Depreciation? In Spades

[MDJAK]

Now that B&H has online quotes for selling used equipment, out of curiousity I emailed them for a quote.

for a like new 1DS Mark II, they will give me the princely sum of $4,000.

for a like new Canon 70-300 DO IS, $500.

Even an automobile doesn't depreciate like that. These items are current, only a few months old.

[AjP]

don't judge by just one place, sell it on eBay, here or somewhereelse

[nitsch]

I'm not familiar with B&H's second hand pricing but here in the UK you'd be mad to part ex or sell any old kit to any of the big camera stores. They give you next to nothing for them then stick them in their windows at double what they paid you for them admittedly they need to cover their costs, provide warranty etc but still it's not a great deal.

I say sell them on Ebay. It's very hard to buy a bargain on Ebay but that's what makes it so great as a seller - I have sold numerous items for far more than I personally thought they were worth. As long as you provide an accurate description and some clear photos of what you are selling then it's up to the buyer if they want to pay over the odds for the item.

As far as your DO goes, I was watching one the other day on Ebay and it sold for about 10% less than the brand new price.

[Tom W]

Now that B&H has online quotes for selling used equipment, out of curiousity I emailed them for a quote.

for a like new 1DS Mark II, they will give me the princely sum of $4,000.

for a like new Canon 70-300 DO IS, $500.

Even an automobile doesn't depreciate like that. These items are current, only a few months old.

Retailers always have a pretty big margin on buying vs. selling prices of used equipment. I've dealt with KEH and have found similar pricing. For the kind of stuff you're selling, you would do better to sell it yourself here, on E-Bay, or FM. Someone's got to pay the staff, rent, and utilities, I guess.

[Radtech1]

I'll give you five grand for the whole smack.

[Radtech1 waits patiently by the phone till he turns to dust]


Rad

[ed2day]

What do you think B$H will sell them for? I'll guess $7000 for the 1Ds and $1000 for the 70-300 DO. That's a truer measure of the depreciation.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Indeed.. some lenses actually increase in value over the cost new ;)

[blue_max]

They have a reputation to maintain. If the camera turns out to be junk (if it was unseen), they they take a loss - they can't sell it without compromising their reputation.

They need to make a profit and take a chance it won't sell, or need 'selling'. Actually the same applies to cars. Sell to an end user and you will get very much more than trading it in (although they massage the figures to make it look like they are giving you more).

Graham

[puttick]

A dSLR body is a computer. How much residual value does a 1-year old laptop have?

[Tom W]

A dSLR body is a computer. How much residual value does a 1-year old laptop have?

A lot more than a 1 year old desktop. :)

[condyk]

Buy second hand quality gear that is well reviewed and depreciation is minimal as long as you also realise that there's still always a right time to sell any item so you don't lose out.

[MDJAK]

A dSLR body is a computer. How much residual value does a 1-year old laptop have?

There's one important point you are missing. In one year, computers make leaps and bounds in technology and get cheaper at the same time

The Canon 1ds mark II is still the top of the heap, and mine is not 1 year old, but merely a few months old.

Another point being missed, as I stated originally, is that I'm not selling, but was merely taking advantage of B&H's new policy of giving trade-in prices on line, something they never used to do.

[goatee]

Even though their price match promise for new kit is too strongly worded for what they will actually match, Jessops (in the UK) sell second hand gear at very competetive prices. I bought my second hand 300D for £260 in mint condition. (Well not strictly mint because it was minus the box), plus they offer a 12 month warranty, with the option of buying an extended warranty (which I've never bothered it).

They have the slight irritation factor that they do not have prices of their second hand gear on their website, but you just have to call up the branch where it's being held, and they'll send it to a local branch for free without commitment - all in all for buying second hand they're great. (Of course the flipside is that they do not pay much for stuff, but as other people have said, sell on eBay, and you get the best of both worlds!)

[dkord]

Try KEH, they even have a estimate calculator to give you an idea how much they'll pay.
They seem to be pretty fair as far as selling use gear and are very reputable.