Advice on selling Audio gear on Ebay etc...

[RGA]

I must say I never use the likes of AGON, Ebay, canuckaudiomart etc.

For someone who has not used the net to sell anything is there anything to be careful of?

I may be taking a job overseas for two years and if I do this I may sell both my stereo systems.

The thing is without a track record of selling I am not sure I would be able to go on and sell fairly pricey pieces of stereo gear. I would be selling my Audio Note OTO, AN J speakers, TT2 turntable (although I may keep the turntable as I don't have the original box/packing), Rotel pre/power amp and ASL Headphone amp. I could probably start with the cheaper stuff to build my reputation.

Or am I overthinking this and it's not the problem I think it is.

[GMichael]

You over think something? Not possible! But come to think of it, this just might be your shortest post ever.
Sorry. I’m not much of an Ebayer .

[dakatabg]

Make sure you post many pictures and describe the item in your best.

People there like to see many pictures of what they are buying.

[dingus]

i dont think a lack of a track record is much of an issue, just have the funds from the buyer in hand before you ship anything, and always get the insurance.

my biggest issue with selling gear is properly packaging the units for shipping. if you dont have original boxes (and in many cases, even if you do), packaging can take considerable effort. more often than not i've had to use over sized boxes and cut them to size, using a hot glue gun to seal the splice.

better yet, have a local buyer and avoid shipping, which is why i also list on craigslist.

[jrhymeammo]

A person with 0 Feedback maybe a tough sale.
Just offer to explain any questions they may have.

If you don't mind phone calls, it'll be the best way.
It's always nice to know the seller actually has audio knowledge.
Just tell them you are one of the writers for Dagogo. I'm sure with your explanation, they'll feel at ease.

Best of luck with your overseas job.
Where are you going this time?

[02audionoob]

I think Audiogon is a fairly trusting bunch. It's a bit of a community atmosphere. When I first started selling there I had no problems getting fair prices for my gear. On eBay, though, I don't buy anything from anyone with less than a 50 feedback score and a perfect or near-perfect history of successful selling. Being the big dog selling site, there's too many opportunities there for scammers and too many other sellers to choose from.

First and foremost in my mind for a good listing is the photos, like dakatabg says. I feel better that the seller knows what he's talking about when the photos are good and clear and taken from informative angles. 2nd is the description. Not a cut and paste from the manufacturer's site. A real explanation from an expert, audiophile, dealer, etc. And 3rd is the replies to questions, which on eBay can be posted in the listing. When I see a poorly written auction with bad photos, I put that one on my watch list. I figure the bidding will stay low and I can get a good deal...not what the seller wants, obviously.

[Feanor]

I must say I never use the likes of AGON, Ebay, canuckaudiomart etc.

For someone who has not used the net to sell anything is there anything to be careful of?

I may be taking a job overseas for two years and if I do this I may sell both my stereo systems.

The thing is without a track record of selling I am not sure I would be able to go on and sell fairly pricey pieces of stereo gear. I would be selling my Audio Note OTO, AN J speakers, TT2 turntable (although I may keep the turntable as I don't have the original box/packing), Rotel pre/power amp and ASL Headphone amp. I could probably start with the cheaper stuff to build my reputation.

Or am I overthinking this and it's not the problem I think it is.
I'd recommend Audiogon to sell your Audio Note stuff.Ebay might be as good for you Rotel. No reputation points is an issue but you can mention your Dagogo affiliation which will be worth something on Audiogon.

You must be prepared to ship at least to the US for a reasonably quick sale at a fair price. Be sure to stipulate that you buyer will pay all shipping, taxes, duties, and brokerage charges that might pertain. Usually goods to the US valued under $200 don't attract these charges; those over $200 are likely to, and anything over that buck which sends or receives a radio signal will require a US FCC document.

Guarantees is an issue. Personally when I sell I'm not prepare to offer any return privilege or quarantee as to delivery or condition upon delivered, however I'm very clear about this in my ads.

I recommend Canada Post/USPS over FedEx or UPS, however large, heavier items might have to go via the latter. But I should mention that I have always used FedEx to US for >$200 items; their website is reasonably helpful about the required documents such as the commercial invoice and FCC document where applicable.

[SlumpBuster]

I've seen low feedback sellers on Audiogon link to forums like this, e.g. "Check me out on AR, I'm RGA. People know me." Even if they are not members of this forum, they can join and verify. Also, with that level of gear I would not screw around with ebay. Too may flakes on ebay. ("That amp only has 10 watts. I'll give you $50 for it.") Audiogon buyers know what they are looking at.

[Feanor]

....

You must be prepared to ship at least to the US for a reasonably quick sale at a fair price. Be sure to stipulate that you buyer will pay all shipping, taxes, duties, and brokerage charges that might pertain. Usually goods to the US valued under $200 don't attract these charges; those over $200 are likely to, and anything over that buck which sends or receives a radio signal will require a US FCC document.
...
Also make it clear to potential US buyer that the shipping you charge him does not include the taxes, duties, and brokerage. You can explain that there is no practical way for you to estmate what the latter charges would be, and in any case, the usual arrangement is for the buyer to assume sole responsiblity for them.

