My Friend's entire Lab

[daveyk]

Forgive me if not permitted.
A close friend, in the same business as me, passed away a few months ago.  His wife wants to sell the house now and does not know what to do with it all.  Dennis's equipment was always kept like brand new.

She is thinking of having a local auction in Lynchburg, VA.  Most of the people that attend would not have a clue what his shop equipment is.

SMT Re-balling and IR equipment
Two Lekroy 7300As
Agilent 8560EC Spectrum Analyzer
Agilent 33250A Gen
Agilent 33522A Gen
Agilent 34401A DVM
Keysight 53131A Freq. Cntr.
Fluke 8845A DVM
Agilent E3645A P.S.
Weinschel Attenuators
Microscope
Two Pace hot air and IR systems
Jovy Systems RE-8500 IR System
A/C Line Regulator
....more


Are there used equipment houses anyone can recommend.  EBAY is too difficult for her.

I would hope some place could show up and make her a decent offer to take all of it.

Thanks kindly,

Dave

[edavid]

1. I'd suggest getting in touch with the local ham radio club to see if someone there would be willing to help sell the equipment:

Lynchburg Amateur Radio Club
https://k4cq.com/

They will have been through this before with assisting the families of late club members.  Hams are usually pretty generous in assisting widows.

2. If she has enough income to benefit from charity tax deductions, she could also donate equipment to the local makerspace:

https://vector-space.org/

3. Ebay is difficult for everyone, but between the two of you, you might be able to sell some items on Facebook Marketplace.  I've had good experiences with it.

[vk6zgo]

I'd suggest getting in touch with the local ham radio club to see if someone there would be willing to help sell the equipment:

Lynchburg Amateur Radio Club
https://k4cq.com/

She could also donate equipment to the local makerspace:

https://vector-space.org/

Yes, even though it is common practice to sneer at hams on this forum, many of them work in the Electronics, Comms or Broadcast industries & have extensive contacts who may well take the lot.

[bdunham7]

I would hope some place could show up and make her a decent offer to take all of it.

The sticking point will be what number comprises a 'decent offer'.  Getting someone to show up with a truck and pack all of it may not yield any more than cherry-picking the lot and chucking the rest in a dumpster. 

Here's a good list of people in the used equipment business.  Alltest out of Farmingdale, NJ would be my first call.  I don't know if any of them will come to you or what they'll want for information ahead of time.

https://www.testunlimited.com/Dealer_List_Used.aspx

[james_s]

Yes, even though it is common practice to sneer at hams on this forum, many of them work in the Electronics, Comms or Broadcast industries & have extensive contacts who may well take the lot.

It is? I'm a ham and I don't recall people sneering at it. It's a pretty broad hobby.

Ebay is the way to get top dollar and sell the stuff quickly with a minimum of fuss. The other option is to sell the stuff as a lot to somebody who is going to resell the stuff they don't want, figure you'll probably get around ~30% of what the gear would sell for individually on ebay. You could also try listing them individually on facebook marketplace and craigslist, it's a bit more hassle but in most areas there will be people interested in gear.

[bdunham7]

Ebay is the way to get top dollar and sell the stuff quickly with a minimum of fuss.

Somebody has to do the work and with the relevant revisions to the tax code (the eBay reporting threshold changed from $20K to $600 and although they held off a year, it appears to be the law for this year) there's likely a lot less people willing to take these things on.  If it were local to me, I would have done it before the tax changes, but I wouldn't now.

[james_s]

Wow, so ebay reports your sales if it's over $600 for the year? They just keep turning the screws and getting less viable all the time. Taxes are getting crazy too, they just keep going up and up and up, you'd think as big as the population is in the wealthier areas like where I live that they would be flush with tax dollars but it's never enough.

[EEVblog]

Wow, so ebay reports your sales if it's over $600 for the year?

Here in Australia, all ebay accountsthat sell more than $5k/year are reported.

[EEVblog]

I would hope some place could show up and make her a decent offer to take all of it.

The sticking point will be what number comprises a 'decent offer'.  Getting someone to show up with a truck and pack all of it may not yield any more than cherry-picking the lot and chucking the rest in a dumpster. 

