Where to sell tools

[rmanrman]

I'm at the point after completing my retirement home that I need to sell
a lot of leftover tools and supplies I've been a contractor for 30 years
and have a ton of hand and power tools in great condition
I'm not interested in Craig's list or eBay too many nuts out there and shipping
the large stuff not cost effective. Has anyone tried an auction or flee market
to sell your stuff. Was it a worthwhile way to sell or did most buyers want
a $100 drill for $10??

 

[ducksface]

Your tools are worth 25percent of retail,so, no, they want it for 25 bucks tops.
Donate them and take it off your taxes.
There is no worthwhile way to collect what you want for them.
Look at the garage sale thread here and then decide if it's worth dealing with guys like us.
Disregard what anyone here says it's worth, look at what they are paying.

 

[jdsac]

Auction will take 25% +- on small lots. Flea markets are full of bargain hunters. No really good way to sell. If you have the room I'd hold on to them,
as soon as you get rid of them you will need them....
Your example of the $100 drill for $10 wasn't far off.

 

[jd_1138]

If you don't want to fart around with CL (I don't blame you), an estate auction wouldn't be a horrible idea. I've seen auction fever cause stuff to go pretty high. But then again you have to pay a percentage to the auction co.. The local Penny Saver rag has auctions listed, and the auction places do a good job of listing out the tools and equipment you have.

Or sell it all to one person and let them do the hard work of listing the stuff. That would be less work for you, and would help out someone else.

But like as said above, I'd just keep most of it. You might need the tools someday, and it will cost a lot to re-buy.

 

[PelicanPines]

Limited local audience will limit how much you can get... sure you could get lucky but flee markets by definition are for deals... finding a $100 drill for anything close to $100 will just get hauled back to your house.

I have had success with ebay...

Don't have experience with auctions.

 

[Davefr]

I'm at the point after completing my retirement home that I need to sell
a lot of leftover tools and supplies I've been a contractor for 30 years
and have a ton of hand and power tools in great condition
I'm not interested in Craig's list or eBay too many nuts out there and shipping the large stuff not cost effective. Has anyone tried an auction or flee market to sell your stuff. Was it a worthwhile way to sell or did most buyers want a $100 drill for $10??

There are a few less nuts on Ebay then CL or G-sales and pricing is way higher. Shipping is a hassle but way less hassle then CL or G-sales.

Used contractor tools usually have very low resale regardless of sales venue. Might not be worth as much as you think.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There's a for sale section right here on this site you could try.

 

[Ditch]

sell, tools?

 

[killahog]

Do you know anyone who sells on Ebay or Craigslist?. If you can find a trustworthy person you could work out a deal where they list them sell and ship for a percentage of the sale.

 

[Farmall 1066]

If you don't have enough to have an auction, you might inquire with a local auctioneer.
They will often combine sales if they have other potential sellers who don't quite have enough stuff. Around here, tools are always a big draw to auctions.

 

[L5wolvesf]

eBay is useful as a tool to see what items have actually sold for.

 

[jd_1138]

If you don't have enough to have an auction, you might inquire with a local auctioneer.
They will often combine sales if they have other potential sellers who don't quite have enough stuff. Around here, tools are always a big draw to auctions.

Yeah there's an auctioneer like that around here. He has his auctions at a large local building. There are various lots that make up the auction. One lot from one seller, another from another seller. And each lot can be broken up, so no need to sell ALL the stuff in one lot.

The auctioneer has a large # of buyers that follow him around to his various sales. The auctioneer advertises and has his regular buyers that go to his auctions.

But selling on ebay is not as much as a pain as it used to be. Perhaps you can put the super pricey stuff on ebay or on GJ (if s/h is not too much for that size of an item). eBay really simplified the listing process. And just be professional about it. Gather up a lot of shipping materials for free (boxes, bubble wrap) and packing tape is cheap. Buy a scale and weigh the stuff, so the customer can pay an accurate amount for shipping.

If s/h is too high, the buyers will not bid much. And if you charge too little for s/h, that comes out of your pocket. And you can print postage right from ebay (and it prints the addresses). Just make sure you use a somewhat decent camera with a flash. Buyers have no imagination. A dark grainy pic will result in a low selling price. Buyers equate the quality of the pic with the quality of the item.

 

[Corndoggeh]

Hire an estate sale company, if its anything like where I live you can get up to 75% of your purchase price back on a tool depending on the condition. Estate sales seem to bring out the group of people willing to pay higher prices to get "THE DEALS"! It also takes 90+% of the work off your hands.

 

[joseywales]

There's a for sale section right here on this site you could try.

He'd have to ask the question 99 more times to do that

 

[joseywales]

Hire an estate sale company, if its anything like where I live you can get up to 75% of your purchase price back on a tool depending on the condition. Estate sales seem to bring out the group of people willing to pay higher prices to get "THE DEALS"! It also takes 90+% of the work off your hands.

