So you have some golf clubs you are looking to sell? Great, you have lots of options.

However, you aren’t alone. By my precise calculations based off of nothing buy a pure guess, there are roughly (but exactly) 1,252,561 people trying to sell their golf clubs today.

What does that mean to you? Well, when it comes to supply and demand of golf clubs, odds are, the ones you are trying to sell have a big supply but a low demand.

Therefore, the first step in selling your golf clubs is to see what they are truly worth.

 

Determine the Value of Your Clubs

If you every try to sell something without knowing the true value, you are bound to waste your time or get screwed over.

Price it too high and no one will buy it. Price it too low and you won’t get what the clubs are truly worth.

Typically, people tend to overvalue their clubs, thinking they are worth far more than someone will actually pay for them. This is probably because they remember how much they bought it for new, or they don’t realize how old and outdated their clubs are. Lastly, clubs with a little wear and tear will go for a lot less than a brand new club, not just a small difference.

Skip the PGA Tour Value Guide, which is often recommended to be the end-all-be-all for golf club valuations. This is rarely updated and is often just flat out wrong or not helpful.

A better way to determine the value of your clubs is to see what they sell for on eBay. This will give you a good rough number of the value of your clubs, because the eBay marketplace is so large and popular among golfers.

If you are unsure of what clubs you have, therefore you have no idea what to type in on eBay, just type in the brand name (Callaway, TaylorMade) and the model name (Big Bertha, Burner) which you should be able to find on the head of the club.

Scroll through pictures until you find the exact same clubs that you have. Be careful though, because many models look very similar throughout the years, but they have slight differences in design and could have large differences in valuation.

Double check that you are not looking at a club that is SIMILAR instead of the SAME. Once you find a match, you can take the name and model of the clubs and copy and paste into the eBay search function. Now double check that all of the pictures of the clubs are exactly what you have.

Next, on the left hand side of eBay, scroll down and click on sold listings. This will show you the amounts that the clubs you have ACTUALLY sold for in the past.

You need to take into account the following:

• If you can’t find anything that has sold, either the club is very uncommon, worthless, or your search was too specific. Make your search broader and see if you can find the clubs that you have.
• Make sure you are looking at sold listings (clubs that actually sold), not just current listings that haven’t sold yet
• Make sure you look at how many clubs you have vs. how many clubs the sold listing has. For example, if your irons set is 3 iron through pitching wedge, and the sold listing is for 5 iron through pitching wedge, you have two extra clubs (a 3 and 4 iron). This means that if the 5-PW sold for $200, your set might be worth closer to $250 due to having two more clubs.
• Make sure you look at the condition. Don’t compare a club that sold for nearly brand new condition for $150 to your club that has a lot more wear and tear. Your club might only be worth $80 in the condition that it is in. It all depends on condition. So try to find sold listings for clubs in similar quality to yours.
• Take into account shipping: It costs roughly $10-$20 to ship clubs across the US, so items that sold on eBay will typically sell for a little more (than if you sold it locally) so that the seller can ultimately pass the shipping costs to the buyer.
• Check the “completed” (not sold) listings as well. These will include sold and unsold items that have ended. Green number = sold, red or black numbers = did not sell. See how often your clubs don’t sell. If you see more unsold listings than sold listings, just know that your clubs probably aren’t in high demand. The more sold listings in the past 3 months, the better.

The most important thing when determining the value of your clubs, which is worth repeating, is finding out what they have actually SOLD for on eBay. No one cares if there are ten listings for $400 for a driver. If it sells brand new for $150, that’s about what it’s worth in that condition.

 

Determine Your Priority When It Comes To Selling

Alright, so now you have a good idea about how much your clubs are worth.

Now comes two important questions:

• If the clubs are worth roughly $300, how much would you be happy getting for them?
• How much time and work do you want to put in while selling these clubs?

Bottom line: is your priority more money or more time?

If you want to get the absolute most money for your clubs, you will be giving up on the idea of getting money ASAP for them. You might have to sit on them for a while to find the best match for the clubs.

