[Wasp]

Folks are wondering why nobody makes offers...

In some classifieds that I have seen, the item is so overpriced that one does not even know where to begin negotiating. In my experience, it happens mostly with Samsung NX bodies and lenses. It seems that the word on Samsung dumping their MILC line has not reached these folks.

[ThorSanchez]

I think folks sometimes set their selling price as a reduction of what they originally paid, aiming to claw back what they feel is a reasonable portion of their original investment - which is fine, but if they overpaid in the first place, or if the average market price for the respective item is considerably lower, clearly it's not going to work. A bit of market research in advance works wonders. But then, you'll get some folks thinking "I paid $700 for this lens and I'm only asking $400... I don't care if B&H is only asking $425, I'm not selling for cheap"... which, again, is fine - but it ain't going to sell, period... May as well not list it in the first place. Of course, some people will intentionally set the price high to begin with, expecting to be low-balled... but that doesn't work either. It just puts people off. If I saw an item I was interested in listed at $500 and I was only hoping to pay $300, I wouldn't bother making an offer. If it was priced at $400, I might... and I'd consider paying over my target price if it was a really nice example, presented beautifully in the listing, with all the pertinent information.

A motivated seller will price the item to sell, and put sufficient effort into the listing - their "shop window" - to draw buyers in and close them (or, at least, open a dialogue)...

I sometimes wonder if people will set a price unrealistically high knowing that they don't have to sell the item, but on the off chance they get an offer at that ridiculous price they're willing to part with it.

About a mile down the street from where I live there's an old VW Beetle that looks to be in decent shape sitting in someone's front yard with a For Sale sign in the window. It's been there since well before Christmas. I have a co-worker who's into VWs, and I told him about it, he went by and took a look. He said that a car of that condition and vintage would normally sell for $6k or $8k. The seller is asking $19k. Did he just not do his homework and look up the value of the car? Or did he put $15k into restoring it and is hoping against hope that someone will just love the car and wildly overpay? Or did his wife tell him to sell the car and this is his way of eventually getting her to give up and let him keep it?

It's similar with camera gear. Sometimes I just don't get it, but maybe the seller's motivations and end goals aren't what I'm assuming.

[SSGGeezer]

And then there are the rare items that pop up at a good to great price that if you aren't within the first 5 or 6 minutes, you are too late. My 80-200 and my K-1 come to mind! 6 minutes after posting I messaged on the K-1! And within another 10 minutes there were other posts saying "PM sent" but I beat them to it! I have had much better luck here than on the bay and still ended up with more money in my account by selling here and negotiating.

[RGlasel]

The market for almost any kind of used item is hard to predict and it gets even worse with something specialized like Pentax cameras and lenses. We are a relatively small group of enthusiasts, even if we represent a good sized portion of all the Pentax enthusiasts out there, so it doesn't take much to make it switch from a seller's to a buyer's market. My guess is that most of us tend to think about buying new (to us) gear for several months before actually buying something and with it being the first quarter of a new year, with one $1000+ new product just released and a couple of other $1000+ products possibly released by July, most of us are waiting longer than normal to make our buying decisions.

The other thing is that we aren't growing in numbers and without new people taking up the gear collecting habit, it will be even harder to sell used gear in the future. Everyone has a point where they stop increasing the number of pieces in their collection and start trying to weed out pieces that just sit on a shelf. Eventually, the weeded out gear gets replaced, but if more of us end up in the weeding phase than the replacing phase, a small oversupply can have a big impact on prices. I buy a new, used lens every few years, so I look at most of the Marketplace listings here and have noticed how much the selling price of D FA 100 macros has dropped in the last six months, but I bought a macro lens five years ago and don't need another one with a similar focal length. How many other people have already satisfied their macro itch and aren't in the market for one anymore?

[aslyfox]

And then there are the rare items that pop up at a good to great price that if you aren't within the first 5 or 6 minutes, you are too late. . . . .

that's how I got my HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW

I sent the first pm sent within 15 minutes of the lens being placed in the Marketplace

and there was a lot of members who lined up behind me.

[bertwert]

They don't need to know that a lens was too heavy for us, that we're "upgrading", or that we're "done with Pentax" and swapping to a different brand;

You raise a good number of points Mike, however I disagree with this one.

I always like to know a reason for sale, now maybe I'm just nosy, but I think it's a good thing to know.

[BigMackCam]

You raise a good number of points Mike, however I disagree with this one.

I always like to know a reason for sale, now maybe I'm just nosy, but I think it's a good thing to know.

