Selling old tools and dated fasteners

danrv

Hi
I have a lot of old tools and a large collection of Nettlefolds slotted brass screws. They’re just taking up space and I’ve no need for them.
I don’t really want to start doing car boots and thought eBay might be a good way.
Having had suspicious enquires on my recent PA system listing, I don’t really want that again.
The screws are in good, unused condition and too good to throw away.
Maybe local furniture restorers might be a better bet.
Any help appreciated.

TripleH

You can sell the screws as a job lot if you want less hassle (get less for them).

I think you'll get fewer issues than on your PA system as for lower value items such as screws you get less people trying it on

Again do the same for tools.

You can sell in bundles if you want, just be wary if there are any knives (or knife type implements).

soolin

Lot them into manageable box sizes, weigh them and work out exactly what they will cost to post. Then list them in lists as a BIN with immediate payment required and take no offers to collect or hold. If they want them they buy and pay or walk away.

They sell well, I’ve sold similar myself and made good money. Just watch your weights for postage, if you can get a decent lot below 2 KG then printing a label online for a 2nd class small parcel would cost £2.85 or £3.35 if you took it to a Post office.  I would suggest considering free postage, so instead of say £9 plus £3.25 postage do it for £12.75 free postage, save you getting bogged down with people asking about combining postage. I would also make sure you ensure you are not offering overseas postage, just stick with GSP. 

just check out some of these 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203442333705?hash=item2f5e1ba809:g:bzwAAOSwR8JgkW8a

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115465279755?hash=item1ae244590b:g:7iQAAOSwzwFi0V6u

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284172611318?hash=item422a01eef6:g:pccAAOSwNSxVMRnH

danrv

soolin said:

Lot them into manageable box sizes, weigh them and work out exactly what they will cost to post. Then list them in lists as a BIN with immediate payment required and take no offers to collect or hold. If they want them they buy and pay or walk away.

They sell well, I’ve sold similar myself and made good money. Just watch your weights for postage, if you can get a decent lot below 2 KG then printing a label online for a 2nd class small parcel would cost £2.85 or £3.35 if you took it to a Post office.  I would suggest considering free postage, so instead of say £9 plus £3.25 postage do it for £12.75 free postage, save you getting bogged down with people asking about combining postage. I would also make sure you ensure you are not offering overseas postage, just stick with GSP. 

just check out some of these 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203442333705?hash=item2f5e1ba809:g:bzwAAOSwR8JgkW8a

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115465279755?hash=item1ae244590b:g:7iQAAOSwzwFi0V6u

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284172611318?hash=item422a01eef6:g:pccAAOSwNSxVMRnH

That's great, thanks.
With so many different sizes, it's difficult to know how to organize them.
Single boxes as shown would make more money but will take a long time.
Could make it an ongoing thing or offer the whole job lot as suggested.

TripleH

If you have boxes the same make but different size components, maybe group them together?

TOP_CAT

I dont think you "took in" Soolins.... very informative post .

You need to sell each lot by the weight that the post office will accept.
 A example was up to 2kg small parcel at £2.85-£3.35 or a larger medium box size weight might be a option 

A LOT or group of your nail boxes will depend on its weight that the PO accepts .
Each group depends on you actually grouping them .

Sure you can sell it all as one big  heavy Lot  .
You would need to weight it all once boxed and postage will be more costly .

Sometimes with ebay you have to do "all the work in small bites" or it may not be worth doing it at all .
You could pass it on to someone who does though .

danrv

TOP_CAT said:

 Each group depends on you actually grouping them .

Yes. That what I meant my organising the different sizes.
Normally one would buy a single box of one size, say 8x1 so maybe I could try a few seperate listings.

soolin

danrv said:

TOP_CAT said:

 Each group depends on you actually grouping them .

Yes. That what I meant my organising the different sizes.
Normally one would buy a single box of one size, say 8x1 so maybe I could try a few seperate listings.

I have sold a lot of similar items in the past and have tried both larger lots and small individual lots. The larger lots were easier of course but people did expect the items to be discounted heavily to make up for having to buy more than they needed or items they didn't want. I found people messaging asking whether I could sell just XX from the lot or YY so it was time consuming.

In the end I set up some MVL listings for identical items, so had say a listing for 1 box of 100  5cm xx diameter screws but had 10 lots so people could buy 1 box or buy 10 . I stated clearly they were old stored but unused items so boxes would show different levels of fading etc.

Then the items I just had single boxes for I sold in individual lots, BIN only with immediate payment required .I had a template with all the relevant blurb, all the free postage set up etc, so all I had to do was change photos, title and basic item description and item specifics and just keep changing it for each box.

fenwick458

danrv said:

Single boxes as shown would make more money but will take a long time.

Depending on what you have, I would be inclined to list it all separately, and I might be tempted to split them into bags of 10 if they are rare, I sometimes buy odd screws on ebay and they are £4 for 10 screws delivered. if you have a box of 100, thats £30 profit assuming you use large letter to post them. 
once you create one listing template you can just do a "sell one like this" and change a few details
it might take time but listing is free and I'm not in a rush for the money. for way too long in my selling career I would list stuff too cheap and then it would sell quickly, then I'd have nothing to sell. then I realised if I just increase the price, I get more for it and I have stuff to sell all the time

vacheron

If you don't have any luck elsewhere, the scrap value of brass is about £3.40 per KG, so if all else fails you could just contact your local scrap metal merchant and trade it all in in one fell swoop.

greyteam1959

Interesting thread.
I have just inherited a massive amount of boxes of screws etc.