Downsizing and I have questions about selling equipment

[NSady1]

I'm not new to the forum but haven't posted in a long time. If this isn't the correct forum I would appreciate help in pointing me in the right direction!

I have a 55 gallon tank right now with a HOB Reef Octopus skimmer, 3 powerheads, and a T5 light system. Due to space issues in my house and recently having our first child, I want to downsize. I'm really interested in the Red Sea 29 gallon all in one product. (seen here http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/max-nano-complete-reef-system-red-sea.html )

It's a pretty steep price for downgrading but it would fit better in my house and allow me to stay in the hobby. I suppose my post is centered around just figuring out how much some of my current equipment sells for and where I can go to find interested parties.

I will be getting rid of my 55 gallon tank, stand (but its old and probably will just throw it away), protein skimmer, a couple of the power heads, and the T5 lights. I want to set fair prices but I'm not sure where to begin.

Finally, (and this may require a post in a totally different spot) I have a beautiful purple and green hammer coral that split in two one day when I was doing some aquascaping. It has become too big for my tank. Each piece has between 20 and 25 heads. From the research I've done, I have seen trade in value at about $5/head and sales price of between $10 and $15 per head. Is this accurate and am I within reason to ask that much for each head? I could frag it out, but it is just so pretty as one piece.

I do appreciate any help on this. Thank you all and Happy New Year!

 

[billdogg]

Plan on 50% of new pricing (if you're lucky).

As for the coral - sorta depends on how much work you want to put in into it. I know most LFS will give a reasonable store credit for whatever assuming they have room. You could also post on local forums/CL and see what happens.

 

[NSady1]

Plan on 50% of new pricing (if you're lucky).

As for the coral - sorta depends on how much work you want to put in into it. I know most LFS will give a reasonable store credit for whatever assuming they have room. You could also post on local forums/CL and see what happens.

Thank, I appreciate it. One of my local forums (North Carolina) requires a price with your post so I figured I'd ask on a general forum first.

 

[windlasher]

I'm not new to the forum but haven't posted in a long time. If this isn't the correct forum I would appreciate help in pointing me in the right direction!

I have a 55 gallon tank right now with a HOB Reef Octopus skimmer, 3 powerheads, and a T5 light system. Due to space issues in my house and recently having our first child, I want to downsize. I'm really interested in the Red Sea 29 gallon all in one product. (seen here http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/max-nano-complete-reef-system-red-sea.html )

It's a pretty steep price for downgrading but it would fit better in my house and allow me to stay in the hobby. I suppose my post is centered around just figuring out how much some of my current equipment sells for and where I can go to find interested parties.

I will be getting rid of my 55 gallon tank, stand (but its old and probably will just throw it away), protein skimmer, a couple of the power heads, and the T5 lights. I want to set fair prices but I'm not sure where to begin.

Finally, (and this may require a post in a totally different spot) I have a beautiful purple and green hammer coral that split in two one day when I was doing some aquascaping. It has become too big for my tank. Each piece has between 20 and 25 heads. From the research I've done, I have seen trade in value at about $5/head and sales price of between $10 and $15 per head. Is this accurate and am I within reason to ask that much for each head? I could frag it out, but it is just so pretty as one piece.

I do appreciate any help on this. Thank you all and Happy New Year!

Essentially, Most people want things for little or free. I tried to sell a 1 HP Titanium Chiller that I had used for only 1 season. These things go for about $1500 online. People kept offering me one or two hundred for it. Its still sitting in my basement. People will only pay real value for something if they buy it new and they usually over pay at that point. I would have settled for six or seven hundred but not one person got even close to that.

I guess my point is, come up with a price that you are willing to accept and post that. If you sell it for that great. Otherwise keep it and wait for another opportunity or for someone to post that they are looking for what you are selling.

 

[NSady1]

Essentially, Most people want things for little or free. I tried to sell a 1 HP Titanium Chiller that I had used for only 1 season. These things go for about $1500 online. People kept offering me one or two hundred for it. Its still sitting in my basement. People will only pay real value for something if they buy it new and they usually over pay at that point. I would have settled for six or seven hundred but not one person got even close to that.

I guess my point is, come up with a price that you are willing to accept and post that. If you sell it for that great. Otherwise keep it and wait for another opportunity or for someone to post that they are looking for what you are selling.

I know you are 100% right about that. I suppose I'll just post the equipment and the coral on the local forum and see what happens....

 

[Ou8me2]

I would part out things and like sale the livestock and corals first. The problem is with the use market is it is a pretty high risk for the buyer. You maybe an honest person but they don't know that. You won't get much for the tank. Depending what you have in coral you make the most out of that to be honest. The rest will be a crap shoot and considering the Petco 1.00 per gallon sale is going on you can get a brand new 55 for $55.00 and stands unless it is a fancy custom made the stand holds little value. Most the time people are not looking for complete setups unless it has high end equipment and at a good price. A good price is probably not what most sellers would consider a good price.:lolspin:

The last 2 tanks I bought used were 2-75's and I paid 175.00 for both setups which included the stands, canopy, and tanks and one was RR tank also. I also got 2 400 watt MH and ballast, reflectors, couple old penguin hob filters, and couple old large ac pumps ...etc with the deals.

 

[windlasher]

I know you are 100% right about that. I suppose I'll just post the equipment and the coral on the local forum and see what happens....

