Selling Lenses....where and how?
Discussion
From my experience, you'll get a really poor deal when you part-exchange in London shops (especially the larger ones). One online shop I've used and got pretty decent deal is;
ffordes
As mentioned, classifieds section here is definitely a good place to start too.
ffordes
As mentioned, classifieds section here is definitely a good place to start too.
Edited by Gemm on Saturday 2nd May 22:05
Simpo Two said:
Kermit power said:
I've just sold my used Tamron 70-300mm Canon fit zoom for £99 including P&P in under 24 hours which I'm pretty chuffed with. 
Less 15% eBay and Paypal fees = £85 
But yes, there's still no better place, annoyingly.
Kermit power said:
True, there are fees to pay, but I really don't understand why so many people seem to think Ebay fees are unreasonable. Can you honestly think of anywhere else that you can reach such a large potential market and take payment on credit cards from buyers who wish to buy in that way for less?
1. Because they keep putting fees up2. They know you are a captive audience (at least for now)
3. They will try and lock you into Paypal which has yet more fees
4. Because the fees become punitive on smaller value items
5. Ebay are b
ds6. Ebay don't like small traders like you and me, but like big traders, yet screw them at every opportunity. We figure many ebay traders have become proper retail shops because the margins are higher and costs lower. (There is something very wrong when the online model is more expensive than a retail location).
tinman0 said:
Kermit power said:
True, there are fees to pay, but I really don't understand why so many people seem to think Ebay fees are unreasonable. Can you honestly think of anywhere else that you can reach such a large potential market and take payment on credit cards from buyers who wish to buy in that way for less?
1. Because they keep putting fees up2. They know you are a captive audience (at least for now)
3. They will try and lock you into Paypal which has yet more fees
4. Because the fees become punitive on smaller value items
5. Ebay are b
ds6. Ebay don't like small traders like you and me, but like big traders, yet screw them at every opportunity. We figure many ebay traders have become proper retail shops because the margins are higher and costs lower. (There is something very wrong when the online model is more expensive than a retail location).
As an example, I've just found the auction house nearest to me in Google, which happens to be a place in Dorking.
They aren't a Christies or a Bonhams. They're a typical local auction house who sell a range of stuff. They don't sell anything like as much as Ebay, obviously, but I don't imagine they sell much which you couldn't find on Ebay.
They charge 15% + VAT, plus £1.50 per lot insurance, and £5 per lot listing fee.
On top of all that, they charge a 20% buyers premium as well. If I'd sold a £100 item through them rather than on Ebay, I would've been charged £24.75 for the privilege, and the buyer would've paid an additional £20.
So, on a £100 item, Ebay and Paypal combined take approximately £15 in fees. My local auction house in Dorking would take approximately three times as much.
Allow me therefore to repeat the question. Compared to what are Ebay's fees unreasonable?
tinman0 said:
Kermit power said:
Allow me therefore to repeat the question. Compared to what are Ebay's fees unreasonable?
Craigslist.HTH.
edit to add:
Ebid.net
Amazon I think.
Ebid.net have a grand total of eleven whole camera lenses listed in the UK. Ebay have over 21,000 listed. It's hardly surprising that Ebid only charge 3% fees - the odds on you getting a customer at all are going to be relatively slim, and the odds on getting two or more people bidding against each other on your item are surely pretty much impossible!
Even worse, Craigslist have a grand total of two Canon fit lenses on the entire site! What are the chances that anyone looking to buy a lens has even heard of it?
Amazon charge 86p per item sold, plus 17.25% (11.5% for electronics & photo), plus 47p P&P handling charge plus VAT on the whole lot. As far as I can work out, that's at least as much as Ebay, and you don't even have the option of selling at auction as far as I can tell. Do you think you could set the right price on second hand stuff to make sure you sell it, without under-selling it?