If you don’t want to spend much time selling your clubs, then you will have to sacrifice how much you are willing to accept to let them go.

Don’t forget, if they are not worth much, and you value your time very highly, consider just donating your clubs to the local thrift store or Goodwill. More alternate options are listed at the bottom of this article.

 

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Now that we got those two questions out of the way, let’s explore all of the possible ways that you can see your golf clubs.

Selling Golf Clubs on eBay

If you are curious about selling your golf clubs on eBay, let me give you a quick rundown.

I have been selling on eBay for about 7 years now. Although I buy and sell anything, I’ve bought, sold, packaged, and shipped many golf clubs throughout that time. So, I feel like I can give some good insight.

• If you are not already an eBay seller and if you don’t shop much on eBay, this will be harder to do, as not many people will trust you (you have no feedback yet).
• If you sell the golf clubs for $150, you will have to pay about $17 in fees and $10-$20 to ship the clubs. You might only end up pocketing $115 of the $150.
• There is also the possibility of the club being damaged, which you will be to blame for, no matter if you packaged it perfectly. This means that you will lose out on all of the value of the clubs, plus the shipping cost. You will only be refunded the 10% eBay fee and the small Paypal fee.
• There is a possibility that the buyer will screw you over. Yep, happens more than you think. They could claim you sent a box of dirt (yes, that happened to me and they won the dispute even though I have sold over $20k on eBay).
• Consider your time finding the box (I look near dumpsters often and keep as many club boxes as I can), securing the club with bubble wrap, and going to the post office. Golf club boxes can be very difficult to find.
• Make sure you print a label that has tracking info (just go though eBay and print a priority shipping label) – all eBay labels have tracking included so that the buyer can’t just say it never showed up.

Listing your golf clubs on eBay: Make sure the title is perfect for what you are selling. Do not make any mistakes, as a buyer could call you out on something that turned out wrong and screw you over. Use all of the available characters for the title.

A good title is “Titleist 913f 15° Fairway 3 Wood Regular Graphite Diamana 82”. This title has the brand, make, loft, type of club, shaft stiffness, shaft material, shaft brand, and shaft weight (respectively).

Basically, list as many things about the club as possible, because someone might be searching eBay looking for all of the Titleist 913 3 woods with a Diamana 82g shaft.

In the description, be as descriptive as possible. If you don’t know much about the club, take more pictures instead. The buyer will probably know more than you, in that case.

Talk about the shaft. What company is it? What is the flex? What is the weight of the shaft? What grip is on there? Is it a regular sized grip or a jumbo grip? Talk about any pieces of damage or scratches that are on the clubs, and make sure you have pictures for those spots.

Pictures: Take the absolute best pictures that you can. Pictures are worth a lot more than you think, so take them seriously. I think the best pictures are taken outside with natural lighting. Take pictures of the bottom of the club head (main picture), top of the club head, club face, parts of the shaft with writing on it, grip, and head cover if included.

Packaging: Finding a package for golf clubs can be difficult. I’ve had to make many boxes myself by flattering out a normal box to as long as it will go. I then use a boxcutter or scissors to make my own long, narrow box perfect for clubs. I protect the club heads with lots of bubble wrap. Make sure the box is tight so that the clubs don’t move too much in transit. I’ve also used curtain rod boxes in the past if I ever find them. After a while, you can build up a good number of boxes by just looking near dumpsters or keeping the ones you get when you buy things. Make sure the final protect is sturdy. If another box is thrown on it (which it probably will be), make sure your club won’t just break in half, as it will be your fault.

Pros of selling golf clubs on eBay: Wider audience, clubs can sell quickly if priced right and your listing has attractive pictures and a good description.

Cons of selling on eBay: Ugh, don’t even get me started. Ok, fine. Anything that goes wrong will be your fault. Fees will eat up your take home cash. You won’t be able to access the money for a while for Paypal to process everything. It can be a lot of work to get perfect pictures and listings, especially if it is your first time.

 

Sell Your Golf Clubs for Cash Locally on Craigslist, Facebook, LetGo, or Offerup

Selling golf clubs locally can often times be a much better option for you. You don’t have to deal with all of the hassle that is eBay and you can keep all of the cash in the end.

