[Milsurplus] Equipment for sale

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard C. Grosser" <richard at PalmSpringsAirMuseum.org>

>I would really like some input from you guys as to
> your ideas on how to accomplish this.

First- please understand that a few envious and covetous people
will make snide remarks about other folk's advice:
(sniff) "nasty money grubbing is ruining the hobby."
Utter hogwash.  Base covetousness is all it is.  Ignore them.
You not only should get the best you can in exchange 
for the museum's assets- it's arguably a moral obligation.

Anyways- It depends.
Do you want to maximize the return to the museum
or do you just want to dispose of the items?
There are pros and cons to any answer.

A "garage sale" takes little effort and you will move most of the items, 
but will return a small fraction of the value you could have realized.
You will have a very small market of buyers,
no pricing power and be forced to deal with "cheery pickers" and
"tire kickers," as well as the occasional guy who makes a hobby
of seeing just how much he can beat you down by finding 
every little scratch and bump.  It's easier, but can quickly 
become a headache and can leave you with a "bad taste."

If you want maximum return to the Museum, you must do the 
work to place the items on Ebay where you have a massive market
and thousands of buyers with purchasing power.  
The down-side is the trouble of listing and shipping.

There is a third, middle alternative- a "lot" or "mass" buyer 
who will give you a fair price for the entire lot, 
come and take it all away.
It won't be the "most you could get," but then you don't have 
to deal with marketing hassles, either, and it will be 
a darn sight more than you'll get at a "garage sale."   
The mass buyer risks his time, money and efforts 
and should reasonably expect some "breathing room" 
for resale in exchange for relieving you of headaches.
Get recommendations and references; there are smooooth crooks
and there are good, decent people who will treat you fairly.
I actually have one of the "good" ones as my estate handler.

Good luck- it's a big job either way.
73 Dave AB5S