Chicago Music Exchange · Vintage Collections
We Buy & Consign
Entire Collections.
Any Size. Nationwide.
Some collections take a lifetime to build. We make sure they find their next caretaker — with the expertise, resources, and passion they deserve.
"No collection is too large, too small, or too complicated. We have the expertise, the network, and the passion to do right by every instrument — and every person — we work with."
— Andrew Yonke, Owner
About Our Collections Program
Nobody Does Collections Like CME.
Since 1990, Chicago Music Exchange has been the destination for musicians, collectors, and estates across America looking for one thing: someone they can actually trust.
Most buyers handle one guitar at a time. We are built for the whole collection — the full scope of what someone has assembled over a lifetime. Vintage Gibsons and Fenders. Pre-war Martins. Gretsch, Rickenbacker, boutique amplifiers. Complete estates with dozens of instruments. We evaluate everything, offer on everything, and handle all logistics.
We've traveled to Florida, Georgia, Texas, New York, Arizona, Colorado, California, and all across the Midwest to bring the right collection home. If the instruments warrant it — and they often do — we come to you.
Daniel Escauriza
Vintage Collections Manager
With 25 years of hands-on experience evaluating and acquiring vintage instruments, Daniel is the person you'll speak with from your very first call. Every collection inquiry at CME runs through Daniel — ensuring the kind of consistency, expertise, and personal attention that collectors and estates deserve.
Who Comes to Us
You Don't Have to Be a Dealer to Sell Like One.
Estates & Heirs
You've inherited a collection and want to be sure it's valued honestly. We handle the evaluation, the documentation, and the logistics so you don't have to become an expert overnight.
Lifelong Collectors
After decades building something extraordinary, you want a buyer who appreciates it the same way you do — who won't lowball rare pieces and understands why provenance matters.
Artists & Musicians
Your instruments are part of your story. When the time comes for some to move on, you want discretion, expertise, and a partner who has worked at that level before. We have.
Featured Collection · Artist Partnership
"Working with CME was a total pleasure. It’s a scary proposition to sell off a life’s collection and it can be emotionally draining. They were beyond fair, incredibly honest, and professional. I felt like a part of a family. They truly seem to strive to do the right thing by everyone and in this business, that is incredibly refreshing."
The Richard Fortus Collection — 220+ stage and studio-played instruments spanning rare Gibsons, vintage Fender electrics, and classic Marshall amplifiers — is one of the most significant artist collection acquisitions in CME's history. It came to us because of a relationship built over years on trust, shared passion, and honest dealing.
Trusted By
Legendary Artists. Serious Collectors.
We've had the privilege of acquiring collections from some of music's most iconic names.
Every transaction handled with discretion, respect, and fairness.
Past Acquisitions
Collections We've Acquired
A look at some of the remarkable collections that have come through our doors. Each one a story — and each one handled with the care it deserves.
Our Services
We Handle Everything
When you work with CME, you're not doing this alone. We take care of every aspect of the process — so you can focus on what matters.
Nationwide Travel & Pickup
We fly or drive to you. For collections of meaningful size, we cover all travel and logistics costs ourselves. You don't lift a finger.
Expert Appraisal & Pricing
Our buyers have decades of combined expertise in vintage and used instruments. You'll receive honest, market-accurate valuations — always explained clearly.
Packing & Safe Transport
We bring the materials. Every instrument is packed to our exacting standards and transported securely to Chicago — fully insured.
Professional Marketing
For consignments, we photograph, write descriptions, and list your instruments to our global customer base across our website, social channels, and marketplaces.
Outright Purchase
Want immediate payment? We'll make you a competitive cash offer for the entire collection — no waiting, no uncertainty.
Consignment with Full Reporting
Earn maximum return over time. We handle all sales, and you receive transparent reporting on every transaction from your collection.
How It Works
Simple. Transparent. No Pressure.
Tell Us What You Have
Call Daniel directly or send an email. A brief description and a few phone photos is enough to get started. No formal documentation required.
We Evaluate
Daniel reviews what you have and asks follow-up questions. For larger or rarer collections, we arrange an in-person visit — we travel for the right collection.
We Make a Fair Offer
A clear, honest offer based on deep market knowledge and current sales data. We explain our thinking. No pressure. No lowballing.
We Handle Everything
We coordinate shipping or pickup, provide insured logistics for significant pieces, and pay promptly — by company check or electronic transfer.
Vintage Guitars
Your Single Point of Contact
A Real Expert. A Personal Process. One Phone Call.
When you reach out about a collection, you'll talk to Daniel Escauriza — CME's Vintage Collections Manager, with 25 years of hands-on experience buying, evaluating, and placing vintage guitars and collections.
Daniel has spent his career developing the kind of expertise that only comes from time: knowing what a 1959 Les Paul should feel like in hand, reading provenance from finish and hardware, understanding why one collection requires an in-person visit and another can be handled remotely.
He is the sole point of contact for every collection inquiry — not because we're a small operation, but because consistency and professionalism matter. You deserve to speak to the same person from first call to final check.
25 years of hands-on vintage guitar expertise — from single instruments to multi-hundred-piece estates.
Experience with world-class artist collections — including Zac Brown, Joe Bonamassa, John Oates, and many others.
Your single point of contact — from first conversation through final payment. No handoffs, no surprises.
Transparent, pressure-free process — Daniel explains every valuation and will answer any question you have, whether you sell or not.
Reach Daniel Directly
Daniel Escauriza
Vintage Collections Manager, Chicago Music Exchange
We Come to You
We've Bought Collections From Coast to Coast.
For collections of significant size or value, we arrange all transportation and cover logistics. If the instruments warrant an in-person visit, Daniel makes the trip.
Get In Touch
Ready to Talk About Your Collection?
Common Questions
Answers Before You Call.
Some Collections Take a Lifetime to Build.
Let's Find Them Their Next Caretaker.
One call to Daniel. No forms, no wait, no pressure — just an honest conversation with someone who's spent 25 years doing exactly this.
All inquiries handled personally by Daniel Escauriza, Vintage Collections Manager · CME · 3316 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60657