Used Fitness Equipment: Where to Find It

Buying used fitness equipment can save you a few dollars, and frequently you can find close to new equipment. This is especially true of the home gym kind of stuff. People have a tendency to order it on a whim, then use it a few times and forget about it. I actually bought my Bowflex used last year. Not only did it come partially assembled, but it came a lot faster than it would have if I ordered it from the company. (According to folks in our forum, some have waited more than a month to receive a brand new Bowflex.) No matter what kind of fitness equipment you're looking for, you can probably save money if you buy it used.

My favorite place to look is eBay. That's where I got my Bowflex. Do be certain if you buy something from eBay, you take a good look at the seller's feedback rating. Not only do you want to make sure they have a high positive feedback percentage, but you want to look at some of the other stuff they have shipped recently. You want to make sure they have experience packing and shipping whatever it is you're bidding on. If all you're buying is a couple of fitness tapes, anybody can probably ship them out without damaging them (although you'd be surprised). But if you are buying something big and heavy, like a home gym or a treadmill, you definitely want somebody experienced at shipping that sort of thing.

Although eBay is a good place to look, you do have to worry about shipping charges (unless you're lucky enough to find someone on there selling locally). There are other sources that are better for finding used fitness equipment and other heavy items locally, though.

First off, don't discount your local newspaper. Try perusing the classified section for a couple of weeks. If the newspaper isn't cutting it, see if Craigslist (a popular online classifieds) has postings in your city. I know people who have found their apartments, their jobs, and complete sets of furniture all through the Seattle Craigslist. You can often find used fitness equipment in the sporting section.

Lastly, there are some online retailers that have a variety of used fitness equipment. Some of them even have deals offering free shipping. As long as they're not in your state, you shouldn't have to pay tax when ordering either.

Mega Fitness--Exercise Equipment Superstore is one such store--they usually have treadmills and other cardio EQ in their used fitness equipment section.

Bowflex World