill, make several holes in the container’s lid for the sound.
Use electrical tape to keep everything secure and simply place your phone on the top and plug it into an outlet. Charge your phone and play the music you like.
You can see in more detail how to do this in the video below:
Donate Old Speakers
Maybe you don’t have time for DIY repurpose projects. If so, you can donate your old speakers to friends and families who may want them.
Even if the speakers don’t work anymore, it won’t hurt to ask around if anyone would need your old speakers – they might want to repurpose the speakers or fix them.
Sell Your Old Speakers
If your old speakers still work, why not sell them online? You can sell your old speakers via Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, eBay, or Craigslist.
If you have high-end speakers that you no longer want, try selling them at Audiogon.
Just be sure that if you claim they are in working order and in pristine condition, the buyer will expect top quality. Always clean them before bringing them to a potential sale.
Are New Speakers Worth The Money?
If you breathe films and music, investing in good quality speakers may be a good idea, just as long as you don’t get into debt for them. In return, high-quality speakers can enhance your music and film experience in the comfort of your home. You can find many dynamic speakers today with decent sound and excellent aesthetics.
Most people buy speakers for their sound quality, but some also consider their build quality and the brand name. However, it’s important to look for something reliable too. Most good-quality home speakers can last for over 20 years in proper conditions, such as a cool place with enough airflow.
If you’re not picky about your speakers and only need them to boost the sound of the movie you’re watching or the music you’re listening to, you don’t need to buy costly high-end speakers.
However, you may want to spend more on well-built speakers that can give you the best audio quality and last many years down the road. Besides, high-quality speakers would sell well in the second-hand market if you decide to upgrade again down the line.
Final Thoughts
Your old speakers might be worth something, especially if they’re unique vintage items. Certain brands of vintage speakers that are hard to find today can sell up to hundreds or thousands of dollars.
While there’s no guarantee that they’ll sell at the price you have in mind, some money is better than nothing. If you have old speakers that are one-of-a-kind, it may be best to find vintage collectors that might want to pay more for them.
Even if you cannot sell your old speakers, you can always donate them to someone who may want them.
