Trading Musician, the University District used instrument shop at 5908 Roosevelt Way NE, closed May 31, 2024 after 33 years. Owner Robin Bartlett-Smith founded the store in 1991 and retired after failing to find a buyer who could keep it running as a music shop. The building sold to the Friendship Circle of Washington for about $1.6 million.
The store was a buy/sell/trade operation: cash, trade-in, and layaway for used guitars, basses, amps, keyboards, and gear. Manager John Herman ran the floor for nearly half the store’s life. It sold its last instrument weeks before closing.
Update, November 2025: Former Trading Musician employees opened Re-Animated Music a few blocks away at 1217 NE Ravenna Blvd. Same buy/sell/trade model, same neighborhood.