I'm not sure about the 75%, but the rest is what I've experienced. My dad's house could have filled a hardware store, easily. In fact, the auction company that bought it might have lost in the end, because of the time they spent clearing out. Aside from the walking path only garage and basement, the rafters were loaded with stock and the deal was they take EVERYTHING. Prior to contacting them, we sold some of the larger ticket items on CL and a yard sale. I had one a$$hat that stole a set of large wrenches. We gave him a great deal on an oak cabinet and they were on top of it. He knew they weren't included. The estate was cash poor, so we sold some items fast to raise cash - might have been a mistake. because we lost track of guys like this until afterwards. This was the only guy who took advantage. Karma's a ***** though..

 

[TractorJeff]

Estate Sale/Auction usually does pretty good as most buyers "think" they are getting a deal! I don't buy much anymore, actually slowly downsizing a few pieces at a time. Auction Houses are handy for unloading stuff as long as you follow the 25% rule of price/profit return.

 

[Jackfre]

A good friend closed up his decades old contracting firm a couple years ago. After dealing with a lot of well meaning, but under resourced people who wanted to buy the whole lot he finally brought in an auctioneer. The sale took place at my friends shop and the auctioneer who promised a good marketing effort to promote the auction failed to do so, but how do you prove that? People milled around the place and bought at very low prices, and in the confusion stole what they could. I guess the moral of the story is to make sure if you go with an auctioneer that you have a very clear idea of what their efforts on your behalf will be.

 

[Jon_E]

Another thought is to see if there are any stores in your area that buy and sell used tools. I have three such stores within 50 miles or so. The one closest to me will buy select items, but if you have a whole lot of stuff, he will buy it all as a lot. I go in there every so often with a few things, usually duplicate tools or stuff I have realized I will never use again. He will either buy it for a reasonable price (maybe 15-25% of retail, depending on the item) or will give me store credit for as much as 50% of retail. That way I can bring in a whole pile of things I don't want and leave with one or two nice tools that I really do want or need.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

What do you have, where do you live?

 

[kbs2244]

You don't have kids to give them to?

Looks like mostly carpenter stuff.
Does the local union hall have a bulletin board you could post on?

 

[ptgarcia]

Why not start by offering them up to members here? I'm looking for a router and would rather send you money than deal with the questionable characters on Craigslist.

 

[polizei1]

What the heck are you guys selling on CL? I've sold TONS of things on CL and I've never dealt with a "questionable character."

Throw them up on CL as a lot-sale, DO NOT list your address, and DO NOT list your phone number like (123-123-1234). Do it as One2Three-One2Three-One2Three4 instead. This will eliminate 99% of the problems, as people tend to be extremely lazy and will not be interested in going through that much hassle just to barter with you unless they're genuinely interested. Also, make sure your email isn't listed on the CL post, for the same reasons.

Once you've established a price and time to meet, then and only then, give them your address. Normally I would recommend meeting in a public place so they never know where you live, but obviously with some items that's just simply not possible. Yes, some people do run CL as a front to commit crimes such as burglaries and will meet with you to try and case your house. Using the above "techniques" will limit that risk, but obviously nothing is fool-proof. Selling large, heavy, awkward, or bulk items will severely reduce your chance to sell, as it will almost always have to be a local sale.

 

[DC73]

If it was me, I would consider donating them and taking a tax deduction. This might be the most cost effective and easiest way to go. You can donate the tools to Habitat for Humanity. They'll give you a receipt and then you can decide the "value" of the donation. As long as your stated value is reasonable, you won't have any issues with the IRS. Some of the tax software comes with value guides where all you have to do is enter a description and a condition of the tool and it will assign a value (you can usually override if you disagree). You can also use Craigslist and eBay listings to help support the value you pick.

DC

 

[EOC_Jason]

I would at least LOOK on your local CL to see what people are asking for table saws and other similar tools that you are thinking of getting rid of...

I have a 78yr old neighbor and he sells a lot of tools & lawn equipment on CL and does pretty good.

Yes you get your low-ballers, or people that want you to hold it till they get paid... But usually within the first few you have a person willing to pay close to your asking price, cash in hand, ready to come get it at your convenience....

Unless it's collectable or even just highly desirable (Snap-On or any tool truck brand) then eBay probably wouldn't be worth the time. Also eBay takes 10%...

I've also seen big "tool only" garage sales on CL, which I always go to... Some are good, some are chinese junk. Prices can be all over the place...

A person collecting isn't going to pay near what a person buying to use for work will... But also I've found people that use a certain tool for their job, when it brakes, some want that exact same old tool to use because that's what they like and are comfortable with...

 

[97r82]

if you have a facebook account or the wife does that works pretty good. The facebook garage sale or the facebook groups in your area. My daughter sells a few things for me. I go with them to meet at a local church if they don't know the person they are dealing with. We live in a small community though. Seems like that crowd is glad to get quality tools for a fair price. I personally have bought several bigger items on the forums and paid shipping.

 

[Gittgo]

Its summer. Set up at a flea market.Flea markets are filled with trades people looking for stuff, buying their veggies etc on the weekends. 2-3 weekends and most of it will move.Some flea dealers are "permanent" they'll take the rest when you're done, albeit at a low hit.