As sellers, we have a moral duty to fully and honestly describe the item we're selling so the prospective buyer can decide if it's a good example. Nothing more, nothing less. Offering more information than necessary may discourage buyers. If I'm selling my lens because I find it too heavy to use for an entire day and I explain so in my listing, you might well appreciate knowing that but it might also put you off buying it. If I tell you I'm switching systems and dumping my Pentax gear, that might make you think twice about buying any more Pentax equipment, and I might lose my sale as a result. As the buyer, it's up to you to do your due diligence. That's your responsibility, not mine.

Remember, we're looking at this from the seller's perspective... How to effectively sell items. As a seller, tell prospective buyers everything they need to know about the physical and functional condition of the item, but don't give unnecessary information that could in any way impact their desire to buy. Don't talk yourself out of a sale. Just stick to simple facts and let the buyer make up his or her own mind... or, by all means, give an entire back story if you prefer - but know that doing so might backfire

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 02-25-2020 at 05:29 PM.

[cmohr]

I hope things are not slow in the market, I've come to the realization , that I need to cull my lenses and maybe a camera. I have too many lenses that served me well, just sitting around not getting use. Be better if they found their way to a new home and someone that will get the benefit of them. Just need to convince myself now, as to what I will let go.

[stevebrot]

Regarding the original post:
Sales are reasonably brisk for stuff in very good-to-excellent condition and priced to sell and not so good otherwise.

Regarding no bites for Marketplace listings:
I have noticed several recent listings where the seller was noticeably proud of their items to the extent of being within 20% of price new. I have also noticed some where price is enticing, but condition is not clear from the description or the supplied photos. I don't gamble condition regardless of price. For obvious good quality, but overpriced, I am not going to waste the keystrokes to haggle in the absence of an explicit "...or make offer" in the description. Tradition on the PF marketplace is that repricing to move is the norm. Oh...and I might add that bundle priced kits (body + several lenses + flash + whatever) only move if the total value adds up and the buyer actually needs all the stuff.


Steve

[monochrome]

I got my start collecting legacy gear buying and selling on eBay over twenty years ago. My goal then was to make a profit after all expenses. I was pretty good at finding good clean cameras and lenses at lower prices than I could turn them around and sell them for,

When I list an item here my goal is to sell my item. Profit or loss doesn’t enter into it. If I get less than I paid I consider that difference equivaent to rent for the time I have owned it. I set my selling price lower than what I would be willing to pay to purchase the same lens, so actually quite low. My items rarely sit on the Forum for more than a week. My record selling time was 40 minutes.

[ramseybuckeye]

I don't really see it on the Marketplace, but Craigslist has the poster children for how not to sell items:

Sony 4K video camera - $750 (Dayton)

condition: new
make / manufacturer: Sony
model name / number: FDR AX33
Selling my very slightly used video camera. 20.6 megapixels, balanced optical steady shot, night shot. Wide angle 10x optical zoom. Takes great videos and pictures. Comes with all cables and carrying bag. $750 obo bought it for $850. Please text me with any questions or for more photos.

OK, Is it new or slightly used?
This is a current product, available brand new with warranty for $50 less than the seller's asking price.
As mentioned above by several, some people tend to greatly overvalue their possessions, and think depreciation does not happen to them, this is the classic example

• NIKON D3S - $1200 (Beavercreek)
  
• make / manufacturer: nikon
• model name / number: D3S
• Nikon D3S this camera is like brand new ,I bought it brand new from Midwest Photo sold for 5200.00 new
• it has 2233 clicks or activation on it buying new Z7 1200.00 cash only no pay pal no shipping you pick up

This camera is like brand new, except it is 10 years old
What relevancy is there in the original purchase price or where he bought it 10 years ago?
cash only, yes I'm meeting this Craigs List stranger with $1200 cash on me,
I really hope he enjoys his new Z7, maybe even takes more than 223 clicks a year.

Nikon F100 - $375 (Beavercreek)

Nikon 100 I bought the camera brand new I shot 3 rolls of film thru it ,it is like brand new it has the MB15 drive also bought at Midwest Photo $375.00 cash only you pick up no shipping

Gotta be the same guy! Apparently he like to buy expensive items, let them sit several years, maybe they are supposed to increase in value. This camera was last produced in 2006

[RGlasel]

Craigslist has the poster children for how not to sell items:

It always amazes me how low some people value their own time. Realizing that it costs no cash to place an ad, but I've come across people who place hundreds of ads for garbage. Selling something on Craigslist or Kijijji takes time as well as an informative and attractive ad; you have to respond to at least 10 braindead emails, text messages and phone calls for every interested buyer and even then the closing rate is atrocious. I've sold used tires and vehicles on Kijijjji, the worst part is disrupting your day so that you are home in case the person who is coming right over after stopping at an ATM actually shows up. As a buyer, I deliberately avoid the lousy listers (and they are real easy to pick out), even if the ad looks good and the price is right, inevitably the item for sale is either broken, something totally different or has been gone for at least 90 days. Those sellers must assume that if you take the trouble to make arrangements to drive over to their place, you won't leave without buying something.

