How hard was it for you to sell your old cameras?

[j-nord]

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.

Learn more about ebay fees.

A camera will have a 10% selling fee for a person who is a occasional seller.

This means a $200 fee for a $2000 camera sale including shipping charged, if any.

Sign up for a basic ebay store (free the first month) and the fee drops to $120. If you are a top rated seller like me, you get 20% off, so the selling fee is $96.

Add PayPal fees on top of that, or Credit card fees if you accept credit cards.

You can cut the fees by a huge amount.

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feecalculator

Now, take your camera to a local auction house. Their fees usually start at 25% and they usually charge the buyer another 10%. If the buyers check bounces, you lose it all. Paypal covers the loss if you follow a few simple rules. They covered my $2500 when someone with a stolen Paypal account bought a camera from me. I had my fees refunded too, so I came out ahead. (they have stopped doing that).

 

[j-nord]

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.

Learn more about ebay fees.

A camera will have a 10% selling fee for a person who is a occasional seller.

This means a $200 fee for a $2000 camera sale including shipping charged, if any.

Sign up for a basic ebay store (free the first month) and the fee drops to $120. If you are a top rated seller like me, you get 20% off, so the selling fee is $96.

Add PayPal fees on top of that, or Credit card fees if you accept credit cards.

You can cut the fees by a huge amount.

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feecalculator

Now, take your camera to a local auction house. Their fees usually start at 25% and they usually charge the buyer another 10%. If the buyers check bounces, you lose it all. Paypal covers the loss if you follow a few simple rules. They covered my $2500 when someone with a stolen Paypal account bought a camera from me. I had my fees refunded too, so I came out ahead. (they have stopped doing that).

Thanks for the insite. Im used to peer to peer transactions with other hobbies so at worst you pay the paypal fee but a lot of people are willing to circumvent this and 'gift' with a net zero fee on the trasaction.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.

Learn more about ebay fees.

A camera will have a 10% selling fee for a person who is a occasional seller.

This means a $200 fee for a $2000 camera sale including shipping charged, if any.

Sign up for a basic ebay store (free the first month) and the fee drops to $120. If you are a top rated seller like me, you get 20% off, so the selling fee is $96.

Add PayPal fees on top of that, or Credit card fees if you accept credit cards.

You can cut the fees by a huge amount.

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feecalculator

Now, take your camera to a local auction house. Their fees usually start at 25% and they usually charge the buyer another 10%. If the buyers check bounces, you lose it all. Paypal covers the loss if you follow a few simple rules. They covered my $2500 when someone with a stolen Paypal account bought a camera from me. I had my fees refunded too, so I came out ahead. (they have stopped doing that).

Thanks for the insite. Im used to peer to peer transactions with other hobbies so at worst you pay the paypal fee but a lot of people are willing to circumvent this and 'gift' with a net zero fee on the trasaction.

I only send a payment as a gift if its to someone I know. Even then I have been bit. I sent a 2K payment this winter to a guy I've been doing business with for 16 years in China, and he disappeared with the $$. No way of finding him or what happened. Chinese manufacturers do not take PayPal, they want cash, (A wire Transfer). I tried retrieving the payment, but no luck there.

 

[Aglet]

Hmmm... I've only sold Canon gear, or canon-compatible 3rd party stuff.
I keep everything else from other brands.
I've had no difficulty parting with most of it, emotionally or otherwise. Some I was glad to be rid of (5d2)
The used market is very active in my area and well maintained Canon gear sells easily.

i will likely keep my old 40D for nostalgia... My first and one of my favorite Canon DSLRs.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

It's very easy to sell camera gear if you asking for fair market value for gear in good condition, especially on eBay. Downside to eBay is the high selling fees, they are pretty absurd. I'm still looking for a good alternative for selling camera gear. I won't deal with my local craigslist for numerous reasons I won't go into here.

Learn more about ebay fees.

A camera will have a 10% selling fee for a person who is a occasional seller.

This means a $200 fee for a $2000 camera sale including shipping charged, if any.

Sign up for a basic ebay store (free the first month) and the fee drops to $120. If you are a top rated seller like me, you get 20% off, so the selling fee is $96.

Add PayPal fees on top of that, or Credit card fees if you accept credit cards.

You can cut the fees by a huge amount.

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feecalculator

Now, take your camera to a local auction house. Their fees usually start at 25% and they usually charge the buyer another 10%. If the buyers check bounces, you lose it all. Paypal covers the loss if you follow a few simple rules. They covered my $2500 when someone with a stolen Paypal account bought a camera from me. I had my fees refunded too, so I came out ahead. (they have stopped doing that).

