Buying Equipment on eBay

DECORATING DIVERSIFICATION

February 05, 2010
By Deborah Sexton, Contributing Writer

While eBay is great for buying and selling large pieces of equipment — new and used — it also is a good place to find supplies such as frames, mesh, embroidery hoops, etc.

Pssst...

Hey, wanna buy screen printing and embroidery equipment at rock-bottom prices?

We’re talking high-end machinery that retails for thousands of dollars going for a fraction of the price.

There’s a place where you can find these killer deals — and it’s only a mouse click away. It’s eBay.com, the incredibly popular online auction site that has hundreds of millions of registered users and millions of items for sale, including countless items specific to the world of decorated apparel — everything from bobbins to automatic presses.

“Many decorators and suppliers have adopted eBay as a new flea market,” says Greg Kitson, president, Mind’s Eye Graphics, Decatur, Ind. “I know of one decorator who has virtually outfitted a brand new production floor with equipment from eBay.”

Kitson has used eBay to purchase roller frames, mesh and a pin registration system for his shop. “I’ve never been dissatisfied with what I bought, and it has always been delivered as promised,” he says.

Some decorators have even purchased automatic screen printing presses from eBay listings — although purchasing such a complex piece of machinery comes with its own set of challenges. “Someone has to disassemble it correctly to ship it to you, and then you have charges for shipping, uncrating, reassembly and testing,” Kitson says.

Mark Coudray, president, Coudray Serigraphics, San Luis Obispo, Calif., has been purchasing equipment on eBay for a decade. His first purchase was buying $5,000 exposure units for only a few hundred dollars. “The offset lithography guys were all going computer-to-plate, and they had these exposure units that were collecting dust,” he recalls. “We’ve bought densitometers, vacuum frames, light tables, all of those types of things.”

What’s the appeal of eBay? You can expect to save anywhere from 30 cents to 70 cents on the dollar for equipment and supplies. “You might find a new roller frame that costs $65 to $100 being sold for $40,” Kitson says.

It’s also simple to shop on the site. Buyers and sellers register, then place bids or sale items with their user names. Both parties can post feedback about how the other conducted the transaction which, over time, creates a self-monitoring feedback system that helps users know who to do business with and who to avoid. For instance, if a seller has sold only a few dozen items and has several negative comments from buyers, you’ll probably want to pass on buying items from him. Likewise, if a seller has hundreds or thousands of comments, you’re likely to have an equally positive experience purchasing goods from him.

“Be careful of people with low ratings or fewer than 10 transactions,” Coudray warns. “I generally look for people who’ve done a significant number of transactions or who have been an eBay member for a long time.”

However, not everyone selling equipment on eBay is trying to get rid of their own machinery or supplies; even vendors are putting up listings. “I received a notice from a mesh manufacturer selling odd lots on eBay,” Kitson says. “The company had about 200 listings to clear its warehouse.”

Equipment brokers also use eBay as a business platform, selling items on behalf of customers. That said, always ask the seller whether you’re buying directly from him or if he’s acting as a middleman. “You could be buying something that the broker doesn’t physically have, and somebody else could have sold it by the time you buy it,” Coudray cautions.

The fact that the goods and equipment may be coming from a broker isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, says Rick Roth, president, Mirror Image, Pawtucket, R.I. “Some brokers add value. They refurbish it, stand by it and answer all questions,” he explains.

Searching and Bidding
When searching for items, you can use broad terms, such as “image setter,” but be prepared to sift through a mountain of listings — which may not be a bad thing if you’re just “window shopping.” The more specific your search terms are, the narrower your search results, which makes it more likely you’ll get results that match precisely what you’re looking for.

Another approach is to put yourself on an eBay watch list; you’ll automatically receive e-mail notification when an item is listed that matches your watch list criteria. Doing so can not only help you find the items you’re looking for, it also can give you a sense of what people are paying for the items.

If there’s a particular item you’re looking for, you may need to spend a good chunk of time to find it. “You have to invest time to get good deals because the items come and go so quickly,” Kitson says. “When I have a specific need, I use the search function to find a particular item, or create a notification that alerts me when a listing is posted that matches my needs.”

Besides using watch lists to get a fair price for the type of item you’re interested in, another smart strategy is to wait until the auction is nearly over before placing your bid. “Wait until about 30 seconds or less before you put your bid in,” Coudray suggests. “You can still lose though, because some buyers use automated software that puts bids in with less than five seconds to go.”

Proceed with Caution
Once you find a listing for equipment or supplies that you want to purchase, the challenge is how to determine whether it’s really in good working condition. “Sometimes you’ll see a listing for, say, a Newman roller frame, but the listing’s picture is from the Newman Web site; it’s not a picture of the actual frame that’s for sale,” Kitson says.

If you’re buying equipment that’s not within driving distance, consider paying someone near the seller to check it out for you. “You have to do your due diligence,” Roth says. “And remember, if it seems to be too good be true, it probably is.”

Some sellers provide a phone number so you can call them personally. If a number isn’t provided, you can reach the seller via e-mails that you post on the eBay listing. “If I’m spending more than $1,000, I want to talk to the person,” Coudray says. Questions to ask the seller include when and where he purchased the item, what kind of condition the equipment is in and whether it will come with the operating manuals.

For substantial purchases — anything costing more than $1,000 — place your funds in escrow, where a third party holds the funds until you receive the equipment, Coudray suggests. You also can protect yourself by making purchases via your credit card. Most credit card companies allow you to do charge backs. “Also, never wire money, because that’s a sure guarantee that you’re never going to get it back,” Coudray says.

Find out precisely how the seller will ship the equipment or supplies to you, and who will pick up the tab. You’ll also want to find out which delivery service he’ll use, and get a tracking number for the items. “I had a piece of equipment get stuck in customs coming from Canada,” Coudray says. “It took a long time to get it, and it cost more in transportation and customs fees than what I paid for the product. You really have to understand who’s responsible for those kinds of costs.”

If you’re still not sure you’re ready to take a walk through the virtual aisles of the eBay mega-store, ask a knowledgeable friend for help. “I’ll bet you can find a cousin, aunt or someone who’s an eBay expert,” Kitson says.

Deborah Sexton, the former editor of Impressions, has been writing about the decorated apparel industry for 29 years. In addition to freelancing articles, she also does marketing and public relations for decorated apparel companies. For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Deborah at dsexton@sbcglobal.net.

Cruising Craigslist.org

While eBay.com is the 800-pound gorilla of online shopping for used items, it’s not your only option. One popular alternative is craigslist.org, an online classified ads service. Here, you’ll find some great deals for used equipment and supplies, but the site is much less regulated than eBay — which means you’ll need to be much more cautious about what you purchase via the site.

“It’s a real ‘buyer beware’ situation because there are lots of scams there,” says Mark Coudray, president, Coudray Serigraphics, San Luis Obispo, Calif. “Always buy local on Craigslist; never buy something from another area, and never ever send money. You want to physically see what you’re buying and meet the people selling it.”

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