If you are looking at selling photography gear in Lethbridge here are some suggestions and warnings to consider.
If you have camera bodies, lenses, tripods, or other photography accessories to sell in Lethbridge, there isn’t a single dedicated location for selling such equipment. Some stores may consider them for trade-ins. Occasionally, they may make purchases when seeking particular items or offering an in-store promotion. However, the straightforward option of walking into a store and selling all your equipment is not available in Lethbridge.
Places like the King of Trade and Cash Canada might consider purchasing some camera equipment, but their preferences are quite specific. From what I’ve gathered, they tend to show interest in more budget-friendly and lower-end photography equipment, rather than high-priced gear. Also they are not offering a lot for the stuff they do buy.
I’ve heard about several online companies advertising that they purchase photography equipment, but again this seems mostly bodies and lenses. The process typically involves reaching out to them, shipping your equipment or taking a photo of your gear, and receiving a price quote. However, I have reservations about the legitimacy of some of these companies and whether they are entirely trustworthy.
So, what alternatives does someone selling photography equipment have?
My recommendation is to list your photography equipment on platforms such as Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Both of these offer a good chance of reaching individuals actively seeking photography gear.
In Lethbridge, there’s a local Facebook group called “Lethbridge Photography Buy and Sell,” dedicated to buying and selling photography equipment, as the name suggests.
For broader exposure, there’s also a Facebook group named “Photographers Garage Sale.”
It’s important to note that although these two groups specialize in photography equipment, immediate sales are not guaranteed. Given the high volume of listings, it’s possible that your ad might quickly become overshadowed by others.
Selling photography gear in Lethbridge – Pricing
Accurately pricing the equipment you’re selling is crucial. I often come across ads where people are trying to sell outdated photography equipment at the same or even higher prices than they originally paid. Despite these ads being online for months or even years, the prices remain unchanged, and the items go unsold.
A few years ago, some of my students were searching for tripods. They really liked the one I had during the course. I knew these tripods were sold in large quantities for $99 a number of years earlier. So, I posted an ad to see if anyone had any for sale. Someone did respond, but they were asking $150 for it. Fortunately, I managed to buy some for $50 each, which was a reasonable price. The person who wanted the insane price couldn’t grasp why their asking price was so high. I could buy a new tripod for that price. As it turns out, they still have the tripod, I wonder why?
If the equipment has any usage, its pricing should reflect a significant reduction to make it attractive for potential buyers. For example, if you purchased a digital camera for $4,000 three years ago, considering the release of newer models, you’d be fortunate to fetch a quarter of the original price. So realistically for that camera you should be looking at listing it for $1000 or even less. While some camera bodies and lenses may retain value, such cases are relatively rare.
No warranty
A big problem when selling used lies in the absence of NO warranty or guarantee. It raises the question of why someone would opt to purchase used equipment close to its new price without the added assurance of a warranty.
However, by substantially reducing the price, the likelihood of finding interested buyers increases. The lower price makes the purchase more appealing despite the absence of a warranty.
To ease concerns when individuals are considering purchasing used photography equipment, I highly suggest providing them with the opportunity to test it out. Arrange to meet in a park or another suitable location. Allow them to take pictures with the lens, camera body, or both.
Then let them take the digital files home for a closer look. This hands-on experience can go a long way in alleviating any apprehensions they may have about buying used gear.
DON’T price as only a package deal
Another common mistake I see when people are selling photography gear in Lethbridge is attempting to package it all together for a single, exorbitant price. They want to quickly sell ALL the equipment without dealing with individual sales. The reality is that finding a buyer interested in acquiring all the gear is quite challenging especially in a small market like Lethbridge.
A more effective approach is to sell items individually. For example, if you have a camera body, wide-angle lens, 50mm lens, short telephoto, and a major telephoto lens, potential buyers may be interested in specific pieces rather than the entire kit. Offer a GREAT bundle price for everything. BUT also offer individual prices for each item. This provides flexibility for buyers and may interest more people.
This strategy has proven successful numerous times. A few months ago, I witnessed a HUGE lot of camera gear listed for $15,000 in Calgary. Predictably, there were no takers at that price. However they also offered individual pieces for sale. They managed to sell everything within a month, except for one item. They made more money selling it by the piece then as a bundle..
Be flexible
It can be tough to sell equipment for less than you think it’s worth, but being flexible is crucial. Honestly assess the situation. Is it better to get $100 for a $500 lens and sell it now, or is it better to leave it in the closet where it might get broken or end up being thrown away in a few years?
Consider whether selling a camera body you bought for $3,000 for $500 today is a better option than holding onto it for a couple more years and seeing its value drop to $0.
This situation happens often. People try to sell something online but won’t budge on the price. Later, they come to see if I want to buy it at a high price. Months or years down the line, a family member will come in trying to get rid of it because the seller is moving into a smaller home and doesn’t have space for it anymore. Sadly, I have to tell them that, at that point, it’s worth absolutely nothing, whereas a few years ago, they could have gotten several hundred dollars for it.
IT’S OLD, NOT A COLLECTABLE!!
Not every old photography “thing” is a valuable collector item. If I come across another ad saying something is a collectible when it is junk, I might scream. Sure, it’s an old camera, lens, or tripod, but that doesn’t automatically make it collectible.
Just the other day, someone online was selling a super old camera. Probably millions of those cameras were sold, and there’s nothing extraordinary about them. However, their ad made it sound like these cameras were the most sought-after things in the whole world, asking a way too high price for it as well. They’d be lucky to get $5 for it. If you don’t need it, just sell it for whatever price and get it out of your life. Stop pretending it’s something super special.
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