Best way to sell my old AV stuff?

[Sky1]

So I am upgrading my system, starting with speakers. Can anyone suggest the best way or place to sell my old speakers? I was thinking Craiglist but my wife is paranoid from all the bad stories. Was thinking Ebay but shipping cost may not justify online selling.
What do you guys do to unload your old gear?

 

[KenM10759]

Do what I'm doing tomorrow: Give it to someone in the family, friend or co-worker showing even a passing interest in audio.

In my case I have a niece an her fiancé who recently bought their first home and when I visited yesterday noticed she was listening to music straight out of her phone and it's speaker. I asked why she wasn't using the 1980's vintage stereo with crappy speakers, and she said it's because the phone actually sounds better!

I'll be dropping off my near-perfect condition 1989 Hafler 200 speakers, together with the donation of a BIC DV-62CLR center, Sony 10" sub and Harmon Kardon AVR-1610 receiver from my son. Maybe use the crappy speakers they have are surrounds (for now) and they've got a serviceable 5.1 system that actually sounds pretty darn good in 2.1 stereo. For free. And that makes ME happier than them!

 

[Adam]

Like Ken, I tend to either keep or give away my gear. However, if you're into selling it, you can try the usual places like Craigslist and Ebay like you mentioned, as well as audio forums like Audioholics and others. There's also Audiogon.

Some suggestions - if you use Craigslist, meet the people somewhere public like a store parking lot. I suppose that would make you a "white van" speaker guy, though. It's just to avoid them checking out your house, which might be the bad stories that your wife has heard. As for Ebay, you can always list it as a local pickup only sale. However, if you list them with the shipping costs and someone buys them, they're the ones paying the shipping and have already decided it was worth it.

 

[Alex2507]

So I am upgrading my system, starting with speakers. Can anyone suggest the best way or place to sell my old speakers? I was thinking Craiglist but my wife is paranoid from all the bad stories. Was thinking Ebay but shipping cost may not justify online selling.
What do you guys do to unload your old gear?

Well, what have you got, how much you want and where you at? Let's get to bidness.

 

[KEW]

I know around here the police encourage meeting in their lobby for a CL transaction you can call and ask them if there is a safe place around the station. It is a problem from the standpoint of demonstrating the device, but if you were to ship, that would not happen anyway.
Bank parking lots (during business hours) are another good option. Anywhere where there is enough traffic and cameras to dissuade a criminal from trying anything. The bank is good because the most common scam I know of is having a buyer with $$$$ cash in hand and just pulling a knife/gun and taking the money. If you meet at his bank, he doesn't have the money until you both walk into the bank.
I have also used hotel lobbies for meeting where you need to plug something in. They always have cameras and are used to realtors and businessmen coming in and plugging in laptops, etc.

 

[Alex2507]

Sometimes giving gear away doesn't work. Some people are too lazy to plug in and wire up the gear they do have never mind the gear they don't have. Listening to a phone is all the effort they are willing to put into music. I had one guy start telling me about how watching movies on a phone was the way to go because of the viewing angle.

If a person balks at the cost of speaker wire, they probably aren't going to make use of the AVR and 3.1 speaker system you want to GIVE them so ...

 

[KenM10759]

I dropped by my niece's (and fiancé's) home today and gave them Hafler 200 bookshelf speakers, HK AVR-1610 receiver, Sony sub and BIC center. I also brought Monoprice 12ga speaker wire and hooked up the Haflers and sub to the receiver, got the Bluetooth connection to her phone and they were both amazed at the improvement over the BT speaker and/or old Acoustic behemoth speakers that they could only listen to via Sony turntable through their old Optimus STA-825 receiver.

When I get back there with another HDMI cable or two and a longer sub connection wire, I'll get their Xbox back to operational and rearrange furniture to get the center working, add a couple cheap surrounds and they'll have 5.1 for gaming and movies. So far, they are astounded at the difference. I attribute that primarily to the functional sub, though the 26.5 year old speakers (with 3.5 year old Vifa tweeters) still sound incredible.

