Selling gear on...Craig's List? eBay? Reverb?

[LGOberean]

@sax4blues started a thread on buying on eBay and/or Reverb. Me? I'm wanting to sell.

But I haven't used eBay in probably a decade or more, and I don't have (nor will I get) a PayPal account. As for Reverb, I've used it to research stuff, but have neither bought nor sold gear using them. I have sold gear on my local Craig's List, but the last time I did that was something like 8 years ago.

I really didn't want to have to contend with shipping items I've sold. Of course, that would limit me to selling locally/regionally.

So before I started listing stuff, I thought I'd get input from TDPRIers. Which selling platform do you prefer? Is dealing with shipping the royal pain it seems to be (to me, at least)? Give me the pros and cons of each based on your experiences. Success stories and horror stories alike are welcomed.

 

[schmee]

I prefer Reverb for on line shipped sales. Ebay seems to have more flaky people now days. Reverb staff respond well to problems also. Reverb will allow people to use CC payment through them. (Ebay does too now) They have done very well at resolving any issues for me also.
Both sites can cut your freight cost in half! Use their calculator when setting up a sell , use their shipping service. You just print your shipping label right through them, it's an amazing discount! Pack well!

Craig's List works for some things and I have been successful with it. But some items take a long time. I find relisting it now and then with a fresh 'start over' get's it sold when it's been sitting. Don't forget nearby CL areas also. If it wont sell on CL it often will sell on Reverb or Ebay fast.... if priced right.

I often sell on Reverb with "This item is sold As-Described"
"This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition prepaid with all original packaging."

Or on larger items like guitars or amps I may allow returns ...within a week, This gives a buyer confidence, especially if you are a new seller. They must be prepaid and sometimes I add a "restocking fee". "Return allowed" and "restocking fee" are standard things you can "check yes" on the sale setup in Reverb's format.

 

[Jakedog]

I sell local via CL and FB Marketplace. I have loads of success. No need for messing with shipping, which I wouldn’t do anyhow.

Most deals have a been absolutely fine. Only a couple out of hundreds set off any alarms for me, and those I just canceled and walked away from. There’s an always another buyer who doesn’t trip your Spidey sense.

If I really want convenience, I sell to the local GC store. Sure, you don’t get what it’s actually worth. They have to re-sell it, and have room to make decent money on it. They’re a retail business, that’s how it works.

Sometimes it’s worth it though, just to have it moved out of my way, and not have to deal with listing and dealing with potential buyers. Plus, even if I sell something for half of what I bought it for, I’m not taking a loss. So there’s that.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

I don’t want to deal with shipping or any of the other things that can (but admittedly mostly don’t) go wrong in a faceless, long-distance transaction, so it’s CL or OfferUp for me.

With those too, it’s mostly a matter of posting and waiting, though that of course depends on what you’re selling and how many people around you might want it. Make an effort to take good pictures, give information but also have some degree of tolerance for “dumb” questions and ask a reasonable price and be open to offers and it’s pretty much just a matter of time, though the time can be a lot.

Be aware of the common scams, from relatively “innocent” information harvesting to rip-offs to potential harm. The earlier you can recognize them, the safer you’ll be and the less aggravation you’ll experience.

The more flexible you are on terms (price, driving out to meet, etc.) the easier it will be.

I’ve used Facebook as well and it can work, but I do t like the format and the hassle of one app for posting and another for messaging. I figure anyone browsing Facebook is probably looking at Craigslist and OfferUp as well. However, more exposure is more exposure.

 

[Tom Grattan]

I recently sold a mandolin,$$$, on Reverb. When payment time came Reverb tried to force me to use their middle man, Plaid, to complete the sale. I looked up Plaid on line and they had been investigated for sketchy business practices. I wanted to use PayPal, which I've had good experience with to complete the money transfer to me. I got the complete run around from Reverb on why I had to use their method of fund transfer. Are there kick backs??? I refused and finally got them to accept the transfer to my account via PayPal. I found it suspect that Reverb would use the entity, Plaid, for their payment transfer given Plaid's history. I'd be leery to use Reverb to sell in the future. Look up "Plaid" on line.

 

[Dan German]

Reverb has worked for me, but I wouldn’t sell something hard to ship (guitar or amp). I’ve sold a few pedals there, and I just price them high enough to call the shipping free. CL and FB Marketplace are better, but limit range. Especially since I’m on an island.

 

[Snfoilhat]

Over the last 10 years i’ve made a larger portion of purchases through reverb, now more than 1/2. I see their whole thing as giving buyers the sense of having a lot of information about the products, close substitutes, prices, and seller reputations. If you dig deeper i think you find that a lot of that is a sham, but that’s off topic for your question. As a buyer my impulse is to scroll right past any gear with a seller with no transactions. But for that second it takes to check, i am still looking at the post. I think a new seller should be explicit about just how excellent a job they’re going to do in packing and shipping the item. There is a common language and style used by the more professional sellers with thousands of positive transactions. I suggest basing your prose on that. Good luck

 

[mfguitar]

It depends on what you are selling. For musical gear, I almost use Reverb exclusively. You expose your item to hundreds of thousands of potential clients. Their fees are offset by the discount you get for shipping. Obviously, selling locally eliminates the fees and shipping but meeting someone can still be a hassle and often they want to talk and negotiate further. Reverb (and eBay) clears your transactions directly to your bank account, it is mostly hassle-free. It is also a simple way for you to clear credit cards making your items more appealing.

 

[sax4blues]

I've always been a ca$h n carry to first buyer kind of seller. So CL is all I've used.

 

[fretknot]

I use all of the available options. Reverb is the top performer. eBay is in second place. FB marketplace a distant third. Craigslist is a non-performer where I live. I've sold over $22K in gear on Reverb alone in the last four years.

eBay doesn't require a PayPal account anymore. Like Reverb, they now process payments and get the cut that used to go to PayPal. Funds go directly into your linked bank account within a day or two on both eBay and Reverb.

