Or perhaps you may want to sell some of your old tools so you can make room for more. The problem is that it can often feel like you don’t have many options for buying and selling used tools.
Many woodworkers will say that it’s difficult to afford to purchase new tools for their craft, but they also find it difficult to find used tools too. It can be hard to find potential buyers that will pay you enough money for the tools too.
Thankfully, there are always ways that you can buy and sell used woodworking tools on the internet and beyond. We’re here to tell you about a few of them!
eBay
If you’re talking about used items in general, you’re probably going to think of eBay. This company was founded back in 1995, and to date it is the 9th biggest company on the internet in the whole world if you compare the revenue streams.
If you are looking to add a couple of tools to your arsenal or you are looking to sell some things, eBay is certainly one of the best places to go to. If you are looking for something to buy then you can be sure that there will be a wide range of different options available for any given tool that you can think of.
As a seller, there’s no end to the number of buyers that you may encounter on a daily basis that will be interested in your wares.
Of course, there’s always a downside to every buying and selling platform online. The big shortcoming when it comes to eBay, whether you are buying new tools or selling old ones, is the shipping costs. Tools are usually pretty big and heavy.
Adding the additional shipping costs on top of the item can make it really expensive to buy and sell tools. It’s always better to sell smaller items on eBay since they can be packaged with ease and shipping using standard transportation methods, such as Fedex, UPS or USPS.
One thing that you can do to avoid this problem is by selecting the local pickup only option on ebay. This way, you won’t have to deal with the shipping.
The listing is pretty much what you would expect from a standard ebay listing, but the seller has explicitly stated that shipping is not an option because the size or weight is too big. As such, the buyer is going to have to travel to the seller’s location in order to collect their item.
This is a great thing for many sellers because you have been clear that shipping the item is simply not feasible. Unfortunately it also means that your potential customer numbers will dwindle, and this is even more obvious when you don’t live close to a big city.
It can be a good thing for buyers though since it means that it will be simple to get good deals in your local area without a lot of competition from rival buyers.
If you are a seller, you will need to pay roughly 10% in fees for eBay for each item you sell. In addition to this, you will also need to pay a 3% fee to Paypal. As a buyer, there are no fees that you need to pay.
Local Auctions
If eBay doesn’t sound like the right choice for you, then it’s also possible to buy or sell used woodworking tools in a local auction company. These may sometimes be called ‘Personal Property’ auctions.
You may find around 3 or 4 of these companies in your area and the auctions may occur every one to two weeks. These sites are really useful especially since you can have a couple of weeks to put in a bid.
As such, you can thoroughly research the products before you bid so you ensure that you don’t end up paying too much money.
Another great thing about the auctions is that they can sometimes have preview days. These are good as they will let the buyer go to the auction location and they can have a look at all of the items listed at their leisure.
It’s helpful as it can tell you whether the pictures fully reflect what you are getting, and you can see if the item is in good condition before you put your offer in.
This can be an attractive option for anyone that’s trying to sell a bunch of things on an estate and they don’t really know much about the tools that they are trying to sell and how much they’re worth. You don’t need to worry about a thing as the auction company will deal with it all for you.
Usually, you will get in touch with the companies in question and they will then want to take a look at the items that you would like to put on sale. A company representative will assess whether they think they will sell, and you will then have to sign a contract to hand the item over.
When this contract is signed, they will usually bring people over in order to write descriptions of the product and take photographs of it. When they have done this, the photos and descriptions will then be put onto the website and the auction can then commence.
Eventually the bidding will end, at which point the company will come back to your house. The people who have won the auction will then come to pay for the items and they will be off your hands.
There is usually an auction fee of around 10% for buyers to get the bid that they have won. The payment structure can change depending on the auction house in question. In general though, you should be expecting that you need to pay both a flat fee and a percentage of the total sales.
Facebook
Facebook Marketplace is definitely becoming more and more popular with both buyers and sellers alike. It’s a truly innovative way to connect sellers and buyers on one platform. All you need to do is use your Facebook profile in order to post any items that you need to sell.
Then, the buyer and the seller will meet locally and the transaction will be complete. It is possible to offer shipping options if you wish though.
Another thing that a seller can do is use the advertising built into Facebook and promote the listing so that it’s seen by more people. There are a lot of different options that you can choose too, so you can even target certain demographics to make it more likely that your item will sell.
You will also really appreciate the fact that Facebook Marketplace is completely free, unless you want to pay to promote your listing. It won’t cost a buyer or seller any money, which is always handy.
