Looking to buy, sell or trade used gear? Check out our new partner MPB
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Good company - I've bought several (discontinued) secondhand lenses from them in the past, and their descriptions of an item's condition are always very accurate. Also, they usually offer me a reasonable amount when I sell them something.
But it's worth mentioning, that it's nearly always cheaper and more sensible to buy a *brand new and fully guaranteed* item from a reliable grey exporter, than to pay the high prices charged by MPB for secondhand goods. Just be choosy about which grey exporter/importer you use.
But it's worth mentioning, that it's nearly always cheaper and more sensible to buy a *brand new and fully guaranteed* item from a reliable grey exporter, than to pay the high prices charged by MPB for secondhand goods. Just be choosy about which grey exporter/importer you use.
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You can't have it both ways - if they offer you what you think is a reasonable price for your used gear, then for them to make a profit, they have to charge a higher price when they sell it on! I agree with you that they are good firm to deal with. I regularly sell my used gear to them as they do offer a reasonable price and are fair. I've bought from then and they have been good about returns with no quibble.
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If I want a product that is still in production, it doesn't make any sense to buy secondhand, because I can nearly always buy it cheaper, brand new, from the HK grey exporter that has served me well for 10 years.
If I want to sell a product, MPB will give me a good price, and it's nice to know that they'll thoroughly check it and provide an accurate description to whoever buys it from them in due course.
The only time when I personally would buy a secondhand item from *anyone*, is when that item is discontinued or unavailable new (e.g. EF 180mm macro, or previous iteration big whites), and that is when I'd buy from MPB.
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I tried going through their quoting process on a couple of items (600EX-RT, 300/2.8L II IS USM) and it seems that they will offer you about 60-65% of the price that they will sell it for later. That will have to cover their handling, checking, storage, listing and warranty costs.
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I agree with you 100% about buying new from grey market rather than used when available. I have had used bargains from MPB and Wex.
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I bought a lot from them. At very good prices, and always could rely on their product description.
Only trouble is, they sometimes charge almost as much for a used one as you'd pay for a brand-new item.
Sadly, Hong Kong is not interesting for mainland Europeans. Advantage: Brittain. (The exception which confirms the rule)
Only trouble is, they sometimes charge almost as much for a used one as you'd pay for a brand-new item.
Sadly, Hong Kong is not interesting for mainland Europeans. Advantage: Brittain. (The exception which confirms the rule)
entoman: I just bought my EF 180 macro from them...
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I´ve bought several lenses from MPB and they all were in the condition "as promised". I am absolutely fine with their prices on gear when I buy from them. I've never sold a lens to MPB though because I always got more money either on eBay or other camera stores in Germany, given they have a resell department.
For example: I sold my RF 600mm F11 for 530 € to a camera store while MPB offered me 430-450 € (several attempts). On eBay (where I originally bought it from) the lens sells for 580 - 630 €. I got mine for 575 € back win 2021.
For example: I sold my RF 600mm F11 for 530 € to a camera store while MPB offered me 430-450 € (several attempts). On eBay (where I originally bought it from) the lens sells for 580 - 630 €. I got mine for 575 € back win 2021.
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Cool, I've sold quite a bit of gear to MPB. Super easy process, and they typically pay more than other big online retailers.
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I've got some good deals secondhand that's been a lot cheaper then brand new grey market lenses but often I do find a lot of used lenses in Australia are priced very close or even higher then a new grey market lens. What's the link to your HK grey exporter?
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I buy most photo equipment basically near-mint used person-to-person, take care of it, and sell it for near what I paid. eBay, PayPal, or other auction sites take a 10% cut or whatever, and maybe I cause 10% depreciation, but then I usually gain several percent by being patient, buying low, and selling high. Say it costs me 15% of retail price to own something? This shop takes 30% perhaps, plus again the 10% depreciation? I'd end up paying 2-3x more for my photographic equipment than I currently do.