[yucatanPentax]

Regarding the original post:
Sales are reasonably brisk for stuff in very good-to-excellent condition and priced to sell and not so good otherwise.

Regarding no bites for Marketplace listings:
I have noticed several recent listings where the seller was noticeably proud of their items to the extent of being within 20% of price new. I have also noticed some where price is enticing, but condition is not clear from the description or the supplied photos. I don't gamble condition regardless of price. For obvious good quality, but overpriced, I am not going to waste the keystrokes to haggle in the absence of an explicit "...or make offer" in the description.

Same here. Unless someone says "offers accepted," etc, I usually don't want to waste my time or theirs. If I can't tell something about the condition from the photos, I usually don't want to waste my time or theirs. If there isn't a good written description of functionality, same. etc, etc. So, the ad quality matters.

Tradition on the PF marketplace is that repricing to move is the norm.

Yes, that's how I've made almost all my purchases on the Marketplace. Unless "priced to sell" upfront, something will have a price drop -- bumping it to the top -- that catches my eye and I go through a "well, for that price, I could probably make some use of it, even if I am not desperately needing one of those..."

Unless the prices drop, it may not sell. If an item isn't selling, the price may be too high. End of.

Oh...and I might add that bundle priced kits (body + several lenses + flash + whatever) only move if the total value adds up and the buyer actually needs all the stuff.

Steve

These just baffle me. "I don't want to spend time sending various places" or similar commentary. It is very rare that someone needs an entire new package of items which corresponds exactly to the package being offered for sale.

Very frequently, there is something -- one item -- in a package that I would buy at a reasonable price, but the listing states, "Not breaking up the package at this time." OK. Good luck with that. Unless it is such a low price that the pricey package is irresistible, they usually sit for quite a while.


There's another little something that enters into the calculation. Paypal fees and shipping fees raise the cost to the buyer. Sometimes, that is as much as $50-$60 tacked onto the asking price. While I realize those amounts don't end up in the seller's pocket, they do come out of my pocket. So total price is important.

If a camera store offers something new or used with free shipping and no taxes and credit cards accepted, none of those costs are involved. Whether on eBay or the Marketplace or Shop Goodwill (scary, but fun if cheap), the added costs are always a consideration. Unless the total price is competitive, I pass it by.

But then again, I guess I'm at a stage where I don't desperately need something anyway. Most are "want to try out" type buys. And, yes, news about a (someday coming) K-3 replacement has paused my interest in other bodies for a moment.

[biz-engineer]

Is used equipment selling well?

The reason why people buy less cameras in general is because a lot of people stop using camera and use their smarphone instead (no extra camera bag to carry around). Which means, people buy less new equipment and even less used equipment. The new camera/lens models benefit from the advertising of manufacturers and media channels and reviewers, while there is none of this marketing effort benefiting sales of used equipment. Less sales of new equipment means it's even harder to sell used camera equipment.

[Rondec]

I sometimes wonder if people will set a price unrealistically high knowing that they don't have to sell the item, but on the off chance they get an offer at that ridiculous price they're willing to part with it.

About a mile down the street from where I live there's an old VW Beetle that looks to be in decent shape sitting in someone's front yard with a For Sale sign in the window. It's been there since well before Christmas. I have a co-worker who's into VWs, and I told him about it, he went by and took a look. He said that a car of that condition and vintage would normally sell for $6k or $8k. The seller is asking $19k. Did he just not do his homework and look up the value of the car? Or did he put $15k into restoring it and is hoping against hope that someone will just love the car and wildly overpay? Or did his wife tell him to sell the car and this is his way of eventually getting her to give up and let him keep it?

It's similar with camera gear. Sometimes I just don't get it, but maybe the seller's motivations and end goals aren't what I'm assuming.

I think the thing you have to remember about the Marketplace is that it works like a reverse auction. Which is to say that you won't ever get more than the price you initially list an item at, but you could get a lot less than that. I think people therefore "test the waters" and put a price that is 10 percent less than a new lens or camera body and then gradually reduce it from there till it sells. Probably a bit how someone might price a home that they want to sell -- you don't list it for the 175,000 you hope to get, you list it 225,000 and hope that someone with a lot of money comes along and offers you the bank for it.

I would say that camera bodies do tend to move slower than nicely priced lenses.

Honestly, when I am selling something on the Marketplace (which I don't do very often). I look through and make sure there isn't anything similar for sale and if there is, I make sure my price isn't astronomically different from theirs as a starting place.