Selling vintage consoles in Craigslist, no takers

[Flojomojo]

I suppose your location makes a difference, but why limit yourself to local goofballs when you can have a nationwide or even worldwide audience of people biddding on your stuff, driving up the price as far as it will go? eBay for me. I've only had luck with Craigslist when giving things away for free -- and even then, it's a pain to deal with flakes and no-shows.

[Tanooki]

Cragislist more or less nationally is just gone down hill in relation to video games on the whole. Enough years of predatory flippers and also modern day system scalpers too have scared people away or pissed them off so they don't bother to come back. It has got to a point where you can just go there and see the same refreshed garbage with ebay plus values on them like it's your privilege to be in the honor of a scumbag to 'buy local' basically. It just doesn't work that way very well anymore because even the newbie types are getting informed and not wanting to get hosed. They'd rather if they're paying full price go with a store locally that would have some return policy/warranty for defective goods than some douche meet up at a starbucks.

 

I gave up trying to sell on there. I'd cut my prices about 20% off the ebay average and 95% of it was still ignored outright, or after some flipper acting like a 'gamer' would want to pay 50% of whatever I had listed and I'd never respond back as it's an insult. I just gave up, stagger things out, and use the ebay free 50 they have going. I'd rather it take me 6 hours or 6 months to move something on there harassment free than deal with local scumbags and crooks. If the stuff is so cheap (like I'd clear $3 or less an iteam) via ebay I'll bundle it up and take it to half price books or book and music exchange(local in state chain) and take a dollar or more on the games as credit towards something useful (manga, game, movie.)

[phoenixdownita]

I suppose your location makes a difference, but why limit yourself to local goofballs when you can have a nationwide or even worldwide audience of people biddding on your stuff, driving up the price as far as it will go? eBay for me. I've only had luck with Craigslist when giving things away for free -- and even then, it's a pain to deal with flakes and no-shows.

Usually because the systems/bundles are heavy/bulky and it adds quite some to the final cost for postage alone, also I may be able to go to the the post office maybe on Saturdays if that and it makes it all the more of an hassle for me.

In the end I wouldn't mind splitting the difference with the buyer, I can get a little more (no fees) and he gets a better price (no postage, no padding for the fees) and no chance of "broken in transit".

 

I guess I should find the time and go the eBay BIN+offer and see how it goes.

[Flojomojo]

For bulky, low-value items, I'd donate them and itemize them in my tax return.

 

Unless you're earning someplace close to your "day job" rate muling this stuff around, it can quickly become a waste of time. Especially if you're not enjoying it.

 

Not sure how you can split shipping with eBay buyers ...I guess you can list flat rates but below your actual cost.

 

One more thing about ebay: don't list broken, "untested," or "as-is" items. The seller should take the risk with that stuff, not the buyer who is putting forth their money. The ebay money back guarantee (correctly, in my opinion) favors the buyer in the event of a dispute.

[Austin]

My experience with selling on Craigslist is that people will only be interested if you are selling low to begin with.

 

If you don't want to deal with as many fees in selling online, you should use the AtariAge Marketplace and sell to some of us here. People here will be more understanding of your ability to only get to the post office once a week.

[carlsson]

Is the AtariAge Marketplace out of the question, if you're willing to ship some items anyway? You'll save the eBay fees, perhaps you'll still suffer the PayPal fees unless the buyer is willing to pay those. Postage costs should always be on the buyer's end anyway. I would think that AA is a bigger audience for vintage gaming than your local CL.

[phoenixdownita]

My experience with selling on Craigslist is that people will only be interested if you are selling low to begin with.

 

If you don't want to deal with as many fees in selling online, you should use the AtariAge Marketplace and sell to some of us here. People here will be more understanding of your ability to only get to the post office once a week.

 

Is the AtariAge Marketplace out of the question, if you're willing to ship some items anyway? You'll save the eBay fees, perhaps you'll still suffer the PayPal fees unless the buyer is willing to pay those. Postage costs should always be on the buyer's end anyway. I would think that AA is a bigger audience for vintage gaming than your local CL.

 

 

I didn't consider it as mostly is non Atari stuff and it still wouldn't spare the buyer from a hefty postage cost (I believe it would easily be in the 40-50US$ to begin with) hence why local was my first choice, it also saves me the burden of packaging "correctly" in the first place.

 

We'll see if I decide to list on the AA marketplace. Funny thing one thing that did sell on CL eventually was an Atari 8bit bundle

[Keatah]

I sold a few non-atari items here just fine. But yes I agree with the packaging and shipping. I don't sell nearly as much as I'd like to, because I would need to package it all to perfection. Nothing less than the best. And that takes time.

 

When I get rid of electronics and gadgets it's either through personal sales in person with people nearby, or giveaways, or it's curbside. El'finito!

[carlsson]

Good luck with your sales anyway! If you look at the Marketplace, it is far from being Atari exclusive, not even separated into Atari and non-Atari like other forums might do it. Who knows, perhaps you'll even find local buyers who don't keep count of Craigslist?

