Number Six Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 My Nikon DSLR, lenses and various accessories have all been gathering dust (not literally!) since moving to the Fuji X-E1 eight months ago. Hence, it now seems sensible to sell the Nikon gear to help finance further investment in the X-series. All the kit is in very good condition with original packaging. I live in the East Midlands, UK. I am now wondering what's the best way of selling camera gear these days? I've thought of a few options: 1. eBay (presumably as single items) 2. Part exchange via the high street (eg. London Camera Exchange) 3. An online "We want your used equipment for cash etc" camera company (eg MIFSUD) I would be extremely grateful for any advice based on contributors' personal experiences. Best regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSnapper Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Part - ex i highly recommend Carmarthen Cameras for the best trade in deals... www.carmarthencameras.co.uk km Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Park Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have always used Ffordes Photographic in the UK, constantly very good to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York Photographer Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 What kit you selling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I almost always use my local dealer, Campkins in Cambridge, and P/EX, with one or two exceptions. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I sold my medium-format film gear on eBay. Acceptable prices, no bother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Many thanks for the excellent recs so far. As for the kit Rob, it's the good old D80 (which served me very well for 8 yrs) with spare battery. Nikkor 16-85G VR, 70-300G VR, 50mm 1:1.8D and 18-135mm kit lens. Sigma 70mm DG Macro and 10-20mm DC HSM. Speedlight SB600. Plus a huge Lowepro 'rucksack' that I haven't found the designator for yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann m Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 for ebay, I tend to list my camera equipment for sale on 'buy it now,' as it deters scammers & time wasters as well as selling faster. Otherwise, as Malcom says, I've used ffordes for part exchange to get my x-pro 1 & lenses & have been happy with that. ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inchiquin Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've sold quite a bit of photo gear on eBay over the years. I usually put a reserve on it which is the absolute lowest price I would be prepared to accept, but it always goes for quite a bit more than the reserve (which is why I don't bother with Buy It Now). I have to say, though, that my equipment is always in mint condition as I look after it carefully. No-one has ever complained or failed to give positive feedback. I've only been inconvenienced by a time-waster once, and I could have avoided that if I'd spotted soon enough that he had only just changed his username, and rejected his bid. Alan Edit: Oh, and I always restrict my auctions to EU countries. I would prefer to restrict to UK only (not for racial reasons but because it's easier to chase people in your own country) but there are a lot of buyers for photo gear in Europe and I've never had any trouble with any of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanRohrer Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Many years ago I sold off some film based gear. My local camera store told me I was better off on eBay. The store has to buy at low price, checkout and clean the gear, make sure it works, get a price markup margin, and still sell it at a price someone might desire for used gear. So eBay, or the like, may not sell for the used store price, but some of the middle man money ends up in the sellers pocket. A good eBay feedback record and truthful (or even slightly critical) descriptions are my recipe for a happy eBay customer/transaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I like craigslist (CL) because the buyers are local and no shipping is involved. I just sold a dusty DSLR and a kit lens on CL for four times what a local camera store offered me for trade-in. I've sold a lot of other equipment (some of which I now wish I had kept) on CL as well. It took quite a long time to find a buyer for the DSLR, though, and I had to lower the price a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kuta Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Another vote for Craigslist--I sold my Canon 5D and associated lenses middle of last year. I had gotten quotes from B&H, Adorama and KEH, but didn't like the amounts. I sold it all on Craiglist for almost twice what they offered, and met a lot of nice photography folks in the process. I don't know if you have Craigslist or similar where you are. Another advantage: listing stuff is free. I always sold "local only, cash only", and doing the deals in public places. I tried selling it as a package deal first, but soon realized I had to break it up into discrete items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Another vote for Craigslist--I sold my Canon 5D and associated lenses middle of last year. I had gotten quotes from B&H, Adorama and KEH, but didn't like the amounts. I sold it all on Craiglist for almost twice what they offered, and met a lot of nice photography folks in the process. I don't know if you have Craigslist or similar where you are. Another advantage: listing stuff is free. I always sold "local only, cash only", and doing the deals in public places. I tried selling it as a package deal first, but soon realized I had to break it up into discrete items. True, the young guy who bought my DSLR on CL was a student from Brazil who was eager to get into photography. I really enjoyed talking with him over coffee and felt that I was giving him a good deal -- I threw in an almost-new CF card, extra battery, and a couple of other accessories. It's nice to actually meet the people who buy your cherished camera equipment. You do get a number of low-ballers and scam artists answering CL ads, though. I just ignore them. Living in or near a big city helps, of course, if you're going to use CL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Many thanks once again for all the excellent recommendations and tips which I will be certainly be looking at closely. Confess I had never heard of Craigslist but a swift Google reveals that it does exist in the UK. However, the CL site for my region (East Midlands) looks pretty dormant and I do live in a very rural area within it, so suspect it's currently a non-starter for me - but let's hope it takes off in the near future. Best regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoDogue Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Many years ago I sold