Always insure the package and, if possible, stipulated "Signature required" to the carrier.

[winston]

I must say I never use the likes of AGON, Ebay, canuckaudiomart etc.

For someone who has not used the net to sell anything is there anything to be careful of?

I may be taking a job overseas for two years and if I do this I may sell both my stereo systems.

The thing is without a track record of selling I am not sure I would be able to go on and sell fairly pricey pieces of stereo gear. I would be selling my Audio Note OTO, AN J speakers, TT2 turntable (although I may keep the turntable as I don't have the original box/packing), Rotel pre/power amp and ASL Headphone amp. I could probably start with the cheaper stuff to build my reputation.

Or am I overthinking this and it's not the problem I think it is.
hey RGA" I'm not one of the "big dog" seller on ebay, But if you choose "ebay" to sell your gears (the first thing that you should do is open a pay-pal account and link a bank & cc account to it, its free and its safe) in the end that's what saves "honest" sellers on ebay.

just make sure that you follow all the rules and your covered."oh I should'ave mentioned that whenever you make a sale on ebay the maximum amount that you could withdraw per month is $500" for the guys at my level. I'm not sure how much effect all this would have on you living in Canada. but that's my ebay experience. good luck in selling your stuff which ever way you get to sell em.

[Feanor]

hey RGA" I'm not one of the "big dog" seller on ebay, But if you choose "ebay" to sell your gears (the first thing that you should do is open a pay-pal account and link a bank & cc account to it, its free and its safe) in the end that's what saves "honest" sellers on ebay.
...
Good advice about PayPal, Winston.

Despite numerous complaints about PayPay, it is really the only way to go on eBay. It is also the best way on Audiogon, (especially when selling), though postal money order remains acceptable -- personal cheques, wire transfers, and all other payments means should be strictly avoided.

[RGA]

Thanks everyone. I have a paypal account - just have to go back and figure it out again - it's been awhile. I may also try a consignment deal with Soundhounds. They'll make some bucks but I may get just as much or more but it may take longer. Still if someone goes into a store likes the OTO for example and sees a nearly $4k price tag but oh by the way we have a consignment item for half that then it might work out. Then I have less worry about shipping and people not being happy.

I have not fully decided I'm selling - but two years away keeping it in mothballs also seems a waste. Though if I like the new country (I was there for a week and loved it) I may try to emigrate. In which case the speakers will work there and I could ship them to myself.


jrhymeammo

Where to - Hong Kong. Think of Vancouver - but much bigger and a lot more people - and with a very English flavor. It's the Asian place to go if you ever wanted to try Asia but were worried about language/culture etc. It's basically London meets Vancouver meets China meets India all stuffed together amidst double-decker buses and Starbucks. And Macau is very close by which is basically a higher roller version of Las Vegas.

[tube fan]

Two years is nothing. You have a decent system. Keep it!

[Poultrygeist]

I have sold quite a bit of audio gear on ebay and staging your pictures using a high quality camera with detailed close ups is important. Don't scrimp on the number of photo's and always give a sensible reason for selling.

A glass of wine with a single rose placed next to an amp on a marble table works for me every time. The implication here is that the seller has class and the item is expensive and well cared for.

[Feanor]

I have sold quite a bit of audio gear on ebay and staging your pictures using a high quality camera with detailed close ups is important. Don't scrimp on the number of photo's and always give a sensible reason for selling.

A glass of wine with a single rose placed next to an amp on a marble table works for me every time. The implication here is that the seller has class and the item is expensive and well cared for.
I strongly agree on the value of good quality pictures.

When I see the likes of the above mentioned wine & roses, I'm inclined to think, as a buyer, that the seller takes me for an irrational person. :15:

[Jim Eck]

A few other things worth mentioning.

Record the serial numbers (even save a photo for your records), and if possible make an identifing mark inside the unit you are selling. There are some buyers on eBay that will buy your working equipment and return to you their broken equipment and want a refund. Also, in your pictures do not picture the serial numbers, that is your information till they buy the unit.

Always sell "As is, no implyed warranty". Delicate electronics even when properly packed can still end up not working after shipping, (in this case it is usually something vibrated lose and not generally sereious). Use plenty of styrofoam for packing, bubble wrap is inadequate as packing material for most electronics. I usually put the unit in a plastic bag then build a hamock of sorts in side the box, centering the unit away from the outsides of a very heavy box or double boxed.

Turntables take a real special treatment for packing. Always remove the platter and pack it seperate, wire the tone arm in place (you might even remove the headshell if it is removable and safely pack it where it can't get loose and cause damage to itself or the turntable or other parts, and plastic wrap the dustcover. I usually put the platter between styrofoam under the rest of the turntable. You can't be creaful enough.

