How to sell valuable niche items?

[NuncFluens]

I just went through my basement and found my box with accidental investments. They were bought for consumption/use, but somehow appreciated over time. So now I'm stuck with these "investments" that I can't seem to get rid of. The items in question are a few 50€+ vinyl records (according to discogs) and a 50-400€ book (according to ebay prices).

Would any of you know good ways of liquidating those assets (in Germany/Europe)?
What even would a reasonable price be? Should I shoot for ~50% of presumed "value"?

This is causing me headaches... Sometimes I wish they were worth nothing and I could just get rid of them the normal way :/
(edit: Am I even in the right sub-forum? If not feel free to move this :/ )

[ertyu]

well, seems like as of now you have storage space for these items, are in no particular hurry to sell, and these items do not lose value with time. I would thus list vinyl records at estimated discog prices if in new/mint condition and undamaged. If lightly used, I would list at 75% of discog prices. I would let some time pass and see what sells. I would make further reductions in price then.

Book is a bit trickier as 50 to 400 euro is a wide range. Which edition it is, what condition it is in, and whether it has been signed by the author would all be factors that impact the value.

As for the particular website you list them on, that would depend on what works best and is most popular in your area. You might have to ask your real life friends and acquaintances.

[Nomad]

Ebay is quite expensive in terms of commission that they charge. I would look at websites similar to GumTree - if you have that.
Also, Facebook has pages relating to 'buying selling swapping' in specific towns/areas.

[NuncFluens]

Well, I guess it's just one box, so I might actually take it slow and see where it goes. I just wish this was easier :/
As for platforms It seems like I'll have to do some research. That's a good not on the commision, though. I'll have to keep that in mind.

[Gilberto de Piento]

If you want to get some money with minimal hassle you could see if there is a local record store and book store that would buy them. They likely won't pay top dollar though since they need room to make a profit.

[jacob]

I can't give any specific euro recommendations. However, the rule is generally different platforms for different things. For example, don't use time-limited auctions for things that are illiquid and rarely sold. Don't use local platforms for things that are esoteric or highly specialized. Don't use national platforms for common things where shipping cost is a major part of the price.

Most importantly, you have to choose between (how much time you're willing to spend listing it), (how long are you willing to wait to sell it), and (what price you can accept). These are all trade offs. In one extreme case, you put it in the trash or on the street with a "Free" sign. Problem solved(*). In another extreme case, you take detailed pictures and list it online for many months until you finally get a seller who needs just that one thing. In practice, you can make a hobby out of it and reserve a corner/closet as your "eBay stash"... then just list a little at a time.

(*) The Something from Nothing log on the forum shows that this strategy is popular in richer and wasteful areas and how it's possible to make a living from the cast offs of the lazy-rich.

I think the best lesson in dealing with stuff rather than just tossing it is in learning that it's a lot harder to sell trash than it is to buy it. As a side-effect you'll learn the difference between trash and not trash ... in particular how important liquidity is.

[NuncFluens]

In another extreme case, you take detailed pictures and list it online for many months until you finally get a seller who needs just that one thing.

This is exactly the reason why my 6-string singlecut bass guitar is still in my basement 2 years later :p

But those are some good hints for orienting myself, thank you.

[Scott 2]

I start with a quick checklist

1. Do I think this is valuable because I have sentimental attachment? Accounting for that, what's the real value?
2. What's my current per/hour floor for the hassle of selling something.
3. How much effort are the various approaches to sell?
4. How annoying is it to store?

In my case, most of the time, leaving it in storage or giving it away is the most rational approach. I want to clear a couple hundred bucks an hour for selling something. My full time job puts a floor in the number of hours I have to trade for money, per week. I find dealing with buyers annoying and don't want to screw with the risk of a high value transaction.

If something does pass all that, typically it is best to find a community for the niche and sell it there. That's actually the most likely reason I'll something at this point - putting a hobby item into circulation because it makes me happy.

[NuncFluens]

Thanks for the checklist. I like that approach, it's very algorithmic.

Working through it I came up with a max effort of 2 hours per item (if they sell separately). I'd like to make 10€ per hour minimum, so if those supposed 50€+ LPs sell at half value they should make the cut. If not, I can store them without much hassle. This was very helpful.

[SavingWithBabies]

Facebook marketplace is really a winner in my book. I wish it wasn't and the user interface is so annoying (ads mixed in with listings, poor sort/search, etc). But it has the eyeballs at least here in the states and it's free.