10 Keys to Selling Used Ham Gear Safely and Successfully

Ham Radio Perspectives reviews the keys to selling used amateur radio gear safely and successfully.

 

Biggest one I see here is the endowment effect. I see lots of gear that asking is less than 10% of retail or the price doesn't include the over the top shipping asked when discussed. Had one recently when the shipping quoted was higher than DX engineering shipping the same item new. My rule when selling is no more than two thirds cost of new. I had my fun with it and will be glad to see another ham do so too. There is fair then there is greed. Seems greed wins most often.

 

Yes, as we say in the video, the endowment effect is proven in the studies of how much people think their things are worth. Thanks for your note. Quin, K8QS

 

Great video. I could add a lot of comments but I’ll stick to only one. Concerning your point about ‘the SK’ amplifier getting sold too cheaply because the seller had no idea the value. Last year at HamVention I ran into Gordon West WB6NOA. He told me that he had just visited with a flea market vendor who had a couple dozen ICOM marine HF radios for sale at $150 a pop. Gordo, being a boat guy, gave him a quick tutorial on how to unlock the ham bands on those marine radios. I can’t remember the final number but I believe the guy quickly changed his price to $400 each. Great example of one ham helping another ham to not get ripped off!

 

Excellent, Chris. Thanks for adding to the conversation. Quin, K8QS

 

huh? you are not confident with paypal? MO and check are No No to me.. Paypal helped me a lot with issues with buyers.. only thing is you need to have enough patience to wait.

 

Hi, Bill. Thanks for your post. I like PayPal and have used it extensively. I have also used cashier's checks when I am confident of the buyer - or when I am the seller. It can be a negotiation point. As always, the buyers and sellers both need to be careful. Great to hear from you. Quin, K8QS

 

And it comes down to the "Golden Rule" - treat others as you would like to be treated; fairly. Good video. And as a 'fraternity' and to propagate the hobby, we need to help out the newbies and those who might not realize that they are way underselling, or overselling with their prices. 73.

 

#10 about hamfests was good. Will certainly take some of those tips IF and WHEN we
are able to have hamfests around here!

 

Great info, thanks for the post. I would like to add my 2 cents to this as well. Make sure you purchase insurance. Value this at the cost + shipping. I just purchased an expensive radio ( 2 weeks ago) from a QRZ seller. He promised UPS double-boxing and paid for this service. I paid to add the insurance. UPS failed to double box per his request. The radio showed up 3 days later heavily damaged. VFO smashed, many front panel controls broken & bent. The radio was only double wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a large box. The box showed little outside damage upon receipt. In my excitement to play with my new (to me) radio, I accepted the package. Upon opening and seeing knobs fall out of the box, I knew something was wrong.

I filed the claim, contacted the seller and waited 2 days for a response. The seller contacted the UPS store and talked to the manager. She said we had to wait for the adjuster to review the claim. UPS picked up the box from me the next day. The following day they notified the UPS store and the seller that a refund and return of the radio would be made. Bottom line, I got my money (over $950) back, The seller got the money for the radio and his shipping costs refunded. All were made good. I am the only one who came out a little short - I don't have a new radio!

The seller was great to work with and I would buy from him again - just not the broken radio!

So, make sure you purchase insurance, this story could have ended badly for me and the seller. We are both happy with this outcome.

Dave
K9CDA

 

Thanks, John. I agree. Can't beat the Golden Rule in many aspects of the hobby. Quin, K8QS

 

Thanks, Tom. We had a "trunk" hamfest here a few weeks ago and it was well attended. Lots of great used gear. You will get a chance to sell your treasures. Using the material in our video, I have sold every piece of gear I have displayed at hamfests. Quin, K8QS

 

Great story, Dave. As I say in the video, I had the one bad experience with UPS when they claimed that the original shipping carton was not up to their standards. I have used UPS very successfully. And with FedEx, I often take a unit directly to the local store and have them double box according to what their insurance will cover. Costs a little extra that way, but it also makes it easier to not have to pack up everything. Quin, K8QS

 

I have experienced no problems... not even issues... with PayPal here. Have also used certified check and money order, and in person cash is cool, too.

When searching to buy something, I tend to be old enough that I consider what I consider "red flags", such as poorly composed ads and fuzzy pictures. When selling, I proofread for (and correct) typographical errors prior to posting the ad. Trendy and cutesy terms (and composition) are also a strong consideration. In other words, using a Voice-Text (or similar) app to compose an ad will likely turn off a lot of potential buyers. Show respect for potential buyers by presenting a reasonably good, clear, concise, and properly composed ad.

 

Great points, Jerome. Thanks for making contributions to this important topic. When I saw the ad that we included in the video, I knew right away we should include it as the "perfect" example. I would say over half of the ads I see here on QRZ and elsewhere are poorly composed, raising more questions than providing answers to potential buyers likely questions. I think the "endowment effect" we discuss in the video affects how buyers think about writing ads: "I like this gear so everyone else will too. Why do I need to say more about it?" 73 all, Quin, K8QS, Grand Rapids, MI