 

[ShakeyPuddin55]

Craigslist is a great place for buying and selling used tools.

But you have to do some foot work. Take good pictures. Write a complete description of your item with age, condition, model number, etc.

Use email system only. Ignore the lowballers and somebody will come along that needs exactly what you have. I usually buy and sell in the 25-50% range depending on the item and condition.

I don't get impatient or upset when I'm selling. It may take a while, but somebody always comes through with a reasonable offer.

If you're lazy and don't want to deal with people or take the time to properly list your items, then you can't expect much. I would then suggest giving them to charity, family member or friend.

 

[RWorth]

tools are worth a lot of money to "the guy that is looking to buy that tool new today. Other than that they are worth nothing. I have paid fair prices for tools threw Cragslist that I was actually trying to buy new at the time.

Unfortunetly "most" people that shop CL ****.

It's a coin toss. If you have to sell them it's probably the best choice, but not a good one. I've sold a few things there, but most of what I have put up for sale I end up getting pissed at the asshats that make stupid offers and their arrogance and end up giving the item away to a friend.

 

[joseywales]

tools are worth a lot of money to "the guy that is looking to buy that tool new today. Other than that they are worth nothing. I have paid fair prices for tools threw Cragslist that I was actually trying to buy new at the time.

That's a good point. I love when sellers say, " this is $149 new!" Who the heck pays retail...ever!?!? Unless I need it that day. A Ryobi powerwasher I bought at retail, because I needed to powerwasher a 5th wheel that day. I'm not sure what made me more uncomfortable. Paying retail, or not having done any research. I'd always meant to get a powerwasher, but never did. It worked out though, the powerwasher has been used a few times and seems to work just fine and I sold the 5th wheel!

 

[jives]

I'd start with CL. Guy here in CNY trying to sell his whole woodworking shop for $30K. Put the bigger, more expensive item on first. You are not going to ship those anyway. Price them fairly. . . not what you want to get, but what you will accept.

Package the smaller items together. Make it worth someone's time.

I just sold a very good condition Ariens snowblower for $320 within a week. Many others to choose from, so I went below the high dollar amount. Probably could have got $350 for it, but more interested in getting it out of my shed. Took good pictures, cleaned it up.

BTW, former contractor's items are no bargains. Don't rely on that being a selling point. They may be quality tools, but also with commercial use. Even if well cared for they have many hours on them.

 

[Bluedodge]

You don't have kids to give them to?

This is my thought also, but with a caveat.

If your Sons or Son-In-Laws aren't interested, think about the children of your circle of friends. Is there a young guy out there who would like to learn a little about home improvements, construction, or wood working?

You may be in a position to help a young gun out with some of the wisdom you've captured over the years.

In addition to my kids, I have a young guy I've helped out along these lines. My Wife works with his Wife. The guy is only 26 and was raised by a single Mom.

He's an open book and is eager to learn during our Soldering 101 or Water Softener Replacement for Dummies sessions. He's just never been exposed to this kind of stuff. ....and afterwards, I'm able to drop from owning three Mapp gas heads to owning two. From owning four copper pipe cleaners to owning three. etc....

This upcoming weekend, I'm dropping off an extra post hole digger, post level, etc that I no longer use. The kid is adding onto a deck. I'll let him borrow my miter and circular saw, and guide him to get him started, but just enough so he's comfortable and can do it on his own.

Don't underestimate how much your knowledge could help someone.

 

[PeterT]

This is my thought also, but with a caveat.

If your Sons or Son-In-Laws aren't interested, think about the children of your circle of friends. Is there a young guy out there who would like to learn a little about home improvements, construction, or wood working?

You may be in a position to help a young gun out with some of the wisdom you've captured over the years.

In addition to my kids, I have a young guy I've helped out along these lines. My Wife works with his Wife. The guy is only 26 and was raised by a single Mom.

He's an open book and is eager to learn during our Soldering 101 or Water Softener Replacement for Dummies sessions. He's just never been exposed to this kind of stuff. ....and afterwards, I'm able to drop from owning three Mapp gas heads to owning two. From owning four copper pipe cleaners to owning three. etc....

This upcoming weekend, I'm dropping off an extra post hole digger, post level, etc that I no longer use. The kid is adding onto a deck. I'll let him borrow my miter and circular saw, and guide him to get him started, but just enough so he's comfortable and can do it on his own.

Don't underestimate how much your knowledge could help someone.

Start with one or two items on Craiglist, use an email account and ignore the lowballers.
In reply to ones helpfulness of knowledge being underestimated, you need somebody that wants the knowledge, I've found most are not interested in learning how to swing a hammer, frame a house, wrench a truck.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Construction tools? How about driving around your area & finding a working construction site?

Most sites will have some young guys who are building up their tools. Those guys are probably the most likely buyers of good used tools & might appreciate the chance to buy good stuff & not have to buy new. How about subs or other contacts from your years as a contractor? Do they have any young employees who could use some tools?