Montreal’s Steve’s Music Store to auction off remaining inventory as final store winds down
Posted July 21, 2026 1:05 pm.
Last Updated July 21, 2026 3:58 pm.
For generations of Montreal musicians, Steve’s Music was more than a place to buy an instrument; it was a fixture of the city’s music scene.
Now, after 62 years in business, the iconic retailer is entering its final chapter.
The remaining inventory from the company’s last storefront, at 150 Rue Ste-Catherine East, will be sold during a two-day online auction on Wednesday and Thursday. Interested bidders must register in advance to participate.
Before bidding begins, musicians and collectors were invited into the downtown Montreal store on Tuesday to inspect thousands of instruments and pieces of equipment one last time.
The sale includes more than 2,500 lots of musical instruments, professional audio equipment, DJ gear and store fixtures.
Brass, drums, percussion instruments and related accessories will be auctioned on Wednesday, while guitars, amplifiers, keyboards and related equipment will be sold on Thursday.
‘Like losing your childhood home’
For many walking through the aisles, the event was about far more than finding a bargain; it marked the end of a business that had become woven into Montreal’s musical identity.
Steve’s Music Store was founded by Steve Kirman in 1965. Following his death, the business was taken over by his son, Michael Kirman.
For Kirman, vice-president of Steve’s Music Store, the closure is both professional and deeply personal.
“We were in our 62nd anniversary,” Kirman said. “This is my big brother in the sense that my father started the business in 1965 before I was born.”
Growing up around the family business, he said the store became a second home.
“To me it’s like losing your childhood home,” he said. “Growing up with all the ex-staff and employees, current and all as well. Everyone’s family.”
Over the decades, he watched customers return with children of their own, creating generations of musicians connected to Steve’s Music.
“I’ve myself seen both customers and staff come in, come back, what seems like yesterday, with their kids and multiple generations being selling to,” he said. “So it’s hard to say goodbye to everyone.”
Finding new homes for thousands of instruments
Rather than simply liquidating inventory, Kirman hopes every instrument will continue its story in someone else’s hands.
“Today we’re inviting people to come in and take a look at the equipment that’s available for sale,” he said. “We invite them all to go online and make a bid.”
His hope is that every guitar, drum kit and amplifier will continue inspiring musicians.
“We’re doing this way to try to get as many homes for the instruments as possible because everything needs a nice home to sit down and play,” Kirman said. “And hopefully inspire the next generation of musicians or just inspire someone just to be creative at home. And we hope to find a home for everything.”
The auction is being conducted by Continental Auctioneers. Principal owner Michael Akkibrityan said the sale includes more than 2,500 individual lots and called it a privilege to oversee the final chapter of such a well-known Montreal business.
“When we were first asked by Michael and his crew to do the auction, I just jumped on the occasion,” Akkibrityan said. “It’s a wonderful establishment here in Montreal. So giving us the opportunity to do justice and closing it properly, I just jumped on the opportunity.”
Like most online auctions, Tuesday served as a preview day, so prospective buyers could inspect the merchandise in person.
“Pictures sometimes doesn’t do things justice,” Akkibrityan said. “They could come take a look, try guitars, whatever it is, inspecting it. So when they go back and do a bid online, they’re a bit more confident of what they’re buying and what they want to pay for it.”
Changing times
The auction follows Steve’s Music’s announcement earlier this year that it would close its remaining stores in Quebec and Ontario after facing financial challenges and shifting consumer habits.
The company had previously closed locations in Montreal’s West Island and South Shore, as well as stores in Toronto and Ottawa, leaving the downtown Montreal flagship as its final storefront.
Kirman said the original plan was to restructure the business around a single location.
“Since COVID, a lot of shopping has switched,” he said. “People are not going downtown as much. They’re shopping more online. It was a lot to adjust to.”
As economic conditions continued to soften, the company ultimately decided it was time to close.
“We just didn’t think it would be proper to chase after,” Kirman said. “We just want to make sure that we’re doing it properly and close down the business and the location. We keep good memories.”
More than a music store
For Kirman, the business always represented something larger than retail.
“It’s more than just, you know, like going to a supermarket and buying something,” he said. “You came in here, you hung out, you got advice, you came and showed what you learned to the people. And it just grew as community.”
Although the storefront is closing, he says he’ll remain connected to the city’s music scene.
“I’m always going to be involved, I think, in the community because it’s what I grew up with and around.”
His message to customers who supported the business over six decades is one of gratitude. “Thank you,” he said. “I just want to say thank you for myself, all the staff past and present for 62 years of memories and inspiration.”
He also reflected on the generations of employees who helped build the store’s legacy.
“I’ve watched generations of staff and employees,” he said. “Everyone’s been an inspiration to myself and I think to the community.”
Buying a piece of Montreal music history
Among those browsing the store during the preview was Jacob Marcotte, who came hoping to find an amplifier at a discounted price.
“I’ve seen in the news that there was like a sellout, so I thought it would be like a great opportunity to get something at a good price,” he said.
Although it was his first visit to Steve’s Music, he understood why the closure resonated with so many musicians.
“It sucks that it’s closing because it’s like a really specialized place and for the musicians it was cool to come here,” Marcotte said.
Longtime customer Oswaldo Contramaestre said Steve’s Music had long been a destination for Montreal-area musicians looking to discover new equipment.
“It’s very sad because I think every musician of the city, anytime they come here to check, to try, they have nice people working here,” he said. “It’s a history, part of the history of the musician of the city.”
Browsing the remaining inventory brought conflicting emotions.
“It’s a kind of mixed feeling because you’re buying part of the history,” Millaire said. “You’re trying to help, but music is like this. You have to evolve.”
Alexandre Millaire, who remembers visiting one of the retailer’s earlier locations near the Palais des congrès, said the closure represents “the end of an era.”
“I used to play music in Montreal,” he said. “Bought a lot of stuff back in the day. Yeah, it’s really sad to see an institution like this go.”
Still, he hopes to leave with a keepsake.
“If I find a nice guitar at a good price, I’ll probably put a bid on there.”
As thousands of instruments await new owners, the store that helped shape Montreal’s music community for more than six decades is preparing for its final encore.
For Kirman, the hope is simple: that every instrument leaving the shelves will continue making music and inspire another generation, just as Steve’s Music inspired so many before it.
