Where Can I Sell Used Bowling Balls?
Bowling balls can be valuable if they’re sold at the correct venue. Some resellers might be wondering where the best places are to sell used bowling balls.
So, where can I sell used bowling balls? There are quite a few options for selling used bowling balls. From eBay to Facebook groups to pro bowling shop, there are a lot of great options. However, you might find that some bowling balls may not be worth reselling. These can be donated to youth bowlers, bowling alleys, secondhand shops, etc.
Whether you found a few bowling balls taking up space in your house or sourced one at a thrift store, you can definitely make a profit by reselling it.
Here are a few of the places you can sell used bowling balls!
Sell Used Bowling Balls Online
If you want to sell used bowling balls, there are a lot of options to do so online. This is a little more complicated than selling locally because you have to think about payment processing fees, platform fees, and also shipping costs (which could be quite high do to the weight of bowling balls). However, if you’re willing to work through those extra costs, selling used bowling balls online can be quite profitable.
Don’t forget that you can also sell other bowling accessories such as bowling ball bags, bowling shoes, rags, etc. There is a pretty good market, especially for vintage items!
Selling Used Bowling Balls on eBay
eBay is a great place to sell used bowling ball, if your ball is worth it. As you can see from the screenshot below, some bring in really good money while others are barely worth the time and effort to list and ship them. The condition of the ball makes are great difference in being able to resell it. If the ball shows any cracks or chips, don’t bother trying to resell them.
PRO TIP: Try to clean up the ball and put it in good lighting with a plain background. See the result below “16 LV Brunswick Danger Zone”? Look how shiny the ball it and how clean the background area is… It also happens to be the highest sold price of the results shown. Check out all of our eBay picture tips for taking better photos.
Let’s look at the fee structure and see if selling bowling balls on eBay is profitable. Here is a screenshot of what Terapeak tells me is the average selling price and shipping cost for the last year. We will calculate our fees based on that.
38.00 Sale Price
22.50 Shipping
60.50 TOTAL MONEY RECEIVED
(5.00) Item Cost
(22.50) Estimated Shipping Cost
(6.05) eBay Final Value Fee (10%)
(2.05) PayPal Fee (2.9% + $0.30)
(35.60) TOTAL COSTS
TOTAL PROFIT: $24.90 (that’s a 41% profit margin!)
Another thing you’ll need to think about when selling on eBay is how you’re going to ship the bowling ball. Most a very heavy and therefore the shipping cost is going to be very expensive.
Using the eBay shipping calculator, estimating 17lbs and a 12″ x 12″ x 12″ box shipped from the Midwest to California, here is the estimated costs for USPS, UPS, and FedEx:
USPS | UPS | FedEx |
Priority Mail | UPS Ground | FedEx Ground |
1-3 business days | 1-5 business days | 1-5 business days |
$25.81 | $23.91 | $45.07 |
Selling Used Bowling Balls on Facebook
There are quite a few Facebook Groups that you can be apart of to sell used bowling balls. You’ll need to check each group and read all the rules before posting things for sale, but it could be a much simpler option than selling on eBay or other marketplaces. One of the great benefits of selling your used bowling balls on Facebook is the members of those groups are going to be people who are specifically looking to buy or trade bowling balls. You’re narrowing down your target buyer to the exact people who are looking to buy what you have to sell.
Here are a few groups you should check out:
Most of these groups not only let you sell your used bowling balls but you can also see about trading with someone else too! Here is a breakdown of costs if you were to sell your used bowling ball on a Facebook group (based on the same average selling prices as eBay).
60.50 Sale Price
0.00 Shipping
60.50 TOTAL MONEY RECEIVED
TOTAL PROFIT: $30.95 (that’s a 51% profit margin!)
Selling Used Bowling Balls Locally
If you’d rather save on the selling fees and shipping, you can try selling your used bowling balls locally. However, by selling locally, you’re only reaching the people in your area who are interested which could make things more difficult for you and you could get less money.
Local Buy, Sell, Trade, Facebook Groups
This option isn’t quite as good because you’re not directly targeting people who are looking to buy used bowling balls. These groups are filled with anything and everything and if there aren’t any bowlers in the group who need a used bowling ball, you’re wasting your time.
However, you never know and you might just find the right person and because to make a local transaction that is cheaper than selling and shipping from one of the bowling specific Facebook Groups.
Craigslist
Similar to the issue with local Facebook groups, you could run into a supply and demand issue with Craigslist. However, at least with Craigslist, you can list it in the Sporting Goods category which narrows the audience down a little bit more than Facebook groups do.
Do Pro Shops Buy Used Bowling Balls?
Not all pro shops buy used bowling balls, some do and some don’t. The best thing you can do is call your local pro bowling shops and ask if they buy used bowling balls. There are some shops who only sell new bowing balls, so they certainly won’t buy a used one from you.
However, for shops that do sell used bowling balls, if you have a good brand that is still in good condition, they might just buy it off of you and it’s definitely worth asking about it. Keep in mind that the pro shop will want to resell it so you might not get top dollar for it (they’ll want to make a little money too). You might get $10 to $15 per bowling ball.
Another option, if you are looking to get a bowling ball yourself, is Pro Bowling Shops might offer a trade in. So you can get yourself a new bowling ball and get rid of the old one.
Do Pawn Shops Buy Used Bowling Balls?
Getting a pawn shop to buy your used bowling ball might be a little difficult. They are used to dealing with common items like jewelry, tools, instruments, electronics, etc. For specialty items like bowling balls, they might find it difficult to put a value on it. It’s going to greatly depend on the pawn shop and what they want to do. They may stay away from bowling ball just for the reason that they’re heavy and a pain in the neck to move around.
The good news is, there are usually multiple pawn shops in the area so if you get denied by one, just move on to the next place. You’ll probably find somewhere to give you something for it.
Do Bowling Alleys Buy Used Bowling Balls?
Most bowling alleys do not buy used bowling balls. In fact, the way they acquire a lot of ball is simply by people leaving them there. Unless your bowling alley has a pro shop in it, they will not buy your bowling ball. But it’s a good way to give it away 🙂
If you’re just looking to give away your bowling ball, ask the alley. They may be willing to take it and give it to youth bowlers or donate it to someone who can’t afford to buy one. There are a lot of great charitable options for donating used bowling balls.
What to Do With Bowling Balls You Can’t Sell
There are a lot of things you can do with unsellable bowling balls. From donating them to painting them to tossing them into the river (not recommended 🙂 ) there are many ideas seen online!
Here are some ideas:
donate them to Goodwill or another thrift/consignment shop
paint and use as a lawn decoration
donate to youth leagues or high schoolers
sheet metal workers; they pound a rod into the thumbhole and use the ball to shape metal
give to someone who raises hogs; they like to push the bowling ball around their pin