I'm considering selling off some of my collection and I noticed there's no real format when posting a knife for sale like craigslist or ebay. Just looking for suggestions on what buyers like to see for photo galleries? links or attached within the post(allotted space seems small for hi-res photos). Also any suggestions that make a transaction smoother are appreciated. Never sold anything in a forum before.
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Recommendation? Selling off some of my Collection (Suggestions Wanted)
- Thread starter JonZ
- Start date
Peter Hartwig
Gold Member
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- Feb 29, 2008
- Messages
- 5,452
Couple suggestions
Pay Pal G&S for payment , no F&F
at least a basic set of photos
good description of all faults and weaknesses as well as features. If it isn't a well known item specs help
Price reasonably, but be prepared to be offered less
Best if price is inclusive-one price including PP fees, shipping and insurance
Pack shipments well-no rattle and plenty of tape-tape ends of small priority boxes if you use them
Insure the package or be prepared for self insurance, just in case package is lost(though not likely)
Good luck on your sale
I'll add-good communication is important, and fast shipping is expected, unless otherwise stated.
Pay Pal G&S for payment , no F&F
at least a basic set of photos
good description of all faults and weaknesses as well as features. If it isn't a well known item specs help
Price reasonably, but be prepared to be offered less
Best if price is inclusive-one price including PP fees, shipping and insurance
Pack shipments well-no rattle and plenty of tape-tape ends of small priority boxes if you use them
Insure the package or be prepared for self insurance, just in case package is lost(though not likely)
Good luck on your sale
I'll add-good communication is important, and fast shipping is expected, unless otherwise stated.
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+1 on what Peter said, that about covers it 
- Joined
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Truth in condition.
Never overestimate the potential viewer's experience in a maker's work. "Typical xxxx Maker quality, blah, blah, blah...." Educate them. Point out the good stuff.
Photos: Use a PLAIN background. White paper is fine, and no reflections on blades. it's an art, but easy to get competitive images if you simply look and make changes and look again.
Good luck!
Never overestimate the potential viewer's experience in a maker's work. "Typical xxxx Maker quality, blah, blah, blah...." Educate them. Point out the good stuff.
Photos: Use a PLAIN background. White paper is fine, and no reflections on blades. it's an art, but easy to get competitive images if you simply look and make changes and look again.
Good luck!
Peter Hartwig
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2008
- Messages
- 5,452
You are selling goods, so it is appropriate to pay PP their proper fees. By taking F&F both sides are loosing protections and PP gets ripped off. You should only use G&S and thus no discount for F&F. If you want to give reductions anyway that is your choice or you can give a discount for USPS money orders if you like.
You will see many offer F&F, but that doesn't mean it is the right thing to do
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Look over some of the sale posts that are currently listed. Look at the sellers and the feedback they have. That will give you an idea of what description to include. Read as much as you can in the G,B&U feedback forum. That will give you a guide for what not to do.
Mostly, list a knife thinking about what you expect when you’re looking to buy.
Mostly, list a knife thinking about what you expect when you’re looking to buy.
Good advice above from Peter Hartwig and the others. Allow me to add a copy of a post I made in another thread with essentially the same question:
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The thing about selling here on BF is getting enough eyes on your prize. That means that you need to be patient and prepared to relist - maybe 2, 3 or 4 times even. Some of the individual sale threads get bumped off PAGE 1 so fast that your eyes pop out. That speaks to an active exchange. I have relisted knives 3 or 4 times and eventually my offers have sold - sometimes for MORE than my original asking price. It's all about getting the right pair of eyes.
Good photos, accurate descriptions and a fair price are essential. Tell us what you want for $$s up front. Folks sell stuff for NET all the time but I suspect they lose more sales and/or get more aggravation than those who say up front what the total delivered/PP fees costs will be. PayPal Goods & Services is the only way to go as it protects all the parties in the transaction (mostly).
Good photos are worth the time. Don't send us to another web site. Learn to post at least a few good images in your post. DON'T do such huge close ups that your 3" knife looks like a 6" knife but DO post detail photos big enough that we can see the details. The more up front info/qualifiers that you provide the easier your sell will go and the greater the satisfaction of all involved. My 2¢ but I've bought and sold quite a bit here on the BF exchange with much better results than on the bay. Your experience may differ but to be fair, it took me at least a dozen sales before I figured out a good system.
Being totally new to selling on BF, with no feedback, you will potentially have difficulty generating trust that your knife is all you say it is and that you are an honest broker. With good photos and accurate descriptions of all the good and all the flaws, and using time honored reputable selling practices that make BF exchange deals go smoothly, you will succeed.
And - by the way - the secondary market is fickle at best. If you think that you will get all your money back on every sale - forget about it. Likely you will take at least a 15 to 20% hit - even on LNIB knives after fees and S&H. Just the way it is. Your milage may vary.
Good luck.
Ray
__________________________________
The thing about selling here on BF is getting enough eyes on your prize. That means that you need to be patient and prepared to relist - maybe 2, 3 or 4 times even. Some of the individual sale threads get bumped off PAGE 1 so fast that your eyes pop out. That speaks to an active exchange. I have relisted knives 3 or 4 times and eventually my offers have sold - sometimes for MORE than my original asking price. It's all about getting the right pair of eyes.
Good photos, accurate descriptions and a fair price are essential. Tell us what you want for $$s up front. Folks sell stuff for NET all the time but I suspect they lose more sales and/or get more aggravation than those who say up front what the total delivered/PP fees costs will be. PayPal Goods & Services is the only way to go as it protects all the parties in the transaction (mostly).
Good photos are worth the time. Don't send us to another web site. Learn to post at least a few good images in your post. DON'T do such huge close ups that your 3" knife looks like a 6" knife but DO post detail photos big enough that we can see the details. The more up front info/qualifiers that you provide the easier your sell will go and the greater the satisfaction of all involved. My 2¢ but I've bought and sold quite a bit here on the BF exchange with much better results than on the bay. Your experience may differ but to be fair, it took me at least a dozen sales before I figured out a good system.
Being totally new to selling on BF, with no feedback, you will potentially have difficulty generating trust that your knife is all you say it is and that you are an honest broker. With good photos and accurate descriptions of all the good and all the flaws, and using time honored reputable selling practices that make BF exchange deals go smoothly, you will succeed.
And - by the way - the secondary market is fickle at best. If you think that you will get all your money back on every sale - forget about it. Likely you will take at least a 15 to 20% hit - even on LNIB knives after fees and S&H. Just the way it is. Your milage may vary.
Good luck.
Ray
Another bit of advice (which I don't think has been mentioned yet but I might have missed it) is to also take pictures of everything that comes with the item(s) for sale (box, patches, stickers, bags, etc). For some folks the complete package is very important so better to post everything in the pictures (as well as mentioning those items in the descriptions). Good luck with your sale(s)!