Not to be a fear monger here but what about the low-life buyers on eBay that use Buyer Protection to challenge the transaction by lying after they receive the item and then eBay/PayPal take their side and refund all the money including shipping? The seller is left with no item and no money while the thief gets it all and eBay/PayPal provide the means and the muscle. (eBay and PayPal freeze your accounts, pulls the money right out of your bank or threatens to ruin your credit if they can't get the money.) This has happened to people I know, I didn't just read about it online.

 

[privatebydesign]

Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.

Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.

 

[bdunbar79]

Absolutely hate eBay. I only sell on Amazon now.

 

[GuyF]

...they are have decided to send all those people having ordered the the 100c, a 50c while we wait for the 100c, pretty amazing after sales service.

Yup, if you're paying big bucks you should get excellent aftercare (or even, precare!).

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.

Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.

Ebay charges a flat 10% for the Camera/Lens category, but reduces it for various things like having a store. PayPal adds on to that, but they are a separate company now.

I use the feature that requires payment immediately, or no sale. It only works for fixed price listings, not auctions.

Bottom feeders are a much bigger problem on Craigslist than ebay, I always get people offering lowball prices when I list on CL. On ebay, there is a report buyer link at the bottom of the email. Report a out of ebay offer, and they will suspend or terminate the buyer.(They take losing their fee very seriously)

I do get emails making offers. Most of them I ignore, but if one is polite and I have padded my price, I make a counter offer thru the ebay system for a few bucks off my asking price. Its usually accepted.

My photography stuff sells so fast one ebay that its often sold in a hour or two. I set the price fairly, and a 10,000 100% positive feedback really helps to get a better price.

You do have to detach yourself from your gear, evaluate it fairly, research selling prices, and do not ask too much. I usually net more from ebay than a cash sale on Craigslist. I have about 30 photography items offered very reasonably on Craigslist, but only 25% have sold in three weeks. I get dozens of questions, people who want it but no shows, offers to ship to North Africa for $1000 extra, etc. I find it to be less than pleasant.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.

Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.

Ebay charges a flat 10% for the Camera/Lens category, but reduces it for various things like having a store. PayPal adds on to that, but they are a separate company now.

I use the feature that requires payment immediately, or no sale. It only works for fixed price listings, not auctions.

Bottom feeders are a much bigger problem on Craigslist than ebay, I always get people offering lowball prices when I list on CL. On ebay, there is a report buyer link at the bottom of the email. Report a out of ebay offer, and they will suspend or terminate the buyer.(They take losing their fee very seriously)

I do get emails making offers. Most of them I ignore, but if one is polite and I have padded my price, I make a counter offer thru the ebay system for a few bucks off my asking price. Its usually accepted.

My photography stuff sells so fast one ebay that its often sold in a hour or two. I set the price fairly, and a 10,000 100% positive feedback really helps to get a better price.

You do have to detach yourself from your gear, evaluate it fairly, research selling prices, and do not ask too much. I usually net more from ebay than a cash sale on Craigslist. I have about 30 photography items offered very reasonably on Craigslist, but only 25% have sold in three weeks. I get dozens of questions, people who want it but no shows, offers to ship to North Africa for $1000 extra, etc. I find it to be less than pleasant.

In my personal experience buying and selling on CL, Amazon and eBay I would agree with pretty much everything Mt. Spokane has said. The bottom line is that selling stuff is a pain but like anything, if you take the time to do it well, it tends to work in your favor most of the time.

 

[privatebydesign]

Maybe I am unlucky but I have no end of issues with selling on eBay. My fees run around 13.5%, I am a very occasional seller, but my biggest grip is non payers, I have 'sold' my unused 28 f2.8 IS three times yet not one of the three winners has actually paid for it, and nothing happens to them! Had the same problem with a surf housing with multiple winners not paying. Very frustrating.

Also with eBay, practically every bidder makes an offer 'outside eBay', I recently listed 8 very good condition lenses, I also listed them on CraigsList. 6 sold off CL within a week, 1 sold through eBay officially and one sold via eBay but 'outside' it. Two days ago my listing for a tripod head finished, I was offered $225 'outside' eBay and another offer of $300 inside eBay, it sold via the listing for $337 to neither of those bidders.

Ebay charges a flat 10% for the Camera/Lens category, but reduces it for various things like having a store. PayPal adds on to that, but they are a separate company now.

I use the feature that requires payment immediately, or no sale. It only works for fixed price listings, not auctions.