[Tanooki]

I agree sell here. Figure out for quality what your game sells for on ebay, then dock it 15-20% and you'll get hits if someone is interested. Far better chance of having it easy, not getting screwed, less pressure, no ebay nerves involved on scumbags doing bait and switch or saying stuff didn't arrive. I've sold a few things on here, not much, but when I have it worked out nicely.

[Retro-Z]

One more thing about ebay: don't list broken, "untested," or "as-is" items. The seller should take the risk with that stuff, not the buyer who is putting forth their money. The ebay money back guarantee (correctly, in my opinion) favors the buyer in the event of a dispute.

 

Hmmm... it's perfectly fine to sell non-functioning items for parts/repair. In fact, these types of items are great for buyers when repairing other similar items, or to use as a base for a new restoration project. Generally, if an item is described as being non-functional and for parts/repair, it's difficult for them to claim a non-functioning item as "Significantly Not As Described". Also, very rare vintage hardware is often desirable in any condition, whether it's tested/working or for parts/repair, and often sought out by eBay users. I've seen some vintage PC cards in completely untested condition sell for several hundred dollars and up.

 

As with anything, if the item is accurately and honestly described (with lots of pictures) and priced fairly, it will likely find a happy buyer. If it's listed as an auction, those same buyers will decide for themselves what they are willing to pay.

 

Sellers obviously need to be realistic about the pricing for untested/defective/non-functional merchandise, and buyers should be aware of the issues brought up in the descriptions for each item listed. It's unrealistic to expect all of the vintage hardware on eBay to be fully functional, and it's also unrealistic to expect all of the eBay dealers to have the necessary equipment/knowledge to fully test old electronics, video games, computer systems, etc. Believe me, the sellers are already taking a risk with EVERYTHING they sell on eBay whether it's fully tested or not, and ESPECIALLY with vintage electronics. So selling only tested/functioning items on eBay really isn't going to alleviate any risk...

Edited February 27, 2017 by Retro-Z

[Keatah]

Yes that's reasonable. When I buy something of dubious condition, I often buy two of them. It then becomes a project to build one working and quality item and then put the leftover parts in my parts bin.

[Retro-Z]

Yes that's reasonable. When I buy something of dubious condition, I often buy two of them. It then becomes a project to build one working and quality item and then put the leftover parts in my parts bin.

 

Yeah, that's a pretty good plan when buying "untested" or "parts/repair" stuff off eBay. Keep your expectations low enough and you may even be surprised! LOL.

 

Back to the main topic of this thread, I've found that there's really only two groups of people still left on Craigslist:

 

1. People looking for incredibly good deals (around half of retail/market pricing or less)

2. People looking to buy for eBay resale (in other words, willing to pay very low prices)

 

Really, it's not that surprising. Why deal with Craigslist when eBay can be so much easier? There are still lots of great deals on eBay, the items get shipped directly to the buyer's door, and the eBay return policies are pretty friendly to buyers to guard them from sellers listing defective goods.

 

I generally only use Craigslist for items to are too large/bulky to ship economically. Even then, I've had horrible luck the past few years, with very few replies to anything I list, even when at a price substantially lower than anything similar someone might find on eBay. Of course, a LOT of people are starting to use the Facebook Marketplace...

[Flojomojo]

Hmmm... it's perfectly fine to sell non-functioning items for parts/repair. In fact, these types of items are great for buyers when repairing other similar items, or to use as a base for a new restoration project. Generally, if an item is described as being non-functional and for parts/repair, it's difficult for them to claim a non-functioning item as "Significantly Not As Described". Also, very rare vintage hardware is often desirable in any condition, whether it's tested/working or for parts/repair, and often sought out by eBay users.

That's fair enough, if described as such.

 

I had my recent personal situation in mind, in which I bought a pair of "untested, as is" (read: broken) Zelda GBC games for more than $40 and the seller tried to say, "buyer set the price, not me! And it said right here NO RETURNS." The case was decided in my favor and I think a good lesson was learned all around. If you know something is broken, say so, and if you expect ebay to be a nice place, take returns from unhappy buyers.

 

But yeah, items sold as "not working" will get a lower price but will be far less likely to be disputed.

[thadsilverfox]

For bulky, low-value items, I'd donate them and itemize them in my tax return.

 

Unless you're earning someplace close to your "day job" rate muling this stuff around, it can quickly become a waste of time. Especially if you're not enjoying it.

 

Not sure how you can split shipping with eBay buyers ...I guess you can list flat rates but below your actual cost.

 

One more thing about ebay: don't list broken, "untested," or "as-is" items. The seller should take the risk with that stuff, not the buyer who is putting forth their money. The ebay money back guarantee (correctly, in my opinion) favors the buyer in the event of a dispute.

I sold all kinds of "For Parts or Repair Only" items on eBay without any issues. Good way to get rid of things to someone who may might be able to repair or restore the item if you don't have the heart to trash it.

[Metal Jesus]

Just saw the add for this. You can try this. It is locally so no shipping.

