Shipping on pallets

Hire off-duty firemen. 

You can buy all the strapping and requisite tools on Amazon. Pallets are usually available locally with a Google search.

The greatest expense is finding a shipper that will pick up a pallet from a residence and deliver to a residence, as you need a pallet jack and a movable tailgate.

The alternative is to look on UShip and find a transporter that can handle them properly. Hopefully, you have the boxes/packing materials. Just list your needs.

Bob

Always keep the box and the accompanying packaging or sell locally so it is the buyers responsibility.

Hire some kids to do the muscle work while you supervise. Plenty of YouTube videos on how to do this. TMR audio also has a video. Like said above, Amazon can deliver everything necessary to pack it securely on a pallet (straps and plastic wrapping). FedEx Freight will pick up from your garage with a lift gate truck. 
 

Don’t let this minor issue limit you on your music journey. 

I have never used this company and suggest you contact them for more info.  

See link for pallet delivery service

I also suggest you search on shipping company with pallets or shipping company offering pallet service.  You might need to call them.  I hope this helps. 

Just asked for a quote to move a pair of speakers from NM to OR. They quoted nearly $3K. Speakers made a trip from NM to WA a couple years ago for $800 with DHL. Fully insured on a pallet 

As mentioned, purchase the packing materials so you can strap the speakers, amps, or whatever to a pallet yourself.  Find a business that accumulates excess pallets and will give you one, or simply buy a pallet. 

If you don't have access to a fork lift and cannot find a shipper to pick up your loaded pallet from your home using a lift gate truck, then assemble the entire thing on the back of a pick-up truck, shrink wrap and strap the boxes securely to the pallet, and drive it directly to the shipper that should have a forklift to unload it from your pick-up truck into their warehouse (of course, verify ahead of time they will unload it for you).

As you pointed out, the buy-to-try program is more consequential for large speakers and heavy amps than for lighter, one-box gear such as DACs and preamps, due to the cost and time commitment necessary when you decide to sell and ship them.  Also consider, even though some of those large and heavy items can be shipped in their original boxes using a regular carrier, if you don't palletize them and ship by freight the risk of damage goes up.  If you really want pain, try negotiating shipping damage on expensive speakers or amplifiers with a buyer and shipper.