[Just1MoreDave]

I sold the BG-8 that came with my K-3 III for a pretty good price, that was nice. I've sold a few things that maybe in a really hot market could have been priced higher, but I didn't want them to hang around. I have one lens that I can't sell, on and off for four years. The market is telling me that my price is too high. The market is clearly wrong! I shall simply wait until it realizes its error.

[StiffLegged]

You win some, you lose some. I sit feeling smug at the thought of the wideangle zoom recently acquired which one dealer wanted another 40% for - but the almost-mint example on my K-7 still came with a 6 month warranty.

However, my sympathies to @Fenwoodian over eBay buyer’s perceived rights!

[Dartmoor Dave]

Ok so on one hand you guys complain that it's hard to be a seller because no one's buying (a lot of people are leaving cameras behind to use just their cell phones).

On the other hand, you complain when new people join the photography world because they have questions (they're newbies, they'll ask newbie questions). Just be nice and polite and point them to some instructional videos. Help them pick up the photography bug.

Sorry if I can't find myself having a whole lot of sympathy for this conundrum...

I feel like I should add a bit of background about my own reasons for giving up on ebay, and how buyers expecting free photography lessons was a part of that.

I was only ever selling vintage lenses that I'd picked up cheap, cleaned and repaired as needed, enjoyed playing around with for a while, and was happy to sell on for about what I'd paid for them. In the early days it was extremely unusual to get a follow-up message from the buyer asking how to use the lens that he had bought. In fact, over the first few years or so of me selling on ebay, it happened only once with an obviously young (his messages were in text speak) Sony Nex 5 owner.

But then mirrorless cameras started taking over the market, and ever more inexperienced photographers started buying vintage lenses. At first I was patient and helpful, but eventually it got to the point where almost every sale was followed by a message asking how to use the lens on whichever mirrorless camera the buyer was hoping to mount it on -- with the unspoken threat of negative feedback always hanging overhead. It got to the point where the hassle just wasn't worth it anymore, and nowadays I just donate lenses to charity shops after I've finished playing with them. I'm friends with the guy who handles camera gear for my local Oxfam, and he beams every time he sees me walk into the shop with a lens in my hand. You should have seen his face on the day I decided to give away all my Takumars.

As for prices for DSLR gear dropping in general, well that's just the law of supply and demand in action and I agree with you that there's no sympathy required. Markets change over time, and trying to hang on in business by continuing to sell something that people don't want anymore is the road to oblivion. Just ask Kodak.

[mlag]

My perception is that "standard (zoom)" lenses are plenty available and due to low demand cheap...
But specific lenses like primes, F1.x (ultra)wides , long teles >300mm, or tele’s F2.x , tilt&shift, macro...(including pentax * and limited) still have higher prices, and seem to disappear (sell) quite swift. I have also the impression these specific one’s are increasing in price, so some sellers seem to focus on these and know the increased demand & prices...

Some other threads on this forum indicated that the market of (new) DSLRs is shifting to more high-end-enthusiasts and pro’s, so the secondhand market might follow ?
And that consumer grade market is spoiled by automated cameras and therefore less interested in old Manual lenses...?

[gatorguy]

I believe it's a simple explanation: The ratio of used cameras and lenses to active photographers has increased by multiples in very recent years. There aren't as many of us.

Where you might have seen 6 or some particular consumer-grade lens listed on eBay 7 or 8 years ago you might now see three times as many. Even the high-end pro-grade are regularly available there now where once they were uncommon.

As a couple of other mentioned, supply and demand.

[biz-engineer]

On the selling side, it's just the opposite! I've got dozens of items for sale at extremely low prices, but not only are none selling, but I'm not even getting low ball offers.

What can you expect? If I drive 5 hours to go to a location, book hotels etc.., I prefer not to use cheap used gear that may stop working when I arrived I press the shutter. And for some of the old gear, assuming it can still be repaired, the cost of repair costs way more than the gear itself. For these reasons, I always buy new and if they is a problem I return it and get a new one immediately.

[gatorguy]

What can you expect? If I drive 5 hours to go to a location, book hotels etc.., I prefer not to use cheap used gear that may stop working when I arrived I press the shutter. And for some of the old gear, assuming it can still be repaired, the cost of repair costs way more than the gear itself. For these reasons, I always buy new and if they is a problem I return it and get a new one immediately.

If you look at the list of lenses in my signature few of them would be considered "cheap lenses". I think only four were actually purchased brand-new but in general all have proved to be wonderful less-than-full-cost lenses I'm confident in carrying hundreds of miles away to a photo op. Same with my used K1, and my used D500.

