So, dear reader, you have made it through to Chapter 16. Thank you for your support and readership. This new entry is where I will lay out how I find the best gear or airsoft related bargains and how you can too…
Tip 1:
Be specific in your eBay (or similar) searches. It may sound obvious, but if you want a specific pouch, part or item, be sniper-like within your search parameters and, most importantly, cast your net worldwide. We all look worldwide when looking for parts and gear in search engines and you need to replicate this approach on eBay too. Without wanting to sound too ‘cat sat on the mat’ if you want a certain LBT holster for a certain handgun, firstly, investigate and dig around for the model number; for example, I wanted a holster – as discussed before – for the behemoth-like H&K MK.23, discovered that LBTInc. made a specific holster called the 1794, so then I literally searched for an ‘LBT 1794 holster’. Be exact and hone in on the item that you are after, set up alerts, talk to contacts…
Tip 2:
This is the very opposite approach; be slightly more vague/open in your search – like a shotgun, if you point it at the right target and pull the trigger, some of the furiously expelled shot may hit home – have a search term which covers a large criteria of items and then finely search within it. It is a bit like those fishermen who farm the seas by trawling with big nets; you never know what will get pulled in, but you may get something unexpected. For example, one of my key search terms is simply ‘MultiCam’. You will pull up thousands of items. However, within those, you may hit the target. Earlier this year I did this on a whim and scored some Crye Precision JPC side-pouches for £16.00, brand new in the bag, saving myself up to £50.00 if I had just searched specifically for them. People may misspell ‘Crye Precision’, ‘Arc’Teryx’ or ‘Patagonia’ but they may spell ‘Multicam’ correctly or may only know that the item as a ‘Multicam’ piece of kit, and that is where you may find those ‘0 bids’ items or a flash bit of kit which have gone under the radar. As in my ‘Sand Man’ chapter, items are often listed incorrectly or with an error, so bargains can be found just by looking at the picture, rather than the description or listing title.
Tip 3:
Generic yet specific search terms. Believe me, utilising these can yield gems. What do I mean by this odd label? Well, the generic yet specific search terms I use on eBay include ‘DEVGRU’ and ‘CAG’. Any items with those words included within the listing will ping up and you never know what someone has listed using those terms. Again, brand names are often miss-spelt or omitted, but the generic term has been added and this can allow you to find hidden gold.
Tip 4:
Probably the most important tip if you are looking to buy low and sell high is to know your market. Know how much items are roughly worth. When I found a Crye Precision CPC listed for £250.00, I knew that it was around half the price I had seen others listed and indeed sold for. I very promptly advised my youngest brother to snap it up: he duly did before anyone else had cottoned-on and within two months later he is £250.00 up after selling it on via a group page on FB. I recently found two sets of brand new Crye Precision Combat Pants/Shirts listed recently; I missed out on one set by hesitating for just a bit too long but bought the second set (the cool guy black kit) for £120.00 all in. I made £190.00 profit in about ten days by reselling the items one at a time.
By knowing the rough value of an item, you will be able to gauge whether what you are looking at is decent money for you to buy and then use, or to buy and then sell. Of late, ‘Pinky Tan’ kit made by Eagle Industries has been sold for very high prices, as have Paraclete and Crye Precision 330D items; so I know if I see these at good prices, they are worth grabbing, hence why I bought those three Crye Precision M4 330D magazine pouches in the last couple of months for £150.00, knowing that their usual selling point is closer to £80.00 each. I scored some great kit, and they will most likely make a profit for me if I sell them on.
Triple Aught Design’s gear always seems to sell well, and again, their items are good purchases to make – they are brilliantly designed and very well made so should last an age – but will hold their value, especially as the company make limited runs of their items and they sell out fast. It should go without saying, but buying an item from a limited production run will almost always score you some profit if you decide to sell it on. Brands which I have seen produce limited runs or editions which you can make serious money from include; Crye Precision, Eagle Industries, Triple Aught Design, Field Notes, Carhartt, Nike, Adidas and Vans.
Tip 5:
Buy in bulk. Last year, I wanted some IR Cyalume ChemLights just to add detail to some load-outs. I found a box of twenty with expired ‘use by dates’ on eBay for about £9.00. I wanted about five or so. I then managed to sell the remaining fifteen for around £2.50 each; mainly to Spanish and German buyers on eBay. That £9.00 outlay garnered me about £30.00! If you buy an item online which has some extras’ like pouches, etc., sell them on if not needed and get some of that outlay back. I did this with the SIG patches on my sand shirt purchase.
Tip 6:
Contacts. Make contacts, keep contacts and sweet talk contacts. You may get first refusal on a newly acquired item or indeed, you may be able to do a trade and get some additional bits thrown in to sweeten the deal. ‘A’ is my absolute prize contact for gear deals. Save decent sellers on eBay and get alert notifications when they have listed new items. Check out airsoft fairs, militaria shows and related gatherings for that undiscovered bit of kit.
Tip 7:
As mentioned before, check out the ‘for sale’ sections in airsoft or reenactment forums or on Facebook. I dare say Facebook is probably the place to go for higher traffic and more listed items, but this just means that more people will see those bargains…
Tip 8:
Search eBay for ‘Ending Soonest’ items in your searches. I hijacked a very cheap Mechanix gloves auction with seconds to spare (which I would have otherwise have missed out on) and won them for a mere few quid. Not bad considering they were new!
Tip 9:
Do your homework. I have been fooled a couple of times now by very decent looking clone sights listed at a price which would be too expensive for a replica but a very good price for a RS item. This middle ground is hard to negotiate, so ask for more photos, look for serial numbers and even ask the brand itself if you have a serial number but are unsure of its provenance. Know what you are looking for and don’t get sucked in too quickly before it is too late. Always ask yourself ‘What is the seller’s previous feedback?’ and make a note of ‘What else are they selling?’
Tip 10:
And lastly, my final tip, and one which I have repeated throughout the entire blog from conception in Chapter 1 until now: buying kit made by decent brands will make it easier to sell on afterwards if you out grow, loose weight or fall out of love with the hobby. It is quite hard to make money on replica or clone items, and often these are quite dishevelled after long usage compared to RS items. Even damaged RS items sell for good money…depending on the item and the damage…of course.
Thanks for reading, happy bargain hunting!
TGC - @CryeMeARiver 