What has been your experience: Best online place to sell lenses?

[ahsanford]

Gang,

I've had a 24-70 F2.8L I sitting unused since I opted for the 24-70 F/4L IS (which is a joy to use, by the way). I made up my mind to sell it some time ago.

So I went through one online quoting process with a few folks -- KEH, B&H, Adorama, etc. -- and kept seeing quotes of X and the same lens being sold at the same sites for 1.5X.

I lack the eBay time to rack up happy customers, and I'm told that eBay is a customer-tilted justice system in which I may be found guilty without a proper trial.

So I am asking: what is the easiest way to sell lenses that minimizes drama, maximizes simplicity, and doesn't involve me giving it away for nothing.

Easy question, right?

Annnnnnnd: Go!

- A

 

[ahsanford]

And I think I'm a jerk if I dangle that I have a 24-70 F/2.8L I and do not let people have a look at it.

Attached advert from a guy who clearly has not sold much gear. Reach out if interested with a message.

- A

 

[Steve]

eBay is the best bet to sell it fast at fair market value but there are fees. Craigslist is cash in hand, no fees, but it can take a looooooong time to sell a big ticket item like a lens and you have to deal with the tire kickers and flakes. It also depends on where you live - if you live in a big city its a lot easier to sell on CL. You might be able to sell it on Fred Miranda but I think you need to have an established post history to sell there. Selling to any retailer, like KEH or Adorama is obviously not going to get you the most money because they have to resell it at a mark up but at least its quick and sure.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

You might also consider setting up a seller account on Amazon.

 

[sagittariansrock]

And I think I'm a jerk if I dangle that I have a 24-70 F/2.8L I and do not let people have a look at it.

Attached advert from a guy who clearly has not sold much gear. Reach out if interested with a message.

- A

Your ad contains too detailed information and niceties IMO for the eBay or Craigslist customer. My lengthy ads have fared much poorly than short ones.
You can, however, use this post in FredMiranda.com, and you definitely should. I have sold multiple items in that site and the transactions have always been very pleasant (and hey, I can put in a line vouching for the fact you are a regular poster in Canonrumors, FWIW). You can use Paypal which is very secure, and apart from the 3% Paypal fee there is nothing else.

P.S.: As Steve says, feedback on FredMiranda goes a long way, but everyone had to start somewhere, right? Some things that convince buyers are good English and feel of genuineness (I think your post has that), good pictures (put your username on a post-it and put it in the pictures), and prompt and clear responses if questions are asked.

 

[ahsanford]

eBay is the best bet to sell it fast at fair market value but there are fees. Craigslist is cash in hand, no fees, but it can take a looooooong time to sell a big ticket item like a lens and you have to deal with the tire kickers and flakes. It also depends on where you live - if you live in a big city its a lot easier to sell on CL. You might be able to sell it on Fred Miranda but I think you need to have an established post history to sell there. Selling to any retailer, like KEH or Adorama is obviously not going to get you the most money because they have to resell it at a mark up but at least its quick and sure.

I am in a major city, but I get the heeby jeebies that they'll know (a) I own other decent gear and (b) where I live, so it becomes a 'meet me at Panera Bread' highly public transaction. Not a fan. They could ask to hook it onto their body for test shots -- a totally fair request -- and then just walk away.

eBay is a dead end for me as I don't have any sales racked up. No one would trust an unproven seller with a nice lens purchase, one would think.

So I'm leaning towards the fire-and-forget big online houses, but I'd love to hear of another option if there is one.

Thx,
A

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I think there are different buyers, some would appreciate the detail in your listing, others would be put off by it. So do both. List the main points concisely first, then announce more details further down the page and separate the two sections of text with the pictures which are superb.

 

[bholliman]

And I think I'm a jerk if I dangle that I have a 24-70 F/2.8L I and do not let people have a look at it.

Attached advert from a guy who clearly has not sold much gear. Reach out if interested with a message.

- A

Your ad contains too detailed information and niceties IMO for the eBay or Craigslist customer. My lengthy ads have fared much poorly than short ones.
You can, however, use this post in FredMiranda.com, and you definitely should. I have sold multiple items in that site and the transactions have always been very pleasant (and hey, I can put in a line vouching for the fact you are a regular poster in Canonrumors, FWIW). You can use Paypal which is very secure, and apart from the 3% Paypal fee there is nothing else.

P.S.: As Steve says, feedback on FredMiranda goes a long way, but everyone had to start somewhere, right? Some things that convince buyers are good English and feel of genuineness (I think your post has that), good pictures (put your username on a post-it and put it in the pictures), and prompt and clear responses if questions are asked.

