How to Sell a Kirby Vacuum
One of the selling points of Kirby vacuum cleaners is their high resale values due to solid construction and a great reputation for lifespan. When you're ready to move on to a newer model, or just to sell your old vacuum cleaner, it's surprisingly easy to do with a well-worded ad or online auction page.
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Things You'll Need
- Kirby vacuum cleaner
- Pen and paper
- Cardboard box
- Packing tape
- Old newspaper or packing materials
Instructions
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Research
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1
Begin by taking stock of all parts and accessories you have for the vacuum cleaner. Over the years, it's easy to acquire a bunch of extra parts like hoses, spare bags and belts, or cleaner heads, in addition to the vacuum cleaner itself. Write these down on a piece of paper.
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2
Go to the Kirby website to get a rough price for your vacuum cleaner and its accessories when new. Note the prices on the paper for all the equipment you've acquired.
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3
Go to eBay or another online site where used things can be purchased. Look at the prices of your vacuum and comparable packages of accessories on the site, noting and comparing the conditions of these vacuums to yours.
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Use that information to set a price for your item, being realistic about the condition of your equipment.
If you plan to auction your vacuum cleaner, note that lower-priced items are more likely to have bids than higher-priced ones.
Writing the ad
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5
Describe the condition of your vacuum. Briefly mention how long you've had it and why you're selling it. Mention also your experience with the vacuum cleaner, and talk about the reputation and positive qualities of the brand.
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6
List the items you're selling with the vacuum.
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7
Mention any special provisos or instructions about the transaction.
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8
Edit, re-read, and re-edit the ad. You want a professional, well-written and grammatically correct ad. Try reading the ad aloud, and ask other people to check it as well.
Packing
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9
Take the handle off of the vacuum and disconnect the bag.
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10
Place the heavy parts in the base of the box, surrounded by crumpled newspaper or packing materials.
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11
Put some layers of newspaper on top of the cleaner and repeat step 2 with the remaining parts or accessories, leaving the lighter parts for last.
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12
Weigh the package and calculate the shipping using the USPS or another courier's website.
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13
Pack the box tightly with more newspaper and tape it closed.
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Tips & Warnings
Think about the kinds of people who would be interested in your vacuum when you're writing the ad.
If you're selling the cleaner on eBay or another auction site, think about when the auction will end. You want the final minutes of the sale to be when your target audience is most likely to be using the computer. A lunch break at the end of the week, or after work toward the beginning of the week are good times.
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Comments
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Have you ever been on the purchasing side of a Kirby sales person coming to your home. It is incredibly full of making you feel terrible about how you have been cleaning your home and exposing your family to...etc etc. It is based on fear and making you feel inadequate and when you speak to others and ask how they felt whether they purchased on or not was the same. a mixture of being mad, pressured and inadequate as a person who wants a clean home. Terrible tactics! and not even a highly rated product when compared to price! It is the same book used by some other industries who stoop to fear tactics in selling to less confident or educated consumers or professionals.
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heidiscathouse
Nov 30, 2009
Hi Grahame. This is good advice for selling a vacuum in general, but there are two major factors that are lacking here that are important for selling a Kirby vacuum. One is that Kirby does not provide pricing information on their website, so telling readers to go there to find out prices on new equipment isn't going to help. In fact, people pay quite varied amounts for the same model and set of add-ons depending on who the salesperson is, whether they try to negotiate, etc. Also, new equipment can only be purchased directly from Kirby, and they void all warranties if the vacuum is not kept by the original purchaser. Absurd, I know, but anyone buying or selling a Kirby vacuum should be aware of this.
