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Need Advice on How to Sell Used Outdoor Gear? cover
April 30, 2021

Need Advice on How to Sell Used Outdoor Gear?

Rerouted is on a mission to revolutionize the used gear industry. We want to build the best website to sell outdoor gear. Currently, selling used outdoor gear online is overwhelming. There are so many aspects of the exchange that breed distrust & simply take too much time. That’s why so much gear gets put in storage indefinitely. It collects dust waiting to be taken to the landfill. Rerouted’s goal is to save all that gear & get it into the mountains with people that want to play outside. 

Through this article, I am going to share all my insights about how to sell outdoor gear online most effectively. Why do I know so much about the used outdoor gear industry?

I am the founder & CEO of Rerouted. The proprietors of this website.  I noticed the issues in the industry two years ago when my wife, Samantha, told me to clean out the gear in the garage. 100’s of pieces of gear. I asked out loud, ‘What am I supposed to do with this?” Googling, where to sell outdoor gear, did not resolve my issue. In fact, it made it even more daunting. Thus, Rerouted was born because there were no good solutions. I wanted to get value for my gear & save time while getting my gear to a willing wilderness junkie.

Local used gear consignment & online marketplaces

 It’s been a long journey with many pivots. Two years I have spent studying the used outdoor gear industry. I talked to 1000’s of people about how they wished they could sell used gear online. They wanted the same thing I did. An instant, on-demand ability to buy & sell used outdoor gear. Realistically, you have three strategies to sell used outdoor gear. You can sell it through traditional consignment shops, archaic online marketplaces or pass it on second hand. 

Most people, to their detriment, do not live close to the local outdoor gear consignment shop. A few of my favorite memories from Van Life were in the local used gear shop. The raddest people, the best beta, the coolest gear. Traditional consignment is an interesting model. It’s super easy to use. Show up and hand it over to a shop to sell it for you. Usually, you get about 40%-60% of the sale price at a consignment shop. Decent deal for how easy it is.But, without a local shop to sling your gear - it’s extremely difficult to find reasonable alternatives.

Sure, you could do all the work yourself - researching, uploading, pricing, detailing, photographing, selling, negotiating, waiting, emailing, calling, texting, driving and meeting strangers - on a technologically outdated marketplace that is using your data to sell advertisements. No, I won’t name names. You know the spaces I am referring to. There is so much pain & hassle in the current used gear exchange. Rerouted is making this better. 

We love the idea of passing your gear down to the next generation of wilderness advocates. However, sometimes that isn’t realistic. You get stuck with gear that you can’t find a home for within your network.

The best website to sell used outdoor gear

We are doing that by building technology that does all the work for you. Imagine with us a world where selling used gear online takes less than one minute. Snap a couple photos, check a couple boxes & you’re done. We have the technology! We just need to build it & keep iterating improvements. Our goal is to remove pain points when you sell used outdoor gear online. 

The best way to sell used outdoor gear is through our custom uploaders.  Rerouted is streamlining the uploading process - making it mobile friendly, improving your listings, handling sales & facilitating shipping. No customer service or dealing with strangers. We want you to be able to upload gear & box it up. That’s it. 

Currently, we still need users' help to flush out gear data. The more gear uploads our system gets, the better we can automate inputs & eliminate steps For now - we still need you to write thoughtful product descriptions and take good photos. I am going to tell you how to do that with some serious used gear beta. Years of thinking about the used gear industry will do that. They say 10,000 hours makes you an expert. I am not there yet - but I am on the fast track.

How selling used outdoor gear on Rerouted works

Our goal is to help people buy used outdoor gear. In order to start the cycle of used gear, we need your used adventure gear. We want to answer the age old question, “Where to buy used outdoor gear?” That is why we want to explain, clearly & concisely, how you can help us get gear into the mountains. We have customers who are eager to buy used outdoor gear. They want those sweet second-hand gear goodies. People are willing to buy anything as long as it’s functional. 

Does it keep you dry? Is it safe? Is it lightweight? Does it work as intended? Perfect. Get that used outdoor equipment listed.

Obviously, we’re biased and think that selling gear on Rerouted is really easy & only getting easier. Click here to start selling your gear. Lucky you. It’s really as easy as just three steps. Upload, Photograph & Ship. #CASH

  1. Upload

    1. Grab your gear and pull up the uploader link.
    2. Filling out the necessary fields
    3. Take some time to detail the condition of your gear
    4. Mention any specifics you can
    5. We shoot to price our listings at 40%-60% of full retail value
    6. Feel free to talk about your favorite story with that item
  2. Photograph

    1. Establish a well lit area
    2. Find a uniform background
    3. Lay gear flat & snap photos from multiple angles
  3. Ship (Once your gear sells)

    1. You will receive an email from us confirming sale
    2. Box up sold item and email us the W*H*L of the box and your preferred payment method
      1. Venmo
      2. Paypal
      3. Check
    3. As soon as the box is in transit, you get paid
    4. You’re done! Saving gear from the landfill & putting it into the mountains. Give yourself a pate on the back. 

