You could perhaps be forgiven for thinking RC was a dying hobby, it certainly used to be but with the advancement in technology courtesy of the rise in popularity of drones, getting into the hobby has never been easier. Models and parts are now more advanced and manufactured in greater numbers, flying for the first time is easier thanks to gyros and other similar systems and the variety has never been bigger.
Big Second Hand Market in RC Models
Buying and selling RC models in the UK is quite easy but it can also be costly, what if you decide it’s not for you or you perhaps buy something that’s a bit out of your comfort zone? It may be a better decision to purchase a used model, whatever you buy is undoubtedly going to go through a few bumps and bruises as you learn to operate it skillfully and safely.
Perhaps you’re an experienced hobbyist looking for a great deal or just want to try something a bit different without risking too much money. Whatever your situation, you should know that a large second-hand market exists for you to peruse but be careful, it’s a minefield and some websites are a lot better than others!
Looking for a Ready To Fly RC Plane that is suitable for a beginner? Take a look at our top picks, here.
A Frustrating Experience
Buying and selling RC models privately can be difficult and frustrating. In the UK, there are over 70,000 hobbyists registered with national organisations and that niche audience is fragmented across multiple online marketplaces such as eBay & Facebook and occasionally Gumtree, but which is the best place to buy and sell within the niche?
Both Gumtree and eBay really do not have much of an audience with the latter actually costing you to list items! A fair number of hobbyists tend to prefer Facebook but they are certainly frustrated with its functionality and privacy, with Facebook requiring you to upload a social biography to access its market.
Multiple Facebook Groups
On Facebook, the audience is scattered amongst several private groups and pages, ask anyone involved in the hobby and you’ll likely find out they’ve joined at least six or seven Facebook groups.
Assuming you’ve managed to find and join every relevant group, you’re then given the painful and laborious task of trying to list your item to every single page.
It’s the same story when buying, it’s very awkward to browse items or pin down a specific model and the functions for searching just do not exist leaving the experience almost impractical as you must attempt to navigate every single private selling group.
Current Buy Sell Sites Don’t Meet User Needs
Gumtree and eBay are both long running and respected websites however eBay charges you to list items and is unfriendly to users wanting to pay cash and collect directly from the buyer. Cash and collection is the most typical way a transaction in this hobby would take place as it’s important to see and check something before it’s purchased so eBay certainly gets marked down in this regard.
Both websites suffer from being far too broad and simply just do not attract the right sort of audience on a constant and consistent basis so you would struggle to sell your item or get a good price for it.
RCXChange Addresses These Problems
It’s not all doom and gloom though! The latest website on the block is born out of the noted frustrations, created by a fellow hobbyist and aims to make buying & selling in the RC niche a breeze. RCXChange allows hobbyists to sign up with just an e-mail account and once set up, users can start posting listings straight away free of charge and even engage in community discussions within the forums or by commenting on individual listings.
If you’re looking to buy an item, it’s simple to search, either via keyword if you’re after something specific or by browsing through the many categories, these searches can then be filtered further by location and price.
All types of RC are encouraged on the website, from planes and cars to drones and sailboats as well as related accessories, tools and gear. It’s also easy and free to post a listing and the presentation is very appealing with easy links to share your listing on social media.
All communication between the buyer and seller can be completed privately and securely through RCXChange’s instant messaging system, allowing hobbyists to exchange details such as addresses, numbers and other relevant information, the users can even rate each other’s experiences, allowing feedback to be built up for respected and safe members of the site, the site is also actively moderated to ensure the safety of users against scams as much as possible.
The site aims to uphold the user’s privacy as much as possible. Your e-mail is the only personal information kept about you on a permanent basis and your exact location and name is yours to disclose on a private basis between other hobbyists.
If you’re considering selling some of your RC kit, or acquiring more – or you’re a beginner and are looking for a bargain to buy with confidence – make sure you check out RCXChange.
