Sell, sell, sell!

February 25, 2008 11:23 AM

How can I sell something that is not selling in the traditional ways, such as eBay or craigslist?

I have a Gefen CAT5-5500HD sender and receiver that I am trying to sell. I have tried to sell it on eBay, and I have also listed it on craigslist and Amazon with no responses. It is brand new and when I am trying to get around $800 (though I am willing to let it go for less) for it, which is significantly under MSRP and retail.

The truth is, I didn't invest anything in this product, but I don't just want to toss it out because I know it's worth something. Now, I realize that this is not something that has a widespread audience, but it seems like someone who's interested in the product would have found my listings by now. I know I could probably be more patient and maybe get a hit, but I am anxious to get rid of this so it's not taking up space, and the cash wouldn't be a bad thing either.

So I guess my question is this: how can I sell something like this if it's not selling in the "traditional" ways? I've never dealt with a pawn shop before, but I assume they don't deal in these types of things, correct? What about those eBay shops where you bring in your stuff and they sell it with a cut of the profit? Are there any other routes you could recommend going with this? Any chance I would have luck contacting some reseller and offering them a bargain?

I would appreciate any help at all, AskMeFi.

posted by joshrholloway to work & money (8 comments total)

Is there a forum that users of such a product would gravitate towards? If so post a message there.
posted by zeoslap at 11:27 AM on February 25

Also you can add it to the used & new bit on Amazon (where you can get a new one for $879)
posted by zeoslap at 11:28 AM on February 25

Figure out how to list it used on Amazon like these guys:
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 11:29 AM on February 25

Lots of online enthusiast communities have buy & sell areas. Your Gefen device probably would have some takers at avsforum.
posted by zsazsa at 11:32 AM on February 25

Seconding the forums suggestion. People check forums more regularly when they can participate/discuss, unlike Craigslist/eBay, and most have a Buy/Sell/Trade section. They also tend to be more trusting. However, as a person without any prior history, you'll be looked upon suspiciously with your "post count: 1", so you'll have to be as transparent and communicative as possible. The people will in general be more inclined to ask you questions and more demanding.

Also, forums tend to be a bit group-thinky. If there is universal criticism of your item, it may be a waste of time.
posted by meowzilla at 11:32 AM on February 25

Do you live in a big city? It might be worth it to bite the bullet and go old school with a listing in your newspaper classifieds. Although it isn't cheap, many people read classifieds and this could help you get rid of the loot.
posted by whiskey point at 11:38 AM on February 25

The nice thing about ebay in this situation is if you put a low starting bid, there's a good chance it'll sell no matter what.

Listing it on Amazon, especially as you go up in price, people seem to be drawn a bit more towards a seller they can trust rather than a slightly cheaper price. The only way I've found to get around this is to have a price that is so low, it overcomes their hesitation.
posted by drezdn at 11:43 AM on February 25

I would second looking at forums, since Amazon requires that you be a "certified seller" to sell electronics, software, and other big-ticket items
posted by nikksioux at 7:54 PM on March 10