do you sell bags that are not in great condition?

sdkitty

O.G.
Jan 16, 2006
39,611
91,784
I'm a small-time seller and like to avoid problems. So I pretty much limit my sales to bags that are in excellent or VG condition. I'm afraid even if I disclose wear in my ad and price accordingly, I may have a problem if I sell something that his visible wear.

If you sell bags that have visible wear or marks on them, do the buyers usually act reasonably and accept that the item is as described?

or do they expect excellent condition even if it's not desccribed that way?
 
I've rarely had a problem selling things that I would consider to be in fair / poor condition, so long as they're accurately described. Even though all of my items are final sale, if the condition is really not great, I also usually include language to the extent of, "Item is priced with condition in mind, and sold 'as is'." Of course, buyers don't always read descriptions carefully either...
 
I'm a small-time seller and like to avoid problems. So I pretty much limit my sales to bags that are in excellent or VG condition. I'm afraid even if I disclose wear in my ad and price accordingly, I may have a problem if I sell something that his visible wear.

If you sell bags that have visible wear or marks on them, do the buyers usually act reasonably and accept that the item is as described?

or do they expect excellent condition even if it's not desccribed that way?


IMO you should describe the bag with all visible flaws & price accordingly.
If your bags are in excellent or very good condition with minimal wear
that should also be disclosed.

Since condition is so subjective,disclose as much as you can such such as worn corners, scratches, stains in lining, hardware issues,
zippers, handles etc. There will always be the buyer who has high expectations so you want to dsiclose all the
pertinent details about the condition.

And take advantage of using as many photos as ebay allows & more if needed
Pictures speak 1000 words & you have an interested buyer, they
can always contact you for additional info.
 
Have done in the past. Never had any problems in all honesty. I would add large photos within the auction description area and mention everything you can find as a flaw. You could say (in large text perhaps at the top) something like "this is a well used item - please ensure you are happy with the condition before bidding".
 
From a buyers point of view, as long as there are lots of pics and the item is described as flawed or well used, I don't think you would have a problem.
 
I haven't sold much. I did sell one bag very cheaply, less than $100, a Coach, that had a flaw when I purchased it. I disclosed it in writing in pictures and confirmed AGAIN with the buyer before shipping. The buyer seemed happy and I had no problems. Of the sales I've done, which are probably between 5 and 10, more like 5, it seems the NWT are more trouble than the used. Sometimes I think I should only sell used stuff. Maybe use something for a season then sell?

Does anyone else think NWT is worse as a seller than used?
 
From a buyers point of view, as long as there are lots of pics and the item is described as flawed or well used, I don't think you would have a problem.


As insignificant/minor as a flaw may be to a seller if it disclosed agree that there
should not be a problem & if it is highlighted in a photo, its there for a buyer to see.
 
I sold my "not so perfect bags" on Tradesy. I described everything, took tons of pictures and put a really cheap price on the bags. They sold right away and the buyers contacted me after they received thanking me for the accurate descriptions. They were happy to get designer bags at rockbottom prices even if they weren't perfect. The key is to describe as accurately as possible, take many pics and price accordingly.
 
For bags with very obvious faults, I try to highlight the faults in the pictures and also in the description in bright red font. I tend to over-emphasize any faults because I want my buyers to be pleasantly surprised when they receive the bag, that it's in better condition than what I described. Of course, you then run the risk of not getting as much $ for your bag, but in my mind, it's better than having to deal with SNAD issues down the line. :smile:
 
For bags with very obvious faults, I try to highlight the faults in the pictures and also in the description in bright red font. I tend to over-emphasize any faults because I want my buyers to be pleasantly surprised when they receive the bag, that it's in better condition than what I described. Of course, you then run the risk of not getting as much $ for your bag, but in my mind, it's better than having to deal with SNAD issues down the line. :smile:


Agree with you...:smile:
 
Agree with you...:smile:
Thanks, hotshot! :tup:

Also wanted to mention that sellers should always take photos in natural daylight (unless they have a photo studio available!). This not only gives the best indiciation of the true color of the bag, but also highlight faults clearly for buyers to see.

I've been burned before, buying a wallet where the seller had taken the photos indoors at night. It looked fine in the photos, but boy was it not okay when I actually received it! The shadows in the photos hid dark spots on the leather, the overall darkness of the shots concealed the dirt on wallet, especially around the edges. The seller described it as 'barely used, like new', which I trusted and took on face value. I would've described it was 'well used, with darkening and wear along all edges and obvious darkened spots on front'. :sad:

Being naive back then, I didn't think to file a SNAD. I somehow thought that it was my fault for not asking the seller for clearer photos and a more detailed description of any faults. I ended up listing it myself and made quite a loss on it, but at least my buyer was happy with the wallet, as they got it for a bargain - around the price I would've paid if I knew the true condition of the wallet! :cool:
 
It seems like from all your responses that in spite of the problems we sometimes have with Ebay or Bonanza transactions, there are a lot of reasonable buyers out there.

Good to hear.
 
Its funny, I have never sold a bag that is well used. But after reading this thread, I think I'll clear my shelves.


I do agree, I think there is less chance of encountering a shady buyer if its used and everything is disclosed.


I have two old Salvatore Ferragamo bags in my closet that I was looking at last week. The leather is so beautiful. I swear the quality of leather has really declined, even in the high end bags. They are used but in great, though worn, condition. I'm going to list them and experiment. They were targeted for the donate bin.