Questions about selling stock Ford bench seats

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

$450? They don't call you Boywonder for nuthin'!

haha!...the pool of potential Craigslist buyers is probably a little bigger in So Cal then TN......

FWIW, I also sold the stock 2008+ chrome front bumper and plastic valence panel for $450.....similar deal, Craigslist, the guy had a newer van and the wife ran into something and mangled the front bumper a few days before.

...and I got $300 for the stock tires and wheels (with TPMS sensors).....that was a smoking deal for the buyer.....I had no action on the van carpet so I made the wheel deal contingent on the buyer taking the carpet as well......see JWA's note above.....sometimes it's better to give it away than having to trip over it for the next several years then throw it away.

...as a side note, the van carpet makes a great floor pattern template...

Originally Posted by JWA

I'd list them on eBay with a price but make it clear you're open to cash offers but local pick up only unless buyer is willing to arrange all aspects of shipping. In the listing encourage potential buyers to contact you for "more details" so phone calls or off-site emails could be exchanged, a deal worked out where cash exchanges hands rather than PayPal ect getting involved.

eBay and Craig's List both are good exposure--often times a listing has to be renewed several times before something is sold.

Then sometimes things like rear seats have to be given away if the space they occupy is more important than any money they potentially could bring in.

I view selling the leftover stuff as work.....and you need to be tenacious...

Lots of good, clear, bright, close in pictures of the item......complete, accurate description, promptly answer questions, and relist with lower prices until the item sells......relist tenaciously.......and always list an asking price.

I find it interesting when people tell me they have no luck selling on Craigslist or Ebay......for most things, keep lowering the price until it sells, and consider that what it's worth since that's the market at that time.

The folks that have no luck selling stuff are asking too much money.....they are confused

I've sold around 3000 items on Ebay over the years and several hundred on Craigslist.....did I mention that you need to relist tenaciously?

One more to keep in mind is that this week or next there may be nobody looking for your item, but three weeks from now maybe several..so there is a time factor as well.

[joefromsf]

Thanks for all the responses about selling (or getting rid of) my bench seats.

As expected, looks like Craiglist and eBay are my best avenues.

With regards to pricing I have lowered my expectations to where I'll be thrilled with $100 and happy at some point to just have them taken away. I do have a good amount of experience as a seller on both CL and eBay.

Yesterday, I unstacked the seats to examine them. They definitely have some faint stains on them so doubt I would call their condition excellent.

Its interesting because the 2nd row bench that spends 99% of its life installed in my van is in much better shape. I now suspect that the dealer had replaced it before I bought it with a new take-out.

I'll post some pics and comment on the foam resiliency later.

--Joe

[joefromsf]

So when I bought the van 3 years ago, I immediately removed the 3rd and 4th row seats and stacked them like this.



After a year I got tired of dancing around them in the garage so I decided to build a mobile base for them. When I unstacked them the foam compaction was very severe because i made no attempt to spread the weight. The worst was where the seat belt housings in the top of the backrest were hitting the other seat pad. Didn't think to take pics at the time.

Since I was 90% sure I'd be getting rid of them down the road I decided I should try to protect them better. I built some platforms to spread the load over more area.












So after two more years of storage here's what they look like. Note there is still a little noticeable compaction (and fabric abrasion) from the original stacking on the 4th row seat just right of center, but its not too bad.





So those are the two seats I will be trying to get rid of ASAP. I'll keep the second row until I get two individual seats to replace it. It will probably be Siennas, but not the leather recliners, and I will need a mounting solution that allows easy removal.

[JWA]

From the photos I'd say those are in excellent condition; no huge visible stains, rips or otherwise looking like they came from a bear den.

Like BoyWonder says tenacious re-listing is your friend---until that desire to be rid of them takes over and they're sitting on the front lawn with a "free to good home" sign.

In fact I like that "tenacious re-listing" phrase so much it might be my next screen name if joining another forum.

[TWeistar]

Hi joefromsf,

Tom here from Nevada City. I saw your recent post about your van seats. I have two Ford vans that I use for the non profit youth outdoor program I direct. www.synergia.org

We could really use your seats as ours are getting pretty worn. Do you still want to sell them? Or donate them? I can give you a tax deduction receipt!

Here is my contact info:

Tom Weistar
tweistar@synergia.org
530 265 5490

Thank you

Tom

[joefromsf]

Originally Posted by TWeistar

Hi joefromsf,

Tom here from Nevada City. I saw your recent post about your van seats. I have two Ford vans that I use for the non profit youth outdoor program I direct. www.synergia.org

We could really use your seats as ours are getting pretty worn. Do you still want to sell them? Or donate them? I can give you a tax deduction receipt!

Here is my contact info:

Tom Weistar
tweistar@synergia.org
530 265 5490

Thank you

Tom

Tom, I just left you a voicemail. --Joe

[joefromsf]

Wow. Just talked to Tom about my seats, so it looks like they are sold. And he will also later take my 2nd row bench seat after I come up with a set of replacement bucket seats.

[rallypanam]

If you need help transporting, I go that way on a regular basis. If Joe can drop them off with me, I can drop them off with Tom.

PM me if interested.

[joefromsf]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

If you need help transporting, I go that way on a regular basis. If Joe can drop them off with me, I can drop them off with Tom.

PM me if interested.

Thanks, but we've already talked about me delivering them. Gives me an excuse to visit my friends in Sacramento and Placerville.

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by joefromsf

Thanks, but we've already talked about me delivering them. Gives me an excuse to visit my friends in Sacramento and Placerville.

Ok, nevermind then!