Bottom feeders are a much bigger problem on Craigslist than ebay, I always get people offering lowball prices when I list on CL. On ebay, there is a report buyer link at the bottom of the email. Report a out of ebay offer, and they will suspend or terminate the buyer.(They take losing their fee very seriously)

I do get emails making offers. Most of them I ignore, but if one is polite and I have padded my price, I make a counter offer thru the ebay system for a few bucks off my asking price. Its usually accepted.

My photography stuff sells so fast one ebay that its often sold in a hour or two. I set the price fairly, and a 10,000 100% positive feedback really helps to get a better price.

You do have to detach yourself from your gear, evaluate it fairly, research selling prices, and do not ask too much. I usually net more from ebay than a cash sale on Craigslist. I have about 30 photography items offered very reasonably on Craigslist, but only 25% have sold in three weeks. I get dozens of questions, people who want it but no shows, offers to ship to North Africa for $1000 extra, etc. I find it to be less than pleasant.

In my personal experience buying and selling on CL, Amazon and eBay I would agree with pretty much everything Mt. Spokane has said. The bottom line is that selling stuff is a pain but like anything, if you take the time to do it well, it tends to work in your favor most of the time.

I'm not disagreeing, just adding my personal experiences.

As for eBay fees, yes for cameras as a non trader/'store' holder I am charged 10%, but not of the selling fee, of the selling fee plus the shipping, though they give you a 'discount' on it! PayPal takes it's 2.5% off everything.

So I sell something for $100, shipping is $12. Paypal gets $112 from the buyer, shipping cost $12 minus discount (which is the same you get from USPS online) so $10.80, eBay take $12 as their 10% commission. Paypal take $2.80 (often plus $0.50 for something or other).

So costs are $14.80 commission and $10.80 postage, total of $25.60 from $112. Seller gets $86.40, which is why I said I am getting around 13.5% fees.

 

[bholliman]

I buy and sell on Fred Miranda with excellent results. The buyers in my experience are great to work with, generally other enthusiasts or pros and prices very reasonable. For me, the seller experience is much, much better than with other options. The Paypal fees are modest.

I've sold a lot of used gear over the past 5 years. I've used CL and eBay in the past, with mixed sucess. We live in a lightly populated area, so local buyers for higher end photography equipment are very limited, making CL a poor outlet generally. eBay fees are getting too high for my taste and scammers are a persistent problem there.

I've also tried Adorama used, sending two L lenses there for evaluation and a quote. They offered roughly 60% of what I eventually sold the lenses for on fredmiranda.com. Yeah, FM was a little more work, but certainly worth it.

 

[TheDrift-]

I have sold only one camera and to be truthful, I regret it. The amount of money I got for it was tiny and now that it is (almost 40 years later) a camera that is not made any more, I wish I still had it... just to have on a shelf.

But then, I don't upgrade my cameras very often. In 40 years of hobbyist photography, I have owned 5 cameras (not counting cheap P&Ss). 3 film and 2 DSLR.

The camera I sold was a Pentax auto 110. A 110 SLR! Working with 110 negatives in the darkroom was not exactly high on the fun list. ;D

I am sorry for your loss! I bought a used one last year Its a wonderful little camera

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I am sorry for your loss! I bought a used one last year Its a wonderful little camera

It is an awesome little camera. What are they selling for these days?

 

[Hannes]

I don't know about the US ebay but I get offers on a regular basis to sell for either £1 fees or 75% off fees. Maybe because I don't sell all that much?

 

[J.R.]

I've successfully sold a few cameras and lenses using facebook. All I did was post in the local photography club group and buyers came up pretty quick. Met the buyers in person, they tried the camera, paid in cash ... all good.

 

[Act444]

After a 1.5 year love/hate relationship with my 7D2, I parted with it a couple of weeks ago. It was not a simple decision though. But - ultimately, what I was getting out of my 5D3 in comparison IQ-wise and performance-wise combined with my looking to (eventually?) step up to a 1DX II convinced me it was time.

I also parted with my SL1 - while it has served me well the past 2-3 years, its niche has since been recently filled by other stuff.

 

[ajbeefde]

After trading in my 700d body for a new 70D body i still had my old 400D laying around.

Placed a ad on local market site and sold in one day !

Person was just starting so sold two old lenses as wel

 

[Ozarker]

Impossible
I have every one I've ever bought I'm a sentimental idiot ;D

For what I got for them... I sort of wish I still had all the old camera bodies. I don't think I'll ever sell another.