 

https://offerup.com/

 

 

A lot of serious collectors are switching over to OfferUp in the Seattle area. Because it's tied to your phone and integrated with your notifications, the responses are usually better.

[phoenixdownita]

Just to make it all the more clear, yesterday I sold on CL an iPad Air 1 close to the price I wanted and in line with eBay prices.
Had a lot of lowballers (they just take 100US$ off from the price, yahhh that'll get me motivated) but then reasonable offers (just 50US$ below my asking) came in and eventually I sold to someone that split the difference (25US$ below my asking price).
And he was happy. That iPad generated a lot of "traffic", inquiries etc... no matter that many only asked "Do you still have it?", and upon my answer "Yes It is still available" never replied again, I still received maybe 30 contacts in around 2 weeks.

I sold snow chains with no negotiation whatsoever at a little less than the Amazon price (mine were new, never used), just had to time it with bad weather and got a single interested buyer (to be fair their size was for a very specific subset of cars) who bought it no negotiation.

For me it's just vintage consoles that it's been extremely slow.

I can tell you this, a few months ago I managed to sell a NeoGeo pocket with games, one of which would "fetch" close to the full price I was asking for the bundle (didn't know at the time but I tried to sell the bundle for so long I didn't and still don't care) . The guy that bought it told to my face he couldn't believe I was having trouble selling any of it and how good of a deal he was getting out of it ..... well, he was the only guy that actually contacted me not trying to cut in half my asking price (just because it's CL) and he paid straight up what I asked, no negotiation .....

So it seems it's a problem of demand maybe, I'll be travelling during the next month or so but when I'm back I will lookup offerUp (I understand the "mobile" thing advantage it may have) and maybe the Marketplace but shipping really bugs me as parts may come loose and break .... which I'd hate.

 

 

EDIT:

I sent a few links to a couple of members here to see if I am delusional and my prices are wayyyyy out of line or if they should at least garner some kind of offer (lowball or otherwise).

[Tanooki]

I think the problem is the demand is drying up because of years of steady consistent abuse by scalpers wanting ebay or higher (like matching the pie in the sky amazon listings that just sit.) Eventually people get beaten down and refuse to waste the time they have dealing with stupid garbage like that. I don't use CL much anymore but if I get a passing interest while I'm bored I'll scroll it as it's not worth committing. Often you find if someone asks ebay, you try and offer even like 20-25% under they ignore you, call you a lowballer, or insult you for wasting their time. That stuff gets old really fast, and it's very tied specifically to video games because it's being so ruined right now. I've had far better luck peddling old toys/antiques, in the past some old laptops, and other stuff on there and people not batting an eye at the price or just wanting like $5 off which is fine.

[airsoftmodels]

What makes it even harder for me is that I have an everdrive for every console I own. Nobody on CL seems to know what that is or what its worth. I got an offer of $150 for a TG-16 with an everdrive included and a $60 offer for a Genesis with an everdrive.

[7800fan]

LOL I tried selling a nice working Commodore SX 64 with original keyboard cable. The only response was would you take $10 for it? the keyboard cable alone is worth 5x that. I was tempted to arrange a meeting somewhere out of the way, then not go and waste his time for wasting my time with shit offer. I just took the CL post down and told him it sold for $200

[phoenixdownita]

OK I put my stuff up to the MP to see what happens:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/263450-fs-vintage-consoles/?do=findComment&comment=3721982

[madhatter667]

Personally, I scour craigslist for deals. I'm looking for cheap. Now, I know that is relative. I've seen some stuff in my area, stuff that I feel is low demand, going for inflated prices. Not sure if they were put that way expecting lowballers to come in, and eventually strike a deal through haggling or not. I'm not much of a haggler personally. If I have gotten to the point where I put something on CL these days, I want it gone, and the price I am asking is nominal. Several years ago, I sold some stuff through CL, and it wasn't quite as "Meh, get it gone." I actually had some decent transactions. Those days seem about as gone as the days of turning up good scores at thrift stores.

Occasionally though, something intriguing comes along.

[phoenixdownita]

~1week in the MP and same effect as CL .... "crickets chirping" .... encouraging.

[HoshiChiri]

~1week in the MP and same effect as CL .... "crickets chirping" .... encouraging.

 

I went and looked over your sales thread- quite simply, your items are very, VERY niche. Fair prices or not, there's only a handful of people interested in obscure Japanese systems out there.

My advice:

 

-Make the bundles as basic as possible. The FM Towns Marty is fine, but break up the ones for the SMS & twin famicom so they come with hookups, base controller, & 1-2 games. Not everyone wants to pay a premium for an instant collection.

-Include shipping in your prices. You'll get faster/more interest if people don't have to wait for a final cost.

-Seriously, go use Ebay. With stuff like this you'll want as many eyeballs on it as you can get. You could start with the full bundles, then break them down again if they don't move. Do buy-it-now with best offer if you're concerned about it selling too low- try and time it with Ebay Bucks for added interest. The next rewards get distributed at the beginning of April, so now's a good time for BIN.

[Flojomojo]

~1week in the MP and same effect as CL .... "crickets chirping" .... encouraging.