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August 27, 2021

6 Tips for Selling Used Rafting Gear

Like any water activity, rafting involves an amount of equipment that can stack up pretty fast. Consider: the unthinkable has happened, and you’ve found yourself with more rafting gear than you need. Inflatables, rafting dry bags, paddles, tie-downs - maybe you just have one too many pairs of shoes, or perhaps you find yourself with a surplus of rafts and paddles. 

You may be thinking your only choice is to light it all on fire. 

Wait! Please do not burn all of your equipment! If it’s in working condition, your used rafting gear can fetch a good price for you and help someone else get out onto the water. Here are 6 tips for selling used rafting gear:

1. Clean and Inspect Your Gear

You’ll want any rafting gear you’re selling to look as good as possible. While cleaning, check every item and note any wear and tear. Buyers want gear that looks ready to use - that means clean and functional, with any defects noted in the description. 

2. Check the Make and Year

Knowing when your gear was made and who manufactured it will help you set competitive prices. You can also find information about specific products and brands that will help you
sell them. Maybe your rafting dry bag is waterproofed using a material with an exciting name like polyurethane laminate. Anything that stands out to you is worth mentioning to your potential buyers. 

3. Take Clear Photos in Good Lighting 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and it can be worth a lot of money, too. Having an image of exactly what they’re getting eliminates uncertainty from a potential buyer’s shopping experience. Natural outdoor light is great for taking photos - a cloudy sky, in particular, gives you much more light than you can get indoors without a lot of equipment, and without the hard shadows of direct sunlight. 

If you have a used whitewater raft for sale, it’s a good idea to let it dry all the way after you wash it before photographing, so that buyers can easily tell the condition of the material.

4. Set Reasonable Prices 

Selling used gear is a great way to reduce waste and get all the life out of equipment, but the main reason people shop used is to find a great deal. Guidelines like the 50-30-10 Yardsale Rule suggest selling used-like-new technology at 50% retail price, with further discounts for any wear and tear. However, quality outdoor gear doesn’t depreciate as fast as tech, and if you’ve taken care of it and cleaned it up, you can get 60%-75% of the original price back in resale. Ultimately, the price depends on your best guess about the value of the used rafting equipment for sale. If you’d pay that price for it, someone else probably will, too!

5. Write Detailed Product Descriptions 

Here is where your previous work pays off! Be sure to include the year each item was made and who manufactured it - newer items and those made by reliable brands will fetch higher used prices because their quality is more certain. Your good photos will help make your used gear look new. Be sure any flaws you can see are clearly noted in the description--buyers appreciate honesty and clarity.

6. Let Rerouted Help! 

Rerouted is a growing resale hub on a mission to revolutionize the used gear industry. Rerouted’s listing tool will help you sell your used rafting gear fast.