Choosing to sell your clubs locally using a website (Craigslist or Facebook) or App (LetGo and OfferUp) is definitely the way to go if you think your clubs will end up selling eventually.

Tips for selling on any of these platforms:

• Take great pictures. The better and more pictures you have, the better the odds that you will sell them. I’ve seen some listing with terrible pictures that could be worth a lot more if the pictures were more professional.
• Give a good description. The better the description, the less questions people will send to you. The might end up asking anyway, because people can be lazy and don’t like to read.
• Be as precise about everything that you can, especially the price. Are you firm on the price? Are you willing to bargain? Be clear that you are looking for $150 firm or $150 OBO (or best offer).
• Meet in a safe area like a bank or police station if possible. We’ve all heard the scary meet up stories, and I’ve been in a few scary situation unfortunately. At least meet in a very public are like a grocery store, and don’t park super far away from where people are.
• Don’t fall for the obvious scams. Only accept cash, don’t send money to anyone for any reason, stop contact with anyone that mentions Western Union.
• Get a cell phone number for them before you meet up. That way if they stop emailing or sending you messages on Facebook, you have another option.
• Expect the worst in buyers. Potential buyers will immediately stop contact even though you think they are interested in your clubs. They will not show up and never message you again. They will try to bargain more when you meet up. They will bargain more after you’ve already agreed on a price. They will change their mind about everything. Expect the worst, and you won’t be let down or surprised.
• Renew your listings as often as you can (weekly typically) to get them to the top of the for sale listings.

For Facebook specifically, check to see if there are any local golf swap or “golf buy and sell” groups. For example, I use a couple facebook groups called “Alabama Golf Trader” that has 2,000 members and about 2-3 posts a day.

I would stick to posting ads in groups dedicated to golf if you can. That is because the general facebook “Marketplace” isn’t exactly your best audience. However, post there if you want to get the most of your clubs, just in case.

Pros: You won’t have to worry about fees, having your money on hold in Paypal, packaging, shipping, feedback, returns, etc.

Cons: People can waste your time. Some people absolutely SUCK! You’ll have to drive to meet people typically. You will run into creepy, sketchy people. You will get tons of spam. Your clubs might sit for a while. Will be more work than you might think.

 

Sell Golf Clubs to Friends

If you know that your friend is looking for a driver, and you have one that you want to get rid of, consider selling it to them.

It’s a win-win situation if it works out. However, selling to friends can be tough.

They might expect a hefty friend discount. If money is not a big concern, I’d go with it. If you need the extra money, I’d forget trying to sell it to them and let them know that you are trying to get as much as you can for it.

There are tons of benefits of selling to someone you know though.

Pros: you trust them, you don’t have to take pictures, list, or ship the club. Hardly no work at all.

Cons: not always easy to sell anything to a friend

 

Sell or Pawn Golf Clubs at a Pawn Shop

An unusual idea? Definitely.

But if you just want some cash ASAP, a pawn shop might be interested in buying or pawning them.

Just know that you won’t get much money at all, as they are notorious for ripping people off.

I completely understand why though, they have a large amount of overhead and expenses to cover. If your clubs are not worth enough or are in too bad of condition, the pawn shop might not be interested at all.

Pros: Quick Cash, don’t have to take pictures, list, sell, meet up, ship, have fees taken out, etc.

Cons: Won’t get much money, might get turned away.

 

Sell to a Golf Club Broker or a Local Golf Pro Shop for Cash

There are lots of companies that buy and sell golf clubs. If you are looking to get the most out of your clubs, don’t sell to them.

If you want quick cash, this is not a bad idea, but it still involves some work.

First, you have to find the broker that you trust the most. I don’t have any experience here because I myself am technically a golf club broker. However, I trust 3Balls Golf and 2nd Swing Golf, for buying clubs, so I would say they are a good place to start if you are looking to sell clubs to a broker.

Another popular broker with lots of good reviews is GolfClubBrokers. They seem to offer a good value for your clubs and are easy to work with.

