COE Annual Gear Sale
The Gear Sale is your opportunity to buy or sell new and used outdoor gear. The event is open to everyone!
When: Saturday, 7 December, 9am to 12noon
Where: Ramin Room, Bartels Hall, Cornell University
Please note the only forms of payment we're allowed to accept are the credit cards Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express.
For answers to more Gear Sale questions, see our FAQ below.
Consignment
Do you have your own gear that you'd like to sell on consignment? Items can be dropped off at the COE Outfitting counter Mon. 2 Dec. - Fri. 6 Dec.
Please follow our instructions for filling out the Gear Sale PDF form for the gear you want to sell. If you are unable to fill out the PDF form, you can fill it out with a COE staff member when you drop off your gear. If you have questions/concerns or need accommodations please contact: Ben Blakeley, 607-255-1807, brb4@cornell.edu
Gear Sale FAQ
How do I sell my gear at the Gear Sale?
Please follow our instructions for filling out the Gear Sale PDF form for the gear you want to sell. Bring your items to the COE Outfitting counter during open hours (4-7PM) the Monday through Friday prior to the sale.
When you come to drop off your gear, there will be two forms:
You must to sign a Consigner’s waiver.
You must fill out an IRS W-9 form. This form does include your social security number which will be kept in a secure location. This is because all payments made by Cornell can only be done by check.
Checks will be mailed by Cornell University directly to the address on your W-9 or on file with the University.
What’s the consignment fee? What’s the deal with sales tax?
The consignment fee is 20%, and NY state sales tax is 8%, i.e. an item priced at $100 dollars will sell for $108, $8 of which goes to New York State, $20 of which goes to COE, and $80 of which goes back to the seller.
What kind of gear do you accept? Do you accept clothing?
We accept any equipment used for climbing, canoeing, kayaking, cross country and Telemark skiing, snowshoeing, camping, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, stand-up paddleboarding, etc. We are generally not looking for equipment related to team sports, racket sports, etc.
Yes, we accept clothing; we consider technical outdoor clothing to be gear. Anything that would be appropriate to wear for outdoor sports is welcome.
Will you have [fill in the blank] for sale?
We understand that you may be looking for a particular item, but a large proportion of the items for sale come from the public, and many of them arrive the night before the sale itself, so it is logistically impossible to catalog and make public what will be available. Additionally, the idea of the Gear Sale is to participate in the community event and see what serendipitous finds may be. Generally speaking, however, we typically have items for climbing, canoeing, kayaking, cross country and Telemark skiing, snowshoeing, camping, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, stand-up paddleboarding, etc.
What price should I charge for the item I am trying to sell?
A rough rule of thumb is half of the full retail price if the item is in perfect condition. Scale down from there as appropriate. Haggling at the checkout line of the Gear Sale is not an option, so the lower the price of an item, the more likely that it will sell! Please also remember that the consignment fee will be subtracted from the price of the item if it sells, so you will receive back 80% of the price you set.
What if my gear doesn’t sell, and how do I get the money for the gear that was sold?
After the sale, we take one week to do the accounting. Unsold gear then must be picked up at the COE Outfitting counter during Outfitting open hours from Saturday 14 December to Sunday, 22 December. Items not picked up by the 22nd will be considered donated to COE. We much prefer to reunite you with your items, but it is logistically impossible to track everyone down, so we must rely on you to come in during this time period. We will email you if all of your items sold and you do not need to come in.
Checks will be mailed to those who sold items.
Is there a limit to the number of items I can sell?
Yes; there is a limit of 30 items per seller. There is no limit on number of items purchased at the sale.
Do you take large items, like canoes and kayaks?
Yes, but you must bring them to COE on the final Friday of the drop-off period between 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Prior to Friday, we are not able to accommodate these large items due to storage constraints.
What forms of payment do you take?
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express