I've also listed things here on this site with success, but that requires a form of payment such as PayPal, or other similar options.

Once you get the shipping routine down it's a breeze. You'll only need a postal scale and a tape measure. I get guitar boxes from a music store in town. For larger items, I use Lowe's or Home Depot boxes. If you live near a FedEx Office, they also sell boxes. They have good guitar shipping boxes, they cost $12.00 each last time I bought one.

 

[douellette]

I sold a MIJ Tele and a '63 Vibroverb RI, along with some smaller things like pickups, hardware, etc., all on Reverb. All of my payments went through Reverb, and I made sure that the shipping I charged reflected the real price I'd pay.

I had good experiences in every case, and I'm confident that I got better prices than I could have locally. I live in Kalamazoo, and the guitar went to Kansas and the amp went to California.

 

[Killing Floor]

Reverb.

eBay has weird customer service.
CL gets me kidnapped and cooked into a stew.

Not sure why someone with a bank account and a credit card or debit card would refuse to use PayPal.

 

[__HKGuns__]

Not sure why someone with a bank account and a credit card or debit card would refuse to use PayPal.

Because they are affiliated with the Personal information broker Google. I refuse to use anything associated with Google. I haven't used the google search engine in over 15 years. I value my privacy and see no need to allow them to collect and then sell my personal information.

But I'm in the minority, most people either don't realize what is going on or simply don't care.

When the service is free, you are the service, with gmail being the best example.

I pay for Proton Mail and they don't read my emails and don't sell my information.

 

[thunderbyrd]

recently put 2 guitars up on CL. in just about an hour, i had like 7-8 texts of people claiming to want to buy them. all scams.

 

[teletail]

@sax4blues Is dealing with shipping the royal pain it seems to be (to me, at least)?

Is putting something in a box and driving to FedEx, UPS or the Post Officer a royal pain? Not to me. Have the box and packing material ready BEFORE you list it.

Make sure you have an idea of what shipping costs will be BEFORE you sell. I was very unpleasantly surprised one time when shipping was about $100 and I thought it would be about $50.

I don't use Reverb or eBay any more because of their fees and now they collect sales tax. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, this forum, or any other gear related forum, or try to find a local music store that won't totally screw you.

Even though I don't use them anymore because of costs, I had good luck as a buyer and seller on Reverb. I bought a keyboard and it was damaged in transit. Reverb made sure the guy made me whole, as he had shipped it without insurance and was trying to get me to split the costs of fixing it. As a seller, even though I double boxed and added a sea of Styrofoam peanuts, UPS managed to crack the frame of a Roland keyboard I shipped. I had taken out Reverb insurance and they handled everything to the buyers complete satisfaction.

 

[LGOberean]

I just finished doing a quick read-through of all the replies thus far. As I anticipated, input from y'all is helpful, even if it's just presenting another option I wasn't thinking of or was unaware of.

For example, the mention by @SixStringSlinger of OfferUp. Never heard of it. Since SSS's location is listed as "Space" perhaps that's not a thing here on planet Earth, and is why I've never heard of it. Seriously, I only just now read your comments, but I will look "OfferUp" up.

As for FB Market Place, I'm not on it, but my wife is. She's listed one guitar package deal for me on there, which has been up for more than a month. I just the other day did a price drop and OBO on the listing, and so far I've only gotten a nibble, which I think was nothing more than that information harvesting thing. I'm not necessarily ruling out Market Place, but I don't have a lot of confidence in it, either. Hence my starting this thread to discuss options.

 

[AdmirableKryten]

I sold a bunch of instruments last year as I downsized to one electric, one acoustic, one amp and a few ukuleles. I looked at Reverb and EBay but (a) I don't really trust them and (b) I didn't want the hassle of shipping. Instead I went to a local independent music store and they put them all on consignment. Cost to me was $20 each for a restring (which was required for thm to show them and was, frankly, needed) and then they kept 30% of the sale price - which they researched/suggested for each instrument/amp. Everything sold within a month, and I got paid two months after that (they had a 60 day return policy, so I got paid once that had passed). I have to say I couldn't be happier, and I would definitely do the same again, much less hassle. If you have a store like that locally I think it's definitely worth the 30% for low-hassle and peace of mind.

Edit: Spelling

 

[LGOberean]

Another helpful suggestion was one that I guess should have been obvious: TDPRI Classifieds. In nearly 15 years of membership here I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've even checked that section, and never have I bought or sold here. I don't know what policies, fees, etc. are involved in selling here, but I'll look into it.

 

[markal]

Craigs List for local sales has worked really well for me. I have sold a bunch of guitar stuff and outdoor gear that way.

I did sell an amp and a few pedals via Reverb. Those went fine as well, but like you I try to avoid having to ship.

I also have a guitar for sale on consignment at a local shop. Hasn’t sold yet though.

 

[LGOberean]

Oh, another idea: donation. There are a few items that I'm not ready to give away (I want some money for a Taurus GX4). But I have at least a couple of guitars that I wasn't expecting to get a lot for anyway.

And coincidentally, my youngest daughter just posted something on FB that my wife shared with me: her kids are wanting to go on a mission trip. My daughter posted that her kids will work in exchange for donations made to the mission fund. My wife and I are wanting our RV trailer washed and waxed, and we'll gladly donate what we would have paid someone locally to do the job. But in thinking about taking our trailer up to them (San Antonio) we also thought we could load up some items to donate for a rummage sale. If they're taking items for such a sale, then I'll gladly donate the cheaper guitars (a Peavey Raptor Plus and an Esteban) rather than trying to get a few bucks for them otherwise.