Gyms gain name and fame when they have excellent fitness equipment and a good trainer who knows their clients’ pulse. As they grow, some gyms switch over to updated and latest fitness machines.
But some others close down the business due to losses incurred. So what do these closing gyms do with their old equipment? Generally, most gyms either sell out their old equipment to smaller gyms or even sell it to individual clients who might profit from purchasing them. They can do both of them.
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Who Picks the Used Gym Equipment?
Believe me or not, there is a constant demand for buying old equipment as they are priced cheaper comparatively. So who picks the used gym equipment in most cases? Small gyms face ample money crunches and would love to pick up any used gym equipment in working condition. Even individual users are interested in used equipment as they can choose from various options and purchase more products at a lesser price.
Sometimes, the owner auctions the products selling to the highest bidding small gym or even sell them to individual users at a lower price if they had been a regular to the gym and close contact with the owner.
Our only concern is to become healthy and achieve fitness, which is possible by exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced diet. In no way does it care whether the equipment and machines we use to exercise are old or new. And the output is dependent only on your efforts are taken.
Hence, it is beneficial to buy used equipment from gyms when you know that it is in good working condition.
Do Gyms Buy Used Equipment?
Smaller gyms thrive on word-of-mouth reviews and recommendations. They also run on a tight budget, and hence, most of them buy used equipment from bigger gyms when there is an opportunity to do so.
Gyms are commercial places that run fully depends on their performance and customer satisfaction. Having various equipment and a good trainer helps people excel in their efforts irrespective of whether the machines are brand new or too old.
The old equipment mostly works well and remains durable. The primary problem with them is that they look worn out and suffer from dents or peeled paints that give them an old look.
But giving excellent touch-up works and getting it ready to look as good as new should work advantageous for these smaller gyms.
Where to Buy Old Equipment?
Once you’ve made up your mind to buy old equipment after analyzing the pros and cons thoroughly, now you might be in a dilemma on how to go about choosing the right place to buy the old equipment.
Where to buy old equipment? You might want to ask. There are dealers in fitness equipment who can guide you to the best vendor who puts in old products for resale, or there are also some dealers who directly purchase fitness equipment from gyms and resell it at a higher price. Reputed big gyms sell their old equipment directly to vendors from whom you can make your deal too.
Nowadays, online purchasing has become the trend, and there are buying or selling sites that deal with both old and new products. You can buy old equipment from the web as this also comes with a guarantee for the product.
You can expect everything right from barbells, weights, and squat racks to treadmills and ellipticals to be sold online.
5 Tips to Buy Used Equipment from Gyms
You have decided upon buying old equipment to set up your home gym (this saves ample time and money, which would otherwise be wasted on gym memberships).
But the main problem now is to know the difference between good/bad gym equipment and make the right decision.
Given here are five handy tips for buying used equipment from the gym:
- Understand the difference between the 3 basic conditions of used gym equipment
- Familiarize yourself with the machines you want to buy
- Know what you need and set a budget for the purchase
- Realize that purchasing used gym equipment helps you save ample money and time
- Be sure that the dealer is reliable and trustworthy
Now, let’s look into each of the five tips in detail to understand them better.
1. Understand the difference between the 3 basic conditions of used gym equipment
Used gym equipment belongs to any of the three categories: as-is (working condition), serviced and cleaned, and remanufactured, each of which bears different pricing.
Buying old equipment in the ‘as-is’ condition (as good as it is just right out of the warehouse) is the cheapest as you buy the machine without any added expenses.
But this is recommended only when all that you want is a piece of simple equipment that helps you stay healthy without any fuss.
If you are particular about certain features and would like to have something much better, it is better to buy a serviced and cleaned product.
Too much usage can bring about wear and tear of the equipment (or certain parts in the equipment), and servicing the product prevents any mishaps or failures, thereby promising longevity.
But, if you would like to add a machine that looks as good as new, it is better to get it ‘remanufactured.’ This means that every part of the machine, right from inside parts to the outside look, is redone to bring about a new look. But, indeed, the look and feel of the machine differ depending on the job done.
