Used machines
 

Hi, I am looking for a site to sell a used machine. I really don't want to,use eBay and I have gotten nothing when posting on Left go or Offer Up. Thanks for your help.

There is a Yahoo group called sewitsforsale where you can post an item like this (including photos). You have to join Yahoo groups first (it's free, but annoying). After that, you ask to join. Pay attention to the group's rules about how to post -- and especially about how to post photo's. There is no charge for the group. Transactions are completely between buyer and seller.

Ebay has become a very safe site for buyers these days. I bought a featherweight and had a great transaction.

You didn't mention Craig's List...

I've purchased several vintage machines on craigslist, and that's where I look first for things like that.

I sold one in my local newspaper, but listed another and got no calls. I agree that Craigslist will be next. I don't want to mail a machine.

I check Craigslist every day for used sewing machines and have bought several. My area encourages buyers and sellers to meet in the lobby of the police department, so any potential fears one might have regarding safety are eliminated.

What an excellent idea!

Oops I thought you wanted to buy a machine, not sell it.
I would do Craig's list

If it's vintage (old enough to not have plastic parts) you might find interest in it over at victoriansweatshop.com. They will allow you to post a for sale listing.

Unless you are posting on a large regional (or national) site like Ebay or Sewitsforsale, and are willing to ship, you may have a longer wait until someone local wants what you have for sale.

So don't despair if you put it on a local site (or have LOCAL PICKUP ONLY) and don't get quick response. You'll have to wait until a buyer is looking. If the machine is collectable, there are people always looking, but if it's simply a decent used machine, there aren't going to be near as many buyers at any given time.

If you have a good relationship with your LQS or sewing repair place, they may be willing to let you post it at their shop too. Sometimes they already know of someone looking for a used machine that they didn't have anything to offer them.

Inquire of a local quilt guild or group of sewing friends such as at a church. Perhaps a quilt shop has a bulletin board for such? If you are posting a For Sale, it would be good to put a picture of the machine on the ad. Do be sure to go back to take it down or check on its fresh appearance. I like that suggestion of making the exchange in the lobby of a police station for safety reasons.

You can list on ebay with a local pickup only option. You get a lot more exposure on ebay. I also list on craigslist. So far, I've never had a problem. If it's a large item I can't transport, I don't let them come to my house unless my husband is home. Always put a picture of the item, several shots at least. The more photos the better the chance of someone looking at it. I don't even bother looking at listings without pictures.

I've sold several sewing machines on EBay. It's not a problem and you have some added protections provided by EBay, which is nice. It is pretty easy to use and you can always revise your listing if you goof up. EBay is also the largest market you'll ever want to sell your machine in. It's mind boggling on how many potential buyers it reaches. The best types of machines to sell on EBay are the ones that have some collectable value. If it is not collectable, I would consider donating it to charity, or going with Craigslist.

Don't be surprised if it takes a few tries to sell a machine on EBay. I usually put the listing on automatic relist, so it goes right back on if the listing goes unsold. If you've done your homework and priced it right, don't change the price just because EBays suggests that you do. Selling something like this takes some time. Your best bet is to attract someone that lives in your shipping area, verses to someone that lives across the country, so that the shipping costs are greatly reduced.

The biggest issue selling online is the shipping cost, which a lot of people are unwilling to pay, once they see how heavy and bulky it is. It's a good idea to offer local pick-up for those buyers that live close by. If you do that, offer to meet them at a public space and not at your home. Otherwise, keep to the lowest shipping option offered.

DON'T OFFER FREE SHIPPING by mistake...you'll be sorry and a lot poorer if you do. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

DON'T EVEN THINK OF SHIPPING GLOBALLY. (You have to make sure that the Global Shipping option is unchecked near the bottom of the listing form.) If you live in the US, make sure that you also post, "FOR SALE IN THE US ONLY" in your description. I always forget to do this and sure enough, every time, there will be someone from another country who doesn't read the fine print in the listing and bids on it. You don't always know until you go to ship the machine and the packing slip reads to some far off land. AUGH!!! I just lost a sale the other day because I failed to add that blurb.

Also, this is not the type of item that works well for, "combined shipping," unless you're adding something small and lightweight, like sewing notions, or small, machine attachments.

Another HUGE issue when shipping sewing machines is to make sure that they are packed correctly so that they will arrive undamaged. You would be surprised at how much damage to a machine can occur, if not packed the right way. I could tell you many sad stories about fabulous, collector, sewing machines that I have purchased online, that were in pristine condition when I bought them, only to arrive in shambles at my door because the seller didn't pack it well. It would make you want to cry. Ebay has a good tutorial on packing a sewing machine, so be sure to watch that and follow their directions.

I hope this helps. Good luck selling!

~ C

Another thing about Ebay- you can list it with "pick-up only" so that only someone nearby will get it. No shipping involved.

If you do list it for pickup as the only option - please consider putting at least your state in the description.

I always get frustrated when I spot a great machine and it's pick-up only, and I have to pull up the full listing to find out they're all the way on the other side of the country! I'm always grateful when pick-up only listings include the location in the header description.

I have also successfully purchased and sold machines on CL. I prefer it as there is no postage or packaging for such a heavy item, no damage due to shipping, and the machine can be seen before purchased.

You could also try to find a sewing machine dealer who sells used machines in your area. A quilt guild might have some good recommendations/opinions. I know mine always do. ;)

I sold a treadle Singer on Craigslist. We met at a local Starbucks. I accepted only cash, and she got a chance to look at and work the machine before purchasing. It was a win-win for both of us.

On the Quilting Board here, there is a group regarding sewing machines. I would write on that group and ask their opinion as to how much you should charge, etc. Someone on the group may be in your area that collects that particular type of machine. Good luck!

I was looking for information on what a fair price is for an older model used machine, but didn't find much. Most of the information was not specific to sewing machines, and suggested that something in like new condition would be 50% of retail value, and something lightly used would be 30%. Other opinions were that what the item was worth new isn't the issue, but rather, what something similar would be worth today. What are the rules of thumb that you have followed when buying/selling?

To get an idea of pricing, I go to eBay and look at "completed listings" for that type of machine. In order to see "completed listings", you have to create an eBay account; however, it's free and there is no obligation. Once you are logged into an account, do a search on your machine brand and model. After the search entries come up, scroll down on the lefthand side of the screen to Show Only and check the box next to "completed listing". That will eliminate everything that is for sale now and show only listings that have ended. Pay attention to the color of the price on the completed listings. Green means the item sold for that price. Black means the item did not sell.

Usually eBay prices are a little less than what you can get for a machine locally. However, it gives you a ballpark idea of where to start with an asking price.

When you research pricing, don't search "what is fair price for XYZ". Instead, search Craigslist and eBay for that specific item. Your search should give you several results that you can then evaluate for conditions and prices.

For instance, when I was selling my friend's treadle Singer, I searched both sites for that item, along with the year of manufacture, and found several similar machines that were listed in the $100-$200 range, depending on the condition. The machine I was selling was in fairly good condition, so I listed it for $150, got responses from 8 or 9 people who were interested in it, and sold it within a week. My friend was thrilled; he didn't think ANYone would want a treadle machine and was just going to dump it in the garbage. :shock: