Sales Tips and Outcomes

[TimG]

Selling your underwater camera equipment can be a tricky experience. What’s a realistic price? How low should you go? Will I ever find a buyer for gear I love?  Is Prozac available over the counter? 
 

So what are your tips for selling your gear? Why not share your Trail of Tears with a soon to-be fellow sufferer? What percentage of the purchase cost did you get? Better than depreciation on a car? 
 

So many questions. Can you help with some answers?

[ChipBPhoto]

Great topic thread @TimG - thanks for starting!

 

Biggest suggestion - be realistic in setting the price.  Do this in the beginning to capitalize on the new listing curiosity and interest.

 

Unfortunately, the resale market for used uw photo gear is extremely small.  As such, the value is not what we want as the seller, but rather is really what the limited buyers are willing to pay.  Price it too high and the buyer will simply opt for a new, and most likely more recent model for not much more.  As such, if we are really honest, the depreciation is extremely high making the price we get often much lower than we would like or personally believe it is worth.  This is especially true when selling an older housing once new camera models are released.

 

In my experience:  (Your mileage may vary….)

30% Discount - if it’s a current product that is still useful to many

60%+ Discount - if older product, has been replaced by newer model, or not widely desired

 

Yes, I am too am guilty of pricing too high.  Eventually, once I released a few more dollars in my bank account is more valuable than gear I no longer use sitting on my shelf, I priced it more to the market and made the sale.  
 

Both buying and selling can be ugly.  (Self medicate as needed 😂)  Just like how we often have to hold our breath and just click the “buy” button for new gear, we must do the same when we post a For Sale listing.  This is especially true if we want the sale to happen in a relatively quick time frame.  

 

Edited February 10 by ChipBPhoto

[ChipBPhoto]

Another important tip…post clean, well lit photos.

 

It’s important for the buyer to feel comfortable with both the item and its  realistic condition.  
 

For “clean” images, be sure to use a blower or even hairdryer on cool to blow off the dust.  It is remarkable how much dust shows up on an image, especially when we photograph a darker subject such as housings and extensions. 
 

Similarly, spend a few minutes to thoroughly clean the glass when posting a port or lens.  

 

Spending a few minutes to clean water spots, remove dust, etc. will help the item sell faster and at a higher price.  Good luck!
 

Edited February 10 by ChipBPhoto

[TimG]

I think your 60% discount on older models is very realistic, Chip.  Maybe even 70% 🤢

[ChipBPhoto]

35 minutes ago, TimG said:

I think your 60% discount on older models is very realistic, Chip.  Maybe even 70% 🤢

Agreed.  Really depends on item and the dollars being discussed.

 

I got $500 for my 11 year Canon T2i body and Nauticam housing.  Based on the camera prices on eBay I estimate I sold the $2400 housing in good shape for $400, or an 83% discount.  Then again, I had 11 very good years of use.

 

More recently, I sold my Nauticam NA-2020 (Sony a7RIV housing) for $2900 right when the NA-a7RV started shipping, but was not available.  That was roughly a 27% discount, but I think that amount is no longer possible.  I had 3 years of use.  It also looked like new and included the box and accessories.  
 

All depends on timing and condition. 
 

[ridgebackpilot]

My benchmark for eBay purchases is 50 percent of retail. But sometimes it's not possible to achieve that for rare items or those in great demand.

 

[JS1221]

On 2/10/2024 at 3:15 PM, ChipBPhoto said:

 

I got $500 for my 11 year Canon T2i body and Nauticam housing.  Based on the camera prices on eBay I estimate I sold the $2400 housing in good shape for $400, or an 83% discount.  Then again, I had 11 very good years of use.

 

 

You got a little more than that out of the sale because I kept buying items from you. LOL 

 

One of the reasons I bought from Chip though, was because there was a great communication process. He responded in a timely manner, provided pictures and even discussed settings that worked best for him. We had 4 pages of discussions about the camera, the lens and underwater photography in general. I knew I was dealing with someone who was experienced and knew what they were talking about. I felt extremely comfortable dealing with him and that is important, especially in this day and age. Communication in sales cannot be understated.

 

[ChipBPhoto]

1 hour ago, JS1221 said:

One of the reasons I bought from Chip though, was because there was a great communication process.

Hey Jon - great to see you over here!  Thank you so much for the super kind words!!  You were such a terrific person to work with and a top notch gentleman.  It made the entire transaction seamless and pleasant.