Hard case premium
How much more a used guitar is listed for with a hard case than the same model with no case (or only a gig bag), worked out from today's eBay Buy It Now listings.
+£86 middle premium for a hard case (+16%) across 3 models today
| Model | With hard case | Without | Premium | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Road & X series | £625 | £499 gig bag | +£126 | +25% |
| PRS SE Hollowbody | £618 | £532 gig bag | +£86 | +16% |
| Fender Standard Stratocaster (Mexico) | £670 | £588 gig bag | +£82 | +14% |
| Gibson Les Paul Studio | £939 | £948 gig bag | – | -1% |
| Fender Made in Japan Telecaster | £981 | £1,255 gig bag | – | -22% |
Median Buy It Now asking prices including postage (outliers trimmed), in pounds, eBay UK (US where the UK has too few listings, marked with a flag). Only models with 5+ listings on each side are shown. The case is read from listing titles and the start of the seller's description; listings that don't say are left out of both columns. See how we price.
Questions
How much does a hard case add to a used guitar?
Across the 3 models where one with a hard case is listed higher today, the middle premium is about £86 (16%) over the same guitar with no case or a gig bag. A genuine maker's hard case on its own typically sells for £100–£300.
Is it worth paying more for a guitar with its original case?
Usually, yes. A hard case protects the guitar in the post and at gigs, and an original case (a Fender tweed or Gibson brown case, for example) helps the guitar sell for more later. On vintage and Custom Shop guitars the original case can matter a lot to collectors.
Why is the "no case" price sometimes higher?
Samples are small for many models, and some bare guitars are newer, rarer or better-spec versions. We only list models with at least 5 listings on each side, and we leave out listings that don't say what case comes with them.
How do you know whether a guitar comes with a case?
We read it from the listing title and the start of the seller's description: "hard case", "hardshell", "OHSC", "flight case" and "with case" count as a hard case; "gig bag" and "soft case" as a gig bag; "no case" or "guitar only" as none.