Selling Your Machine

Thinking about selling your embroidery/screenprinting machine? Look over the following tips to get the best price for your machine.

1. Start by establishing a competitive price for your machine:

• First, start by figuring out the market value of your machine. You can do this by searching our online classifieds for machines similar to yours and seeing what prices they are being sold for.
• If you are willing to negotiate, find the lowest offer  you are willing to accept. Then, based on that amount, add on another 10% to 15% to give yourself a buffer when talking with a buyer.
• Keep in mind that other buyers are looking at the same online resource for prices, so if you set your price either close to or lower than the prices they found, your machine ad has a better chance of being viewed.
• After settling on a price, use the correct ad terminology to relay your selling position to the buyer:
• Selecting the "OBO" after your stated price means you will consider an offer lower than the stated price. This in turn, may help you get more replies.
• Simply stating your price shows that you will be standing by it.

2. Make your machine presentable:

• People are influenced by appearance, so you want to make your machine as presentable as possible. Clean your machine thoroughly and take care of minor repairs.
• Here are some things you might want to do to make your machine more presentable: 
• Wipe down all surfaces.
• Replace any broken/damaged needles.
• Have all screens on machine.
• Have all accessories present.

3. Gather your machine records:

• An experienced machine shopper will want to know how well maintained your machine is and might ask for repair records.
• If you have an organized maintenance log with your receipts, for breakdowns or repairs, show it to they buyer because it could push the sale in your favor.
• Let the interested party know if any major parts have been replaced.
• Also, show them your warranty receipts, but first  make sure with the manufacturer that the warranty on a particular machine will transfer along with ownership.             

Advertise Your Machine

The best way to advertise your machine is by placing an online ad. How many people read the newspaper classifieds or visit general auction sites specifically looking to buy a textile machine? Now, compare that to how many people come to EmbroideryTrader.com looking to buy a machine now. EmbroideryTrader.com is geared towards a target market and visitors to the site are intending to either buy or sell machines.

Look at some of the following tips on how to ensure more responses to your online ad:

1. Try to post quality photos:

• Photos are not required to sell your machine online, but they do enhance the ad.
• You don't necessarily need a digital camera in order to post photos with your ad listing. You can take your regular film to a local photo-processing lab (i.e. Wal-Mart) and ask for a photo CD. Then, upload your pictures from the CD to your ad listing.
• You can also use a scanner to turn your printed pictures into digital pictures.
• Remember the following before you start taking pictures:
• Photograph your machine in good lighting.
• Try to avoid distracting reflections, glares, or shadows.
• Photograph your machine against a flattering backdrop.
• Make sure your machine is neat and clean in appearance.
• If you post multiple photos, try to get several different angles of the machine.
• Also, photograph any special features or accessories that may come with your machine.

2. Describe your machine in a way that buyers will respond to:

• When you advertise online, provide viewers with a complete description of the machine.
• You need to post the important details first, so that viewers can see them right away. Then, you can add on to make the ad interesting.
• Consider some of the following examples:
• Appeal to a buyer's needs. Ex: the embroidery hobbyist - "great home sewing/embroidery machine," the commercial screenprinter - "has high turnout at fast speeds"
• Use terminology that show you have taken good care of your machine, such as, "in good running condition." or "works well." Remember - be honest!
• Mention any non-standard modifications and improvements, such as, "after market cap frames/drivers," or "manufacturers upgrade."
• List any new replacements, like new rotary hooks, needle bars, or presser feet.

3. Be prepared to answer questions:

• After you place your ad, you need to be ready to answer questions. It will help you to keep a list of information about your machine near your phone and computer.
• Buying a machine is a big decision so when people contact you with questions, try to answer every question up front and be honest.
• To prevent you from wasting any of your time, set appointments for specific times if someone want to meet to see your machine. People are less likely to stand you up if they have an actual meeting time as opposed to a general time frame.

Closing the deal

You have done all the leg work and now you are ready to sell your machine. Use the following guidelines to help you complete the sale.

1. Give demos of your machine to interested buyers:

• Once you and a buyer have agreed on a meeting time, the buyer will most likely want to see a demonstration of your machine.
• Before the actual demo, remember to:
• Do a practice demo with an appealing design.
• Make sure you have enough thread, bobbin, solvy, plastisol, or ink (depending on what type of machine you are trying to sell) to complete the buyer's demo.
• You might also want to gather other designs you have done to show the buyer so they know what the machine is capable of producing.
• If a buyer says they are very interested but wants you to hold the machine, ask for a deposit and clearly state that it's only for a certain period of time.

2. How to negotiate a fair price:

• You now know what prices you are comfortable with accepting. However, you still need to be prepared when a buyer tries to start negotiating.
• Consider the following examples:
• What if a buyer offers you less than what you are asking for?  Counter offer without going below your pre-set minimum.
• What if the buyer has a technician look over the machine and they find something that needs repair? Decrease your offer by the amount needed for the repair.
• If there is a warranted repair but you advertised that you would be selling your machine "as is" then simply refer back to your ad.

3. Some precautions when completing the sale:

• After you and the buyer have agreed on a price, only accept payment in the form of cash or a cashiers check.
• Use your instinct. If something about the buyers offer does not feel right, then there probably is something wrong with it so just decline the sale. Trust your judgment and wait for the next buyer.