2. Familiarize yourself with the machines you want to buy
You might be a beginner trainer who is unfamiliar with exercise equipment but only sure of one thing—fitness and health are guaranteed when you exercise regularly. So, you might be on the lookout for exercise equipment that can do you good.
But you don’t need to become aware of the various equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, and other strength-training machines available in the market.
You just need to familiarize yourself with the machine that helps with your exercising needs. But it is necessary to understand and know different features that would help you pick the right equipment for your use.
For instance, cardio equipment comes with standard features such as variable resistance levels, intensity levels, incline capabilities, heart rate monitoring, and monitor consoles, which help you decide/reject equipment.
Such specifications and features will be of great aid when you are picking ‘as-is’ equipment—you can get a checklist of basic items and functional and working features.
Knowing various brands that sell these products and understanding the top reputable brands in the fitness industry will give a fair idea of whether buying the used equipment of this brand is worth the money.
3. Know what you need and set a budget for the purchase
So, now that you are familiar with the machines available for working out various parts of your body and also the features offered by them, it becomes ideal that you list down your needs from the machine that you have decided to buy.
Then, set a clear budget in mind and a reasonable one that can fetch a machine that fits all your needs. When both budget and features are set, it now becomes easy to narrow down your choices and focus on making the final decision.
4. Realize that purchasing used gym equipment helps you save ample money and time
Buying a piece of new gym equipment costs you a fortune and will debilitate your budget for the month. You would be required to spend ample money buying a new machine that functions well and offers various additional features and accessories.
However, we are always hesitant to go for old products as they have been used for a long time and subjected to wear and tear, affecting the equipment’s functioning.
But choosing good equipment from a reputed buyer who guarantees the good working condition of the old gym equipment helps you save a tremendous amount of money that can be diverted into anything else of your choice.
Even if you decide on remanufacturing the equipment, the final costs you incur after all the touch-ups and part replacements still benefit your pocket, saving huge bucks.
5. Be sure that the dealer is reliable and trustworthy
You know what the best equipment that should be included in your home gym is. You have come up with the list of specifications and functionalities that this equipment should offer. And the final price you are willing to pay for the equipment has been fixed.
And most importantly, you are 100% sure that you have no second to thinking about buying old gym equipment.
Now all that’s left is to approach the right seller, which is easier said than done as numerous individuals and companies in the market do business selling used gym equipment.
Purchasing a used gym machine incurs huge costs, and hence, your investment should reap benefits, and there is a definite guarantee that the equipment would last long as assured.
Thus firstly, make sure that a dealer is a reputable person who has good customer feedback and is reliable.
Secondly, it is better to test the equipment for yourself before finalizing it.
Thirdly, if you choose to get it remanufactured or ‘serviced and cleaned’, it would be better if you are present when the dealer/concerned person changes fittings, cleans the machine, gives touch-ups, and doesn’t hesitate to walk you through each process involved.
The refurbishing that goes into the old equipment with your own eyes gives you confidence and encouragement that the product would be durable and function smoothly.
Where Can I Sell My Own Used Equipment?
Many of us set up home gyms and, in due course, might be shifting to some other city or country which calls for selling the used equipment immediately. Or you want to sell the used equipment as you are upgrading to a better version.
So, when you are ready to sell used home gym products, it is always better to sell them on the web. There are also possibilities that you can approach smaller gyms and offer your final price on your equipment.
Selling on the web helps you get directly in touch with the buyer, which helps you negotiate the terms and final price without miscommunication.
Selling to smaller gyms might be tricky sometimes as they test your product many times before closing the buy and could even negotiate more closely on the final purchase amount.
Do you want to sell your used fitness equipment? You can read this guide for more tips.
In Closing
Every penny saved is worth the efforts taken as it’s our hard-earned money that’s going for a toss otherwise. Hence, there is no harm in buying old gym equipment as long as you are sure that it is in good working condition and would function smoothly.
Gyms sell off their old equipment either when they are closing or upgrading, both of which are good deals to the buyer, especially when the gym is a popular one that’s known for maintaining their equipment in tip-top condition.
So, if you are a small gym trying to buy old equipment or a personal investor looking for a good machine to invest in your home gym, you can always buy old equipment as long as you follow the five tips given above. This way, you can ensure a good purchase and assures the machine’s quality.
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