+1 For selling on FredMiranda.com. I have bought and sold on eBay for many years with good success, but their recent fee hikes have forced me to look for other options.

I've been using CraigsList off and on for a few years, but we live in a small town so it's hard to find buyers close. Also, you have to deal with lots of thieves who make bogus offers at elevated prices and accompanying fake PayPal payment emails hoping to trick sellers into shipping products overseas. I current have a 430EX II speedlite listed on CL for $220. Yesterday, I received an "offer" for $350 including overseas shipping to ship to the buyers brother in Nigeria. But, it was urgent that I shipped immediately or they would not receive it in time for their birthday. Yeah, right! When I responded that I would not ship overseas until the PayPal payment had cleared the Buyer stopped communicating. These type of fake offers are common with CL and even eBay in my experience.

I have a friend who fell for one of these scams a few years ago. They were selling a collectible item on eBay. She received an inquiry from a scammer who offered $200 more than what the item was worth if she shipped to a relative of the buyer in Romania. The scammer requested my friends email/PayPal address and said they would send PayPal payment, but my friend had to ship immediately as their relative was moving to a new address in Romania soon. My friend was getting ready to leave on a business trip and in a hurry to wrap things up before she left. She received a fake email payment notification from PayPal and shipped the item to Romania without verifying payment at the PayPal website. The next day she did check PP, and no money received. She tried to contact the seller, but they never responded. Tried to recall the package from USPS, but apparently that isn't possible for international shipments. So, she was out a collectible worth a few thousand dollars.

Ive been selling a few items recently at FredMiranda.com and it's a pleasure by comparison with eBay and CL. The buyers are all legitimate and knowledgable photographers. Prices tend to be fair market prices and FM does not charge any fees, so PayPal fees are the only ones that apply. Those are not insignificant, but worth it to me to avoid the hassles on CL with scammers. I had a few additional questions from potential FM buyers since I lacked selling history, but I responded to their their questions and sent additional pictures as required. Some ask me to share my eBay user ID since I have a good seller rating there, and this helped. As others pointed out, you have to start somewhere.

Good luck

 

[captainkanji]

I've had good experiences with eBay. I've only sold 3 items (7D, 70-200 f4, and 24-105). It is a lot harder to get scammed nowadays. eBay holds the paypal balance for a short period after the sale to protect the seller and buyer to help prevent scams. Your seller status determines how long this period is. I usually get my funds a day or two after the item has been delivered. The key is having good photos and being completely honest about any wear or scratches. I purchased all of my gear on eBay and have had zero issues, but I usually buy from top sellers.

 

[sagittariansrock]

I am in a major city, but I get the heeby jeebies that they'll know (a) I own other decent gear and (b) where I live, so it becomes a 'meet me at Panera Bread' highly public transaction. Not a fan. They could ask to hook it onto their body for test shots -- a totally fair request -- and then just walk away.

I'd say that is a bit cynical. I live in Houston, not the safest of cities- but I have never yet had a person who seemed remotely shady meet me to purchase a lens. I have met many videographers and photographers, a couple of firefighters who shoot for pleasure, and befriended quite a few permanently.
Give CL a shot- you can always talk to the person on the phone and be able to judge. And meet inside a coffee shop. Don't let him touch the lens without paying if he doesn't seem totally reliable. My 2c.

 

[Phenix205]

I have been having good experience selling on CL. As long as your asking price is reasonable (I typically ask for 85%-90% of the new item price depending on how long I have had the item for), it is usually sold within a week to fellow enthusiasts or professional photographers. I also often lower the price by another 10-20 bucks when the buyer is serious. To me, selling it quickly and starting enjoying the new lens is more fun than posting the item around. Good luck.

 

[Loswr]

I am in a major city, but I get the heeby jeebies that they'll know (a) I own other decent gear and (b) where I live, so it becomes a 'meet me at Panera Bread' highly public transaction. Not a fan. They could ask to hook it onto their body for test shots -- a totally fair request -- and then just walk away.

I've sold plenty of gear on CL, meeting in front of my work (where Security is watching) or at Starbucks. Several of the items have been >$1K, no issues at all.

 

[shawnc]

I've had very good luck with craigslist. Sold multiple bodies and lenses, and bought a lens in a transaction as smooth as any sale. Also sold cars, motorcycle, furniture, bikes... Most sales have been at my house, but a few Starbucks sales-depends on comfort level after a phone call. With camera gear it's pretty obvious who the pros and enthusiasts are.
Re editing your ad: Think "Lens excellent cond. minor scuffs on hood" Make it a quick outline read. Nobody wants to read a long cl ad unless it's funny.

 

[RobertG.]