Groups on Facebook
Facebook marketplace isn’t the only option either. You can also use Facebook groups! You can join woodworking groups and sell there, or local groups where you can sell to people that live nearby.
A lot of these groups tend to have listings where people are looking for specific equipment which is useful. It’s possible to find regional woodworking groups. It’s free too!
Craigslist
You probably knew that this one was going to be here. This company started up back in 1995 and it was initially just an email list. As of 2016, it was bringing in revenues amounting to around $700 million.
Of course, you may not get consistent results on Craigslist. It’s a great thing if you’re a buyer as you can find a bunch of great bargains there. You can buy items for a much lower cost. It’s even better if you can manage to get to the listing early on.
If you want to get a fantastic bargain on a specific tool then you need to keep your eyes peeled on the website. You should try to reach out quickly and be willing to pick them up if you want to be more likely to secure the deal.
If you’re a seller though, you may find yourself being a little frustrated by Craigslist. A buyer can easily give you mixed signals and not consider the seller’s feelings. It is for this reason that you need to be very patient if you are selling.
You should expect the worst case scenario, since there is always a chance that a buyer or seller may not show up to your agreed meeting.
You also need to be concerned about safety when you are selling on Craigslist. It’s possible to be anonymous, both as a buyer and a seller. For this reason, you should meet someone in a public setting for a transaction and go with another person for safety reasons.
Again, this site is also free to use whether you are a buyer or a seller.
Woodworking Clubs In Your Area
You should have a look online for any local woodworking clubs. These can be very helpful whether you are a seller or a buyer.
There’s a high chance that there’s a member in the group that will know someone else that’s trying to get rid of a tool, or they will know someone that may want to buy a new tool. You can usually find woodworking clubs in the vast majority of average sized cities.
Forums
If you have no woodworking clubs in your area, then you could also turn to the forums on the internet dedicated to woodworking. There are a number of benefits to these forums. For instance, these forums tend to have classified ads sections and these will let you buy or sell equipment online.
Not only that, but the forums tend to be catered to specific locations too, so you can join one for a certain part of the United States, and this can reduce any problems when you are dealing with the shipping.
Of course, it’s a good idea to check the sites first if you are a buyer before you purchase a product. Make sure that the price is fair for the product in question. You can ask on the forum to see if the product is a fair price.
Sometimes a product can look like a good deal in the listing but other users will tell you that it’s not a good choice, as they have a similar model just sitting around in the shop.
Govdeals.com - For Buyers
If you are on a budget and you want to have a fantastic deal to stock up your woodworking shop, it’s worthwhile to look on government surplus sites. Govdeals.com in particular is a great choice. The website has a section where you can find woodworking equipment listings for your shop.
It’s possible to find heavy duty machines that have already been used. In most cases they have previously been used in prisons or in schools.
It’s worth noting that there’s a good chance that you will need to do a little bit of maintenance on the tools and you may need to clean them, but the price is usually great.
Make sure that you are reading the pickup deals and then try to speak directly to the seller in the event that you need to ask any questions. There may sometimes be some specific pickup requirements though, for instance if the tool is from a prison.
Buying and Selling Advice
If you are trying to sell your woodworking equipment that has been already used, it’s a good idea to add as much description to the listing as possible. Make sure that you are looking for the model and serial numbers, and put these on the listing if possible.
Any potential buyers will then be able to date the machine and make an informed decision.
Make sure that you also go into detail about the way that the machine was used. For instance, was the machine used by someone that does carpentry full time? Was it used by someone that just likes to do woodworking for fun?
Tell the buyer how you got the machine, and whether it was used or new when you bought it.
Before you put your item up for sale, it’s also worth looking on Google for some more details about the machine that you are trying to sell. In most cases, older machines have lifetime warranties that you can give to a new buyer.
If your machine already has a warranty then you should put this in your listing, since it can be a massive selling point for a buyer.
You’re a buyer? Then make sure that you don’t allow shipping and transportation to stop you from getting a bargain. If there’s a machine available at a good price, it’s in a decent condition and there don’t seem to be any defects, then it’s a good idea to try and get that item.
You can always rent a truck to go and pick up your item instead of paying for the shipping, so long as this is an option.
For instance, if you’re trying to pick up a big table saw located roughly 3 hours away, you can just get a pickup truck and go out for the day to get it. The price is cheap enough, or you could get a U-Haul truck instead.
Conclusion
Buying used and new woodworking for a bargain price is simple, so long as you look in the right place. Hopefully we have helped you to find the perfect equipment for your woodworking shop!
