Posts Made By: David Green

I have a Starsplitter 10" dob I'd like to sell. In fact, I listed it on Astromart last year. However, I picked the scope up in person at the factory and thus have no shipping boxes, etc. When I advertised it last year, I said I would only hand-deliver it in California, which of course was probably a huge stumbling block to a successful sale.

I'd like to try again, but I'm really worried about how to properly crate the scope -- especially the mirror -- so it doesn't get destroyed in shipping. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know insurance will protect me if the shipper breaks the scope, but I'd like to avoid that scenario as much as possible.

Also, and I hope this isn't a can of worms, if you've sold and shipped one or more scopes, who is your preferred shipping vendor? UPS, USPS, DHL, FedEx? Or do you let the buyer choose the shipping method?

Thanks in advance!

David

Wow, thanks to all of you for the helpful suggestions! This is a great community. I owe you all a commission when I sell my scope.

Clear skies,

David

I am about to sell an Astro-Physics 130GT at on this site, and I want to do things right. As a first-timer, I know people will be skeptical of... me. What do I need to do to establish credibility as a seller? Even though I've been on Astromart on and off for a long time, I have never bought or sold anything on it.

Are there generally accepted pros and cons for whether to sell via auction or regular classified?

Also, regarding payment options, I see an option for "escrow" but I can't find an explanation of how that works. Does Anacortes or Astromart manage the escrow?

The Help link at the top of the page just brings me to this forum. Are there any kind of step-by-step instructions/tips for sellers to help us list our items correctly and efficiently?

I just need to finish taking pictures of the scope and included items, and I'll be ready to sell, so would appreciate any links or answers that anyone can share.

Thank you.

Thanks, Greg. That is useful to know. I have seen a lot of posts in this forum, where people say not to trust sellers who won't agree to escrow, so I thought there might be a particular service that everyone gravitated toward... I will do my own research and see what is available.

Yes, I have been a lurker for a long time. Came close to buying a few times, but always missed out by waiting too long to pull the trigger.

Thanks John. That's good advice. I was very active in my local club, although that was about 15-20 years ago, and I for a while wrote and distributed some Messier Log and Observing Log software that was widely available. So there is some trace of me in the astronomy world. Not super-provable, but it's there. Funny, I never thought I'd have to prove my own existence!