Here's a good list of people in the used equipment business.  Alltest out of Farmingdale, NJ would be my first call.  I don't know if any of them will come to you or what they'll want for information ahead of time.

https://www.testunlimited.com/Dealer_List_Used.aspx

Yes, Alltest are reputable:
https://alltest.net/trade
Not sure what they'd pay for them though. Probably not a lot. These reseller are used to buying pallet loads of surplus gears from governments and univerities etc. With the huge mark-up's being in the testing and relisting of them.

[bdunham7]

Wow, so ebay reports your sales if it's over $600 for the year? They just keep turning the screws and getting less viable all the time.

It's an explicit IRS requirement, part of the 'American Rescue Plan'.   Not eBay's choice, I'm sure, and they were given a 1-year reprieve for 2022. 

[DaJMasta]

I'd +1 the idea of getting someone at least somewhat local and affiliated with electronics to run an auction - they'd be able to run the logistics of it and likely attract the right kind of buyers, and I'd expect it to net more to her than a reseller buyout of the lot.  There may be some market in the vague area - I know VT runs some auctions with scientific equipment that draw at least some buyers - but I'm not sure how easy it would be to get in touch with them.  There's at least one major ebay test equipment surplus liquidator in VA as well (C2 Management), but I wouldn't expect top dollar from them buying the lot (if they even do that).

I'm about 3.5h away, and while I deal in some refurbishing/testing and reselling, I certainly don't have the cash on hand to make a good offer for a large lot of equipment.

Not to try and put the work on you, but someone like yourself could probably toss equipment up on ebay and sell 'as is' in an auction format for very little time expended beyond pictures and packing, and by listing 'as is', you're not beholden to accept returns.  Maybe there's someone she knows or someone local that would be willing to do the listing/shipping leg work for her or for a fair cut.


And yes, ebay sends you a 1099K for anything over $600 now, government rules.

[james_s]

It's an explicit IRS requirement, part of the 'American Rescue Plan'.   Not eBay's choice, I'm sure, and they were given a 1-year reprieve for 2022.

Never fear, the government is here to rescue you from prosperity and happiness with ever more taxes and rules. 

[coromonadalix]

well Ebay can give you rough estimate prices ideas, remove 10-15% since many are overpriced

You coud try local ads ?

but many people will want some test / power up   ....    if  not and be at ease, and not be bothered  ...  you sell them as is and no returns .... half the price seen on ebay  ...


because if you get too finicky,  people will ask more  and it will be a mess to manage etc ...  like previous thread answer    "logistics"

[EEVblog]

I'd +1 the idea of getting someone at least somewhat local and affiliated with electronics to run an auction - they'd be able to run the logistics of it and likely attract the right kind of buyers, and I'd expect it to net more to her than a reseller buyout of the lot.

Yeah, someone knowledgable might do it for a 10-20% cut?
There are also professional ebay merchants, and given that test gear like this usually has a decent number of people searching for it, even a clueless ebay reseller might get decent results.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Wow, so eBay reports your sales if it's over $600 for the year?

Here in Australia, all eBay accounts that sell more than $5k/year are reported.

Not wishing to derail but I thought it was 10. Do you have a good up to date source?

Best I can find is this.
https://www.etax.com.au/ebay-income/

[Wallace Gasiewicz]

This is not  bad place to post equipment for sale, I have purchased equipment here.But perhaps this group might be better since I think it has more US based readers:
https://test-equipment-for-sale-wanted-or-exchange.groups.io/g/main/messages
You might find someone who would buy everything and pick it up.

[EEVblog]

Wow, so eBay reports your sales if it's over $600 for the year?

Here in Australia, all eBay accounts that sell more than $5k/year are reported.

Not wishing to derail but I thought it was 10. Do you have a good up to date source?

Best I can find is this.
https://www.etax.com.au/ebay-income/

I think you are right, I must have the $5k mixed up with something else.

