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Selling synths - details?


Moogasaur

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Hello, long time member here. Hopefully this isn't off topic. I was thinking of selling some of my old analogs. I know ebay's fees have gone up through the years, so I was wondering what the best way to sell synths these days, without losing a large chunk of $$$ from the sale.

 

The second thing I'm wondering is what is the best way to accept payment? Would a postal money order save money over paypal fees? Would a personal check be considered safe?

 

Last thing is what do you think the best way to package a synth safely and cheaply?

 

Thanks all...

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Honestly, Ebay is still your best bet.....

 

I have sold a lot of vintage gear that music stores and pawn shops wouldn't have given me anything for and I got a fair price with Ebay....make sure to list it so it stays listed until it sells....

 

I make up some Dawn dish soap water and wring my cloth out really well and follow it with a dry cloth (soft terry cloth washcloths) and use a toothbrush that you tap a lot first so it absolutely will not drip to get in tight spots.......super clean gear with super sharp photos can do more to sell stuff than anything you say in the ad.....I can't believe how dirty some stuff is that I see for sale on Ebay...

 

What makes things sell on Ebay is when people have sentimental feelings for some piece of gear that they once had.....often used gear isn't really worth much when you compare it to new gear.....even though older gear often has better sound, it doesn't "do it all" like new pieces of gear....I even find myself using sounds that may not be as good as sounds in other boards to save myself from having to drag other boards to shows for a few select sounds (I'm already hauling way too much stuff to shows).....

 

Even sampling these other boards isn't practical as samples take so long to load and take so much memory to load.....

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Thanks for the reply. I think I'll sell my synth on ebay after all. Thanks for your insight.

 

I'm also wonder what the best way to package a vintage synth to arrive safely. Where do I get the box and packing material? Would it make more sense to let UPS package it?

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Where do I get the box and packing material? Would it make more sense to let UPS package it?

 

I have always let the people at the UPS Store here do the packing. So far, they haven't let me down. They will double-box items as well. Of course this costs money, but I figure these people do this all day and should know how to get it right.

 

I have also sold some synths and amps and whatnot through craigslist. There are pros and cons to this -

 

- Biggest pro is that you don't have to ship the item, which is nice if it is something really big and heavy. Additionally, you get paid on the spot (I always insist upon cash money regardless of the amount.

 

- The biggest con is that you have a stranger (or strangers) coming over to your house to check out the gear. I always allow the person to try the item before they buy it, but don't want them to necessarily come upstairs to where the rest of my stuff is. So though my home studio is upstairs, while having the item for sale I usually have to have it set up downstairs with some kind of speakers. Not to be paranoid, but I live in the Chicago area and have some pretty odd fellows come over to my house. I have never had an issue.

 

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Thanks for the info. Do you by chance know how much (roughly) UPS would charge to double box a 61 key synth? I'm thinking I will put it up on ebay. So the best thing to do on ebay is to leave it up until it sells? Is that better (ie cheaper) than re-listing?

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Relisting is free this month. If it's not then you just pay $3-5 fee. You might want to sell it at a fixed price with buy it now option, and let others send in your best offers. But if you list it at an auction, it's best if it ends on weekday, best on thursday, or friday around 7-10 pm central time, you'll sell it at a higher price.

 

You can also list it on craigslist.org, i've seen prices there are much higher sometimes and you don't have to ship, they just come to you.

 

Go on ups, or fedex site and you can research the quotes there, it depends where it's shipping to. My Roland JP8000 was shipped from Oregon to Chicago, and it cost me $45. It goes by the pound.

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Think Ebay is fair enough for the seller on the other hand dont forget that someone looking off ebay is not willing to pay a respectable price for old synths always looking for that "synth of the old lady at the attic", they usually want them for peanuts, go for Ebay even if their fees are a bit up this days.

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Honestly, Ebay is still your best bet.....

 

I have sold a lot of vintage gear that music stores and pawn shops wouldn't have given me anything for and I got a fair price with Ebay....make sure to list it so it stays listed until it sells....

 

I make up some Dawn dish soap water and wring my cloth out really well and follow it with a dry cloth (soft terry cloth washcloths) and use a toothbrush that you tap a lot first so it absolutely will not drip to get in tight spots.......super clean gear with super sharp photos can do more to sell stuff than anything you say in the ad.....I can't believe how dirty some stuff is that I see for sale on Ebay...

 

What makes things sell on Ebay is when people have sentimental feelings for some piece of gear that they once had.....often used gear isn't really worth much when you compare it to new gear.....even though older gear often has better sound, it doesn't "do it all" like new pieces of gear....I even find myself using sounds that may not be as good as sounds in other boards to save myself from having to drag other boards to shows for a few select sounds (I'm already hauling way too much stuff to shows).....

 

Even sampling these other boards isn't practical as samples take so long to load and take so much memory to load.....

 

 

Ebay is a great vehicle to get your item(s) in front of a larger audience but I find the 10% final value fee a bit strong, I do use Ebay when trying to sell my instruments quick and in a hurry but if no rush I like to use Craigslist, No fees and I do not have to worry about shipping. Its Cash and Carry. This works great in larger metro areas.... I do a great deal of my used instrument purchasing from Craigslist.

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I have flipped tons of keyboards, toys, household items, phones, Leslies and two Hammonds on Craigslist and E-bay here are some tips:

 

Don’t undercut yourself on shipping fees on E-bay. Their calculators are often wrong and you can get really screwed. I have had to eat shipping in the past because of different UPS shipping zones in the US or them rounding up insurance fees. If you’re going to use your own packages or boxes check to make sure you calculate it right. Make sure you know what “declared weight” means. Shipping a 45 pound keyboard from NY to CA can be expensive. Also watch for international bidders bitching about custom fees and trying to get you to cover the cost of them getting an item out of customs. I had it happen with a Korg Triton two years ago and it was a ****************in nightmare.

 

Be very clear in your description of the item. Don’t get bullied by buyers because they can be horrible also. When E-bay first started years ago there was a lot of sellers screwing bidders. So much so that they now side with the bidder because E-Bay is almost a buying site now. You can’t just leave feedback that’s negative. Their process of solving disputes is also way overblown and should be simplified and take less time. They have made certain things easier but the accountability factor is still not enforced enough. Expect also to pay a huge amount of fees with PayPal also. E-Bay kind of has people by the balls because the visibility of an item goes much further than Craigslist has. That’s the best thing about it but I have had a few horrible transactions, you name it I have seen it since my account was opened in 2001.

 

Craigslist is a different animal and works most of the time. The problem there is people sell and expect things for top dollar. Or you have people coming to your house and wasting time and not really want to buy anything. Tire-kickers are a huge problem. Or the people that give you the sob story “well I was hoping to get it for $600.00 “ (which is $400 dollars less than what I have listed) I will negotiate most of the time but some people are unreasonable and hang out trying to see if you go lower.

 

In your ad to reduce unwanted answers to your add write the following “Any replies with “Is the item still for sale” will be deleted immediately if it is listed it’s still for sale. Trust me this sounds negative but unloading stuff either goes smoothly or it’s a bitch.

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