So, we have two sites which compete with Ebay in the same way that a used Tata Nano competes with a brand new S class, and one which does provide similar reach, doesn't have the same functionality for selling second hand items which are tricky to price, and costs a bit more than Ebay.
I have no reason to promote Ebay (other than I think they offer a reasonable service at a fair price) but I do get thoroughly bemused by everyone who seems to think they should be operating as a charity.
Last year eBay put up their final value fee from 5.75% to 10% despite already being very successful and profitable. Forcing sellers to accept their own payment method (at extra expense) and changing the feedback rules to favour buyers were merely extra aggravations.
eBay know prefectly well that they have no effective competition, and people don't like being put over a barrel by a monopoly - still less such a faceless and unhelpful one. So that is why many people have gone off them, even if forced to use them.
eBay know prefectly well that they have no effective competition, and people don't like being put over a barrel by a monopoly - still less such a faceless and unhelpful one. So that is why many people have gone off them, even if forced to use them.
Simpo Two said:
Last year eBay put up their final value fee from 5.75% to 10% despite already being very successful and profitable. Forcing sellers to accept their own payment method (at extra expense) and changing the feedback rules to favour buyers were merely extra aggravations.
eBay know prefectly well that they have no effective competition, and people don't like being put over a barrel by a monopoly - still less such a faceless and unhelpful one. So that is why many people have gone off them, even if forced to use them.
OK, so fees went up from 5.75% to 10% for private sellers. They are also capped at a maximum of £40, which just doesn't strike me as being in the slightest bit unreasonable. Why shouldn't they make a decent profit? It's a free market, and if they start charging too much, people can stop using them and go elsewhere.eBay know prefectly well that they have no effective competition, and people don't like being put over a barrel by a monopoly - still less such a faceless and unhelpful one. So that is why many people have gone off them, even if forced to use them.
As yet, though, I've not seen anyone else come up with a viable alternative which isn't at least as expensive as Ebay, if not more expensive. Amazon is a good example. They are quite a bit more expensive than Ebay, and yet we have people holding them up as an example of a more reasonably priced competitor.
Anyway - Apologies for the thread hijack! Suffice to say, I've now sold 3 lenses via Ebay, quickly, painlessly and for what I felt was a very good price. Even after fees, it's way more than I'd have got from any camera shop.
Kermit power said:
It's a free market, and if they start charging too much, people can stop using them and go elsewhere.
As yet, though, I've not seen anyone else come up with a viable alternative which isn't at least as expensive as Ebay, if not more expensive.
Until there is a decent (cheaper prices and at least as good quality and reach) alternative there is no reason for eBay to act any differently. I'd be surprised if the don't increase their prices again with the current lack of competition.As yet, though, I've not seen anyone else come up with a viable alternative which isn't at least as expensive as Ebay, if not more expensive.
However, quite a lot of the crap sold on eBay goes for more than it's worth, and quite close to retail prices. If I wanted to sell my 18 year old EF 70-200 lens I'd stick it on eBay where the fools would bid it up to way more than it was worth. 'Way-more-than-it's-worth minus 10%' is still a lot more than I'd get selling it privately or to a shop.
mikee boy said:
Kermit power said:
It's a free market, and if they start charging too much, people can stop using them and go elsewhere.
As yet, though, I've not seen anyone else come up with a viable alternative which isn't at least as expensive as Ebay, if not more expensive.
Until there is a decent (cheaper prices and at least as good quality and reach) alternative there is no reason for eBay to act any differently. I'd be surprised if the don't increase their prices again with the current lack of competition.As yet, though, I've not seen anyone else come up with a viable alternative which isn't at least as expensive as Ebay, if not more expensive.
However, quite a lot of the crap sold on eBay goes for more than it's worth, and quite close to retail prices. If I wanted to sell my 18 year old EF 70-200 lens I'd stick it on eBay where the fools would bid it up to way more than it was worth. 'Way-more-than-it's-worth minus 10%' is still a lot more than I'd get selling it privately or to a shop.
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