Gear with history writes our history. 

Do you have a new or used functional instrument you'd like to donate to the Old Town School of Folk Music?
We'd be happy to take your well-loved instruments and turn them into assistance for the mission and programs of the Old Town School of Folk Music. 
We'll find your stuff a good home in the school, with one of our outreach programs, or with a new owner who'll love it as much as you did.

How do I donate my instruments or gear? 

You can drop off your donation at our Lincoln Square Location anytime during store hours, 7 days a week!
We'll fill out a brief digital donation form, and email you a receipt—the whole process takes about 5 minutes.

Condition:

Your instrument and/or gear definitely needs to be in functional condition. If you have questions about the condition of your stuff, you can stop into our 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. location and we can help you evaluate it. In some instances, usually based on an item's condition, we may not be able to take your donation in, but we'll do the best we can. 

What do we take as donations?

We are primarily a stringed instrument shop, but love all types of used & vintage instruments and gear from all over the world:
acoustic guitars and electric guitars and basses, banjos, mandolins, percussion, horns, pedals, dulcimers, flutes, harps, sitars, and more. 

What about my piano or organ?

We are not taking donations of pianos or organs at this time. If you have a large item (other than a piano or organ), or a number of items we ask that you first contact us by phone at (773) 751-3398.

Why and how do I value my own gear for tax purposes? 

If you want to use your in-kind donation as a deduction for your taxes, you will set the value of the donated item yourself. You can easily find ballpark fair market values on numerous used music gear websites online, like Reverb.

Thanks for your support!

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a registered 501c3