Odd/large/heavy stuff to sell. Ebay, gumtree or preloved? How difficult is arranging a courier?

[Lexilicious]

Hi, am an ebay selling virgin so would like some advice.

I have three or four odd things to sell:
a stainless steel kitchen sink
three differently sized pieces of polished granite (formerly a 4m long hearth)
a disability bathroom suite for a wetroom (tray to set into the floor with drain in the middle, shower screens the same dimensions, higher than normal loo, sink you can get a wheelchair under)
an electric shower unit

I want to sell these, but I'm not keen on the bother of posting/couriering any of them (well, maybe the electric shower), so if it's always going to be 'buyer collects' would it be as good to sell them on a more local site like gumtree?

Or would an ebay buyer nationwide arrange a courier so effectively they've picked up locally?

Should I not be so apprehensive about arranging a courier myself? Is it really piss easy and I'm being a wet blanket?

Is very easy to arrange a courier yourself, but packaging needs to be good and you can be stuck in waiting for a while. I wouldn't want a buyer arranging a courier, you will have to still parcel up and wait for the collection. Also if you don't have a tracking number they can claim item not received and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on with a paypal claim

I would just state collection only to be honest if I was selling those on ebay.

thanks, I thought that would be the way to go.

I think to be honest I could manage wrapping properly all but the bathroom suite, which would be really unfortunate to fail to package up securely. The granite is just really heavy but I suppose a van type courier wouldn't mind that.

Hi, The electric shower would be no problem to post, i sold mine last year for around £150 on ebay and the postage was around £12 in the post office as it just went as a normal parcel, as long as it weighs under2 kilo's then its ok to still send by royal mail.

Ive also sold a few dressmakers mannequins and had to package them up and post through parcel force and this cost around £15, so not as expensive as you'd think. I think letting peoplecollect only definatly reduces the amount your going to make on your items so where possible id offer delivery, they pay the charges anyway so its no extra cost to you plus you get the most money for your item, whats to loose!

Obviously the bathroom suite would be difficult to post

Just make sure you price delivery of items up before you list them. I would think the granite could cost a fortune to courier due to the weight.

You would be surprised how far people will travel for collection only items - I had a buyer travel 400 miles for a car once.

I have sold on e-bay;

A cast iron wood burning stove- the buyer came from FRANCE with a van

A big pine cupboard- local pick up

A big wrought iron wine rack- buyer came about 120 miles for that

and bought a big heavy coffee table practically new for next to nothing for DD, DH drove about 80 miles to pick up and then 100 to deliver.

If people want your stuff- and they usually do- it will sell.

ooh that sounds good. I need to take pictures now and plan what to say on the listing. Would a ten-day listing be best for an item that maybe only a few people are going to be in the market for? What's the benefit or when is it appropriate to use shorter listing times?

that is to say, thanks everybody!

Go for longer listing I think. Use short for high demand fasion items.

10day -thursday to sunday day/eve