I could not stay married and bought all that pro-quality glass at retail.
BTW, the warranty on your new lens is only a year isn't it? Good luck returning if it fails 16 months in. Well-kept prosumer-grade glass at 60% the cost of new or less is a risk well worth taking IMHO.

[kypfer]

For me, international postage costs have increased significantly over the last year or two, also the import/export customs procedures have tightened up significantly, so neither for me buying or anyone I'm selling to can reasonably expect to "get away with" not paying the relevant taxes/duties, as was often the case a few years ago
I've never been in the "hi-end" market, so these increases can take a significant proportion of any transaction … hence the effective ticket price has to come down to compensate
Inevitably, there are cash flow problems in general related to the Covid epidemic, so all in all transactions are fewer and farther between … though some bargains can still be found if you're lucky enough to be the only bidder in an auction with a low starting price

[Just1MoreDave]

One example from the marketplace: the Sigma Superwide II AF lens. I think if you look back 4-5 years, these would sell often for more than $200. One has been for sale for $170 for a month. One sold within a few days for half that, a really good price. If you weren't looking every day, you might miss the low-priced one.

[biz-engineer]

If you look at the list of lenses in my signature few of them would be considered "cheap lenses". I think only four were actually purchased brand-new but in general all have proved to be wonderful less-than-full-cost lenses I'm confident in carrying hundreds of miles away to a photo op.

You don't know how was treated the gear you buy used. Sometimes (not very often) the camera/lens has been knocked on a hard surface or under the rain, still working with some latent reliability issues. I've seen countless posts on this forum from photographers asking for help/troubleshooting of a camera or a lens they purchased used online, out of warranty. YMMV, buying used equipment is a personal choice where you are willing to deal with occasional issues that come along with the lower prices. No free lunch.

BTW, the warranty on your new lens is only a year isn't it?

Yes and it makes sense because the warranty is supposed to cover random factory related defect and no supposed to cover miss-use. Statistically, we know the defect rates vs time are well described by a bath curve, with defect rate highest after manufacturing (early life failures), lowest mid-life, and high again after years of use. So when I buy new, the premium I pay pays for early life defects, then I am the sole user of the equipment (so if I break it I can only blame myself). If I buy used, I can't know how the camera was handled, it's unknown. So far so good, I never had to pay for a camera or lens repair in more than 25 years. I had a couple of Pentaxes that failed on me the first week of use, I called Pentax and they sent me new bodies immediately, then I returned the faulty bodies when I had time to ship them, I would never have had that level of service if I bought my cameras used on ebay.

I could not stay married and bought all that pro-quality glass at retail.

That's entirely possible. However strangely, they don't complain when buying cars/trucks that cost over 50 grands and properties that cost over 500 grands. It's hard to see how saving a few hundred bucks on a camera or lens makes any difference overall in those cases.

[gatorguy]

I'm happy buying used Biz. So are a several million others, including very well-to-do folks who would prefer to put the savings to work elsewhere. Whatever your comfort zone.

I'm happy buying used Biz. So are a several million others, including very well-to-do folks who would prefer to put the savings to work elsewhere. Whatever your comfort zone.

Indeed.
I buy a lot of used gear from MPB here in Berlin - there is the 14 day "no reason needed" return of course and 12 months guarantee so I am perfectly happy to do so.

[gatorguy]

Indeed.
I buy a lot of used gear from MPB here in Berlin - there is the 14 day "no reason needed" return of course and 12 months guarantee so I am perfectly happy to do so.

I got a free 6-month warranty on the lovingly-used and way-under-retail Tamron 150-600 I recently purchased. I had forgotten about that. More of the larger used/refurbished lens vendors now offer warranties on their re-sold lenses and cameras.

[R.Miller]

Buying used makes a lot of sense and can save a considerable amount of money. Many vendors selling used equipment offer warranties. I purchased a KS2 from KEH and they had a 180 day (extended to 365 day sale) warranty. It developed an issue and KEH refunded me full price. Purchasing new has its issues also. Don't forget all the K30/50/KS2 cameras that exhibited ABF after the new camera warranty expired. I would not hesitate to buy used equipment from an established PF member, B&H, KEH or Adorama. Outside of that it would be just a careful review of the seller.

[Erich_H]

.
I dislike selling gear to "new camera buyers". A couple of weeks ago, a fellow bought a Fuji X body from me, and he didn't have a clue on how to use it. I suspect his only prior experience was with a cell phone. Daily I've been getting multiple questions from him on how to use and set up the camera. He seems in such a big rush and refuses to either read the manual or watch YouTube tutorials. I'm stuck with holding his hand because with the liberal return policies on Ebay, if I don't work with him I'm afraid he'll send it back to me.

Just block his number.