The successful way to sell a tank.

Yes, you are correct about most people not having a lot of multiple tanks. But the economy isn't good and getting worse. Most of the people buying right now are people like me looking for deals. Location does play a big part in your pricing and there are lots of savvy aquarists in my area.

It's strange though, people are desperate for money so they are overpricing stuff like aquariums because they need the money, but the people that might normally pay those prices aren't because the economy is poor. Catch 22. I know stuff isn't selling though because I see re-post after re-post, so I'm hoping in about 6-9 months the prices will plummet. Then I'll start buying again.

The only thing I've really bought lately was a 38g/30g combo w/metal stand for $50 included a huge box of replacement parts and equipment, multiple sponge filters with pumps, 3 5g buckets of rock, a tub of pvc and pots, and light strips. Had to strip and reseal the silicone so an extra $6 for that. Overall was a pretty good deal because he had stuff I'll use, otherwise I probably would have only wanted to pay $40.

A few months back, I moved nearly 40 tanks in two weeks and made money on them, all used. I priced them targeting bargain buyers and hobbyists. I think that is the best market right now. Most "normal people" are selling right now, not buying.
 
Agree that you need to rehome the fish separately. Chances are you'll be lucky if you get really anything for them. If you live in a good area with lots of fish people you're more likely to rehome them faster. I wouldn't ask more than half of retail for them. You can sell the plants online in the classifieds here, they're super easy to ship. Strip down the tanks and you may consider selling off some of the stuff separately. Personally, when I'm buying a used tank, I prefer to just buy tank and stand. I don't want a lot of the other stuff, unless it's high quality of a brand I like. Also, cleaning up the tanks will go a long way. I'd be willing to pay about $150 for the 72g with the stand, filter, and light included. The 30g, I'd pay $50 or so for tank plus stand, a little more if it came with a filter I liked.
 
Definitely with the fish you have(more than basic community fish), selling them separately from the set-ups is the way to go.

The 30 I would definitely price to sell. You might pay a few bucks more, but you should be able to find something comparable pretty quickly.

You can separate your self from the crowd if you can offer delivery. Although get a paypal deposit upfront before you load the tank into your vehicle.

Also try checking with local fish clubs, they may have a forum to list your tanks even if you are not a member. If you just need the tank gone there may even be a possibility of including it in an auction.
 
Hey, if you live in the general area of Philadelphia, I could use that 30gal tank.
 
I agree the most with jpierce3 on this one. Again, your market is going to be different depending on your location but the economy is crap right now and generally, people are browsing Craiglist for good deals. Personally, I always keep in mind the $ per gallon sales at the chain stores - not to beat a dead horse, I saw you said you were going to adjust your prices - just saying... 200$ for a used 30g tank & stand and some stuff, doesn't make a lot of sense when I could just wait for a $ per gallon sale, pay $30 for a brand new tank and get a stand for around $100 - if I am an avid fish keeper than most the stuff that comes with your tank I probably already have on hand (heaters, small filters, gravel, etc.).

I live in Boise, ID. About 3 months ago I paid $500 for:
210g brand new all glass aquarium (never had a drop of water in it), drilled w/ 2 overflows
The used stand that had water damage (could have been fixed, I opted to purchase a new one)
Glass tops
35g acrylic sump w/ hardware & bio-balls
All the overflow hardware
The pond pump the guy was using
The 72" coral life light w/ moonlight tracking
And he threw in 2 boxes of random fish stuff odds & ends (most of which, was trash)
He even helped deliver.
 
Price is definitely important. Sort of like real estate is location, location, location selling on CL is pricing, pricing and pricing(ok maybe a little bit location and pictures).

There may be tweaks to your description that can help some, but if your price is out of line it won't matter. I would part stuff out while selling the fish and then list what is left at a really attractive price.
 
jpierce3 said:
But the economy isn't good and getting worse.
Click to expand...
IMO, all this really means is that more people are selling their tanks because they either 1) can't afford to keep them any longer, especially high maintenance tanks like reef tanks or 2) they desperately need money...they don't want to part with them, but they are selling their valuables little by little, tanks included.

It doesn't mean that people had money before to buy used tanks for a lot more, and now they don't.

Most of us in the hobby paid more in the beginning of our hobby because when you're new to it, you don't really feel comfortable buying used. Most people (not everyone) first decide they want fish at the place that sells the fish, and that's where the buy the stuff...where they have a lot to choose from all in one place, and it's all shiny and new.

I'd be willing to bet that now that you are more experienced, you know how to find a bargain...but you probably started off like most of us with new equipment at first.

Bargain hunters are bargain hunters, they will look for a bargain no matter what. Tanks are luxuries, unlike cars and the basic furniture you need to furnish a house. So while the down economy does make a lot more used tanks come on the market (at reasonable prices because people are needing the money quickly) I wouldn't say more people need to buy their tanks for cheaper. Most people do not need to buy a tank at all, and the people for whom the economy is really hurting aren't the ones buying them. No one out of work is buying a tank, very few people anyway.

In conclusion, while Danny's prices are way too high and need adjusting, I don't think he needs to settle for selling his 30 gallon tank for $30-40 just because it's possible to find deals like that. It's definitely possible to find a deal like that *eventually* because there are people in desperate situations, or (such as was the case with my 55 gallon find) people who really don't care. The tank belonged to someone else, they left, and now they're stuck with it. They don't care about the money, they just want it gone. The "need/want it gone" bargains last a very short time, usually...I was the third person to be lined up for the tank, fortunately the other two never showed up for some reason.

I also think that his equipment is valuable (not very valuable, mind you, but certainly not next to worthless) but probably better off to sell piecemeal either at forums or on eBay. The plants are adding nothing to the value of the tanks, in fact they are detracting from it, so I would get those gently cleaned and sell them here, at another forum, or on eBay...just be careful with the shipping, since it's very easy to lose money by underestimating the costs.
 
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Hey aquariacentral . You have such positive energy in your help forums. I want to let you know that I sold both tanks, last evening.
Complete, with all the "good stuff" included.
That's all it took. A little help from the friends.
Many Thanks.
Danny
 
That's awesome. I hope you were satisfied with what you got for it :)

I just freed up a 29 gallon with homemade stand (very sturdy, was passed on to me). It's pretty ghetto, I found this oak tank in my apartment's dumpster (was perfectly fine, except heavily soiled and caked with deposits) and bought a matching oak hood and light for it. I am throwing in some equipment I no longer need just to get it ready to go for someone and offering it for $40...$30...$20...etc, until it may eventually be practically a Freecycle deal, lol. Either way, it will be gone by the end of next week!
 
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