recommendations for selling equipment

[Aaron Liebling]

I'm selling my tablesaw in preparation for an out of state move. Other than posting in the classifieds here, are there other good resources for selling big ticket tools? If location specific, I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Also, how are people taking payment for this sort of thing? Obviously, I'm going to have the buyer come and inspect (and I'll run some wood through for them while they're present), but how should I manage the actual payment?

Anything else I should be thinking about?

I look forward to starting yet another "which slider should I buy" thread once my new shop is set up!

[Lee Schierer]

Cash is your friend when selling equipment. Once it is in your hands it can't be rescinded. Have the cash for the entire thing in hand before the buyer loads a single piece to take it away. Beware of buyers wanting to pay on time after they take the equipment. Make them show you I.D. and take photos of them, their I.D. and their transportation. Be wary of tours of other parts of your home/shop/property and equipment you are not getting rid of. Have a paper prepared that clearly states what is being sold and that there is no warranty, it is being sold as is and keep a signed copy.

[Aaron Inami]

Amazingly enough, craigslist has been the most successful for me when selling small to moderately sized woodworking tools. I would also avoid people who want to pay you through a third-party website system. They can reverse the charges very easily and you are out $$$. I see you posted your Sawstop here in sawmillcreek classifieds. It's been my experience that the successul sales here are ones where you can ship easily. Big machines are rarely successful because we are spread out over the US and it's rare to find someone local who wants exactly what you have. Many buyers don't know that sawmillcreek exists.

This was expensive, but I use the following bill checker as a further validation that the buyers "cash" is good:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OHZV1E/?th=1

When you're selling stuff that is several thousand dollars, this is a small insurance policy. There are cheaper bill checkers, of course, but the results and reviews are mixed.

[Aaron Liebling]

I was guessing that Craigslist would be the eventually answer. I posted on here, but without really any expectation.

Thanks for the tip on the bill checker. My wife may have further use for it, so it might be a good investment.

[Tom M King]

I use the color changing bill checking pens also off anazon

[Zachary Hoyt]

Facebook has now seemingly become what Craigslist used to be around here. I liked Craigslist a lot better both for selling and buying, but I found that I sometimes have to go where the people are, and Craigslist seems to get less traffic anymore. I would try both, especially if you're in a hurry to sell it before the move. The customers I hear from on Facebook seem to be flakier on average than the Craigslist ones I used to deal with, but whether that is due to the platform or the passage of time is more than I can say. For in person sales cash is easy, although I suppose there may be other things that more technically skilled people than I can use to good advantage. I would guess that the kind of people who buy table saws are more likely to be cash users than the average American.

[Derek Kessler]

Craigslist still works best for me. I would suggest trying Facebook groups in your local area, though. There might be a couple "Buy and Sell" groups that are specific to your location, which would make it easier for customers to see the tool

[Kevin Jenness]

I've used both Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace successfully. Woodweb is good for commercial/industrial equipment. Cash on the barrel.

[Justin Rapp]

If you use FB Marketplace or Craigslist, you might find a good buyer. So far I have for items I sold. However you will get many junk requests for that 1 valid one. You need to weed through the scammers, low ballers and whoever else tries to take advantage. Once you have a solid buyer and agree on the price, cash is the best. Some e-payment methods like Zelle are usually safe and i've used it for small items. Anything over $100 - cash please, unless the person buying your saw from you is someone you know and of course would trust.

For other options to find a buyer, look for local wood-working clubs in your area and see if they would send a notice to their members. There are also many wood-working groups on facebook. Some of which allow you to post things for sale.

[George Yetka]

Cash is best but you can take any payment if you have original receipt of purchase they wont tax you on income over $600 of sales in 1 yr

[Jim Becker]

Both FB MarketPlace and Craig's List. Be very explicit in the ad that it's cash only and local pickup only...no "i'm traveling and will send my shipper" type scams. Don't even bother to answer responses that seem off or want to pay with any other kind of method.

[Jack Frederick]

I used FB Mktplace to off load a lot of gear prior to our move earlier this year. Not without its bumps but if priced right things moved. Whichever way you go as a sale develops, as you are talking big gear here ask the buyer how they are loading and transporting the goods. it isn’t your job to load. You can be a good guy and assist but be aware that “No good deed goes unpunished.”

[Aaron Inami]

Both FB MarketPlace and Craig's List. Be very explicit in the ad that it's cash only and local pickup only...no "i'm traveling and will send my shipper" type scams. Don't even bother to answer responses that seem off or want to pay with any other kind of method.

I have seen the occasional buyer on craigslist ask if you can deliver the item or equipment "because they have no way of transporting it". If you get this kind of buyer, reject the offer. A lot of buyers will use this as a way to talk your price down. You've already expended the effort to load/transport so you are already at a loss for time and effort. Just tell the buyers nicely that if they want the item they will have to make arrangements to pick it up.

[Terence McGee]

There may be woodworking communities/groups in your area that are willing to buy your equipment. When previously I moved, I posted some of my stuff in these groups (thru my friend). But you can easily join a group online and reach out. You can also announce there and hold a garage sale.

For a good old fashioned outreach, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, or OfferUp are good platforms worth trying.

[Bruce Walton]

Another option that hasn't been discussed is an auction. I've bought several tools at auction. I've never sold any. Around here the auction company takes 30% of the bid amount. However, I've seen stuff go for more than the original purchase price. Of course, some items get little interest and sell for cheap. It totally depends on the crowd and how the auction presents the items.