Advice on buying used bats

[GusHiggins12]

I’m interested in buying my 8U player a used composite bat, but I have some questions about buying used. I can’t find much in the size I’m seeking in sites like sideline swap or eBay, but I have some prospects on Facebook. What questions would you ask of the seller to get a good read on what you’re buying? Of course they’re mostly going to say it’s in good condition and things like that, but I’m hoping some more experienced buyers have tricks on vetting these purchases. Thanks for any help you can provide!


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[Cornbread]

What brand of used bats are you looking for? I wouldn’t buy used ghost bats. If I was buying other brands I would buy the most beat up looking bat I could find.

 

[GusHiggins12]

What brand of used bats are you looking for? I wouldn’t buy used ghost bats. If I was buying other brands I would buy the most beat up looking bat I could find.

I'd really like to find a Demarini CF or an LS LXT since she's swung those in practice and games from her teammates and liked them. I found a 2020 CF Zen for $150, which seems like a decent price when looking at the market, but I'm new to this realm.

 

[KrisHur]

I wouldn't worry too much about damage - at 8U they don't hit hard enough to "use up" the bat. I'd be more worried about the bat that's been used to hit the dirt, fence, dugout floor. Look for damage around the top. Be sure the buyer will take it back and give a refund. No refunds can mean they know something about the bat that you won't discover until you get it.

 

[GusHiggins12]

I wouldn't worry too much about damage - at 8U they don't hit hard enough to "use up" the bat. I'd be more worried about the bat that's been used to hit the dirt, fence, dugout floor. Look for damage around the top. Be sure the buyer will take it back and give a refund. No refunds can mean they know something about the bat that you won't discover until you get it.

Thanks for that. Ended up going with a 2021 LXT for $160 that looked good around the cap and looked well-used otherwise. Hope it works out!

 

[Strike2]

A picture is worth a thousand words. As long as it doesn't show obvious significant damage, nothing an 8U swings is going to break. I bought used bats for my DD when she was playing 14-18U with a 100% success rate. You can tell by the pics and the general track record of the bat if there's going to be a problem.

I wouldn't be hung up on "no refunds". Every bat I ever bought or sold on ebay came with a "no refunds" contingency. As a seller, you have no idea what someone does after they receive it, and then wants to return it. I don't know of any retailer that will accept the return of a bat not in the original wrapper. Any resale bat listing should show the bat from all angles. If it shows up with damage that was concealed, especially to a level that makes it unusable, ebay will likely make the seller refund your money anyway.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

FB pages are full of scammers and good people selling used bats...good luck and hope it works out.

Main thing...remember when buying used, these are NR bats and pay for them as such. Even if the person says it comes
with receipt, the receipt will not be in your name and for the most part, you will not get the bat replaced. If you use their name
and your address, it may get replaced but the bat may never get to you because some returns require signature, and your name will not be
on the package...haha. If you fill out the return and use your name but the receipt says somebody else, it will be denied as
warranties arent transferrable. If its a used bat and they say they will have a receipt in your name, it will be fake. So back to the
basic point....just treat used bats as NR and pay the price according to that thought.

Anything else, just ask for as many good pics as you can get.