Hi all,
I am thinking about selling some of my karting stuff that I don’t use anymore. What is it like to sell used karting things? (Chassis, gear, engines, parts, trailers, etc) I am wondering if it is even worth trying to sell stuff. How difficult is it to sell used things? Also, out of curiosity, how difficult is it to find good used karting things for sale? I’ve seen a lot of people trying to sell/looking for used stuff and I’m wondering what y’all’s experiences have been like. Thanks
I’ve had good luck both buying and selling chassis via Ekartingnews classifieds, as well as eBay. Take good pictures, price it accordingly, respond quickly to any inquiries you receive. The biggest pain is shipping. Helps to have a chassis box handy, and if not you may want to ask your local kart shop about packing/shipping since you’ll need to ship via freight.
The used market is pretty big. There are the usual suspects like eBay and the like. There are Facebook karting sell/buy groups. there is also EKN forums which has a classifieds that was once very active.
Most teams (tent programs) sell equipment new and used as part of their business model. They are usually affiliated with a chassis maker or two.
The used stuff gets a bit tricky in that you kind of have to rely on someone being truthful about when the engine was rebuilt etc. Frames wear over time and lose rigidity but most importantly get scraped on the bottom rails. Enough wear can compromise the frame. Also, frames break and folks re-weld stuff.
Personally I bought all my gear used from tent programs/teams. I liked the idea of buying my gear from the team that will be racing me, objectives aligned.
I have bought and sold karts and kart stuff and like anything you buy and sell on the internet;
caveat emptor (buyer beware)
I would hope that since karting is a relatively small community people would be honest but that is not always the case. I have found some good deals and I think given some good deals but I have been screwed too.
Generally, stuff sells for about half of retail depending on condition or desirability. Generally, the buyer pays shipping but larger items like whole karts would probably be better to find someone somewhat local. I have driven several hours (3-4) away to pick up karts, in one case the seller drove about the same amount to meet me.
Facebook seems to be the primary way to advertise items, especially if you can target other karters (Kartlist and Sprint Kart Racing Classifieds & Tech are two groups I have had good luck with on FB). If you sell a complete kart you will get “tire kickers” with their trademark question “how fast does it go”, they are usually not going to be a buyer. There is a place to post used items on KartPulse but that hasn’t gained much attention.
Do you have a local track or club in your area or sometimes karts end up in SCCA solo II competition too if you have a local chapter of the SCCA.
There are many karts for sale this side, however many are karts that someone has had in storage. They make zero effort to clean it up and present it well in a classified ad! Needless to say, it doesn’t sell. I’ve had people message me on insta with a picture of a kart covered in what appears to be 5 years of dust asking hey I’m selling this are you interested? 
I have purchased two used karts from online ads. The first was for me, race ready, from a
Dad of a karting youth that ran pro. In retrospect, not the best buy. Frame was tweaked and I did not have the knowledge or resources to identify it. Second, third and fourth purchases went much better. Picked up a used Mychron 4 that was/is in good working order. Sourced two GPS units that work fine. Found my Daughter a kid kart that was a little rough around the edges, but still a value. Lastly found a full safety gear set from a parent with three kids that didn’t stick it out for pennies on the dollar.
In the end, I would not recommend buying anything unseen. There are shady folk out there. The proof is in the pudding as they say. When you ship something in, you have no idea what you are getting until it arrives, but by then it’s too late. I suggest buying and selling locally. That way both parties know what they are getting before committing to the exchange. FYI. A motivated seller of quality used equipment is usually not afraid of meeting at half the distance.
OMG! Caveat Emptor, indeed!!
For the love of God, just be TRUTHFULL in what you sell!
I made the HUGE mistake of buying from a local guy from Craigslist. I should have known better. I paid $1800 for a piece of junk! I THOUGHT I knew what to look for, but didn’t see the frame was taco’ed! Did the guy offer to give ANY of my money back? NO! I paid 1800 for a POS I ended up taking to the dump! Just have some effing INTEGRITY!
Sorry to hear that Rob. While I have had good to fair experience I too am more leery lately. Take your time and check things over. Did you have someone verify that it was a lost cause?
Sucks to hear that you got ripped off like that.
As Bob said, did you take it anywhere to see if it could be straightened? Many shops can straighten out pretty twisted karts for a couple hundred bucks.
Yeah, I did. Took it straight down to my local kart track/shop and the first thing the guy said was, “Well, the frame is taco’ed”. I asked him about the possibility of straightening it, and he said it was possible, but it would never be right, probably wouldn’t turn, etc… I even asked him if any of the PARTS were any good after disassembling it. Nope, 20 yo parts, no one would want them. Took the whole lot to the dump.
Oof. Coulda made a yard kart of sorts, maybe?
My spidey senses are going up a little here. There’s always a market for older kart parts on eBay. Sorry to hear you ended up dumping it.
Where are you at with a kart now?
Getting a Birel 206 made at All Star Karting at Prairie City OHV Park. Waiting on an engine shipment, everything else is pretty much done. Got fitted for a seat last week. I’m also still waiting on my helmet from Summit. They’re awaiting a shipment from RaceQuip. Got the rest of my racing gear from Wesco. So I’m ready to go, just waiting on a motor! Don at ASK is even trying to find me a motor from some of his contacts back east! I really appreciate his efforts. Gonna set me up with a proper kart. 
I’m anxious, but at the same time, it’s so bloody HOT right now…I can wait. 
Thing I’m MOST thankful for? (Besides giving me the OK to persue getting a real Kart, and spending EVEN MORE money)
My wife not raking me over the coals for blowing 1800 bucks on a POS!!! I will forever be in her debt for that. 
(Like the beautiful Queen beknighting the karting warrior with permission to go racing with the boys meme)
I would also mention that if you had some pics and a description there are people here that would give input on a purchase.