Hypothetically, if you needed to downsize your collection ...
#12
I have never seen the albums before.
Now that I've learned something, I can go back to bed, right?
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
I have used CL to sell machines, but recently I've gotten no response for the three I have listed. Once their listings expire I won't relist them again. They'll go back on the shelf for a while and I'll list something else. I don't want to ship if I can avoid it due to the cost and labor factor in packaging them.
Other than that I don't know of any way to sell them quickly.
And I'm not in a hypothetical situation. I do need to part with some of them.
I'm not smart enough to make a web site or a blog so that method is out.
Selling them here on the forum is against the rules unless you sell them for yard sale prices. In other words you pay the buyer to take them off your hand, then ship them and pay for that yourself too.
Joe
Other than that I don't know of any way to sell them quickly.
And I'm not in a hypothetical situation. I do need to part with some of them.
I'm not smart enough to make a web site or a blog so that method is out.
Selling them here on the forum is against the rules unless you sell them for yard sale prices. In other words you pay the buyer to take them off your hand, then ship them and pay for that yourself too.
Joe
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Millville, NJ
Posts: 1,835
Only way I could make a little money on the old machines was selling Singer 15-91', 201-2, and the older 15 Tiffany, 66 Redeye, 27 sphinx heads with decals in very nice shape on ebay and ship. Surprisingly the 301 and 401 didn't do very well. Never could find the foreign machines (necchi, pfaff, Bernina...) with excellent reputations at a reasonable price around here to try out the market. Local CL market is pretty bad unless I want to donate. This is just my experience and may differ elsewhere. I collect Davis' which seem to have very little value which is good for buying. Seems the money is in servicing rather than selling the old machines but the "horse trading" is great fun and rather inexpensive.
Happy buying, trading, and selling
Jon
Happy buying, trading, and selling
Jon
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Illinois...near St. Louis
Posts: 392
Don't rule out having a yard sale. I don't know about other areas but, I've sold MANY $100+ items at yard sales....antiques, collectibles, & sewing machines. I just make sure that put in my ads (local papers, bulletin boards in grocery stores, & craigslist) what types of items I'm selling & price range. My last yard brought in over $1100! It's a LOT of work but easier than packing, shipping, & worrying about a safe arrival.
But still, ebay (even with the packing, shipping, etc) is the best place to get your asking price quickly. And people WILL pay shipping from Canada. Actually, once a Canadian seller told me that it costs less to ship to the US than it does to ship within Canada.
But still, ebay (even with the packing, shipping, etc) is the best place to get your asking price quickly. And people WILL pay shipping from Canada. Actually, once a Canadian seller told me that it costs less to ship to the US than it does to ship within Canada.
Last edited by path49; 10-18-2013 at 09:23 AM.
#16
If I needed to downsize for space I would list them with one of the local consignment shops I do business at. I also would try my local auction house and realize I would probably only get half of what I wanted, but those would be my choices to move them out quickly.
#17
if you're serious about setting up a website, it's really easy. Wordpress and blogspot, etc make it dead easy, and there are free options. Having said that, I'm not sure why my own site didn't come to mind. Duh.
Only way I could make a little money on the old machines was selling Singer 15-91', 201-2, and the older 15 Tiffany, 66 Redeye, 27 sphinx heads with decals in very nice shape on ebay and ship. Surprisingly the 301 and 401 didn't do very well. Never could find the foreign machines (necchi, pfaff, Bernina...) with excellent reputations at a reasonable price around here to try out the market.
The 2 best "foreign" machines I've found here have been at a thrift store similar to the Habitat for Humanity. The Pfaff 130 and an Elna Su. Both in cabinets. Both needed an obscene amount of cleaning and more than a little servicing (the Pfaff was seized -almost- solid)
Don't rule out having a yard sale. I don't know about other areas but, I've sold MANY $100+ items at yard sales....antiques, collectibles, & sewing machines. I just make sure that put in my ads (local papers, bulletin boards in grocery stores, & craigslist) what types of items I'm selling & price range. My last yard brought in over $1100! It's a LOT of work but easier than packing, shipping, & worrying about a safe arrival.
But still, ebay (even with the packing, shipping, etc) is the best place to get your asking price quickly. And people WILL pay shipping from Canada. Actually, once a Canadian seller told me that it costs less to ship to the US than it does to ship within Canada.
But still, ebay (even with the packing, shipping, etc) is the best place to get your asking price quickly. And people WILL pay shipping from Canada. Actually, once a Canadian seller told me that it costs less to ship to the US than it does to ship within Canada.
I will look more seriously into eBay then. It strikes me that I sent a package to bearisgrey for a similar price as something I sent to BC and the BC package was lighter and smaller. You may be completely right. I think that Canada Post's pricing has changed too though.
#18
Thanks sunflowerzz, those are two venues I hadn't considered at all. We went to an auction a few weeks ago, and a FW went for about $120. It was a bit rough, but still not a terrible deal. We didn't stay long enough to find out about the two treadles though.
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
My wife has talked to several auction houses here in recent months and they've told us the only machines that sell are the newer plastic wannabees and computerized machines. They have trouble giving away the old(er) machines.
We haven't done a yard sale here. This is a pretty dead city for anything but give away items.
It's gotten so bad we can see adds for yard sales on CL for one weekend and then the next Monday the same people put in a Freecycle add for the next weekend. My wife has gone to a couple of the Free-For-Alls and been told they couldn't sell a thing at their yard sale, but they were cleaned out during the Free For All. Her theory is the resellers are hitting the FFAs and taking stuff back to their shops.
Joe
We haven't done a yard sale here. This is a pretty dead city for anything but give away items.
It's gotten so bad we can see adds for yard sales on CL for one weekend and then the next Monday the same people put in a Freecycle add for the next weekend. My wife has gone to a couple of the Free-For-Alls and been told they couldn't sell a thing at their yard sale, but they were cleaned out during the Free For All. Her theory is the resellers are hitting the FFAs and taking stuff back to their shops.
Joe
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 670
Okay, Tammi, so you can't advertise to sell here. But you can trade.
Now, do you have a Pink Atlas and an Green Grasshopper?
If so, mail 'em to me and I'll trade you. A boiled egg, a pack of hockey cards, three pairs of socks, and an Aero bar. Deal?
Now, do you have a Pink Atlas and an Green Grasshopper?
If so, mail 'em to me and I'll trade you. A boiled egg, a pack of hockey cards, three pairs of socks, and an Aero bar. Deal?
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