eBay or a dealer: which gets you more for your golf clubs?
In short
eBay can get you more for recent, popular clubs, and UK private sellers pay no eBay selling fees, but you do the photos, the listing, the questions and the posting, and you wait for a buyer. A dealer offers a trade price, but you get one quote from photos, no listing and no waiting: we pay cash on the spot when we come to you, or add the postage to your payment when you post your clubs.
Most people with a bag of clubs to sell weigh up four routes: eBay, Facebook Marketplace, a trade-in at a golf shop, or selling to a dealer such as us. Which one gets you more depends on what you are selling, how much time you have and how much risk you are happy to take. Here is how they compare.
Selling on eBay
Fees. eBay says it is free for UK-based private sellers to sell: no final value fee and no regulatory operating fee when an item sells. You get 300 free listings a month, then pay 35p for each extra listing, and optional extras such as a subtitle cost more. Buyers pay a separate buyer protection fee on top of your price. (Source: eBay UK, selling fees for private sellers, page updated 30 September 2026, checked 21 October 2026.)
Time. Each club needs good photos, a description that names the make, model, loft, shaft and condition, and answers to buyers’ questions. When it sells, you pack and post it. Long clubs need a long box, and a full set is heavy.
Risk. A buyer can say the club is not as described and open a return. If a dispute goes against you, eBay can charge a dispute fee, and clubs can be damaged in the post. Popular recent models sell quickly; older or unbranded clubs can sit unsold for weeks.
Selling on Facebook Marketplace
A local sale where the buyer collects and pays you in person costs you nothing, and there is no posting. The catch is the people side: haggling, buyers who do not turn up, strangers coming to your home, and the occasional fake payment. It suits a single set to a local golfer better than a garage full of clubs.
Trading in at a golf shop
A trade-in is quick and safe if you are buying new clubs anyway. It is usually credit against something in that shop rather than cash, and shops tend to take only recent, popular models.
Selling to a dealer
A dealer has to resell your clubs, so the offer is a trade price. In return you send one set of photos, get one quote and agree the price before anything changes hands. We buy most makes from the 1960s right up to date, including older clubs other buyers turn down, and there are only a few clubs we don’t buy. You choose how to sell (see how selling to us works): we come to you within easy reach of the M25 and pay cash on the spot, you bring them to our unit in Warfield, or you send them to us by post and we add the postage to your payment.
The four routes side by side
| Route | Fees to you | Your time | Risk | Cash in hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBay | No selling fees for UK private sellers; 35p a listing after 300 a month | Photos, listing, questions, packing, posting | Returns, disputes, damage in the post | After it sells and the buyer pays |
| Facebook Marketplace | None for a cash sale you arrange in person | Listing, messages, waiting in for buyers | No-shows, haggling, fake payments | When the buyer collects |
| Shop trade-in | None | A visit to the shop | Low | Usually credit, not cash |
| Selling to us | None; we pay the postage on posted clubs | Send photos, agree a price | Low: the price is agreed first | On the spot when we come to you; postage added to your payment by post |
Which should you choose?
If you have one or two recent, sought-after clubs and the time to list them, eBay may well get you more. If you have a full bag, a mix of older clubs, or no time to deal with buyers, a dealer is simpler and you know the price before you part with anything. That is especially true when you are clearing a relative’s golf clubs or selling older golf clubs that are hard to list.
Questions about where to sell
Not to sell. eBay says UK private sellers pay no final value fee and no regulatory operating fee, with 300 free listings a month and 35p for each listing after that (eBay’s private seller fees page, updated 30 September 2026). Buyers pay a separate buyer protection fee on top of the price.
Sometimes. Recent, popular clubs sell well; older clubs can sit unsold for weeks, and a full set is awkward to post. We buy clubs from the 1960s right up to date: see selling older golf clubs.
Not always. A dealer has to resell, so the offer is a trade price. In return you skip the listing, the questions and the wait, and the price is agreed before your clubs leave you.
Send a few clear photos of the make, model and condition through our online enquiry form, or call or text 07880 706308. Our photo guide shows which shots help.