Why won't my cymbal sell?

C

Claude Abraham

Member
I listed my 1972 A Zildjian 20 inch medium ride on ebay. Condition is mint, not played for 30+ years. I included close up pics. A week passed & not 1 bid was placed.
I'm just wondering if you had any thoughts as to why. Are 20 inch medium rides too "plain vanilla?" Are cymbals this old not in demand? Any thoughts are appreciated. Also, my Pearl double braced 3 leg 1990s high hat failed to get even 1 bid.
I just don't get it. The starting price seems low to me. But nobody wants either item.
Any advice?
 

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(the cymbal) Beneficial to include weight (if you didn't..
(what is the weight- lbs and oz can be converted to grams- if you have that from say a Post office scale etc etc
"Weight"
 
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I would think people are scared off by the shipping cost.
It looks like it's calculated automatically by the zip code you enter.
I put in one for Texas and it came up $152.60
One for New York is $105.20

www.ebay.com

A Zildjian 20 Inch Medium Ride Cymbal 1972 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for A Zildjian 20 Inch Medium Ride Cymbal 1972 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!
www.ebay.com
 
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The ad says 171.10 shipping when I open it. So that would, ummmm, discourage me.

Also, maybe I'm nitpicky, but a cymbal that has had logos polished off probably shouldn't be described as "mint." Excellent, perhaps, but mint means exactly like new, except not new. Just a thought.

But I think the shipping is the problem.
 
yes $84 shipping to where I am
also Including "foot pic" in pictures always "bad luck".
 
wildbill said:
I would think people are scared off by the $105.20 shipping cost.
Click to expand...

$92 is a fair starting price, but the shipping calculation is way off. It says $193 for me in Los Angeles!

But a '70s 20" Zildjian Ride is very common, I have 19 of them. (91 Zildjian 20" rides in total!)

Fix the shipping thing and you'll get some bites. That cymbal should fetch $125-150.
 
nicer pics, some tips:
solid colour background for your cymbal (a towel works well)
no other items in the pic
 
jda said:
72 (might never had the big ink +/-
Click to expand...
True, but it looks like it's been polished. And mine from the seventies at least had the size and type in black ink. I'm not sure what other inking styles they put out.

To me, though, that cymbal doesn't appear mint, since it looks like it's been cleaned. That said, it wouldn't be any kind of deal-breaker for me.
 
Polish never hurt anyone; )

No weight and wacky shipping is hindering this one. 72 was a good year for A's +/-
either last of older school Quincy or before the move to Norwell
 
jda said:
Polish never hurt anyone; )

No weight and wacky shipping is hindering this one. 72 was a good year for A's +/-
either last of older school Quincy or before the move to Norwell
Click to expand...
To be fair, I clean the logos off most cymbals, lol. I'm just aware it can affect resale. 😉
 
Definitely include the weight. For me, I know if I'm looking for a heavy or light example and a seller not knowing is tedious and sometimes a deal breaker. The older Zildjians definitely have some variance in the poundage of similar cymbals. Also, edge pic can help, such as the cymbal flat on a flat surface and close-ups of the edge, center hole and especially the stamping. There are more than a few things advertised as what they are not. You could also link a sound file with some various sound options to help it sell, proving it doesn't have any sort of overtone howls or sonic troubles.

The shipping is off the charts. I pack my cymbals for the apocalypse, making concentric rings of glued cardboard to support the shape and protect the edge in at least three layers of cardboard or blocks of closed cell foam before even thinking of coming up with a box to house the thing. I've never run into shipping that high.
 
At over $100 for shipping, you are definitely scaring people away. I would box the cymbal up, take it to the post office, FedEx, or UPS, and have them weigh it and give you rates for all sections of the country. Then, you'll have accurate shipping totals.
 
Yikes. $193 to ship to Los Angeles. Damn, the cymbal's not even worth that:LOL:. The auction below you (WITH BIDS) currently has the cymbal at $117.50 plus $18 to ship.

www.ebay.com

20" ZILDJIAN A CUSTOM MEDIUM RIDE CYMBAL - VERSATILE | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 20" ZILDJIAN A CUSTOM MEDIUM RIDE CYMBAL - VERSATILE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
harryconway said:
Yikes. $193 to ship to Los Angeles. Damn, the cymbal's not even worth that:LOL:. The auction below you (WITH BIDS) currently has the cymbal at $117.50 plus $18 to ship.
Click to expand...

I have 4 A Custom 20" rides already but that's a nice price... 5 is a nice round number! :)
 
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