gelato maker
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Glassy
I have a Williams-Sonoma Gelato Maker, model 994, that is practically in perfect condition, other than that it is about 20 years old. It works perfectly, but seriously, it weighs 30 pounds and I am tired of it taking up space in my cabinet. I would like to sell it on eBay, but I don't know what to start the bidding at because I have no idea what it was originally bought for. It was a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law, and she would shoot me if she thought that I was selling it. I talked to W-S about it, but they said that it's too old to tell and that they have current models that run from the $50's to over $300. Is there someone out there that would have a clue what this is worth?
Answer
Since there is no published value for it and the manufacturer doesn't have a clue, you're better off starting your auction at the minimum price you're comfortable with.
BUT, don't start it too high because not only do you pay more in listing fees but you will also scare off potential buyers from bidding. Since there are no similar models (in size, condition, age, features) to compare it to, it may not go for much if there isn't enough of a marketable interest or collectible value to it. I recommend starting it at $5 or $10 and see what happens. You never know. What you think it's worth is entirely different than what a buyer thinks it's worth.
As for shipping, make sure you box it up properly, then weigh and measure the entire package to get an idea of shipping costs. For an item that heavy, you're better off using a calculated shipping rate based upon the buyer's zip code instead of using a flat rate so you don't get screwed shipping to Podunkville that costs more to deliver than Podunktown.
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