Where Can I Sell My Compound Bow?

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A compound bow is a serious piece of kit – finely engineered and built with modern materials. They’re accurate, efficient, and powerful, with delicate components such as cams and pulleys. But you might reach a point where you want to replace your compound bow with a better one. Or, you may be done with archery altogether.

So, where can you sell a compound bow? There are several available options, from online archery classifieds to friends or your local archery club or shop. You’ll also need to consider a few factors before you attempt to sell, such as determining how much your compound bow is worth and how exactly to sell it.

How you actually proceed with selling your bow will be largely influenced by where you sell it.

And there is a whole host of additional things to consider, from selling fees all the way through to transportation.

And then there is the speed of sale and how quickly you want your bow sold too.

So be sure to keep on reading so that you can make the right decision on where to sell, for your own context and preferences.

Where You Can Sell Your Compound Bow

There are quite a few options here. The best places will be online selling platforms such as Facebook or dedicated archery forums with a classified section. Selling your compound bow to someone at your local archery club is also a good option.

One of the easiest ways to sell anything these days is to use an online platform.

Websites such as Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook are all excellent places to sell your compound bow.

These platforms have a lot of reach across the country and even globally.

Keep in mind that selling the bow to someone further away will incur some form of shipping and transport costs.

You’ll also have to package the bow securely so that it doesn’t get damaged.

It’s pretty easy to get to grips with the selling process on online platforms. You may even have used eBay or Craigslist before to buy or sell something.

You can also see what potential customers are willing to bid on your bow, and you might get more than you thought for it if the demand is high.

You can also sell your compound bow on dedicated archery forums and websites. These platforms will connect you with other archers who will have more expertise in bows and other archery equipment.

Potential customers from these platforms are more likely to understand compound bows and will give you a fair price.

The reach of these websites is smaller than places like eBay, but it’s also much more focused and relevant, potentially making it easier to sell your bow.

In a similar vein, you could also try and sell your compound bow at your local archery club or shooting range.

Again, you’ll be interacting with other archers who may be actively looking for a new compound bow.

This will also make the selling process easier for you because you probably won’t need to worry about shipping costs or packaging if the buyer lives in your local area.

You may also be able to either sell or trade-in your compound bow at your local archery shop.

If you’re trading in, you may be able to use the money you get for your old bow to reduce the price of a replacement.

Again, you won’t need to think about transport costs or packaging. However, you may find that the shop offers you a lower price than you want.

For the archery shop, they’ll probably want to buy your bow cheap and then sell it on themselves for more profit.

How Much Is A Used Compound Bow Worth?

The average price for a used compound bow is usually somewhere between $200 to $400. However, the total value will depend on several factors, including the condition of the bow and the specific make and model. Making sure that your bow is in good condition can help you get a higher price.

When selling off your old compound bow, it can be difficult to judge exactly how much it’s worth.

There are a lot of factors that can affect the value of your bow, but the main one is going to be the kind of condition that the bow is in.

If you’ve kept your bow in good condition with regular maintenance and care, you’ll be able to get more money for it.

If you haven’t used the bow very much and it’s just been gathering dust in your attic or garage, give it a once over before thinking about selling it.

Make sure that it’s in good condition and that there are no damaged parts or other issues. If you’re trying to sell a well-used bow, you may not get as much value for it.

Even compound bows don’t last forever.

If there are some minor problems with the bow, it may be worth getting those fixed before trying to sell it.

This will cost you a little bit of money, but you’ll probably get a better price for the bow if it’s in as good a condition as possible.

If the bow can’t be fixed properly, then you’re not going to be able to get a lot of money for it.

The make and model of your compound bow can also affect its resale value.

If you’ve got an older model of an Elite Archery or Matthews Archery compound bow, it may attract more interest and value because of the quality of these established brands.

If your bow is from a well-known brand, your target audience should know that they can get a good quality bow from you without buying a brand new one. This can work in your favor.

If you aren’t sure how much your bow is worth, there are a couple of available options. You could take it to your local archery dealer to try and get an approximate valuation.

This can give you a ballpark figure to aim for.

Having a professional look over the bow can also reveal any potential issues that may make it difficult to sell the bow.

Alternatively, you could do some research online to find out how much your particular make and model of the bow has been selling for on the second-hand market.

A rough average for the price of used compound bows seems to be between $200 and $400, but this depends on factors like the condition and age of the bow.

Things To Consider When Selling Your Compound Bow

The factors that you need to keep in mind depend on both the bow itself and how you’re trying to sell it. You’ll need to evaluate the condition of the bow first. Once you’ve decided how you want to sell it, you may also need to consider how you’re going to transport it to the customer and how to keep it safe on route.

Age Of The Bow

A bow’s age can have a big impact on its value.

An older bow will be worth less than a newer one but might appeal to beginner archers or those looking to try a compound bow for the first time.

If the bow is newer and from a reputable brand, it’ll present a cheaper option for someone compared to buying a brand new compound bow.

Bow Condition

This is the biggest factor that determines the worth of a used compound bow.

A bow that is in good condition will be worth more and easier to sell. If the bow is in a bad state, you won’t get a lot of money for it.

If your bow has a few small problems, consider having those fixed before selling to increase the value.

When you create your advert (if you’re selling online), include clear, high-quality pictures that show the condition of the bow. This gives buyers a better idea of what they’re getting.

Extra Features

If you’ve customized your compound bow over the years with devices like peep sights or new cams or pulleys, you’ll have to decide whether you want to keep them for yourself or leave them on the bow that you’re selling.

If you still have the bow’s original parts, you might get more value by restoring it to stock condition.

Some customers may prefer a bow with aftermarket parts, so be clear about what you’ve changed.

Packaging And Transportation

If you’re selling your compound bow online, you’re advertising to people across the United States and even globally.

This means that once you’ve sold the bow, you may have to transport it over a long distance, which incurs extra costs to you.

You can research the shipping costs and then add that to the price of the bow, but be clear about it.

You’ll also need to package the bow safely and securely to stop it from getting damaged in transit, or your customer won’t be particularly happy.

Once you’ve agreed on a sale, take pictures of the bow before and after packaging to protect yourself from any complaints.

Selling Fees

Some online platforms may have selling fees. These are usually worked out as a percentage cost of the transaction’s final value, and it’s up to you to pay this percentage.

Take eBay, for instance, which has a standard and default 10% fee on all items sold through the platform.

There may be other costs of selling too, like promotion fees or other marketing costs that get your bow and listing out in front of more eyes.

Nevertheless, before listing your bow it’s essential to check the platform’s policies.

Some platforms may have caps on these selling fees so that you don’t pay an extortionate amount.

It may be worth working out what the seller’s fee would be on your ideal price for the bow, then pricing it a little higher to cover the cost of the fee.

It’s always worth keeping these potential fees in mind when deciding whether to sell your bow online.

Finally

Thankfully there are many places to sell a compound bow.

But that does not mean it is necessarily easy.

Some are more time-intensive, some are more hands-off but come at a price.

Either way, you need to balance your time, the work involved, how long you are willing to wait for all against the chance of a sale.