Tips to help you sell your pool table

I think the most economically way to sell your pool table for the best price in Ontario is thru Kijiji.  In other parts of the world it is craig’s list, newspapers and ebay.  Newspapers and Ebay cost you the seller whereas unless you are posting your ad to the top and pay a small fee kijiji is free.

Let’s face it unless you have a special table no one is going to ship the table very far.  Kijiji gets you that customer that is near to your home for easy transporation to see you table and easy for them to transport.

lets get the table ready to sell

 Price your table fairly if you want to sell it.  If is really not important what you paid 5 or 25 years ago for the table.  You need to see what the same table or equivalent table would cost you today.  In Canada our exchange rate is now at par.  A few years ago we paid up to 60% on the American dollar so pool table are actually cheaper today.  Even if your table was built in Canada the slate, pockets and cloth did not come from Canada which has put an impact on the table.

Usually when you purchased the table it included installation in your home and a warranty.  Those two factors are not included in your table.  No table manufacture extends the warranty to the next owner.  To move a pool table and set it up is more costly than the original set up of the table

Inspect your table as a potential customer would.  That would be firstly cleaning it.

I was shocked to see this table recently on kijiji.  With the caption I am out of room and need to get rid of the table.  Even if I was given it for free the person taking it off your hands would not know where to start to find the table.

Brush your table and polish the wood.  Inspect the rubber has it gone mushy or hard from non use.  If the customer has to change the rubber that is an expensive job from 150-450.

Inspect your legs to make sure moisture from your floor has not damaged the table.  Has mould grown around the legs from moisture. 

How about taking off the spiderwebs around the table.  Yes we have gone to move table where there is many spiderwebs and mould on the legs

Is the styling of the table out of date.  When you purchased that solid oak pool table everyone wanted that wood.  You will not see many new oak pool tables on the market today because as of this writing 2012 most customers do not want oak.  Also you do not see many vinyl veneer tables on the market only wood veneer or solid wood in darker finishes.  Look at the new styles and that will help you.

Ready to take a picture for your ad?  NOT YET!   Get rid of all our treasures around the table.

Clean on the top but where are the legs

When your potential customer sees this picture on kijiji they see that you probably did not look after the table and that they will have to move all your junk to move it. 

What was the table really used for

When a potential customer sees this picture they realize that the cloth is probably damaged at the least with stuff on it.  Is it beside a wall did you move it? 

So looking at those three pictures would you have called?

Two other alternatives that don’t get calls are using the suppliers picture.  The customer is thinking is the table in that bad of shape that they cannot show me what it really looks it?  The worst is no picture at all.  Though from the three picture I might reconsider my comment there.  We have all heard a picture tells 1000 words well when you are selling anything used I would say that is right.

This is perfect presentation

This table has been staged to sell.  It invites you to play.  The accessories are on the wall where they probably always had them.  You want that table in your own home

similar table not as inviting but okay

Yes this is the same style table with the accessories on the table.  I know they are trying to show what comes with it but take pictures with nothing on the table and the accessories separate.  Both show better.

The more picture the better.  Take a picture of the leg separate so the customer can see the style and shape.  Take a picture of the pocket to say whether it is pool or snooker.  Know the difference if you have a pool or snooker pocket .  You will be wasting both your time and the potential customers time if you say it is a pool pocket and they arrive at your home and find out it is a snooker pocket table.  We discussed determining if you have pool or snooker in another article.

If you do not have a digital camera ask someone to help you take the pictures to post.

Writing the advertisment.  Be honest on the shape.  Determine the correct size.  Please see article on determing size.  The more correct information you have in the ad show you  as an honest seller and you will probably get your price. 

Timing is everything unfortunatley just because you decided today is the day to sell your pool table the market for used tables is best in October to January with of course December being the highest.  In the summer used pool tables go for very little people are outside working on outdoor projects.  If you put in your ad need it gone by the weekend you just said come and get it for free.  If you are selling your home decide ahead of time that it is a large piece of furniture and give yourself time to sell

One last piece of advice on accessories unfortunately they usually do not get you more money.  A light is hard to sell due to the electrical issue.  Most customers assume that you are throwing in the accessories.  If you have a special cue that Uncle Harry gave you put it away if they see it they want it

This is mainly how to advertise on kijiji and Craigs list.  If you are putting your table in the newspaper try to give as much information as possible size, make, shape and price.  Today it is hard to sell a pool table this way.

Ebay takes a percentage of the sale and has a customer base around the world.  Shipping a pool table is a costly business.  Unless you have a special table that someone would be willing to ship and you would not mind getting the table prepared for shipping it is a harder way to sell today.