Now you have to tell them exactly what you have the condition that everything is in. They will give you a price and a shipping label typically.

Depending on if the broker is in your town or not, you might have to package and ship the golf clubs to them.

Then, they will examine the clubs and send you money through check, Paypal, or cash if you are local.

There is still some risk of something going wrong in the shipment process.

If you can, see if you can find a local broker. This might just be a guy that buys and sells clubs on the side, or it could be a local golf course pro shop looking to increase its used golf club offerings. I would type in “golf club broker near me” and see what pops up.

In my opinion, if you are going to go through the hassel of  shipping, you might as well list it on eBay or Craigslist to get more money for selling your clubs.

When you sell to a reseller, they have to leave plenty of room to make a profit, so they won’t pay you much.

Pros: Quick-ish money, less work than eBay or Craigslist, get paid in cash

Cons: Won’t get much money, still have to take pictures and ship unless they are local

 

Trade in Your Clubs to a Store for Store Credit

Some sporting goods stores will accept trade ins for store credit, so this method is only good if you are going to buy more golf clubs or sporting related items from them.

It is similar to college bookstores buying back used textbooks for pennies on the dollar for what was spent to buy them new.

Be prepared: the prices that these places give in trade in value for clubs an be INSULTING. But it makes since, because they have to make a profit in the end.

Trading in clubs is similar to selling to a golf club broker but just getting credit instead of money. It’s not a good deal overall.

For example, Dicks Sporting Goods will only offer $23 in trade in value for my Titleist 910 Driver.

Pros: quick process, easy to do, no hassel involved

Cons: only worth it if you are going to BUY more clubs or items, pays pennies on the dollar, a little insulting

 

Sell Golf Clubs on Forums

If you are active on a golf forum like GolfWRX, consider using there Buy and Sell Forum feature to sell your clubs.

If you are not active on any type of forum, I would stick to facebook and craigslist.

There are many members on forums that are always looking to add more golf clubs to their bags or collections.

Just know that your audience is going to be very small though, and you will still have to put in a lot of work.

Pros: Your audience will be only golfers, your reputation could help you

Cons: Still have to take good pics, make a good description, package, ship, and deal with Paypal.

 

Sell Golf Clubs at Garage Sales and Flea Markets

If you have other things to sell and/or are looking to declutter your home, consider having a garage sale or selling at a local flea market.

There will always be a huge demand for high quality golf equipment, and yard sale veterans know that. They will swipe up good deals quickly.

If you want a bigger turn out, post ads in craigslist and facebook. Mention your address, the times of the sale, and what all you have for sale. The more pictures you include, the better.

Consider putting a fair price on your clubs and allow the buyer to haggle a little. If you want $150 out of your clubs, out $170 on the price tag and be willing to accept $140 or somewhere around there.

For flea markets, make sure you know your local market. If it is a very low cost of living area with no golf courses nearby, you probably won’t find many golfers wandering the market. Feel free to bring the clubs anyway though, because you never know. Considering that most flea market sellers are flipper, you might consider asking some of the sellers if they just want to give you some cash for your clubs, and let them do the selling!

Pros: easy to do, free or inexpensive

Cons: Hard to find many golfers, can take up an entire day possibly

 

Alternate Options:

Don’t think selling your clubs is worth the time or money? I completely understand. It can be a lot of work for little reward.

Here are some other options:

• Donate clubs to goodwill. Goodwills are typically filled with out of date, low demand clubs. If you have clubs that are even a LITTLE valuable, they will be bought very quickly and will go to a great cause.
• Give them to a beginner friend that shows interest in golf. If you know of someone that wants to get into golf but doesn’t have any clubs, considering giving yours to them if they will fit them. They will be grateful and you will feel good about yourself!
• Cut them down and give to (or save for) a kid. This is a great way for kids to get involved in golf. Just cut down the shaft (not hard to do) and put a new grip on it.
• START PLAYING GOLF AGAIN! That’s right. You are about to sell clubs. Is it because you are done with golf? What if you actually keep them and get back into golf? Remember all the good times you have had? I’m just asking that you consider it 🙂