where can I go for advice

[singlespeedman]

OK - I have had a thread pulled for violating rules on selling on this forum. I need advice on pricing kit I wish to sell to ensure I do not get ripped off. As I cannot ask for advice on equipments value so I can sell it elsewhere - can somebody point me in the right direction for a site that can help. My work days and hours change too frequently for me to join a club and I barely get enough free time to get out with the scopes as it is. If there is somebody that is able to assist in me in any way it will be greatly appreciated.

To be clear (again) I am not looking to sell kit on this site or to members here. Anyone who contacts me to see what I am trying to value, in order to buy themselves, will not be sold to. I will not sell to anyone that comes to me as a result of this post.

I am hoping that is now within the rules and if not I guess I am just going to risk getting fleeced.

[richbyers]

hey....this may be obvious...but have you checked what they are going for on ebay- just search in the item and click completed listings

rich

[Stephen]

eBay

ABS sold adverts

Cloudy nights classified sold adverts

[swamp thing]

You could try the "Astronomy Shed" they have a classified section.

HTH

Regards Steve

[kniclander]

new stuff 2/3 to 3/4 of new price if in very good/mint condition. stick it on Astronomy Buy Sell. what's the problem?

[singlespeedman]

Hi, yes I have but it is a bit grey as there are clearly pro sellers on there which I am not - plus some of the bits are not. Most of what I have actually came from this site and I never felt ripped off. I was (and still am) gutted by the decisions made last year with regards that. Whether I like some of the attitudes conveyed from what are clearly stressed out and under appreciated mods - I am still a member looking to use the forum for the right reasons.

[singlespeedman]

new stuff 2/3 to 3/4 of new price if in very good/mint condition. stick it on Astronomy Buy Sell. what's the problem?

I have come across astro buy sell and imo it looks a bit risky to the uninitiated.

[kniclander]

how risky can selling something be?? they send you the £££; you send the goods (recorded delivery if that makes you feel better).

[singlespeedman]

again - no experience of the site and I have had bank details hacked twice in the past - the first time to the tune of 14k right before christmas. Hence why I tend to prefer forums and meeting people as opposed to non mainstream sites. Unless you sign up there is not that much info. My kit is pretty standard but with some non standard bits so just working out a percentage did no seem like the best way to calculate price.

[Tim]

Put the item on for a higher price and if no takers then you know you have gone too high?

ABS is used regularly by many of us

[Cjg]

I've bought and sold astro gear on ebay without hassles.

You can work out what the brand new price of each bit of your kit would cost from a retailer or etailer, then ask yourself, "what would I pay for this second hand" 2/3rds is a good guide.

Start out selling one scope at a time and see how you get on (if it is indeed a scope that your selling).

Bear in mind that ebay and pay pal make it easy, but that comes at a price - think ebay take 10% of the sold price. Do your research and see what identical items are selling / sold for on the bay and perhaps try Gumtree first with cash on collection?

Good luck, I agree it is a shame that you have to tread carefully here at the moment with talk of selling and pricing - it is a part of the astro culture - my local club magazine usually has a for sale item in it.

Chris

[username]

I would say the market decides the price. On ebay you can set a reserve to protect yourself and if it doesn't sell you can reevaluate your reserve. That's what I always do on ebay anyway if I want a definite return.

On astro buy and sell I've noticed sellers put up reduced adverts if their gear isn't selling too.

So can't you just err on the side of a bit higher than you're prepared to let it go for and if it doesn't sell then you can reduce or decide if you really want to sell?

[kniclander]

again - no experience of the site and I have had bank details hacked twice in the past - the first time to the tune of 14k right before christmas. Hence why I tend to prefer forums and meeting people as opposed to non mainstream sites. Unless you sign up there is not that much info. My kit is pretty standard but with some non standard bits so just working out a percentage did no seem like the best way to calculate price.

why give anyone your bank details? use paypal or ask for a cheque and wait for it to clear before you send the goods. tbh i think you are making a bit of a mountain out of a molehill (no offence intended)

[richbyers]

by the way id be cautious with ebay these days- as a seller ive been ripped off by the buyer and new ebay rules favour the buyer rather than the seller....and ebay just wont listen to reason and get debt collection agencies involved if you dont pay, for instance if the buyer wrecks your item and demands a return you pretty much have to

use ebay for prices but SELL with CAUTION and dont do anything with the money until its all gone ok

[singlespeedman]

thanks Cjg - I am going to read through ABS to see what it entails and as long as I do not have to hand over any bank details I will likely give it a go. I guess I will have to go for individual listings on there rather than work out the all in price. I loved the selling area on here and got some great deals - I was hoping my kit would end up being worth enough to find a site I could swap for the dob I am aiming to get.

