BUYING USED PRO AUDIO EQUIPMENT [5 LIFE HACKS]

Buying used pro audio equipment is easy with these five life hacks.

1. Hack #1: Finding the Used Pro Audio Equipment Platforms
2. Hack #2: Inspecting the Item Description
3. Hack #3: Vetting the Seller
4. Hack #4: Comparing Prices
5. Hack #5: Shipping Analysis

Hack #1: Finding the Used Pro Audio Equipment Platforms

The amount of online platforms for buying used pro audio equipment is overwhelming. Identifying the best platforms is crucial so we wrote a comprehensive guide on all the platforms here. If you know the number one quality you are looking for (price, quality, availability), then you are on the right track. That’ll guide you on which platforms to check first.

For example, if you need it quick, you wouldn’t check Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist as those have less gear available. And meeting up to get the used pro audio equipment takes time. Check out our guide and go to the platforms that suit your situation best for buying used pro audio equipment. You’re now ready to check for the specific item itself.

Hack #2: Inspecting the Item Description

You’ve got 3-4 platforms pulled up and the item has been found on each of them. Now it’s time to do the most overlooked but critical hack when buying used pro audio equipment: inspect the item description carefully. Sound obvious? In the excitement of getting a new piece of production gear, many people skip the item description and that can cost you.

1. Power Supply:
   • Do you need a power supply? Make sure the description says it is included.
2. Defects:
   • Is a knob missing? Is a channel busted? Make sure you check for this.
3. Condition:
   • When you’re buying used pro audio equipment, the photos will help you vet the item the most. However, the seller will also list a condition ranging from good to mint. Check out the condition to see how the seller perceives the quality of the gear.

The description is a conversation the buyer assumes you have already had with them once you buy. Make sure you read it.

Furthermore, reading the description protects you from having to pay the return fee. If they disclosed a defect that you missed and you want to return the item because of it, you might get stuck with the shipping cost.

Hack #3: Vetting the Used Pro Audio Equipment’s Seller

You’ve narrowed it down to a few options, so now it’s time to compare the sellers you could buy used pro audio equipment from. Remember that you are buying used production gear from a seller, not the beautifully branded website you’re familiar with. Vet them. While platforms like eBay and Reverb are great, we often forget we are not buying from that brand but rather the individual sellers. Vetting the person selling the used production gear is crucial.

(Tip: This is another reason to buy from us at ChurchGear. We are the only seller on our entire platform, so you can skip the vetting step. You know you’re buying used production gear from us. No vetting required.)

Hack #4: Comparing Used Pro Audio Equipment Prices

Saving money on used gear is the big draw to buying it. On some of the bigger items like mixing boards, the savings are literally in the thousands. Comparing prices on different used pro audio equipment is a completely different animal though. If your budget is forcing you to buy the lowest cost item, you might not have a choice. However, if you can pay up a smidge between the used production gear options, you have a great chance at increasing the quality of your gear.

Every piece of used pro audio equipment has its own backstory. This is why it is so crucial to read the item description and compare prices accordingly. Here is why this matters so much:

Pro Audio Equipment that is being sold by touring companies has lived a hard life. This gear has been loaded, unloaded, outside, and moved from state to state for months if not years.

Make sure you know the used pro audio equipment’s backstory. If you have to pay up a little to get gear that has a single owner and been in a building, that is much better than buying used production gear from a touring company that has seen the entire country. You want your used pro audio equipment to have the most boring life possible.

Hack #5: Shipping Analysis

Make sure the shipping doesn’t offset your savings. If the item is small and a simple shape, the cost and shipping process shouldn’t be too difficult.

• Freight
  • If the item weighs more than 70 pounds, you’ve just opened Pandora’s box. Your seller will have to ship it via freight. We ship via freight all the time and build custom wood boxes around our items to ensure they are not pierced by fork lifts in transit. It happens. It happens so often that we take the time to build a box for every single fright shipment. You can see all the ways we ensure safe shipping here.
• Local Pickup
  • If you’re looking at buying used pro audio equipment between two sellers, check their location. If one happens to be in your city, you could pick it up and save on shipping cost. If neither item is close enough to pick up, it is still worth checking the location. Grabbing gear that is only a state away rather than another country is a good tie breaker. Your gear will have a better chance of avoiding damage in transit and might be cheaper as well.
• Safety First
  • Is the item small and easy to ship? Great! If the item is in a weird shape, make sure the seller has shipped items like this before. Check the reviews of their profile/platform on the site. If you don’t see any shipping reviews, you may want to buy your used pro audio equipment from someone else.

Want the best, used pro audio equipment before anyone else?

The easiest way to get trustworthy, used production gear is to be on our Early Service email list.

We send our best gear out 48 hours ahead of time before we list it for the entire world to find it on our site, eBay and Reverb.

Our best gear can go in less than an hour from when it is posted. Don’t compete with the entire world. Join the Early Service today.