Hi, it really depends where you are. Here in Germany the best place is probably our largest camera forum with more than 420.000 users. You open up a thread, add a few pictures and wait a couples of days for the private messages to arrive. Customers pay upfront by bank to bank transfer or Paypal. I bought two cameras and more than a dozen lenses like this and would do it again.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The "Best" place depends on the Seller. Both ebay and Fred Miranda will net you about the same price, Craigslist buyers know the values and will want a discount.

Unless you have a lot of good feedback, ebay will not work well. On Fred Miranda, even a new seller can advertise local viewing / pickup. Craigslist works very well, just meet in a secure place.

Depending on where you live, consignment at a local photo shop might also be a possibility.

You will get less selling to a dealer, they do intend to try and resell it for a profit, so they will not pay full price.

I buy stuff on Craigslist frequently, but there are so many asking crazy prices that its getting difficult to find a good deal. I usually end up selling my equipment for a high price on ebay, and often it only takes 2 hours. But, I have thousands of positive feedback.

 

[ahsanford]

Local camera shops here in Los Angeles were the same story as B&H, KEH, Adorama, etc.: they offered around $650 for something they'd clearly flip for $1100-1300, so that's out.

I've opted to give Fred Miranda a try. We'll see how it goes.

My only hangup was the call to describe my lens as a 9 or 9+. I believe it to be a perfectly clean lens other than scuffing on the hood, so I called it a 9+ but was sure to flag the hood scuffing. We'll see how I do!

- A

 

[bosshog7_2000]

In the early 2000's I used to use Ebay...a lot. I gave up on Ebay around 2007 as the fees for listing/selling were too high and shipping is a pain in the butt. Since then I have used Craigslist exclusively. I usually get what I want for my gear and have sold numerous cameras this way including: Leica M8, Canon 1DSII, 7D, G12, 20D and numerous lenses. In addition to selling, I have bought countless gear on Craigslist too which is a nice way to meet other photographers, not to mention try the gear before you hand over your money.

The thing on Craigslist is to sort out the flakes from the people who are serious...also, for Craigslist to be viable you need to live in a populated area (Vancouver, BC is where I am). No matter what, do not ship to anyone on CL....cash deals only, in person, usually at a coffee shop.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Local camera shops here in Los Angeles were the same story as B&H, KEH, Adorama, etc.: they offered around $650 for something they'd clearly flip for $1100-1300, so that's out.

I've opted to give Fred Miranda a try. We'll see how it goes.

My only hangup was the call to describe my lens as a 9 or 9+. I believe it to be a perfectly clean lens other than scuffing on the hood, so I called it a 9+ but was sure to flag the hood scuffing. We'll see how I do!

- A

I've bought a few 24-70 MK I's for $600 or less on craigslist. A dealer can get more, but a private party is going to have to sell for less. If the lens has been checked recently at Canon, that's helpful. There are some internal spacers that commonly break on that lens, and owners often are not aware of the issue, but it decreases AF accuracy. I always add in a trip to Canon as part of the price. That used to cost under $200, but now its over $300, so $700-$800 is the max I'd pay without a warranty, or recent clean bill of health.

 

[wsheldon]

Local camera shops here in Los Angeles were the same story as B&H, KEH, Adorama, etc.: they offered around $650 for something they'd clearly flip for $1100-1300, so that's out.

I've opted to give Fred Miranda a try. We'll see how it goes.

My only hangup was the call to describe my lens as a 9 or 9+. I believe it to be a perfectly clean lens other than scuffing on the hood, so I called it a 9+ but was sure to flag the hood scuffing. We'll see how I do!

- A

I think that's reasonable - hood scuffing from bag transport is completely normal, and often described in listings for 9+ or 10 lenses. Just disclose and you should be fine.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

In the early 2000's I used to use Ebay...a lot. I gave up on Ebay around 2007 as the fees for listing/selling were too high and shipping is a pain in the butt. Since then I have used Craigslist exclusively. I usually get what I want for my gear and have sold numerous cameras this way including: Leica M8, Canon 1DSII, 7D, G12, 20D and numerous lenses. In addition to selling, I have bought countless gear on Craigslist too which is a nice way to meet other photographers, not to mention try the gear before you hand over your money.

The thing on Craigslist is to sort out the flakes from the people who are serious...also, for Craigslist to be viable you need to live in a populated area (Vancouver, BC is where I am). No matter what, do not ship to anyone on CL....cash deals only, in person, usually at a coffee shop.

I actually did much better on CL in a somewhat less populated area. Buyers were apt to pay a lot more. In a very large market the buyers seem to be very much wanting to find mega-bargains or else just buy new.