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While they are rather expensive for common items that you can find better deals for in local shops, you'll also find rare items in stock for the correct price (and not twice the price like on ebay).
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I used this company earlier this year, and was very satisfied with the results. Price that you'll get for used equipment is less than the person to person market, you also get the peace of mind of not having to sift through the scammers to (hopefully) get to the real purchaser. At the same time, their purchase costs are really fair. I used this company to help with my purge of a bunch of old APS-C equipment and purchase of RF glass. I don't have any complaints.
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I generally sell locally on Craigslist, but recently have had a few items not sell after listing for fair prices (lower than MPB/KEH/B&H/Adorama used, but above what MBP/KEH offer to buy).
Full disclosure, my first experience with MPB was a bad one. The initial part was fine – online quote, shipping label provided, items received. Despite their promise of 2-3 business days, I heard nothing for 6 business days so I emailed them. They replied a couple of hours later with the email requesting my banking information, which I provided. The next day I received an email saying payment had been made and would be deposited within two business days. The funds didn't arrive, so I emailed them again and they replied they would look into it. Again I did not hear back, so a day later I emailed them and they said they were having trouble with their bank making payments and were looking into it. They did eventually get it sorted, but in all it was about 3 weeks between them receiving the gear and me actually getting paid.
I have subsequently used MPB for other gear on a couple of occasions, and that went wha seems like the norm for them - about 5 business days from them receiving it to the money being in my account, and I did not have to email them several times to move things along.
For those selling gear, it's worth checking KEH as well. The offers vary, for some items one or the other will offer ~10% more. If it matters, KEH's evaluation and payment timelines are a bit longer than MPB's, and MBP does a direct bank (ACH) transfer, while KEH uses PayPal.
Full disclosure, my first experience with MPB was a bad one. The initial part was fine – online quote, shipping label provided, items received. Despite their promise of 2-3 business days, I heard nothing for 6 business days so I emailed them. They replied a couple of hours later with the email requesting my banking information, which I provided. The next day I received an email saying payment had been made and would be deposited within two business days. The funds didn't arrive, so I emailed them again and they replied they would look into it. Again I did not hear back, so a day later I emailed them and they said they were having trouble with their bank making payments and were looking into it. They did eventually get it sorted, but in all it was about 3 weeks between them receiving the gear and me actually getting paid.
I have subsequently used MPB for other gear on a couple of occasions, and that went wha seems like the norm for them - about 5 business days from them receiving it to the money being in my account, and I did not have to email them several times to move things along.
For those selling gear, it's worth checking KEH as well. The offers vary, for some items one or the other will offer ~10% more. If it matters, KEH's evaluation and payment timelines are a bit longer than MPB's, and MBP does a direct bank (ACH) transfer, while KEH uses PayPal.
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I've sold a few items person to person, and yes I do generally get more for it that way. But I prefer to sell to a reputable secondhand dealer even if I get a lower price. It gives me peace of mind, because I know that the next owner will have a repair guarantee from the dealer, if the gear develops a fault, and that's something I can't provide personally.
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I've done reasonably well with buying and selling with MBK. In person nets the highest amount but in a pinch or when there is no local interest Keh and MPB offer decent amounts. I prefer the MPB webpage and interface btw.
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Link is from GB, so I assume you think in pounds?I recommend this company so often that people must think they pay me - but I'm just a very satisfied customer.
Panamoz
panamoz.com
I got my R5 for 385,000 yen, mint used, inc. tax and shipping, with 1 week return. That's GBP2352. Your site is asking GBP3050.
That's not just 30% more, because the price of gear isn't the purchase price, it's the purchase price minus the sale price.
Assuming the camera is sold in X years for JPY269,500 which is GBP1645, your shop ends up costing TWICE as much to own.
I'd either have to double what I spend on my hobby, or have half the camera and half the lenses. Neither option sounds enticing.
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