off some film based gear. My local camera store told me I was better off on eBay. The store has to buy at low price, checkout and clean the gear, make sure it works, get a price markup margin, and still sell it at a price someone might desire for used gear. So eBay, or the like, may not sell for the used store price, but some of the middle man money ends up in the sellers pocket. A good eBay feedback record and truthful (or even slightly critical) descriptions are my recipe for a happy eBay customer/transaction. I also sold a bunch of gear several years ago on eBay - mostly manual focus lenses, a body or two and a scanner. For the most part I got back what I had paid for them. Building a positive rating, being hyper critical about any flaws or usage, including photos of the actual item and answering any questions will bring higher bids. fD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I buy and sell a lot of equipment on eBay. I've used craigslist, but I really do not like using it and most of the people I've had to deal with from craigslist. eBay on the other hand has been without problem for the last 10+years. Selling internationally on eBay can be a bit more difficult and PayPal on international is slower, but it has all worked well for me. I also have over 200 positive feedbacks and a 100% positive rating. I always look at ended sales (price paid) of items before I list anything. The Sorel winter boots and even the wool socks I'm wearing today were bought on eBay.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Have sold kit on Ebay but combined Ebay/Paypal charges around 16%. As Chuck says, I would use Ebay to determine how much to charge by looking at completed auctions. You could try Gumtree (free) where you set the price, but insist upon a face to face cash transaction as there is no protection against fraud. I recently sold a tandem bicycle that way. Both me and the buyer were very happy with the deal. I seem to recall that the Amateur Photographer resumed free private adds some while ago, it might be an option if they are still doing it. I bought a used 5D that way some time ago. Again a face to face transaction in a public place would be the safest option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Coombs Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I almost always use my local dealer, Campkins in Cambridge, and P/EX, with one or two exceptions. Allan Wow! Campkins. Are they still going? I did a lengthy stint at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany on the Huntingdon Road(?) back in the early 80's. I remember drooling and dribbling on their window, didn't dare go inside. On topic, I have sold a load of stuff on eBay for good prices, Commissions etc. are a pain, but I always set the price to take those into consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Smart Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I am always amazed what people will pay on eBay. I have used eBay to sell both camera bodies and L lenses and the bids go way over what I was anticipating almost to the point of what they would pay for new gear. My gear is always in good condition as I look after it but to pay a couple of hundred dollars less than new beats me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeRay Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 It's been mentioned before but wouldn't it be nice if we had a "Gear for Sale" section on this forum. I guess a fair amount of us change equipment on a frequent basis and despite achieving good prices eBay/PayPal is getting expensive with their charges. I purchase through eBay as often items I require are simply not available in Thailand, i.e. film, scanners, legacy lenses etc. but it's always a nervous transaction with so many scammers around these days. I never sell though due to the cost, and part exchange is not easy here. Hence an ever expanding collection! Trading within this forum would be cost effective and safe. I would certainly welcome such a section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 " Trading within this forum would be cost effective and safe." You really must be kidding............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 eBay is good for the exposure, and you should get a good price, always sell at a buy it now fixed price, like others have said the fees are high. I sell quite a bit of high end hifi through eBay, and the the place I sell most to is Hong Kong, they go mad for good British hifi. Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inchiquin Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Trading within this forum would be cost effective and safe. And in the case of an unsatisfactory transaction the bitterness and recrimination could easily spill out onto the other forums. Which is why Alamy will never do it. I'm quite happy to stick with the anonymity of eBay. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Trading within this forum would be cost effective and safe. And in the case of an unsatisfactory transaction the bitterness and recrimination could easily spill out onto the other forums. Which is why Alamy will never do it. I'm quite happy to stick with the anonymity of eBay. Alan I see your point, but I'm not 100% sure that this would be the case. Most regular forum members seem like trustworthy types to me, eager to help and sincere. If something went wrong or the goods weren't satisfactory, I'm sure most would do the right thing. But then, as you say, Alamy probably would never go for an idea like this anyway. Definitely wouldn't blame them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inchiquin Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Trading within this forum would be cost effective and safe. And in the case of an unsatisfactory transaction the bitterness and recrimination could easily spill out onto the other forums. Which is why Alamy will never do it. I'm quite happy to stick with the anonymity of eBay. I see your point, but I'm not 100% sure that this would be the case. Most regular forum members seem like trustworthy types to me, eager to help and sincere. If something went wrong or the goods weren't satisfactory, I'm sure most would do the right thing. But then, as you say, Alamy probably would never go for an idea like this anyway. Definitely wouldn't blame them. Any forum is like an iceberg - the visible bit is only a tiny part of the whole. And the fact the visible bit does seem trustworthy could make it all the more difficult if a problem arose with a sale, as people might feel betrayed by someone they thought they could trust. And somehow I don't think Alamy would take the risk of having to spend their precious time fielding complaints over unsatisfactory transactions. Nice idea in principle but loaded with gotchas in practice. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.