The gift was well worth the effort of getting the stuff together, bringing it over and making people smile. Broadly.

 

[Cos]

I sell on Craigs List all the time. In fact I sold my IPAD AIR 2 and my Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro on it last week.

I am pretty firm on how I sell on craigslist

• Must meet within 5 miles of my home
• Must meet at a safe neutral location (Starbucks is great) - Get there 1/2 hour earlier than when you tell them to come to be safe
• Cash only, no exceptions, I actually spent $10.00 on Amazon for a counterfit pen
• Never, every take paypal or ship on CL, nothing but scammers
• Must talk on the phone first before we meet, and if they block their number I won't meet with them
• If you have their full name, check www.linkedin.com or facebook.com and see if they have a profile to get an idea of who you are meeting with

I probably have about 30+ transactions through craigslist and everyone has been smooth, just be smart on how you do it.

• I will call a friend to let them know if they don't hear back from me within 30 minutes
• I may have them on the phone while I am talking to the potential person
• If possible I will memorize or take a picture of their licence plate

Not sure if people have mentioned www.audiogon.com. I like it as opposed to ebay as you don't pay the 15% in seller fees and people really know the value of items there.

 

[DeadPhishCheeseUmphreys]

Well, what have you got, how much you want and where you at? Let's get to bidness.

+1

When ever you buy used anything, its best to buy from someone who makes a hobby out of it. They'll take better care of it. I'd be much more willing to buy used stuff off of people on this forum than ebay/craigslist.

Is there not a section on this site for that?

 

[Seth=L]

So I am upgrading my system, starting with speakers. Can anyone suggest the best way or place to sell my old speakers? I was thinking Craiglist but my wife is paranoid from all the bad stories. Was thinking Ebay but shipping cost may not justify online selling.
What do you guys do to unload your old gear?

What stuff you got?

 

[Sky1]

Pair of KLH Linear Dynamics 3 way 10 woofers, mint condition. Some KLH tw09s and some other small bookshelves, make is unknown. Nothing high end.

 

[Seth=L]

Pair of KLH Linear Dynamics 3 way 10 woofers, mint condition. Some KLH tw09s and some other small bookshelves, make is unknown. Nothing high end.

Give them to someone that will appreciate them. I don't think it's worth the risk of putting them up on Craigslist. Maybe take them to a pawn shop if there's no one you would like to give them to. Even if all you get is 10-20 dollars at least they're out of the house. You could always put the bigger KLH speakers in a mancave or garage.

 

[KenM10759]

Craigslist is as safe as you make it. Consider that if the guy selling 4 KEF ceiling speakers to me yesterday had more risk than me buying them he never would have posted them. I'm the fellow with more risk showing up at a stranger's house (empty house?) with a known $400 in my pocket.

If this was a mobile phone, car stereo, iPad, laptop/notebook computer or similar high demand product that often gets stolen, far more risk. Rather obscure items such as a vise, drill grinder, reamers or milling cutters that I've also recently bought (and sold) via Craigslist, very low or nearly nonexistent risk. The bigger risk is the what you bought or sold doesn't work and that can create problems. With speakers, test before posting and be a little cautious for scams that are almost always painfully obvious.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Give them to someone that will appreciate them. I don't think it's worth the risk of putting them up on Craigslist. Maybe take them to a pawn shop if there's no one you would like to give them to. Even if all you get is 10-20 dollars at least they're out of the house. You could always put the bigger KLH speakers in a mancave or garage.

Good ideas! Or donate old gear to a local retirement home, shelter, fire station, etc.

 

[KenM10759]

Donating to such places, while well intentioned, doesn't always make sense. You would be wise to look for a specific need and not just drop it off. Most of those places either have something in place without complaints or no one to appreciate it and would just junk it or resell/re-donate.