High End Applinaces

I have officially given up on trying to sell high end appliances on Craigslist. I bought this unit a few months ago that a 2009 Kenmore stainless steel double wall oven. This was a $1700 oven 4 years ago and it was in like new condition. It just sat there. Lowered the price, got a few phone calls but no one ever came. Lowered the price again...same thing. Finally lowered the price to $500. Started getting calls on a daily basis but no one would come look at it. Finally, after 3 weeks of people calling, someone actually came. He offered me $400 and I ran with it. Had I been selling this in a larger city, I think I could have gotten $700-800 for it. But oh well.

Coming from a major city like Houston and now living in a small town like Temple, I have realized that it just takes longer for things to sell on Craigslist. Sure there are things that still sell like hot cakes like mattresses and older appliances, but the high end stuff just sits there. It's discouraging. 

I make more money selling junk, then the good stuff.  The thing of it is you just never know what people are in the mood for.  People are weird. 

I don't mess with appliances. Mainly because I don't have the space to house something that big for any significant amount of time. If I buy a room that has appliances, I price it cheap and hope to flip before I move it.. Hence I don't buy many units with appliances..

I don't mess with appliances. Mainly because I don't have the space to house something that big for any significant amount of time. If I buy a room that has appliances, I price it cheap and hope to flip before I move it.. Hence I don't buy many units with appliances..

Old refrigerators and washers & dryers don't bother me because I know that if I price them right they will be gone the same day.

I wish I could buy rooms full of 15 year old appliances and mattresses in average condition.

Well population would calculate into this but that's a hard sell anywhere.

You need to find someone that needs not just an oven.....but a wall oven...a stainless wall oven..and a DOUBLE stainless wall oven at that.

Kinda like selling a pair of tuxedo pants with 40 inch waist and 20 inch leg.  You have a limited market.

You know, I'm going to be at Home Depot this week.  I'm going to ask how many they sell on average....

Well population would calculate into this but that's a hard sell anywhere.

You need to find someone that needs not just an oven.....but a wall oven...a stainless wall oven..and a DOUBLE stainless wall oven at that.

Kinda like selling a pair of tuxedo pants with 40 inch waist and 20 inch leg.  You have a limited market.

You know, I'm going to be at Home Depot this week.  I'm going to ask how many they sell on average....

Very true. It would be a tough sell anywhere. The other factor in the equation is that people who are looking for a double oven have to find one with similar dimensions as their old one or modify their cabinets.

Not only that, people who have the money to remodel their kitchen also have money to buy new appliances. Even though my double oven looked great, in the last 4 years the exteriors of these ovens have changed dramatically. The new ones look ultra modern. People with money want the latest & greatest.

Asked the Home Depot guy how many double wall mounted ovens he sold and his best guess was 1:250.
So one for every 250 stand alone/range top models.  He's been there 10-ish years and ha sold 2-3  personally that he can remember.

Also said it was usually to Contractors. Not DIY home improvement people.  They are just to hard for your average person to install.  Or rather SEEM to be to hard.

He did add a disclaimer....

That store is primarily DIY stuff.  Not contractors.  It's in an area with older homes so probably not to many wall mounted ovens.  And since they are big and expensive, items like that are usually bought online or by phone.  Most stores don't even have a display model on the floor.

Also said double ovens "are out".   People don't want them.  If one goes out you need to replace whole thing at a huge price difference and people find they use two ovens at once like...never. Maybe on holidays. Plus contractor are trying to utilize every inch of space and they take to much room, so now if they go for wall mount its the convection oven under a microwave.....that way you have more counter space.   

I talked to this guy for a good 20 minutes bout ovens.  I know more about ovens now that i care too. Then went and looked tools, forgot why I ws there and came home with out buying the doweling I went for in the first place.....

forgot why I was there and came home with out buying the doweling I went for in the first place.....

I hate it when that happens. 

I hate it when that happens. 

Actually it worked out well.
Went to an estate sale and they had the torch I need for $3.50, retail $40.
And the dowel I need....well, close....it will work.  But free rather than a couple bucks.


Three times in the past few weeks I've bought something then see it at he next set of estate sales I go to.  So finding it *before* I buy it retail kinda made my day!

Not sure how far you are from houston but I know I've driven several hours to buy larger ticket items from craigslist. Not gonna drive that far to buy a dresser but for a high end appliance or motorcycle or something like that I would. No harm in advertising in the larger cities you may find that people are willing to drive.

I agree, on larger purchases I'm willing to drive up to 3.5 hours if I can save a few hundred bucks on an item after expenses.