Turning Your Old Gear Into New Gear with eBay

Authors Note:  If you're like me, you have a lot of gear lying around.  Last year I wanted a new bow, so I sold off my old gear to finance my new bow.  

I remember when I was a kid, we had a small tool shed on the side of the house and that tool shed was full of old fishing equipment.  I’d be a more wealthy kid if eBay would have existed back then, I’d at least have had better equipment.  I’d have sold the old gear to finance new gear.  

Now fast forward to early 2014 and me rooting around in my basement, looking over all my old gear.  My first inclination was to keep the gear to pass along to my young son, but one look at my old, slow Pearson Renegade bow quickly made me realize that technology moves pretty fast.  He wouldn’t even be interested in most of the old, outdated gear by the time he got old enough to use it.  So, I treated myself to some new gear financed through the sale of my old gear on eBay. 

If you have some computer savvy, can take a few photos, and have access to the local post office; you can quickly be on your way to replacing that old, outdated outdoor gear.

1 SET UP THE ACCOUNTS

You will need to open accounts with both eBay and PayPal in order to list your gear and receive payments.  The eBay and PayPal partnership makes this fairly easy. 

Tip: I opted to receive checks from PayPal rather than add or confirm a bank.  This helps to keep my bank account more secure. 

2 TAKE SOME PHOTOS

Presenting your old gear is a crucial step, be sure to take high quality, close up photos of the gear.  Be sure to capture at least one wide shot of the whole item along with a close up of any labels and logos as well as a close up of any damage.

Tip: I draped a clean, white bed sheet over a table and tied it up to create a backdrop.  This caused my gear to really pop and blocked out any background like all the junk in my basement.  The photos looked clean and professional and allowed the potential buyers to concentrate on the item for sale and not my messy house. 

3 ACCURATE AND DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

Write accurate and detailed descriptions of the item so that potential buyers can do their own research. 

Tip: Be sure to include model names and numbers as well as the condition of the item.  Be honest about the condition.  Answer any questions that potential buyers have about the item as quickly as you can.

4 AUCTIONS WITH A MINIMUM BID

I found the best response came from setting up an auction with a minimum bid.  This way I didn’t feel like I was taking a loss on the item if it sold at the minimum.  

Tip: For a lot of folks auctions are the whole point of eBay.  It’s fun for them as they watch the hours tick off and determine if they should bid again or not.  The auction can also be a lot of fun for the seller as they watch the selling price go up with each bid. 

5 SHIP YOUR ITEMS QUICKLY

Ship the items you have sold out as fast as you can.  eBay will ask you to set a standard for shipping; same day, next day, within two days. 

Tip: Pack the items well so that they don’t incur any damage during shipping.  Use the U.S. Postal Service whenever possible.  Their flat rate shipping is an excellent deal, and even when I couldn’t use the flat rate packages they beat the competitors.  Also, a hand written note in the package thanking the buyer doesn’t hurt.

I was able to sell three fly rods, an ice shack/hunting blind stove, a duck call, a fly reel, and even my old bow this way.  I used the proceeds to finance a brand new ready to hunt Bear Outbreak bow package.  I found eBay so much fun that I bought the bow through an eBay auction, enjoying every minute of the process.  

If you have a house full of old gear and have been thinking about newer gear, eBay is a great way to finance those new purchases and have a little fun doing it.