About Guitar Broker in Fort Lauderdale
Hello to all of you crazy Guitar & Car-loving collectors. I am Craig Brody…owner of The Guitar Broker in sunny Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Most people can’t see how guitars and collectible cars in Fort Lauderdale, FL, go together. Of course, since the 50’s there was always Hot Rod’s & Rock & Roll. An old Ford 3 Window Coupe & Elvis Presley. These 2 commodities have been associated with one another since the precious 50’s. My love for cars started way back when I was 4 years old. My Father had a Dodge Dealership in Queens & a Pontiac Dealership in Long Island. I worked at both washing cars & cleaning the shop as early as 10 years old. By 1979 as a 20-year old I was offered a job selling new Volkswagens & Subarus in Miami Florida @ Bob Houston Motors. Those were the days when gas for antique cars was high at only $0.59 a gallon. When it jumped to $.79 a gallon the market went crazy for economy cars…that was the beginning of my long career in the automobile business.
My Wife Patti & I started the Guitar Broker back in 1989 in a small little shop here in Ft. Lauderdale. As a kid, I started playing Trumpet in 5th grade (thru High School) & then started to play Bass back in Jr. High School w/a friend, Russell Perri on Keyboards. We harmonized well together & performed for the school every chance we had. My 1st vintage bass was a 1964 Fender Jazz Bass…Sunburst finish…that I paid $400. for back in 1976 at Gracin’s Music. I was hooked for life ! There is nothing better than vintage guitars like an old Fender™! I have always been interested in Vintage Guitars since that time & always have had a nice selection of guitars & basses for my own use.
We opened The Guitar Broker in June 1989 after a 10-year stint in the automobile business. I just got tired of that crappy corporate world and had to do my own thing with vintage guitars and Collectable cars. I was then & still am a true work-a-holic & did a 24/7 for a few years until we were on our way to become one of the most recognized Vintage Guitar Shops in the World. I got my 1st website in 1993, still have the same email address & the same phone #& the rest is mail order history.
We opened up our 1st location & hung up 60 or 70 guitars & basses on the wall of our small 900 ft. shop. Today I am working with my my gorgeous wife, Patti, she is my rock for the last 47 years & she also handles all the bills & crap I don’t. She is the backbone of our 2 business’.
In April 2015, we purchased a cool old 11,000 ft. Warehouse in Downtown Ft.Lauderdale for our 2 businesses to move into. It was in need of a complete renovation & restoration as we really took on more than we thought but thankfully she came out fabulous. After a new roof, all new electric, enlarging all outer door openings, adding A/C & a fantastic complete makeover…we have one of the coolest old buildings in the upscale Progresso Village in the now up-n-coming areas in the whole City. We welcome all of our old client’s & friends to visit us soon to check out our great selection of cars & guitars. We also welcome those interested to join us for a smoke & a drink…we want to have a comfy shop that one can bring their favorite cigar & have a refreshment on us. A real Man Cave!
We have a 72 hour approval time on all mail order purchases. We give 100% of your funds spent on any item returned to you for any reason for the return excluding any shipping costs going & coming back to our shop. That is on the buyer as we give the luxury of trying out your new guitar or bass in your home or studio before deciding. As long as it’s returned to us exactly as it left, we’re good to go & there are no restocking fees either.
We currently are buying 1 piece or complete collections of guitars every day. We also offer a very creative consignment package for any of you wanting to slim down your collections & get the most from your cars & guitars. We have a true Fort Knox of a building for the most secure & safe environment to protect your valuables. Please call on us to discuss your options.
Lastly we do have a pay over time payment plan for those in need of paying for a 2-3 month period to acquire something special when you need a bit of time to get your dream guitar. Please keep in mind we cannot give any approval time period on these types of purchases for obvious reasons. They will be sent out as-is but we disclose all issues up front & we put up great photos to show off any imperfections so no surprises when it arrives safely.
I am doing what I love best…finding cool cars & guitars all over the world & selling them to 100’s of the coolest people on Earth. Our location today holds about 300 vintage guitars, basses, and amps. Both Cars & Guitars are our passions & we welcome anyone to come & see us in our Showroom. We are open now on Monday, Wednesday & Friday morning from 10 AM thru about 1 PM or by personal appointment.
Thank You & see you soon, Craig & Patti Brody.