How to sell used hiking & camping gear

The best place to sell used hiking gear is on our site. Hiking & camping gear is far and away the most popular gear we have. It flies off the shelves. There are a plethora of people who desperately want to buy used camping gear online.  This gear is also some of the most straightforward to list & photograph. I wanted to dig into a couple of the specific pieces of gear that are wicked hot right now. 

  • Boots & Footwear - Boots get upgrades. It’s hard to find that exact right pair of boots. We know that high-quality boots sit in storage. These are so simple to list. Get the size, model and brand. Set them on the ground in a blank space. Snap photos of the front, back and soles. The tag never hurts either. Never ask the question, “where to sell used hiking boots” ever again.
  • Backpacks - Get on it and sell used hiking backpacks today. We always have tons of people searching our site trying to buy used hiking backpacks. Some are looking for backpacking & some are looking for just hiking. List it. You don’t have to be lucky. People will find it.

Look. The point is everyone wants to know how to buy used camping gear. It’s literally one of the most searched for categories. So many people are desperate to save money and buy used camping gear gear online. When it comes down to it - it’s Rerouted’s responsibility to help you sell used camping and hiking gear. We set out to make it impossibly easy for anyone to buy used gear. That helps drive sales in your direction. 

Selling used rock climbing gear

There are so many different pieces of used climbing gear. We want you to sell all of it. Sell your used climbing nuts, shoes,trad climbing gear, camalots. Selling used rock climbing gear is so important. The cost to enter this amazing sport is so out of reach for so many. That’s why we must rally and get the gear we can back to the crag. If that gear is sitting stagnant, not getting
any love, get it live on the site now. This gear is especially easy to list. Blank backgrounds & knowledge of your purchase should be enough. 

We want to teach people how to buy used climbing gear safely. It’s so critical that beginners are able to find what they need without needing to be experts. That’s why we curate gear and do our best to unleash the best information possible. 

Additionally, we ensure that ropes, slings, harnesses and helmets are not for sale. Unfortunately, we are not able to verify the safety of these goods - thus, we do not allow
them on our site. Sorry, we’d love to get to a point where we can test every item that comes through our system. Help us be the go to spot where people come to buy used climbing gear. 

Sell Used Snow Gear

Good old snowsports. Big category with so many different verticals. That was certainly an intentional pun. It’s freaking overwhelming to know what’s what in the snowsports industry. I am going to dig in and give a little overview and some pro tips. There are really four major subcategories: Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross Country & Back Country, 

Selling Alpine Ski Equipment

It’s slightly difficult to know exactly what to do with that used ski gear. We want you to know where to sell used skis. Rerouted! The best time to sell used ski gear is definitely the fall. Families are seeking used ski gear that’s slightly sized up. People want to buy used skis when they realize that their old gear doesn’t fit anymore or suit their needs. More and more people than ever are flooding the slopes. That just means the more & more people are looking for where to buy used ski gear. 

Selling Snowboard Gear

Alright, we know the drill by this point. It’s freaking hard to get good value when you sell used snowboard gear. The best time to sell snowboard gear is the same as ski gear. Right on the bookends of the snow season. Which usually runs from December to April. Feel free to sell those used snowboard boot or used snowboards on our platform at any time though. People are usually willing buy used snowboards, used snowboard boots, used snowboard jackets when they are prepping for a trip. Occasionally, their gear from last season no longer fits. This can be a win-win. Help people buy used snowboarding equipment by jumping over to the uploader now. 

Selling Cross- Country and Back-Country Ski Equipment

The cross-country & back-country ski industry really fall into the same wheelhouse. There shouldn’t be much distinction between how to sell alpine ski gear and all the rest of it. There is one basic model that should translate across the board. In summary, this gear is definitely one of the most challenging to photograph. We have had great success leaning this gear up against a blank wall. Or laying it down on the ground on a blank and uniform surface. 

Sell biking gear

If you want to sell bikes for cash, we  are your hub. Help us build the platform by getting your knowledge and expertise on here. We are trying to build a full fledged community full of masters in the space. It comes down to you radical users to help us start being the best site to sell mountain bikes & all other used riding gear. We fully promote selling used road bikes as well through our platform.

The spring and fall are 100% the best time to sell a mountain bike. That is when people are the most excited to get out there and use their cycling gear. Summer is too hot & wet winters make for bad rides. 

To simply answer the question, how to sell a used mountain bike, I’d say this. Figure out the components on the bike. What have you added? What do you know about the bike? How long have you had it? How much have you ridden it? 

It can be really difficult to know how much you should sell your used bike for. There are so many different aspects that vary the price. Consider what you have spent so far overall. Cut that in half and adjust based on conditions. Used mountain biking gear & used road bike gear retains value if you’re not using it, That’s just more money for you to go on your next adventure. Sell a bike  and fund your next vacation in Patagonia. 

Woooo!  Now get out there and sell your used gear online

This is a beast of a document. I touched on many different tips and tricks. I discussed many of the big sports that we love. I coached you on some strategies that will help you sell that gear for more money so much faster. Our goal is to be the best site around. Our beta and this blog are simply the starting point. Thanks for checking out this write up. Now get selling and use these tips and tricks to get the most money for your used gear.