Best place to buy used gear?

[Ballistics]

Is there a place to buy used gear dedicated to photography? I tried ebay and it is so inflated that they charge damn near full price for used gear.

 

[480sparky]

Ebay isn't a store like Adorama and B&H, so the prices aren't 'set' by any one person. If you have the patience and time, you can get some real bargains there.

 

[D-B-J]

Adorama. Jackscamera.com is a GREAT place. They have always treated me well.

 

[Ballistics]

Ebay isn't a store, so the prices aren't 'set' by any one person. If you have the patience and time, you can get some real bargains there.

I understand it's not a store. I'm well aware how ebay works. I've had an account there for years. But it is a market/economy and an inflated one. Between the high seller fees and the ability to gauge other sellers prices, everyone sells their stuff very high.

Also, sellers are notorious for shill bidding. I tried to buy one particular lens from multiple ebay stores, only to be outbid by the same person in each store. Did this for 8 days straight in 5 different ebay stores.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Craigslist, I just picked up a D80 i wasn't in the market for as a back up because I got it for..... nevermind you'd hate me if I told you

 

[Frame]

Craigslist, I just picked up a D80 i wasn't in the market for as a back up because I got it for..... nevermind you'd hate me if I told you

I'd really love to know. I've seen some insanely underpriced stuff in my area.

 

[joealcantar]

How about your local camera shop? if you don't have one I can give you a link. Depends on what you are looking for.
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Shoot well, Joe

 

[KmH]

I've sold several pristine cameras, lenses, speedlights, and other accessories right here at TPF in the Buy/Sell forum section.

I have also bought good used gear from private sellers on other photography forums, KEH.com, B&H Photo Video's used department, and Amazon.com

 

[ulrichsd]

Yeah, best deals are probably on Craigslist, but less selection so it might take a while. Buying on Ebay is probably next least expensive. Some lenses sell for cheap (usually older lenses) and some are in high demand so even a newer used lens might only be 10% discount of buying new. Ebay is 95% of the time going to be less expensive than buying from an internet used store, because those places look at ebay to set their prices. If they could sell it for more on Ebay than on their site, they would.

I tend to avoid mass sellers and buy from individuals with good positive feedback. Wait till the last 30 seconds to place you bid to avoid competitive bidders. If you are looking for a deal on Ebay, try looking at buy-it-now and search newest items listed first. Good buy-it-now-deals tend to go quickly. If its buy-it-now and has been listed for over 24 hours, then its probably overpriced. I just picked up my 80-200 AF-D 2.8 (push-pull-zoom) as a buy-it-now/best offer for $500 and it is in pristine condition with case and a b+w UV filter, those 77mm filters aren't cheap either, so I was pretty happy with that.

That said, I've heard KEH.com is a good www.keh.com and they seem to have a good selection. Some people feel more comfortable that an item has been rated honestly and you can return it if unsatisfied. I've bought new stuff from Adorama.com, they don't have as big of a used selection, but still quite a lot.

 

[480sparky]

CL can get you some good bargains as well. I've snagged a thin 77mm B&W circ polarizer for $40, and a pair of 400ws strobes with stands & umbrellas for $100.

 

[Ballistics]

Good info in this thread

 

[Ballistics]

How about your local camera shop? if you don't have one I can give you a link. Depends on what you are looking for.
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Shoot well, Joe

No local camera shops that I know of except NYC.

 

[PJL]

I bought my digital SLR from keh.com

The customer service is great, and they're known for their conservative rating of used items -- their "bargain" might be someone else's "very good" because they consider every little ding and scratch.

 

[pityacka]

I have had some bargains off ebay, here in the UK. Best bargain was approx. 2 months back - a Minolta Dynax 9 with VC 9 grip for £170. Dealers in the UK are asking about £160 for the grip alone. 9 + grip at dealers - £350-400. If you scour the listings and read carefully you will find the right bargains. This week received a Yashica FR1 for £10. - ISO dial stuck at ASA/ISO of 80, but I can use the camera with a hand meter, set the speed and aperture as per the hand meter, and ignore the readings in the viewfinder. Away I go - a happy shooter.!! And apparently the FR1 was the Yashica equivalent to the Contax RTS. It is built like one, too. Best of luck, Ballistics, the bargains are out there.

 

[mjhoward]

I've bought a few things off the FredMiranda Buy an Sell section.
Buy & Sell Photo-Gear - FM Forums