[JamesF]

why give anyone your bank details?

I bet most users of this forum have given their bank details to all sorts of people, some of whom will have been close to complete strangers.

James

[kniclander]

I bet most users of this forum have given their bank details to all sorts of people, some of whom will have been close to complete strangers.

James

maybe, maybe not. the point was that the OP doesn't need to give his bank details to anyone to sell on ABS.

[singlespeedman]

thanks for a couple of tips where to sell. I have had contact via pm with some good sites to look at also. I will just have to sell all the bit separately and tweak the prices as advised - bit of a pain though as I was hoping to get an idea on the value as a complete set, taking a small hit on cash value, in return for much less hassle and having the funds for a new dob much sooner. Time to spend a bit of time on one of the recommended site. Sorry dont want to advertise where i will eventually list to avoid any confusion as to my original intentions that were taken incorrectly (although I can see why)

[JamesF]

maybe, maybe not. the point was that the OP doesn't need to give his bank details to anyone to sell on ABS.

Indeed, it shouldn't be required if you take cash or use Paypal or something similar. However I don't understand why some people get so up tight about the idea of others having their bank details, especially when they've already been doing so for years without thinking twice about it, just like almost everyone else.

James

[singlespeedman]

well after getting hit by card fraud the first time I started thinking and then I got hit again (thankfully for a lot less). Both at Christmas - to the extent that the wife and I have an account just for card purchases and we transfer money we intend to spend into it before we shop and all other cards that we currently have, have not even seen a cash machine. It is easy to mock others for how strict they choose to be with their personal data but after a Christmas with no gifts to give and money for food you soon take a different stance on selling and buying online. If the payment dont fold then by me it will not be sold.

Anyway - going off topic - thanks for those that have helped me out and especially the person that sent the pm

[JamesF]

I'm certainly not mocking anyone who guards their personal data carefully; far from it. If you have a separate account for handling purchases and suchlike then that's excellent and I applaud you for doing so. I really wish banks made it easier to do that sort of thing -- like providing single-use credit card numbers for instance. Unfortunately whilst banks are allowed to push the risk of fraud off onto the purchaser or vendor (which is effectively what chip'n'pin does) there's no benefit to them of providing such facilities.

My "issue" is with those people who have suddenly got in a panic about their bank details being known by others when they've been willingly giving them away left, right and centre for years without a second thought and quite probably continue to do so, with the full knowledge and facilitation of their banks.

James

[Cjg]

Just a thought, but do any of the retailers still do Part Exchange? I know of one in Surrey that has a telescope outlet(.co.uk) and one in Yate - Bristol that also advertise second hand equipment. You'd probably lose more cash than selling it yourself, but if having a "minimum hassle" transaction is more important to you, then may be worth investigating?

Good luck,

Chris

[singlespeedman]

Not a bad idea but that will be too much of a hit, I am far too familiar with who those transactions favor and I am not that desperate for an easy sale. I will give it a week on my chosen site and see how I get on. Not sure I will hit any newbies though

[Frank the Troll]

You dont have to give bank details to buyers, if you have a paypay account, buyers send payment using your email address.

I've brought a few things using this method, its painless.

[brucen]

Indeed, it shouldn't be required if you take cash or use Paypal or something similar. However I don't understand why some people get so up tight about the idea of others having their bank details, especially when they've already been doing so for years without thinking twice about it, just like almost everyone else.

James

Anyone who has ever issued a cheque has kindly given out their name, bank address, account number and then included a copy of their signature for good measure! Makes online banking seem a bit safer to me!!