Is Ebay dead for the used golf market or anything for that matter?

[Valleygolfer]

I have some golf equipment to sell and it seems that doing business with ebay has lost its luster. Anyone still selling golf equipment on ebay agree or is this an erroneous assumption? I have heard the fees are substantially high than the past. 

[Vinsk]

Letgo is just easier and faster. I always try this first as it’s local and requires no shipping. I post my stuff, then someone comes and picks it up. 

[scotth]

I would say it depends somewhat, on where you live.  In the last 2 years living in a smaller more isolated area have used eBay much more than I ever did in 15 year of living in Dallas.  

 

[billchao]

I haven't sold anything on eBay for a while so I don't know about any fee hikes, but I do know that making money for selling extra equipment is better than having extra equipment collecting dust in my basement.

[mchepp]

43 minutes ago, Valleygolfer said:

I have some golf equipment to sell and it seems that doing business with ebay has lost its luster. Anyone still selling golf equipment on ebay agree or is this an erroneous assumption? I have heard the fees are substantially high than the past. 

To me, fees are an issue, but the main issue is eBay's onerous return policy. The person can return for just about any reason and you have to pay for shipping. I am fine with a return policy where the buyer pays the return shipping but they force you to take the return for whatever reason the person feels like, even they are lying, and you have to pay the posting fee, and the shipping charges. Basically I didn't make any money on the sale of my last set after having it returned. 

I am definitely interested in seeing if there are other better ways to sell clubs. 

[Valleygolfer]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

Letgo is just easier and faster. I always try this first as it’s local and requires no shipping. I post my stuff, then someone comes and picks it up. 

Let it go is not used up here in no man's land. 

[Vinsk]

1 minute ago, Valleygolfer said:

Let it go is not used up here in no man's land. 

Lol..well...I used Ebay about 3 months ago to sell a set of irons. No hassles.  But maybe I was lucky.

[nevets88]

I used Amazon to sell used books it didn't even occur to me to use EBay. I wonder if Amazon's return policy is the same. I've had no returns selling my old books but books aren't golf clubs. 

[David L Yskes]

I think it depends on the "stuff" you are trying to buy or sell.......   i bought either new 716mb irons 7-9-pw and a barely used 8iron and paid way less that i would have if i went to a Golf galaxy, or anywhere local...      

Now Selling wise, i think it's kind of a crap shoot...  i dont think i could sell my either of my iron's set for what i paid for them...  

 

[Valleygolfer]

49 minutes ago, David L Yskes said:

I think it depends on the "stuff" you are trying to buy or sell.......   i bought either new 716mb irons 7-9-pw and a barely used 8iron and paid way less that i would have if i went to a Golf galaxy, or anywhere local...      

Now Selling wise, i think it's kind of a crap shoot...  i dont think i could sell my either of my iron's set for what i paid for them...  

 

You really have to watch out for counterfeit clubs on eBay. A few years ago I sold two sets of irons and got pretty solid money out of them. I was rather surprised and how much money I was able to sell them for but it seems like some things have changed since then. I guess I need to do some more research.

[mchepp]

2 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

You really have to watch out for counterfeit clubs on eBay. A few years ago I sold two sets of irons and got pretty solid money out of them. I was rather surprised and how much money I was able to sell them for but it seems like some things have changed since then. I guess I need to do some more research.

Counterfeit is no doubt an issue, but because you can return for essentially any reason you can get the clubs, call the manufacturer and check the serial numbers in the first couple of days. If they don't check out you can send them back free of charge. 

They have definitely skewed things to the buyers benefit. eBay has gone from buyer beware to seller beware. So I think counterfeit is less of an issue than in the past.

[Shindig]

I bought something non-golf related on ebay a month or so ago;  a store I knew had a better price on their ebay store than other website.  It was so long ago that I had to create a new ebay username as evidently my account had expired in 2016.

I haven't bought golf equipment on ebay in years... I did get some belts a while back and a few clubs many years ago.  Now it doesn't even occur to me to check ebay.

[nevets88]

What about places like Second Swing? I got a used set of irons from there, got a good deal.  

[boogielicious]

13 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

I have some golf equipment to sell and it seems that doing business with ebay has lost its luster. Anyone still selling golf equipment on ebay agree or is this an erroneous assumption? I have heard the fees are substantially high than the past. 

I've had very good luck both buying and selling golf equipment on eBay. The only issue I ever had was a package never making it to a buyer (non-golf related). It got there empty with a note from USPS about damage. 

For selling, just take good pictures and state that the club is bought, as is. Clean the faces of the clubs and wipe down the grips with alcohol to bring their tack back. Be truthful about how long it has been in play.

I use USPS exclusively. eBay also will print out the shipping label, which makes it very convenient. I don't worry as much about the fees because it really is a service. I have sold things on Craigslist, but those buyer can be a pain. For music equipment, some guys just want to play it and then low ball you.

As for pricing, I usually search for something similar and see what the auction prices are, not Buy-it-Now. Follow an auction of the same or very similar item until the end. Then set your auction price fairly low, no reserve. That will attract buyers. If you set the start price too high, or have a high reserve, it may get ignored.

Example: I had a Vokey wedge in very good shape. New, it was $125. Most BIN were around $100-110. Most auctions were going for $90-100. I set the start price at $25, no reserve, USPS Priority Mail. I still got $95, and they paid for fast shipping.

[RandyBobbitt]

I've been buying and selling clubs on EBay for 10+ years and have had very few issues on either side of the transaction. I did have a case of buying a Scotty Cameron putter that looked nothing like the photo -- when I opened the box it looked like the same putter after it had been dragged behind a truck down a gravel driveway, then soaked in acid for a month. But I got the seller to pay for the shipping in both directions, so I broke even. 

EBay is a great place to buy and sell older clubs, but for selling newer stuff, you can probably get a better cash offer or trade-in price at a retail golf shop. 

[Dakota Atkinson]

13 of the 14 clubs in my bag were purchased on eBay, all within the last 2 years. I would say they were all killer deals also. On the flip side, as a seller, I have sold a couple shafts and a putter. The shafts I would have never sold otherwise, so it was nice to get rid of them. The fees they took out on my putter sale hurt a bit. I always try selling local first, via FB marketplace or even Craigslist, but if no one is buying -  making money off eBay is better than nothing.

[fishgolf]

I use to buy/sell fly fishing equipment on eBay for many years, many years ago - so to be honest, I don't know of significant changes in sell fee's. I can say as the years rolled along, the whole eBay experience declined; both from the standpoint of getting skookum deals to it becoming just a retail shop. From the replies above, it sounds like they have increased and also placed burden on sellers for return policies? Why not just list your items on TST classifieds - at least to start?  One issue with golf clubs, much like fishing rods, is the crazy shipping fees for irregular item dimensions. Make sure to look into that.

[Kalnoky]

I've also bought and sold many clubs on eBay with no problems. As a Power Seller, the best advice I can offer is to take very good pictures, because because we now live in a world of pictures.. people don't read. Make sure to edit your pictures too, it takes 5 minutes and guarantees your item will sell for more. Always under-promise in your description(s) and you'll have happy customers. I'm still at 100% feedback after 15 years of trading on eBay.