Tips and Tricks on touching up Hi fi your Selling

Nightcleaner

Super Member
How do you touch up the scuff marks on black Hi fi your selling. For example do you go over the marks with a Black indelible pen. Thanks
 
A Sharpie pen works.....

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Actually, Sharpies don't work all that well--they leave a shiny bluish black mark. I have found that Kiwi Black Paste shoe polish works well for scuffs--apply like car wax, let dry and buff out. For deeper scratches/gouges, black nail polish (available in various gloss levels) also works well. Then there are always the Testor model paints available at any hobby store.
 
I've done that but the "repair" will be noticeable. Same was so with paints acquired at model hobby shops.

On occasion I've visited a U-Blast place, sand blasted the entire cover down to bare metal then primed and re-spray painted the whole thing There are some pretty good aerosol paints that work well but chances of finding an exact match for shade and finish are slim to none.

A Sharpie is obviously the cheapest cover up but you could also consider selling it with blemishes intact and let the prospective new owner have the fun.

Battle scars!!
 
you could also consider selling it with blemishes intact and let the prospective new owner have the fun.

I agree with this one. A lot of times, I'll just clean it up as best I can with a minimal amount of effort and sell as-is. Saves me time and aggravation, and I can let it go cheaper if I don't have a ton of time invested. Also, a "half-assed" hack job/repair on the outside just begs the question of what kind of "half-assed" repair/hack job may have been done on the internals.
 
Try a small can of satin black water based paint using an artist brush. Wipe off any excess.
 
If I have any slight lifting of vinyl or veneer I’ll gently pull it up and pull away any loose MDF so the area will lay flat.
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Then I’ll use a tooth pick with a little Gorrilla brand super glue and apply to the lifted material and the cab.
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I’ll use a business card or similar and press down on the area moving from the inside of the area out. If any glue squeezes out immediately wipe away then reapply pressure while moving slightly from the inside out. I’ll flip the card incase some of the excess glue stuck to it.
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This only takes a few seconds to stick with moderate pressure. I’ve done this countless times on speakers, receivers, any item with lifted material. It has always worked well and is permanent.
If some of the lifted material is missing I’ll paint the area black first with a fine hobby brush or in the case of veneer I’ll use a touch up pen in the closet finish I have. Once it dries I’ll apply the lifted material as shown above, this blends well and does a good job at (repairing) these areas.
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After all issues are glue down I’ll clean the cabs as I normally would.
 
Thanks so far, fantastic response. Don't forget guys, If any of these tricks work for you, or you have some of your own, you love to share let us all know

Thanks In advance
 
Another note, if it is veneer that is lifted you obviously cannot pull it up to get a tooth pick under it. I will put the glue on both sides of a very thin rigid material, I use shims for centering voice coils. Once the glue is applied I’ll slide it under the veneer apply pressure and pull the shim out leaving the glue behind. As before wipe off any excess and reapply pressure. I do this on HiFi I’m keeping too.
 
I've successfully super-glued broken grille cover pins after pulling the broken part out of the socket. It's tricky business to get them straight but they've survived repeated (very careful) remove and replace of grilles.
 
I'll point out any and all imperfections I know about during an audition and 100% of the time the buyers appreciate my honesty and quite often they'll return for more gear

I am perhaps my own worst enemy when it comes to this. I am so OCD that I will point out stuff that potential buyers would never even notice during an audition, and perhaps even never, after they took it home. But OTOH, I don't get phone calls two days later from unsatisfied customers.
 
I point out any issues but still do my best to make whatever I’m selling look and perform the best it can. This can be compared to touching up chipped paint, polishing chrome, polishing all exterior light lenses, cleaning the carpet, etc on vehicles. If you get a chip in a windshield you may have it filled instead of replacing the windshield. I wouldn’t say your covering or hiding this issue. Would you fill a chip on a Ferrari 250 GTO, of course not. If I was selling speakers that were in 250GTO league then a refinish is necessary.
If I have a chip in the veneer of a $500 pair of speakers I’m not going replace the veneer and I’m certainly not going to leave a nasty chip exposing the MDF, this is why you got them cheap in the first place. I’ll stain it to match then show clear pictures of all the areas with issues. I’ve filled areas before with stainable filler then refinished. This area was obvious to the buyer and they were satisfied with the offering as it looked better.
Coming across a pair of JBL Lancer 77’s for instance, that look ok and making them look very good and perform excellent to make a few hundred bucks makes sence without cheating anyone. Nobody wants (barn find) speakers, at least not the end user. I agree with previous post, covering these issues then offering the product as excellent or 100% is shady. I’ve been very successful on eBay selling many pairs of speakers to buyers from Japan to France and in between. I usually get at least a quarter to a third more in revenue compared to the same speakers listed by others. The higher sales price is due to attention to detail and clear well executed pictures, I’ve never had one issue with any offering. Now picking up a set of $500 studio monitors having the talent to turn them into $6000 studio monitors, that I wish I had the ability to do, I’ll leave that to Kenrick the ultimate speaker flipper.
 
I clean up the inside and outside as best I can and use an automotive quick detail wax to get a nice shine.
I have blasted and powder coated cabinets that were beat but I always list it as such. If I was looking for an original piece and got one that had been redone I would be annoyed.

I then take a bunch of photos to point out any flaws (as well as showing off the good points).
Just having clean gear that isn't full of fingerprints and dust puts you ahead of 95% of what's out there.

Basically I know what I would look for and don't want anyone seeing any "surprises" when they open the box. If I saw undisclosed sharpie touch up or paint over dings I'd be sending it right back.
 
I only touch up to hide blems for my benefit as it's mine and stuff like that chews my ass.
Trying to hide blems to fetch a higher price, well...
 
I see where most of these posts deal with black finishes. But if anyone wants to touch up wood or wood veneer surfaces on their receiver cases or speakers I have a "brew" that works wonders and is quick and easy to apply. Mix 2/3rds boiled linseed oil, 1/3rd gum turpentine and a little walnut or other stain together well and apply with 0000 steel wool. Let dry for about 1/2 hour then wipe off the excess. Makes wood surfaces look like new again.
 
Also, a "half-assed" hack job/repair on the outside just begs the question of what kind of "half-assed" repair/hack job may have been done on the internals.


My personal favourite is the photo of the ''FULLY RESTORED!!!!!!'' unit sitting on an absolutely filthy and cluttered workbench or kitchen table totally surrounded by crap.Nothing screams half-assed like a crooked old Weller soldering gun,dirty paint and tooth brushes,spraycans of WD40,Windex,furniture polish and a pile of incredibly soiled rags.Some of which is usually sitting on top of the unit! Mmmmm,that really inspires confidence:rflmao:
 
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