If you are confident that you can box and overnight it to me with heat packs, I wouldn't mind a nice sized hammer. I am in Minneapolis and it is damned cold, but if you have appropriate styro box and heat packs, I'd pay for shipping. PM me or just post a picture of the hammers. if you can. Then we can haggle. lol

 

[ca1ore]

The great irony of selling something used is that people expect to get more for their used stuff than they'd be willing to pay for somebody else's. I've been accused of 'low balling' on occasion, usually electing a response along the lines of 'well, if you'd priced it fairly in the first place .....'. Of course, then somebody buys it for that elevated price :lol: Go figure!

 

[NSady1]

If you are confident that you can box and overnight it to me with heat packs, I wouldn't mind a nice sized hammer. I am in Minneapolis and it is damned cold, but if you have appropriate styro box and heat packs, I'd pay for shipping. PM me or just post a picture of the hammers. if you can. Then we can haggle. lol

Unofrtunately I don't have the proper equipment to ship it out :sad2:I'm probably going to have to look for local buyers.

 

[windlasher]

The great irony of selling something used is that people expect to get more for their used stuff than they'd be willing to pay for somebody else's. I've been accused of 'low balling' on occasion, usually electing a response along the lines of 'well, if you'd priced it fairly in the first place .....'. Of course, then somebody buys it for that elevated price :lol: Go figure!

It's not about that. It's about asking and receiving a "fair" price. Let's say you bought an item for $500 and decided not to use it so it sat around for a few months. Should you not ask for something close to that? Would you sell it for $100? $400 yes, $100 no. Frags and corals are different because that's a perceived value but you wouldnt go to a used car dealer and offer them $5,000 on a $40,000 but otherwise perfect car because it has 5000 miles on it. They would laugh you off the lot.

 

[ca1ore]

It's not about that. It's about asking and receiving a "fair" price. Let's say you bought an item for $500 and decided not to use it so it sat around for a few months. Should you not ask for something close to that? Would you sell it for $100? $400 yes, $100 no. Frags and corals are different because that's a perceived value but you wouldnt go to a used car dealer and offer them $5,000 on a $40,000 but otherwise perfect car because it has 5000 miles on it. They would laugh you off the lot.

Well, it requires applying a bit of common sense though, doesn't it! The trouble is that 'fair' is often an elusive notion, so it actually is exactly about that.

 

[ericarenee]

when i have in the past tried to sell something used,Something i really do not like to do but i will occasionally Do with Computers we Buy a new laptop each every two years rather we need to or not. Give the old ones to our son or sell it on ebay.

I look at others who have sold the exact same item/ condition. and look at what people actually paid for it. What it sold for and will usually sell it for a bit below that..
The mistake people make when selling stuff is they look at other similar items for sale and do not always see what someone actually give for the Item..

I Would also give something away to someone that really needed it rather then sell it super cheap to a random person or have it sit on a SHELF not being used..

 

[chubble]

i would be interested in the APEX and all the parts. Give me a price?

 

[Ou8me2]

It's not about that. It's about asking and receiving a "fair" price. Let's say you bought an item for $500 and decided not to use it so it sat around for a few months. Should you not ask for something close to that? Would you sell it for $100? $400 yes, $100 no. Frags and corals are different because that's a perceived value but you wouldnt go to a used car dealer and offer them $5,000 on a $40,000 but otherwise perfect car because it has 5000 miles on it. They would laugh you off the lot.

The problem is unless you have some way to validate not using it and age and that it indeed works then the buyer takes a loss. Fair price doesn't figure in the buyers risk of buying something that you said you never used. I don't know the seller personally most times and who knows they could be a liar.

If I buy that 500 item for 400 then it breaks down in say 2 months, then I just lost a lot of money in my book. Warranty isn't squat cause most places do not cover since you aren't the original person purchasing.

 

[Spudsly]

I bought a ton of used equipment in getting back into the hobby and the great deal you get is definitely tempered by the duds cost you to fix.

 

[windlasher]

The problem is unless you have some way to validate not using it and age and that it indeed works then the buyer takes a loss. Fair price doesn't figure in the buyers risk of buying something that you said you never used. I don't know the seller personally most times and who knows they could be a liar.

If I buy that 500 item for 400 then it breaks down in say 2 months, then I just lost a lot of money in my book. Warranty isn't squat cause most places do not cover since you aren't the original person purchasing.

I am not disagreeing with this. When I bought my house there was a brand new refrigerator in the kitchen still unused, blue tape on all the drawers never hooked up still wrapped essentially. I wanted to use my fridge because it was better so I looked up the price of the one that was here.

Apparently, the builder took longer to complete the build than he expected and the fridge had been sitting for a little over a year. The price online NEW was about $1900. I put it on craigslist for $900. Some people called and came by, could see it was new and would say things like, "well you just want this out of here so Ill give you $400." There was one guy who came by, saw it and offered me $300. I said no. That guy called me every day for a week increasing his offer by $20 or $25. Frustrated, I donated it to a local organization who provide things for people in need for free because, "screw him." Which was my original point. People want things for little or free even when they know the value is much higher.

 

[windlasher]

I bought a ton of used equipment in getting back into the hobby and the great deal you get is definitely tempered by the duds cost you to fix.

But that's easy to fix. Buy everything new.