Selling Hockey Equipment - a Detailed Guide

There are already several helpful guides on how to buy hockey equipment on eBay, but there seems to be a need for a selling guide as well. Thanks to norcalla39 for the good start. This guide was written from the perspectives of both buyer and seller, skater and goalie, and is intended to make exchanging hockey gear more productive and hassle-free for everyone involved.

Title

Every listing begins with a title.  Make yours as accurate and descriptive as possible.  Include the following information, if possible.

• brand
• model name/number
• type of equipment
• age range: youth/junior/intermediate/senior
• size: S/M/L/XL/XXL or numbered size; for skates, include the width
• for sticks/shafts/blades: hand (LH/RH), pattern type and flex rating, where applicable

If you have room, you can add color, condition, or special features.  If the item goes by two names, use both in the title to maximize search results.  Just don't overdo it.

Examples of good titles:
Easton Synergy Hockey Gloves SR 14" Red Used Pro Stock
CCM 992 Super Tacks Hockey Skates SR 9.5E New
Koho 590 Trapper Glove INT Used red/wht/blk
Easton Z-Bubble Hockey Shaft SR 110 Flex New
Bauer Vapor XV Blade SR LH PM9 Hossa

Please put the age range in the title. It's very frustrating to find a listing a piece of equipment you've been searching for, only to open the listing and find out there's no way in heck it's going to fit. Avoid cheesy words like "Look," "Hot," and "Must See." Titles and item listings in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS also turn buyers off.  Also avoid using the "Not RBK CCM Bauer Nike Graf Itech Koho" ploy. If I'm looking for Graf skates, I'm looking for Graf skates. Your misleading title probably isn't going to make me decide to buy your Nikes instead.

Listing

First of all, put your item in the correct category. You want your item to be easily seen and found. eBay isn't making it easy on buyers or sellers with their current categorization system for hockey - "Clothing, Shoes & Accessories?" "Hats & Headgear?" Let's hope they get that taken care of soon.

If you're selling goalie gear, put it in the goalie equipment section.  Don't list goalie skates in the regular skates section.  Likewise with masks, sticks and any other goalie items.

Of course, you want your item listing to be as informative as possible.  Include all of the information from your title, and go into more detail.  State the age of the item, if known, and provide a detailed description of its condition, noting any flaws like holes, tears, scratches, etc. as well as any odor that might be present.  If you have taken good care of a used item, for example, "air-dried after every use," mention that here.

Photos

Photos are crucial.  Ideally, your listing will have a gallery photo (the little photo on the pages with all of the other listings in your category) and at least two in your listing.  Some items will require more, some less.  Here are the most important angles the typical buyer will want to see when considering an item, especially a used one:

Helmets/Masks: front/top/both sides/inside foam
Cages: front/side
Shoulder Pads/Chest & Arms (C/As): front/back
Pants: front/back/inside
Pant Shells: front
Jerseys: front/back
Jocks: front/back
Elbow Pads: side
Gloves: inside (palms are vital!)/face (the colorful part)
Trappers: open front (vital!)/open back/closed back
Blockers: palm (vital!)/face/sidewall
Goalie Pads: face, inside, knee areas
Shin Pads: front/back
Skates: both sides of both skates (be sure blades are visible - take off the guards/covers!)/inside of boots
Shafts: one photo should suffice if there are no flaws
Blades/Sticks: both sides/top view showing curve and face (open/closed)

Be sure to include pictures of any flaws which could result in an angry buyer.

If there is a review available from a reputable source, by all means include a link to it in your description.

We're all familiar with that hockey smell. Be honest and say how much of it your item has.

Avoid copying and pasting manufacturer's specs for your item. It gives the impression that you didn't put any effort into your listing, and may not put much effort into making sure the buyer is satisfied.  Include a link to the specs if you like, though.

AVOID USING ALL CAPITALS on eBay or anywhere on the internet, for that matter. IT GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING.


Avoid putting all of your gear together as a package deal. This is usually only useful for beginner's gear. Anyone who has been playing for any length of time is usually looking for one specific piece of gear. Also, it's not likely that all of your gear is going to fit one person the way it fits you. Definitely sell your skates separately. Another possible exception is goalie trapper/blocker/pad sets, since so many goalies love matching gear.

Size

Buying an item that doesn't fit is one of the top causes of an unhappy buyer.  Do your pest to provide prospective buyers with any sizing information you can. One effective method is comparison sizing.  If the item has a fit similar to another glove, pad, pant etc., providing that information may be very helpful, for example, "My backup skates are CCM 652s, 9.5E, and these skates fit about the same, maybe a little wider." Be aware of the sizing conventions of your particular item:

Helmets/Masks: JR/SR, S/M/L/XL, many manufacturers also provide hat-size and head-circumference ranges for each size; accurate sizing is even more important for goalies.
Cages: JR/SR
Shoulder Pads/Chest & Arms (C/As): JR/SR, S/M/L/XL/XXL
Pants: YTH/JR/SR, S/M/L/XL/XXL; waist sizes (in inches or Euro-style); provide comparison sizing to a pair of jeans
Pant Shells: JR/SR, S/M/L/XL/XXL
Jerseys: JR/SR, S/M/L/XL/XXL/XXXL/Goalie; chest size (armpit-to-armpit)
Jocks: JR/SR
Elbow Pads: JR/SR S/L
Gloves: YTH/JR/SR; size in inches (9-15+)
Trappers: JR/INT/SR
Blockers: JR/INT/SR; if the glove accomodates large hands, make a note of it
Goalie Pads: overall length in inches; width in inches (11" or 12")
Shin Pads: size in inches
Skates: indicated size (the size on the box or skate)/width (important, too); some skates indicate a size followed by a US size, which is intended to translate to street shoe size.  Include your street shoe size as well.
Shafts: YTH/JR/INT/SR, overall length
Blades/Sticks: YTH/JR/INT/SR, also indicate compatibility with different shaft types if possible