For large speakers you should look to the possiblity of using a common carrier, box them and attach them to a pallet.

Good luck, you can't be careful enough on eBay any more, there are people everywhere out to take advantage.

Jim

[Jimmy C]

...an Audio Note system to a Bose Wave Radio!

Actually heard the "Wave" @ a friend's house today... not bad sound at all from what is basically a glorified alarm clock... it's the $500 (w/ CDP) price tag that's a bit upsetting...

Why can't you "mothball" your stuff? You're going to have to buy it again eventually...

[tube fan]

RGA, I may be interested in your speakers if you decide to sell. They might work well in my office. Good luck if you decide to move.

[swan24]

One thing I learned from experience: Shipping heavy gear like power amps or receivers, put in heavy-duty outer box, well padded... Use fibre tape to seal everything... Insure to the hilt... Then you can rest easy...

[tube fan]

Please give a shot at you equipment if you decide to sell.

[Poultrygeist]

Feanor,

It's all in the presentation.

[tube fan]

BTW, I would check out Amsterdam before moving to HK.

[basite]

jrhymeammo

Where to - Hong Kong. Think of Vancouver - but much bigger and a lot more people - and with a very English flavor. It's the Asian place to go if you ever wanted to try Asia but were worried about language/culture etc. It's basically London meets Vancouver meets China meets India all stuffed together amidst double-decker buses and Starbucks. And Macau is very close by which is basically a higher roller version of Las Vegas.


"the city of horns and tubes", as they say :)

You're going on a wild trip in audio land too if you're going there :D

I have a friend living there, also much into audio gear, and probably knows all the hifi nuts there, he could guide you around the city, and other things (audio stuff too)...

PM me if interested, I think he'd be happy to help... :)

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[RGA]

I am still waiting for a reply. I have done two interviews and passed with the board of education. Now they send my documents to all the public schools and they go through and contact the people from the list. So I sort of have a job in the sense that I am in their system but until they offer me a contract I am kind of stuck.

I have to sell my car as well which sucks since I bought it last June so I will take a bit of a beating on that as well. Fortunately it's a 2007 with less than 35,000km on it and the bumper to bumper warranty is good until June 2017 and 180,000km which is more than most new cars. But it's a Kia Rondo so not exactly a supremely popular model. Fairly popular in Canada but dropped from the US market. But it's a pain because I can't really put it up for sale until I get an offer and if I wait too long I will have to sell it in a rush which means I'll lose even more money on it.

The stereo stuff I may wait until next summer. The HK job is a 2 year contract - if I don't like it there I will return to Canada after the 2 years. If I like it there I may emigrate. If I do that I can bring my AN J's (sorry tube fan) which will fit the housing there better than AN E's). The OTO would have to go due to the power requirements and the turntable might be able to be switched over to their power. There is a huge Audio Note dealer in that country and one of the big magazines over there has a love fest for it - it's in Cantonese so who knows what it says.

basite thanks I might take you up on that. Finding the audio places is sometimes tough as few people are into this hobby. I can also cover any shows that are going over there which would be kind of cool as I don't read much about shows in Asia. And they have bags of money there so I am betting the top shelf gear will be there.

[Feanor]

...
... - it's in Cantonese so who knows what it says.

....
Ah! So, (opps! no racial slur intended), you don't speak Cantonese, but I guess there are a lot of English speakers in Hong Kong.

I was totally amazed to learn how much Mandarin my son has picked up. But then he took some courses and his wife and in-laws are from Beijing. I recently met his wife's folks who don't speak English, and was delighted that my son did quite a bit of the translation for them and us to communicate.

[Steve54]

"my biggest issue with selling gear is properly packaging the units for shipping. if you dont have original boxes (and in many cases, even if you do), packaging can take considerable effort. more often than not i've had to use over sized boxes and cut them to size, using a hot glue gun to seal the splice."

That's one reason why I save all original boxes even if my wife complains about the room they take up in the garage. -Steve

[RGA]

Ah! So, (opps! no racial slur intended), you don't speak Cantonese, but I guess there are a lot of English speakers in Hong Kong.

I was totally amazed to learn how much Mandarin my son has picked up. But then he took some courses and his wife and in-laws are from Beijing. I recently met his wife's folks who don't speak English, and was delighted that my son did quite a bit of the translation for them and us to communicate.

Learning languages can be difficult especially Chinese languages but I'm sure I'll pick up a little. The written language will be tougher. I have been to Hong Kong for a week so I kind of know what I am in for. Great city really - the Asian city to go to is you ever wanted to try Asia but were worried about language. Most everything is in English anyway since they ran the place for so long. Mainland China has more or less left it alone because it works.

Hong Kong is very much like Vancouver in a lot of ways. More than 50% of the people who live in Vancouver are Asian (mostly Chinese) and the joke here is that Vancouver's real name should be Hongcouver.

[Bose Addict]

LOL, cause I just heard a buddy compare his "wave" to new Accoustimax Cinetech offering from Bose.