[CatalinaWOW]

Getting top dollar and doing no work is a tough combination.  The no work part is easy though.  Most places here in the US have auction houses that specialize in buying estates, failed businesses and the like and selling them off.  Just do a Google search for nearby auction houses.  Expect something like 10 to 30 percent of what you might get selling them yourself via here, ham swaps and ebay.  But you will be done in a few days, whereas selling them off for top dollar would take months or years.  You could also sell them cheap on those venues and get faster returns, but still measured in weeks or months and would involve all the work of marketing and shipping and dealing with the occasional crook buyer.

[coromonadalix]

yeah  do a list, 

put it on a well build pallet / skid,  send all of this in one shot to an auction house  ....  you receive what its sold minus the comission and be done

... and with respect  move on to other things

[Ed.Kloonk]

Getting top dollar and doing no work is a tough combination.  The no work part is easy though.  Most places here in the US have auction houses that specialize in buying estates, failed businesses and the like and selling them off.  Just do a Google search for nearby auction houses.  Expect something like 10 to 30 percent of what you might get selling them yourself via here, ham swaps and ebay.  But you will be done in a few days, whereas selling them off for top dollar would take months or years.  You could also sell them cheap on those venues and get faster returns, but still measured in weeks or months and would involve all the work of marketing and shipping and dealing with the occasional crook buyer.

I think if you can somehow space out the work over a certain period of time that that negates the hard work aspect.

My sympathies to the OP. As somebody who has buried too many fellow soldiers, I can appreciate the predicament. Imagine being bound by Australian law and then being named in the Will as the executor. The Will stated that the beneficiaries of all proceeds are named as a couple of step children (girls) whose legal guardian (their mother, not named) has been estranged for some period along with said juvenile beneficiaries.

You, the executor have the legal responsibility to ensure that proceeds of any sale attracts the most amount possible. Yet the estranged guardian (not the not-of-age beneficiaries) insisted on a fire sale/garage sale approach.

As executor, offering to acquire all assets for a sum of cash is considered legally precarious. And any profit from those proceeds of that could be considered challenge-able by the benefactors at some later date.

[CatalinaWOW]

Getting top dollar and doing no work is a tough combination.  The no work part is easy though.  Most places here in the US have auction houses that specialize in buying estates, failed businesses and the like and selling them off.  Just do a Google search for nearby auction houses.  Expect something like 10 to 30 percent of what you might get selling them yourself via here, ham swaps and ebay.  But you will be done in a few days, whereas selling them off for top dollar would take months or years.  You could also sell them cheap on those venues and get faster returns, but still measured in weeks or months and would involve all the work of marketing and shipping and dealing with the occasional crook buyer.

I think if you can somehow space out the work over a certain period of time that that negates the hard work aspect.

My sympathies to the OP. As somebody who has buried too many fellow soldiers, I can appreciate the predicament. Imagine being bound by Australian law and then being named in the Will as the executor. The Will stated that the beneficiaries of all proceeds are named as a couple of step children (girls) whose legal guardian (their mother, not named) has been estranged for some period along with said juvenile beneficiaries.

You, the executor have the legal responsibility to ensure that proceeds of any sale attracts the most amount possible. Yet the estranged guardian (not the not-of-age beneficiaries) insisted on a fire sale/garage sale approach.

As executor, offering to acquire all assets for a sum of cash is considered legally precarious. And any profit from those proceeds of that could be considered challenge-able by the benefactors at some later date.

Your point is well taken.  I have been in that situation.  In the US it is legally allowed for the executor to charge "reasonable" rates for their time.  I initially intended to charge nothing. (Lawyers generally consider $100+ per hour reasonable).  But as the time spent dealing will all of that approached a thousand hours I began to understand charging.  The reasonable fee thing might be a defense of a lot sale approach.  Along with pointing out that the assets are being broken down into like goods to improve value (House, vehicles, electronics, etc ). In addition since it is the spouse selling most inheritance rules are greatly relaxed.  Those are legal questions us sparkies can be aware of, but cannot give advice on.

The bottom line is as always TANSTAAFL.  There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

[super7800]

I'd find a good local auction house. Here in mn that's k-bid. Many of those are turn key operations requiring very little from you. However you won't get top dollar and they do take a cut, but it is easy. It's what I recommend to anyone who doesn't want to deal with ebay. Ebay also takes 12.5% or so.

