I’ve sold quite a bit of my audio gear over the last couple of years - speakers, DACs, turntables etc.
I always try to sell locally first (canuckaudiomart) saying local pick up preferred.
I'll usually get a range of offers, many who want shipped, but usually there is a local person or 3 who can pick up so I sift those out of the offers.
I’ve had a fair amount of success with local pick up. Sometimes I have to ship but since that’s usually within Canada I’m not dealing with border hassles.
One thing for sure: I’m very happy with my decision to have always kept all my boxes. Fortunately we have a crawlspace with room for my empty boxes (and there are a LOT of them!). Sales are always harder, and you usually have to knock the price lower, if you don’t have original boxes. I’ve sold items in a day near the price of others that had been listed on the same site for months - the other guy didn’t have original boxes; I did.
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Only if people are smart.
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I'm selling a fairly large equipment rack right now. The rack doesn't break down and is a three leg steel based piece. To ship this is just really not that feasible. Not only would the cost be fairly prohibitive, but the shape makes it a tough ship. I did get an inquiry from France to ship it there, but after some communication, the buyer figured out the shipping issues..and that was that!
Some things in our hobby lend themselves to easy shipping, others---not so much.
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Some years back I had a pair of Klipschorns for sale, local pickup only. The buyer ended up being a guy in Chicago who sent two of his employees down to Georgia to pick them up. I can't even imagine what would have been involved in crating them and shipping them by common carrier, but it would have more hassle than I was willing to undertake.
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Just mailed out a phono stage yesterday using UPS.
I paid for $2k insurance, was told that they would not be responsible for any damage incurred during transit and the item would have to be lost or stolen or whatever in order to file a claim !
The insurance alone was almost the price of shipping !
Fuel surcharges were added plus tax and something else, don`t remember.
Ridiculous
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Pick it up get to see maybe hear what you are buying get a discount meet the seller no scams that way, save on shipping and any shipping hassles plus you don't have to sit and wait for the shipper. Sure you have to drive but think of it as a fun road trip and make it so.
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I paid for insurance on an amplifier and insured it from fedex. they lost the package and denied it! I fought for about a year but they wore me down with the denials and starting the process over every time. screw them all. The insurance was for $1000.
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my UPS Store always asks if the original box has all the original bracings inside...
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"Many don’t realize this, but carriers (at least UPS) will only insure for damage if “they” box the item up themselves. Even if i box the speakers or any other item in its original container, all insurance covers is a loss by the carrier. "
This policy may vary by carrier and even locality.
This past fall, I shipped a $6K amplifier with Fed-Ex Ground in the original double boxes. It was accepted by Fed-Ex as fully insured. The receiving clerk did examine the packing before approving it, though.
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Lucky for you.
I've never experienced that with few occasions things were broken enroute to me.
I've also been told each time I ship something that damage will not be covered unless the UPS packs the item regardless of original box or not.
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I shipped a Magnepan last year, UPS, was damaged in shipping (original box) and I received a prompt, full refund...
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It’s not just the shipping costs or taxes that people are concerned about.
Many don’t realize this, but carriers (at least UPS) will only insure for damage if “they” box the item up themselves. Even if i box the speakers or any other item in its original container, all insurance covers is a loss by the carrier.
So that 2K pair of speakers I insure for 2K and box up myself and ship gets damaged in transit? I eat the cost of the repair or loss of value to the new owner or have to pay to have it shipped back. I could end up losing shipping costs x 2 plus the actual money I got for the sold item.
That’s why shipping sucks so hard and folks are willing to take less money (normally) for a local sale, regardless of payment type.
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I had to post on this. Just this weekend I sold my towers. Damn the shipping costs were going to be insane. I was really worried and they were white, look hot but not for everyone. I just had a bad feeling.
I am in the Bay Area. First offer came in from Sacramento. Negotiated and done. You know he drove down and was with his son. They listened liked and then they boxed them up themselves and carried them out. It was amazing.
I was dreading the entire event and it turned out awesome.
Strangers in your house I get it but I’m a local pickup fan now for life. I didn’t have to touch those speakers from their listen to a wave goodbye as they drove away.
Ran in cracked a beer and giggled. Sold and gone in 24 hours. And didn’t lift a finger. Edit: I guess a lie. I did have to go get the boxes into the living room (-:
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Shipping cost is crazy these days. I asked a seller in Florida for shipping an SACD player which weighs 32lb to Michigan, and it was $150. Actually the quote was from the shipping calculator provided by US Audio Mart. I offered $50 for shipping via UPS, but it was rejected. I can't imagine how much it will be for a pair of speakers which weigh 100lb each. From coast to coast, it will be at least $200 each. And there is a danger of shipping damage. Even shipped with the original box with a full insurance, the shipping company will not accept the claim. That happened to my Tyler Linbrook signature systems speakers. FedEx rejected the damage claim due to lack of protection from the original shipping box.
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some shipping prices have skyrocketed for large items, and they won't fit in my car to take to shipper, so local is often good to at least try at first...and if the item is not "perfect" it can be better for the buyer to see it before buying...
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I had posted a pair of GE Triton One speakers for sale in March 2021 for $2800.00. I had 4 or 5 offers, but shipping on these way oversize boxes were coming in at $600.00 and up. No one wanted to pay those prices for shipping so I lowered the price to 2K and still no one wanted to pay for shipping. I sold the speakers for 2K, local pick up, and the person from Connecticut was thrilled. I wasn’t so much as the high costs of shipping cost me sales where I could have gotten my asking price.
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I totally forgot about the paypal tax reporting thing. Unfortunately not
all markets/ region offer enough classifieds. It’s definitely an advantage if you
live in a large metropolitan city but for small cities, it represents a challenge.
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if a seller wants to do a local sale only, it’s his choice to do so.
a seller would rather do a local sale as then the item won’t get damaged and with the changes that ups and fedex now have when it comes to an item that gets damaged even if it was properly packed and the so called insurance, it becomes a hassle for the seller to deal with this.
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It is simply not worth the trouble for most people to ship speakers. Even if you have the original boxes (most don't because speaker boxes are so large and hard to store), it is so easy for speakers to be damaged in shipping. Shipping is crazy expensive when something is shipped by the most reliable method (air freight). A local dealer bought some speaker drivers (not even cabinets) from Japan and spent well north of $10,000 on shipping and insurance charges alone. I would be reluctant to sell any speaker or turntable that was not a local pick up. This same local dealer found a speaker being offered in Arkansas and sent someone who works for him to pick it up, rather than having it shipped, because he does not trust shippers; his shop is in the Washington DC area.
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As said above, it’s their choice.
Another reason for this is also the new tax implications for Venmo and PayPal reporting transactions as income.
A local deal will usually be cash.
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Don't ever try to convice someone who doesn't want to ship a component to ship it. Nothing good can come of that. once it gets lost or broken it is your fault. Move on and find another one.
I bought an amp recently and the seller said: "I wil double box it myself better than the original packaging" or something like that. That's the confidence you wnat to see.
Jerry
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