This guide will go over tips and best practices for selling electronics (computers, video games, etc).
Summary:
- I/Marketplaces
- II/Tips on Selling
I/Marketplaces
- eBay - eBay is going to be mentioned on our list here! With over 159 million users, selling your electronics is a very optimal marketplace. Everything is very straightforward here. as well as being able to do just about everything on the mobile app. Reaching such a high buyer base is extremely useful when selling your items and getting those quick sales in.
Website | IOS | Google Play
- OfferUp- OfferUp is an excellent marketplace for local sales. I don't recommend selling with their shipping service as they charge a high 12.5% sales commission. This is exceptionally high, and you have much better options. About a year ago, they bought out the popular local marketplace, Letgo, and have since made major software improvements. Overall, very straightforward as the seller. Personally, I think the UI is a bit "old" but doesn't take away from the fact that they have over 56 million users.
- Mercari - Mercari has made huge strides into becoming a much larger marketplace. With over 19 million monthly active users reported in 2021, this is one of the best upcoming markets. Mercari also recently introduced Mercari Local. This feature allows for local pickup for items which is extremely useful. Mercari has one of the lowest fees, at only 10% sale fee. This is low compared to other marketplaces such as eBay, which can range up to 15%! It may not be a massive deal for lower priced items, but you will notice a big difference when you start selling higher valued items! The overall interface is very seamless and beginner-friendly.
Website | IOS | Google Play
- FaceBook Marketplace - Facebook has recently made some considerable improvements to their marketplace. With shipping and local pickup feature both fully operational, this is another excellent marketplace to check out. FB Marketplace started specifically for local sales, however, it added shipping more recently. Although they have been pushing out more updates to make the platform look nicer, I will have to say that it is pretty annoying how everything is laid out. In order to post a listing, you will have to go to the Facebook app to list, and you will find messages via Facebook Messenger. You'll get used to going back and forth, but hopefully, Facebook will add a separate Marketplace app that incorporates all features in one! The shipping feature is 100% underrated with only a 5% fee, the lowest of any marketplace. Not sure how long they will have this set fee, so I would get right to it if you can!
Website | You need Facebook + Facebook Messenger for mobile
- Cashout Services - Cashout services are essentially just services that allow you to send in products that they offer for a specific rate. This is most commonly seen with consoles. A service will say they provide a PS5 Disc cash-out for $700. You request a label, send it in, and get cashed out! This is a great way to have guaranteed sales, although at a little cheaper than the market price.
Cashout Kings | Maxy's Cashout | Project Cashout | Apple Cashout
II/Tips on Selling
Online: Selling online is probably the most common way you will be selling electronics. For higher-priced electronics, I highly recommend insuring it. You can never be too safe. You'll have the best success with eBay, but with electronics being such an in-demand item, you should list on all marketplaces. With anything being sold online, be sure to take quality pictures (solid color background), be descriptive, and transparent with your customers. Listing items is extremely straightforward, so you should have no issue figuring that out.
Local: Regarding local sales, it can be something annoying. One major tip is building up those sales and verifying your information. Meeting up to buy something locally is very different from ordering it online. There needs to be a sense of trust built. With higher reviews and a solid-looking page, the chances of a potential buyer going to you vs someone else even if theirs is listed for cheaper is a lot higher because of your current standing.
That being said, besides just being friendly, communicative, and listing a lot, it can take some time to build. Now, when meeting up, one thing you can expect is for the buyer to check out the item is working, especially with electronics, so be prepared for that. When selling locally, I also recommend meeting in public and covering what payment methods work beforehand.
Cashout: Cashout services are incredibly straightforward. Follow the directions given, and it'll be a very smooth process. Most cash-out services are the same as well. Generally, there is a sheet or message within the Discord containing all of the current items they're cashing out and the prices they are currently offering. Many of these services will also allow for free labels, which is also great.
One thing I recommend doing if you're someone who plans on selling a lot of items is to have a sheet tracking down everything. When sending out many packages, you'll notice that it becomes hard to track which items lead to what package and what day what package was sent out. Having a sheet will relieve all those headaches, so I recommend doing that.
Another thing to note is that many of these cash-out services will offer local pickups. This is very convenient for faster cash-out and is also a way to get around having to track everything because all sales will be made on the stop.
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