Originally posted by UFCfanWI She's realistic and knows she's not going to get out of them what she put into them, but she has only told me to "make an offer". I don't want to insult her with an extreme lowball offer, so I'm looking for some input form the forum.
Here are the lenses:
- Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
- Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
- Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8
I have a good idea of individual pricing, but I'm just curious what
you would offer for the trio.
Any feed back is greatly appreciated!
My POV is when someone asks you to make an offer, the notion of an "insulting" offer just does not exist. It is natural that the same lens has different value for different people. For instance the M50/1.4 and the A135/2.8 are worth almost nothing to me because I have no use for them. Apparently she has no use for those lenses so they may be not much worth to her either.
I somewhat disagree with the previous suggestions to check the prices here to have a reference point. IMHO it does not matter at all what do these lenses go for here or elsewhere. (at least this shouldn't be the major point for you).
What really matters is 1) what do you need/want 2) your options/alternatives 3) your budget. Not the market value of the item (unless you buy to resell)
It seems that all Pentax lenses are way overpriced (see price history). So unless you can't live without this particular lens, you probably shouldn't use the current value as your reference point.
Example. The M 28 f/2.8 Now you can probably find it for $45, however before people got it for $15 or even $10 sometimes. Now there is also alternatives (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) which generally sell cheaper (between $15 and $35). So I would consider $20 to be an OK deal for me. The Pentax 28/2.8 may easily be more valuable, not to me though, since the cheaper alternatives are just as fine for me or I could wait for the perfect deal when the Pentax lenses drop in price again.
My answer to your question:
I would offer $20 for the 28/2.8 and mention that she can sell it for more through this forum probably.
If I needed the other 2, I would do the same analysis, look at the alternatives, evaluate how urgently I need the lens and if it is not urgent I would definitely look at the historic low rather than current average (as was suggested by others) based on that I would determine
the value of those lenses for me. Really, the market value only matters if you buy to resell.
Definitely do not waste $250 on these unless this is what you really need. For $250 you can probably buy a lens you really need or at least save for the lens of your dreams