[bdunham7]

Imagine being bound by Australian law and then being named in the Will as the executor. The Will stated that the beneficiaries of all proceeds are named as a couple of step children (girls) whose legal guardian (their mother, not named) has been estranged for some period along with said juvenile beneficiaries.

Do you not have the option of declining to serve as executor?  My threshold for bailing out of such obligations is pretty low.  For example if someone names me as executor/personal representative but fails to waive bond, I'll likely decline.  If the beneficiaries are contentious, I'll bail as well. 

[Stray Electron]

Getting top dollar and doing no work is a tough combination.  The no work part is easy though.  Most places here in the US have auction houses that specialize in buying estates, failed businesses and the like and selling them off.  Just do a Google search for nearby auction houses.  Expect something like 10 to 30 percent of what you might get selling them yourself via here, ham swaps and ebay.  But you will be done in a few days, whereas selling them off for top dollar would take months or years.  You could also sell them cheap on those venues and get faster returns, but still measured in weeks or months and would involve all the work of marketing and shipping and dealing with the occasional crook buyer.

   FWIW, the last in-person auction house that I dealt with charged the seller 30% commission and charged the buyer a 20% "Premium" plus sales tax.  There a number of flippers in the area that will take your stuff and sell it on E-bay and charge you 50% commission but in my experience they usually don't know anything about the items that they're selling or how to test them or how to even describe them so they get far less than market value of the items that they're selling.  Also I know several large scale E-bay sellers that get very good TE but that refuse to test it or to even turn it on and the result is that they get FAR less than market value for their items. 

   Catalina is 100% correct;  no work, not willing to ship and getting anywhere near the market value of the item is an impossible combination.

   In my experience and assuming that you're selling on Ebay, anything that turns on and the buttons do something and the display changes but is otherwise untested is worth about 20 to 50% of the market value.  Things that won't even turn on or that the seller won't test the keys are worth about 10 to 15%. And if you don't have a few good photos, the value drops even further. AND if you won't ship; well, the value is near zero. Let me make this 100% clear, there is almost NO market on Ebay for specialized items such as  expensive TE  that can only be picked up in person.   If you're selling anywhere other than E-bay, I wouldn't expect to get more than 50% of the value that you could get on E-bay under the same conditions. That is for individual items, if you're selling it all as a lot them you can expect to get for far less. 

   That's just the way that the market for TE is.

   PS to add, when I was selling TE on Ebay I could get nearly double the price that most other sellers got simply because I was willing to ship things to Europe and other overseas areas when most sellers did not want to go to the trouble of dealing with the additional paperwork.  The point is; you aren't willing to do what's needed then you're not going to get the highest price.

   There is a lot of work involved in getting the best price for TE and if you aren't willing to do them all, i.e. Testing, Photographing, Writing good descriptions, Dealing with Questions, Packing and Shipping (including overseas) and Dealing with E-bay and Paying their fees, and occasionally dealing with the Fraudsters then you're not going to get the full value of the items. 

   My 2 cents worth,

   

[james_s]

   In my experience and assuming that you're selling on Ebay, anything that turns on and the buttons do something and the display changes but is otherwise untested is worth about 20 to 50% of the market value.  Things that won't even turn on or that the seller won't test the keys are worth about 10 to 15%. And if you don't have a few good photos, the value drops even further. AND if you won't ship; well, the value is near zero. Let me make this 100% clear, there is almost NO market on Ebay for specialized items such as  expensive TE  that can only be picked up in person.   If you're selling anywhere other than E-bay, I wouldn't expect to get more than 50% of the value that you could get on E-bay under the same conditions. That is for individual items, if you're selling it all as a lot them you can expect to get for far less. 

That seems low to me. My experience is that gear that won't turn on sells for around 50% of what tested working equipment does, but I guess it depends on just what sort of gear it is. Personally I'm willing to pay more for something that won't turn on but is in good cosmetic condition than I will for something that is fully working but beat up or well worn because I can usually fix the former. "Doesn't power up" is one of my favorite faults because usually it's relatively easy to fix and likely involves jellybean parts rather than custom unobtanium components. I do agree about the shipping though, ebay is not really the place to go if you won't ship, you miss out on the single major benefit of ebay which is the large audience.