I have a couple of Nikon lenses* I don’t use that much and I’d like to sell them. Previously I’ve used e-bay but apart from the risk of not getting many bids, there is the robbery of listing fees plus Paypal fees, and then the pain in the arse of buyers later demanding money back, or a discount, due to non-existent flaws they manage to find.

So I’m wondering where might be alternatives. I live in that London town, so I can tout them round various dealers if you think there’s a point, or do they always give you a rotten price?

Where do folk sell their gear?

(* 24mm and 45mm PC-E (tilt-shift) if you’re interested … )

Nice lenses! I’ve sold my last few through Facebook groups – there are usually rules requiring sellers to include photos of their item along with a signed, dated note but I suppose it still leaves you open to the same problems as eBay.

Dealers will offer you a fair bit less than they’re worth because obvs, they have to make a living but at least there’s no comeback or hassle.

MPB Photographic have been good to me in the past if you cant be arsed with eBay.

You wont get the same price as a private sale but MPB Photographic offer a good quick and hassle free service if moving your kit is your prime motivation.

Thanks – I just got a quote from MPB for 1550 for both, whereas I’ve seen them sold on Amazon for about 1000 each, so that is quite a hassle premium. Have to think …

Might be worth contacting Camera World for a comparative price:

Camera World
14 Wells Street
London
W1T 3PB
0207 636 5005

Sell or Part-exchange

I use a FB group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/363935843617320/

I recently sold my entire Sony set up on eBay including body, five lenses, two strobes and some other bits and pieces. Yes the fees came to a gut wrenching £600 but I made back 85% of what I originally paid for everything. I did get lucky in so far as the pounds has depreciated massively against the Euro and there have been big rises in the new price of all the items I was selling, but still, the get back 85% is a result.

Maybe you will get back 40% if you sell to someone like MPB or London Camera Exchange but you will still be massively out of pocket compared to eBay.

FWIW four of the five lenses and one strobe went abroad, three plus the strobe to Europe one to the US. The body (an A7rII I originall paid £2400 for and sold for £2050) went to Denmark.

Everyone paid within 48 hours of the auction close.

No one has come back with anything other than positive feedback.

Total sales came to £6500 so the fees were about 10% with Paypal fees another 7%.

The body (an A7rII I originall paid £2400 for and sold for £2050) went to Denmark.

Very good.

I paid £5k for a Nikon D4 body and sold it for £2.5k (ish) 3 years later…

I sold via FB using PP, so only fees were Paypal (5% ish).

The guy was in Denmark, so I guess the new price there would be even higher than the new price here.

ive sold a bit on gumtree if you can put up with all the low ball chancers,

These guys have been good for me in the past , and your lenses are pro/specialist type :

http://www.ffordes.com/Commission_Sales

AV Forums have a classifieds section here

Hi Greg – how did you send the stuff? Royal Mail? Signed for? Courier?

Have a look at TalkPhotography.co.uk. Their ‘for sale’ forum is very good. I’ve used it a good few times to buy and sell gear. I’ve never been disappointed with he stuff I’ve bought. It seems to be used by genuine photographers.
The only snag is I think you have to register and post a number of times before you can sell on the forum.

I’ve eBay’d four cameras and various low value lenses without any problems. I think you lose around 13% total from eBay and PayPal fees (around 10% eBay, 2.9% + 25p for PayPal), and I shipped through Royal Mail, signed for and insured. So long as you’re up front (and accurate) with the shipping costs then you won’t lose out. Like Greg, much of my gear went to Europe. I actually made money on my Sony A7 since I had got it for a song 2nd hand 😀

I’ve bought 2nd hand gear from Ffordes, but the quote they gave me for some stuff was laughably low. Same with MPB.

Facebook is fine, but you’re more likely to get savvier buyers from a smaller pool than eBay and as such you won’t sell for as good a price. But then you avoid fees… Pays yer money, etc.

I’ve sold Nikon bodies on here; not sold any lenses though.

Hi Greg – how did you send the stuff? Royal Mail? Signed for? Courier?

In the UK I tend to use Special Delivery and increase the insurance as needed for camera equipment. If it’s a very large item I default to using a courier and access them through Parcel2Go but again, I always add the insurance to the full amount and I make sure I indicate just what that will be on the eBay listing.

For international deliveries I tend to always use Parce2Go.

The important part with high value equipment is to make sure you insure it properly. This does significantly increase the postage cost but that’s just how it has to be.

I’ve had a few instances now where eBay put a hold on the funds paid to me, so that even though they are in my account, I cannot withdraw them, either until the buyer confirms they are happy or something like 21 days has passed. It’s really annoying but now I know to expect it from time to time, I can accept it. But this is why insuring appropriately is so important.

Also, bear in mind that with Parce2Go they won’t insure you for damage, just loss so also make sure you pack it really well. I always keep original boxes for just this reason but you may not have them for your lenses. If you pack them well, you shouldn’t need to worry.

It does all sound like a pain the butt and makes you wonder why you bother, but if you do it right with eBay, you really will maximise what you get for them. I worked out that it all my Sony gear only cost me £1100 to own and use extensively for a year. That’s not bad considering what the rental cost would have been.

I wouldn’t assume that royal mail insurance is worth anything.

Quite the opposite in my experience. They wanted proof of original purchase to confirm value (not interested in the eBay sale value) and wanted written confirmation from the recipient that it hadn’t arrived, despite the depot confirming they lost it.

Well, as I had time to kill, I took them to Grays of Westminster, who offered me a laughably small price, and then to London Camera Exchange, who offered me a not-bad price in part exchange for the new lens I was actually interested in buying, so I sold them one and have one still to dispose of.