Are there better alternatives to ebay to dispose of old boat parts?

[wttaylor]

We have now scrapped the 1943 Palmer Johnson and the 1962 Norseman. We did keep all the cool hardware etc. Is Ebay the only viable way to get these items to a select few?
Wooden boat online only allows the sale of boats not parts.
Regards,
Bill

[michigangeorge]

E-bay brings you a worldwide customer base and the auction format often brings a higher than anticpated price. There is far more demand for small boat hardware than large so you need the largest audience you can find and that is E-bay. Another problem with large boat parts is the cost of packing and shipping the heavy items so do your homework on this first and try to keep these costs to the absolute minimum. Start your 7 day listings on Saturday or Sunday so the buyers are home and watching the auction at ending times. Clean your items well and provide plenty of high quality photos. Put a realistic price on your items - you will never make up for your losses so get rid of it and move on with a smile.
Good luck!

[Audasea]

Is there a specific ebay category for marine hardware? I've searched for things like marine stoves, heaters, samson posts, winches, etc. with mixed luck. Always seemed like a random event when I found anything I'd want to bid on.

[StevenBauer]

Auda, have you tried the link to ebay from the WoodenBoat homepage? Look for "WoodenBoat on ebay". Some cool stuff shows up there. :)


Steven

[Thorne]

If you have never sold stuff on eBay, and/or haven't bought much stuff there, you might find the local Craigslist an easier option. Put up a webpage if you (or your youngest nephew) knows how, list the items and as above, **good** photographs with measuring tape to scale them, measurements and all other information.

eBay has a lot of protections against scammers that make it good for novice buyers, but can make selling difficult. Buyers may be reluctant to purchase from a seller with no established track record in selling.

The best category for marine hardware is -
eBay Motors>Boat Parts > Sailing Hardware & Gear

The only other options I know of are Marine Flea Markets, particularly those hosted by local yacht clubs or associations.

[Gary E]

Bill,
Here is a decent catagory to use....

http://motors.search-desc.ebay.com/_Boat-Parts_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR9QQfromZR9QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ1 QQfsopZ1QQfstypeZ1QQftsZ2QQsacatZ26443QQsbrsrtZdQQ sofindtypeZ22QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEFSRCHQ3aSRCH

and
http://motors.search-desc.ebay.com/diesel-engine_Boat-Parts_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR9QQfromZR9QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ2 QQfsopZ2QQfstypeZ1QQftsZ2QQsacatZ26443QQsofindtype Z22QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEFSRCHQ3aSRCH

So sorry to see the Norseman was destroyed...
You have no idea how close I came to buying that boat...

[Spokaloo]

Don't forget CraigsList. You have the ability to post the ad for free, anywhere in the world. Items like this can be targeted to certain markets where they will be more likely to sell (San Fran for example)

E

[Bruce Hooke]

There are small businesses that make a business of basically selling things on consignment via eBay. This might be a good way to go for someone with no selling track record and no desire to make eBay a major part of their life. I am not sure how you go about finding such an operation...

[donald branscom]

Just go to www.craigslist.com no auction crap, no hassles.
Juat list you stuff under BOATS.

A 24hr a day worldwide fleamarket. Do it soon because Craigslist is about to be history too. Just like all the good stuff. The company that bought it says it is time to make money on it. Look out!

[lofting4fun]

Try CRAIGS LIST !!!!!!!!

[wttaylor]

Thanks to all. I will try Craigs list, although in Florida most boating is about small fishhing boats or boats that as a friend once said "if you took a fart and froze it, thats what it would look like"

Anyway, I did put some stuff on ebay and it can be viewed
here :

http://motors.search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZhotwater62

Meanwhile I am trying to figure out how to preserve my massive oak cap rails for the next 30 years.

Regards,
Bill

[Thorne]

If you are gonna sell on eBay, you may want to do some purchasing for Christmas. Otherwise your ID shows up with no ratings for either sales or purchases -- kinda like buying something at a flea market from a guy wearing a ski mask...

;0 )

Best of luck, and the photos of the hardware look good.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I have found the biggest single difference between the first wooden boat i was ever involved in restoring, and the present group I have, to be the internet. It used to be who you knew, and who they knew when it came to finding oddball stuff. Now I just google it. I have bought over 50 items on Ebay, all boat related. Very little hassle, the price was fair, and I continually search every second day or so for various things. Ebay has a long long reach. I know that for myself, I am willing to outbid on certain items because there isn't a chance in hell I could ever find them up here in Canada.

[JimJ]

Ebay is good for sourcing specific items or parts, especially end of stock items. I have bought boat parts from the UK, USA, and and all over Oz. Know what you want and its price. Ya just have to be patient. Do a search in "all categories" as there are lot of ebay stores selling on commission. I bought a new Nexus depth transducer from a china shop in IN. If you confined the search to a specific category you may miss out on some bargains.
JimJ