Looking for what to price a garage sale item(s)

[TheRic]

I inherited / acquired a component stereo that I'm going to garage sale. I already have a component stereo (about 20 yrs old) that I'm happy with. I have a decent all in 1 stereo in the garage / shop. I'm way out of the loop on going prices, about 20 years out of the loop.

What I'm getting rid of is:

Kenwood KX-56W Double Cassette
Kenwood KT-56 Stereo Synthesizer Tuner
Kenwood KC-106 Stereo Control Amp
Kenwood KM-106 Stereo Power Amp

No speakers, they were destroyed by kids. I'm keeping the CD player, since I didn't have one. All the components work fine.

So what would be a price for this? If offered $5 take it run all the way to the bank? Don't take anything less than $100?? 300?? If I had to guess I was going with $50, but I really have no clue. Not even sure where they were at on quality, good bad, ok.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

[poolhound]

I'm not familiar with these particular models. What I have found is that garage sales only attract a certain tyype of person and they have a price threshold no matter how good something is. For most items like this I have never sold anything for more than $50 at a garage sale. If it is actually worth something and somebody out there who knew would still recognize the value then I use CL or ebay and aim to get what its worth.

Take tools. We all know the value and the current prices of most things out there, we sure discuss it a lot on this forum :-) So puting any decent tool in a yard sale will most likely not get the price you want unless somebody like us happens to come by and see it. CL on the other hand is a great place to sell and buy tools. As it happens I have just goty back from picking up a hardly used PC 557 joiner for $90, even on AMazon right now thats a $210 item. The other week I sold a PC 690 router I didn't need for $90 so I guess that just paid for the BJ :-)

I hope you get what you would like for these units.

[williwatt]

There is a KM-106 amplifier on eBay right now with a bid of $79. I didn't find any of the other models on eBay.

[LCHIEN]

looks like mid-late 80's or very early 90's technology.
Looks like it was high up in the Kenwood lineup but KW was not a super hyped brand like Macintosh or Adcom or other high end...

You're going to get low dollar for them in a garage sale, not typically the price and stuff one shops for. CL or eBay will get better, you have to luck out and fins someone who wants one of those. Not exactly the brand that vintage HIFI that people collect.

hate to break up a matched set but if you go CL or eBay then you'll get more for individual. Amp probably the biggest item, preamp next, tuner, the cassete.
amp maybe 50 to 100 cassette lucky to get $10. Shipping will be expensive making this for someonw who really collects old kenwood.
You didn't say the condition... mint would attract collectors, beat up, scratched (if the kids destroyed the speakers....) would lessen the value considerably.

[rnelson0]

So puting any decent tool in a yard sale will most likely not get the price you want unless somebody like us happens to come by and see it.

And not likely even then. If you are selling it at a garage sale, your typical motivation is "How much cash do I require to free up space and stop listening to my wife ask me when I'm going to get rid of it?" Hence, I would offer a reasonable garage sale price. Keep in mind the amount of cash people bring, their willingness to go get more, and the discount between what you are offering and the "brand new" pricetag. If you have an awesome piece of furniture like a four post bed, yeah I'm going to get a few hundred out of the bank. If you've got something that can fit in my car right now, like an air compressor, you're going to have it priced based on what I have on me. It is probably more valuable for the seller to get rid of it than for the buyer to actually have it - if I *needed* it, I wouldn't be at your garage sale looking to buy it - so the prices will always reflect that.

Think of it this way. You're selling a brand new DW735 planer. They go for what, $400-600 depending on coupons and sales? How much of a discount is there for not being the original owner? Is it worth $100 savings over a new one? $200? So, what price would you mark it at? I wouldn't sell it for less than $300. As a buyer, I'd offer $100 - not as an insult, but because that's the discount I would want over a new one. $300 for a nearly-new unit is not a deep enough discount. $200 isn't either. Maybe I could settle for $150. All the time, though, I'd be thinking that I could go to a store and get one brand new, and I don't *need* to have it right this moment, there's other garage sales, etc.

If you want a high pricetag, sell it in the appropriate place. Craiglist and ebay are good ones. Also, your local flea market may provide a better venue - if they have a Woodworker's Sunday, then you're far more likely to find someone willing to match your relatively high price.

Collector items - either collectibles, rarities, out-of-manufacture, or unique items - have their own pricetags. I definitely wouldn't sell those at a garage sale, but there's no telling what the actual value is.



For older component stereos, I'd guess you might get $10-20 per piece, maybe more for the amp as Loring suggested. Expect someone to offer $50 for the whole thing and $5 for just the cassette. You have to ask yourself, do you want to get rid of it or do you want to make money off it? If the first, then $50 for the whole kit is great. If the latter, then hold out - and be prepared to hold out for a long time.

[cabinetman]

I'm an avid garage sale shopper, and flea market hound. I prefer garage sales as it seems more personal. But there are shoppers who are looking for equipment not as collectors, but as users. For example, I have hundreds of reel to reel tapes and LP's, and cassettes. I've been having a problem trying to convert them to CD's.

In order to enjoy the music I need the equipment. For example: My reel to reel died, and couldn't find anyplace that could repair the unit. So, I kept my eye out in the classified section, and found a garage sale with all kinds of equipment, and bought me another one that works.
.

[Schleeper]

Ric, there's always a market for decent quality power amps, probably because it costs a lot less to pick up a used one, than it does to replace the blown capacitor in the one you own. Also, amps like this are often used by audiophiles to drive drive two of the channels in a 5 or 7 channel home entertainment system. If you don't mind the hassle of shipping it (which will probably require double-boxing,) you may be able to get $100 for it on eBay. That's assuming, of course, that it's in good working condition, and it looks good, too.

The other three items are basically doorstops. Put them in your garage sale, and accept the first offer from anyone willing to take them off your hands.

[TheRic]

First off thanks everyone for your input, atleast I have a ballpark price range to expect.

I don't think Craigslist would not be the best place to sell it. The closest one is north about 40 miles away, just started up, not much on it. There is one south about 50 miles away, and one east 100 miles. I would think milage ruin it for many.

Ebay is an option, might take that route. Try to sell it at the garage sale if no takers put it up on Ebay. I looked on Ebay before I posted here, but didn't find the amp, must have entered something in wrong.

The equipment is in good shape outside, few minor scratches (not even thru the paint). It has been working great, had it loaned out to my local civic organization, someone else brought in speakers. They just bought a new one, so I got this one back.

The speakers that were destroyed: the kids pulled out the paper / foam, stuck pencils in them etc.. They didn't open the door to the stereo cabinet.

[Knottscott]

Those garage sale bargains typically sell below what they're worth, but I've gotta believe the package would fetch $50-$100. I love to grab stuff like this for my kids rooms.