Selling a few knives and need advice.

[bebop]

I have a few knives I want to sell but have never sold on the forums before. I usually sell on ebay but thought I might save money this way but am worried it is not as safe. I have read the rules on the exchange.

My questions are,
What's the best way to go about selling on Blade Forums?
Are there any risks I should worry about? Is it possible for someone to potentially rip me off?
When having someone pay me on PayPal should I have them make payment as gift?
Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[foxx]

Once you are a paid Gold member, you can list your knives. Having no feedback score may make it more difficult to sell knives, especially higher priced items.
If you sell anything, you have the advantage in some ways, you will have the $$ before you ship the knife. If you are really worried about PP, then request that you get a USPS Money Order, then you ship the knife. You can lower the price you set, if there's no interest, remember that.
Follow all the rules, list the item as it really is, consider shipping costs, ie.. do you want to ship International? Use a tracking # and or insurance when shipping, pack it well.
Some people ask for a +3% if using PP, straight up for money orders, I like USPS MO's, I can't imagine someone forging those, seems like a Federal crime over a knife would be a big risk.
I've only sold a couple of items, and bought several from makers here on BF, I've had all positive results.

 

[bebop]

Thank you

 

[Socom Elite]

As a seller it's your job to give a accurate description of the knife. Expensive knives I sell and ship I will add insurance to just to COVER MY BUTT. Yes, thats right. If a item gets lost in the mail it is the sellers responsibility to give them their money back. If sent USPS priority and insured more then $200 then it requires a signature anyways, so you don't have to worry about adding it. If under $200 ins. then I add the signature confirmation. I do this for a couple reasons, but mainly because I don't like to leave a expensive knife in a mail box or on someones front porch till they get home.
Some sellers will say that if you want insurance then it's on the buyer. So I guess that means that if it gets lost in the mail then he isn't giving you your money back

As a buyer I never send payment other then Paypal unless I know the guy or he has a very good rep. Also if you send PP, make sure you don't use the personal tab or else there is no way to file a claim and get your money back if he doesn't ship the item

 

[RevDevil]

Don't say "add 4% for paypal or send payment as a gift". I still can't figure why people that are selling an item want you to buy it and do some extra math for the hell of it. Just add in the shipping and whatever else, 1 price = easy on everyone. I've passed on knives that I really wanted becauase of the "please add 4%" crap, plus it is against Paypal ToS. If you use gift only, paypal will find out and you can have your account closed and or be forced into a sellers premium account. You use the service, pay the fees.

If you want to sell lots of knives like resellers on ebay, buy a dealers membership. Trying to fly under the radar without the proper membership won't end well.

Take well lit, focused pictures that accurately display colors and any possible wear marks or damage. No one like those kinds of surprises. The knife community does not take kindly to purposeful oversights in accuracy. Negative reputations are easily earned and hardly forgotten.

Look at some of the current sales ads and that will give you a general idea of what to do. Don't copy another persons text word for word without at least asking if it's alright.

When in doubt, read the rules and ask questions in the Tech Support forum. That is where these kinds of topics should go for accurate answers from the powers that be.

 

[Ken C.]

I've been buying and selling on BFC for 10 years. 10 YEARS!!! The key to all of it is to be descriptive in your ad, provide photos if possible, and be honest. Ripping people off is a very bad way to isolate yourself and it paints a target on you. All I also found that giving a little leeway in the price helps. If the person is on the fence about an item and they want to haggle a bit I will, especially if it's something they really want. A loss of a few dollars won't hurt me if it makes someone happy. As a buyer I always make sure to pay promptly, usually within a few hours if not minutes. As a seller I ship that day or prepare the shipment for next day and I always provide a tracking number and insurance. I work trading items the same way.

 

[IamMatt]

My questions are,
What's the best way to go about selling on Blade Forums?

Be honest about what you are selling, its condition, history, etc. Include CLEAR pictures. State CLEARLY your terms--whether shipping is included, what forms of payment you will accept, how long your return period is, etc. Remember that whether your prices "exclude insurance," you are still responsible for getting the knife to the buyer, and you cannot hide behind "he didn't pay extra for insurance" as an excuse.

Are there any risks I should worry about? Is it possible for someone to potentially rip me off?

Yes. Reading this Good, Bad, & Ugly subforum will make you aware that there are some scumbags and ripoff artists out there. Check your buyer's feedback and how long they have been on BladeForums, maybe even check their reputation on other forums if you can. Read the problem posts to see how things go wrong and avoid them. But realize that scammers have ways to work you, including lying to PayPal or USPS about receiving shipments. And that sometimes, even long-standing members with good histories go south for some reason. Life is not without risk.

When having someone pay me on PayPal should I have them make payment as gift?

Are you selling knives or giving them as gifts? Using the Gift option is a dishonest way for people to save a few percentage points on their transactions. Maybe you were not aware of that. Some people might consider your question an indication that you are willing to put a few dollars above your integrity, and will be hesitant to deal with you. Dishonesty aside, it is a foolish option, because the buyer loses some of the protections that PayPal offers. If you don't want to pay their fees, you don't have to use them.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your sales.