Special Notes about Goalie Equipment

Comparison Sizing
Buying pads without trying them on can be difficult. Sizes vary across manufacturers, even though the indicated pad size might be identical.  A 34" Vaughn pad doesn't fit like a 34" Sher-Wood pad (the Sher-Wood will usually fit a taller goalie better).  Comparison sizing can be very helpful in this case. How does this pad fit compared to other pads you currently wear, have used in the past, or even just tried on? Goalie pads can be very expensive to ship. Spare your buyer the disappointment of ending up with pads they'll just have to resell because they don't fit properly.

Senior?
Be aware that the word "Senior" can have two distinct meanings when it comes to goalie gear.  It can refer to size (as in youth/junior/intermediate/senior) or grade (as in senior/pro).  Most manufacturers now use numbers to designate size, but if you're selling older gear, for example later Heaton equipment, try to be clear in your description.

ATK
ATK stands for ankle-to-knee. It's the measurement (in inches) from oddly enough, the center of the ankle to the center of the knee cap, when seated. It's a rather effective system of goalie pad sizing, since this is probably the most vital measurement in determining proper pad fit.  Theoretically, goalies with identical ATKs would wear the same size pads (although skate size and thigh rise preference are factors as well).  When listing your pads, provide your ATK for the sake of reference.  Here's a photo of how to measure it.


Jerseys
Most goalies know the difference between a goal cut or goalie style jersey and a jersey that's just plain big.  Sure, goal cut jerseys have wider bodies, but they also have bigger armhole openings to get those big C/A arms in there. If you think the jersey you're listing could be used by a goalie, include armpit-to-armpit, collar-to-hem, and armpit-to-top-of-shoulder measurements, as well as a photo of the size tag(s).

Roller or Ice
Be aware that if you say that an item can be used for roller or ice hockey, do realize that this is going to scare some ice hockey goalies away, as they might not think it'll be protective enough for ice. If it's intended for roller hockey, then say that. If it's intended for ice hockey, roller goalies will be able to figure it out for themselves.

Safety
Sellers have a certain responsibility for their buyer's safety.  If your auction title advertises an ice hockey mask, be darn sure that it's intended for ice hockey.  It seems every week there's another listing that could lead to a serious head injury. If a mask is chipped or cracked... say so! If a cage is dented... say so! If the inside foam is hard... well, you know what to do.

The following topics apply to selling in any category:

Questions
This may sound obvious, but it's important to answer any questions from potential buyers.  Most will not place a bid if their question hasn't been answered (it happened to me twice the week I wrote this).  While you're at it, take the time to compose a decent reply rather than a quick "i dunno." Also keep in mind that many bidders, for whatever reasons, don't bid until the auction has almost ended. Try to stay near your computer around the last hour of your auction to answer any last-minute questions.

Shipping
Don't rip people off.  It's not hard for the buyer to figure out when they've been gouged on shipping - they only have to look at the postage on the envelope/box. If your shipping estimate was a lot more than actual cost, consider refunding at least part of the difference. It'll definitely earn you some brownie points when it comes time to leave feedback.

Be willing to ship internationally.

Let's take a look at this more closely.

For US sellers, consider the huge number of potential buyers who are north of the border and overseas. Now consider the difference between a potential buyer (someone who may buy your item) and a bidder (someone who places an actual bid on your item). When you're selling an item at auction, the more bids, the better, right? So why would you turn away those bids, very possibly keeping your final price low?  US customers looking for hockey gear like to see those US-only listings, because they know they won't have any competition from eBayers outside the US. As a seller, you want that competition.

It's not a hassle to ship internationally from the US. You just need to fill out a little form at the post office. They'll tell you which one you need (small green one for under 4 lbs, white for over, if I recall correctly).

Shipping overseas from Canada is also quite easy. When shipping internationally (non-US), shipping via International Small Packet will save the buyer a lot of money. There is a limit of 2kg as well as a size limit. When shipping internationally, the USPS and Canada Post are definitely the best options. Their rates are by far the lowest, and they don't charge the customs brokerage fees that other carriers do.

Finally, international buyers realize that shipping to their locations will cost more. They are likely very well-informed about shipping rates - probably more informed than you. Do your best to keep the cost down. One extra ounce can bump up the postage quite a bit, so pack the item as lightly as possible. Remember that hockey gear is tough, so it doesn't need too much extra packaging. If a pair of gloves can withstand a hard slash or a slapshot, they can probably withstand the mail truck, too.

Feedback
Years ago, it was understood on eBay that a seller would leave feedback first. After all, it was the buyer who had to trust the seller with their payment. Over time, more and more sellers have become feedback bullies who will only leave feedback for buyers if the buyer leaves feedback first. Don't be a bully. Your buyer completes their end of the deal by sending payment and providing a proper shipping address. Leaving prompt positive feedback for them increases your chances of receiving the same courtesy. Buyers who don't receive feedback from the seller are much more likely to never leave feedback for that transaction. And now that eBay doesn't allow sellers to leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers, it makes even more sense for the seller to take the first step.

Well, I'll get down off of my soapbox for now. I'll try to keep this guide reasonably current, and add pictures if/when I can. I'm sure I've missed quite a bit as well. In the meantime, let's keep the eBay hockey community an easy, safe and effective way to exchange gear.