Where is the best place to sell my very gently used DSLR?

<p>Hi all,<br>

I am trying to sell my very gently used Olympus E-600 DSLR and I have tried Ebay without success and don't know where else to post. I did just post on this site too. I am looking to upgrade my camera and can't do that without selling mine first! I am very new to this photography business and need help knowing where and how to sell!<br>

Thanks,<br>

Rachel</p>

<p>"Without success" ? Meaning you didn't get any bids or meaning you didn't get anyone interested at that price?</p>

 

<p>I will gladly buy your camera for $10 but I suspect you won't sell it for that low. KEH will probably buy it but you won't get as much as selling it on your own. </p>

<p>Try <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com">www.bhphotovideo.com</a> and <a href="http://www.keh.com">www.keh.com</a>. Both buy and sell used cameras. Won't get as much as from an individual but no worries about whether the check will bounce.</p>

<p>As Rob says, maybe you're just asking too high a price for a starting bid.<br>

The Olympus E-600 sells new for about US$750 and is still widely sold. Used camera and one lens on eBay have sold only below $500 as a rule -- the exceptions are for used ones with a bunch of lenses for the camera.</p>

<p>It is true that a lot more are being offered on eBay than are being sold.</p>

<p>No matter what you paid for it, its value is what somebody else will pay for it. You might find somebody on Craigslist who will pay more, but I wouldn't bet on it.</p>

<p>You will reach the widest potential audience of buyers via eBay. If you "tried without success" on eBay, then either your minimum asking price was too high, or your presentation needs work (<strong>clear sharp photos</strong> of the item for sale are very important). You also need to stand behind the sale and accept returns. If you offer something like an expensive digital camera with a "No returns" policy, that is only going to discourage interest in the item for many buyers. Also, you may have to re-list an item several times for it to sell, but if your price is realistic it will eventually sell.</p>

<p>You may get a higher net return by selling locally via Craigslist or similar, but obviously your potential buying audience will be much smaller, particularly if you do not live in a large city.</p>

<p>keep in mind that KEH and other stores follow the motto - "we're in this to make money - not lose it..."</p>

<p>Which means - at most they will give you 50% of the retail value of the product. So if the retail / ebay price for that camera is $600.00 they will give you $300.00 Sometimes you can get a better deal at a local camera store - especially if you are buying a new something from them - kind of like trading in a car - they have a little more room to work if you are purchasing new from them.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Have you done a search on eBay's completed auctions for your camera? It can be a help to see what similar ones have sold for. You'll probably see really high prices and some low prices, along with some "not sold" ones too. Check out those auctions have sold the camera, check out their presentation, photos, etc., to give you an idea how they did it.</p>

<p>I check eBay once in a while for older Canon FD cameras, and am amazed how some people start their auctions at $3-500 for a 30+ year old camera, while others are a whole lot more reasonable. Guess which ones usually sell?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I recommend taking it to the local camera store you plan to buy a new camera from. They tend to give you more than others will, in exchange for the purchase. </p>

<p>I am a big fan of going local. I occassionally buy and sell used Canon DSLR camera bodies and lenses on Craigslist with good success. I would monitor the local Craigslist to see if there is an active market for your Olympus model. This will also give you a rough idea of the going market price. If you don't see a lot of activity for your camera, you can try posting anyway and see if you get any nibbles at your offering price. <br>

Another option is to see if there are any Camera Fairs in your area. Get on their mailing list. At the camera fairs around here (San Jose/Bay Area) the market is evenly split between film and digital. At a used camera fair, there is almost always someone who will be interested in your camera if it is in good condition. If you can't find a local camera fair, you might check with camera clubs in your area. Someone there could probably direct you to the local used camera market.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"Sometimes you can get a better deal at a local camera store - especially if you are buying a new something from them - kind of like trading in a car - they have a little more room to work if you are purchasing new from them."</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Actually, you're more likely to have plenty of negotiating room when trading in toward the purchase of another used item. The profit margin on many new items - especially cameras and cars - tends to be rather skinny. And savvy consumers can find out pretty close to how much the actual cost is so they'll negotiate down to the last dry bone. But with used items only the seller knows exactly how much is invested in the item, so there may be a better value for the buyer while also preserving a healthy profit for the seller.</p>

<p>a friend solved his problem when he bought a new canon digicam<br>

he sent me the old one. It is not the latest and greatest or high mp count,.<br>

but a high quality camera that will do well.<br>

I can see you not wanting to spend several hundred dollars for a new camera<br>

but consider keeping the old one as a spare if the new one is compatible.<br>

and when you go out in the rain or snow, or hike in the woods, take the old one.<br>

Someone may see it and like it and buy it.</p>

<p>Usually (or often) the reason an item doesn't sell on eBAY is that there is too high a starting bid, or there is a high reserve. In my experience you get about 1/4th as many bidders when there is a reserve as when there isn't.</p>

<p>When you have a common item - as you do - a good way to sell is to start the bidding at $5 and do not have a reserve. Make the auction end at between 7PM and 9PM on a week night. Offer to make returns. Take a million pictures of your item and disclose absolutely every possible flaw (as well as the good points.). It will sell at a a average price that buyers are generally willing to pay for the item. If that's not an acceptable price, you may need to try other ways to sell.</p>

<p>Check "completed auctions" for your item and see what they have sold for. That's probably what you will get. Good luck!</p>

<p>Another possibility -- often people will not take a chance bidding on an expensive item offered by someone with very little feedback history (or without a high positive feedback score). To sell things successfully on Ebay, you probably have to have feedback for maybe 20 transactions, for which you were the seller for maybe 5 transactions. Your very first auctions will feel like sacrifices. You should sell a few items that are very cheap -- items you don't mind "giving" away, and items others will not feel are too big a risk.</p>

<p>If you don't have much of a feedback history on Ebay, I'd honestly suggest Craig's list -- cash and carry in a safe public place. Put your phone number at the bottom, and hide your email address. That will give you considerable protection from scammers, spammers, goofballs, and crooks. (They don't deal well with telephone calls, especially when it's an international call and their English is not so good.) Don't deal with anyone who says the words "Western Union" or anyone who won't meet you face-to-face, as it will be a scam.</p>