We Compared Trade-In Prices from 9 Retailers—Here’s Who Pays the Most

The words “budget” and “golf” rarely appear together in one sentence but one way you can keep equipment costs somewhat in check is by taking advantage of used equipment trade-in programs. Whether you’re upgrading, downgrading or not sure what clubs you really want, trading in old golf clubs can help you put funding towards another set (or maybe just back in your bank account).

How much you get for your trade-in can vary from retailer to retailer so although it takes effort, comparing each of their estimated values could mean more money in your pocket. To further illustrate this point, we compared the trade-in value of a used, standard flex, graphite shafted, right-handed PING G440 MAX driver with multiple retailers so you can see who may offer you the most bucks for your used clubs.

Trade-in pricing

The retailers paying the most for trade-ins

You can see from the list above how the estimated trade-in value can vary but many retailers offered similar pricing. 2nd Swing was the standout for having the highest value for the PING driver, coming in almost $15 higher than several others. Interestingly, 2nd Swing touts on their website that they have the highest trade-in values in the industry so make of this what you will.

The majority of the retailers listed landed around the $280 trade-in value mark including Golf Galaxy, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Global Golf, Worldwide Golf and TaylorMade. Worldwide Golf was the only one with the language of “up to” $280, leaving us to guess what the real value may be.

Don’t overlook manufacturers

It may surprise you to see Callaway Golf and TaylorMade listed as options since we were trading in a PING driver for this scenario. However, both of these manufacturers (along with others like Titleist and PXG ) allow trade-ins from almost any brand of golf club.

The caveat with working with companies like these is you typically can only use the trade-in value towards the purchase of new equipment from the manufacturer you’re trading in to.

Retailers may only pay in store credit

Similar to the manufacturers listed, some retailers may only provide a trade-in value in the form of a store credit. This means no matter how much of a trade-in value you see, you’ll only get it to use towards a purchase with them and not cold, hard cash. GolfNow is one example of this, where you can only use trade-in values towards purchases on the GolfNow site.

Some retailers, such as Golf Avenue, will bump up the trade-in value if you use it towards a store credit instead of taking the payment. If the retailer offers something else worth purchasing, then this may be an enticing incentive for you.

How do I know I’m getting fair market value for my trade-in?

Before you input any information into a retailer’s website, you can check the Golf Blue Book site to find the typical market value. The PGA of America Value Guide is another solid source for fair market value. Many retailers rely on these sources and use them to set their pricing which is why you aren’t seeing wild swings in trade-in value from one retailer to the next.

Final thoughts

When you’re ready to part ways with a single club or an entire set, shopping around and comparing trade-in values may mean the difference between a store credit you’ll never use or more money back in your wallet. If you’re putting the credit towards new clubs (and, let’s face it, most of us are), then finding a retailer offering the highest trade-in value is almost like saving money.

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