I got a x-t1 for 130$, it was dusty and the hinge was loose. Did a deep clean and fixed the hinge with some metal wire. Gave it to a friend and he loves it
my quick rule of thumb for 2nd hand gear is commercial resellers (MPB etc.) minus 20%. Or if you want to sell something: Whatever the resellers are offering plus 15%. But your ebay approach sounds useful as well.
Buying in a bundle to resell is called "Cherry Picking". I owned a business that took in buildings of items, basing the offer on a few of the main items that could resell quickly and recover the cash investment. Then you go through and resell the rest at 100% profit minus expenses, fixed costs. Fun times, retired now.
I did buy an excellent condition XT1 for $350 Canadian, well under $300 USD with battery and charger from a well known camera chain in Canada . The same camera is often listed for much more. Many camera stores, especially chains, resell based on the trade in value plus a defined mark up. In other words, it traded in low and it resold low and vis versa. I also bought an XT3 at a killer bargain from a different camera chain store. Like new for $650 USD equivalent. Took thousands of photos on the Xt3 and got my money back and more when trading in for a new XT 5.
This is exactly how I funded my X-Pro1 more than 10 years ago. I was buying analogue camera bodies that came with lenses I knew were in demand. That gave me enough to buy a new X-Pro1 with bundled lenses which I sold for a profit. I still have two of the Fuji lenses and used the same method to upgrade the X-Pro1 to an X-T3. It cost me some time and effort but after working everything out I haven't spent a penny on camera gear.
Also if buying on eBay, consider the square trade extended warranty. My XT1 after about 6 months the EVF and some of the button started to malfunction. I sent it in for a warranty repair that I bought when I bought the camera, and they replaced the entire top plate, all the buttons, EVF, and LCD. It's basically a brand new camera. It's worth spending an extra couple bucks on an extended warranty when buying old used electronics.
My best deal ever was years ago. I got a brand new $1500 Olympus camera for $200 in the end because the seller put so much stuff in the package I sold all the stuff I didn't want and was only $200 total into that brand new camera. Sweet.
@@Postbus22 I paid $800 up front, then sold the extras for $600 immediately. She literally included a shrink wrapped copy of photoshop with the camera! I wasn't complaining. :P
Something ive found on eBay is that auctions that end on a holiday or day that something distracting is going on like Christmas or the Superbowl are great times to get some great deals. Just gotta wait for the right time to strike
I have been using this technique for years so I know it works 100% I buy things all the time in a bundle and get what I really want for free or much cheaper than it should be. One thing you forgot to mention is auctions that end too early, like in the morning or early afternoon usually sell for less. I never list anything past 11pm.
I do this while selling things on eBay to get a more realistic idea of what I can expect to sell things for. I never considered doing this when purchasing! I’ve been having a heck of a time trying to find an XT 1, 2 or 3 for anywhere near the prices that I’ve heard people saying they can get them for. The XT1s I’ve been looking at are all well over $500 with a few “poor condition/heavily used“ cameras for around 350 to 400. The one XT3 I found for around 550 that seemed to be in excellent condition and was also the graphite color. I ended up bidding on it and winning, but then they canceled the auction immediately after. I’ve been pretty convinced this whole time that the prices have skyrocketed on Fuji because of their recent trendiness. It’s been really bothering me, so I’m glad to hear this new tip. I will try it out right now! Same thing with lenses too. I hear people saying “lens is amazing” then when I go to try and purchase one I can’t find one for less than $250. 🤦🏼♀️🤯🙄
I too buy used, and SAVE TONS OF MONEY. I just got a $300 Rode Blimp for $125. It needed the clamp that holds the pivot position and one of the mechanisms that secures the blimp to the handle. I contacted Rode and they sent these parts to me FOR FREE!! I also bought a $400 lens for $148. The auto focus didn't work on the lens, and because I shoot narrative films I NEVER USE AUTO FOCUS. It didn't matter to me that it didn't work on the lens. Those were ebay. On Craigslist I got a 35mm APS-C Nikon lens for $50. Perfect condition. On Reverb I got a $600 shotgun mic for $280. In the box, perfect condition. I've also got SO MUCH MORE. You get so much more bang for your buck this way. You get stuff you otherwise could not afford.
I’ve used all these techniques. The only thing I would add is that lately I do 90% of my buying and selling on Facebook marketplace because the seller doesn’t pay eBay fees, which benefits both buyer and seller. Great tips!
So true... I did exactly that with eBay and thrift store finds for years (buy cheap, resell for profit) and worked my way up from a Canon EOS M a few years ago to a Sony A7Rii, which I bought for $925 barely used... couldn't be happier! :)
Doing exactly this, buying from people not knowing value of their items (bad descriptions, bad on no photo, etc), then repack, take good pictures, thorough descriptions, and I can get premium prices. Just this month I found a guy selling a Sekonic L-478 for 215€, and I managed to bring him down to 150€; the item was actually the "EL" version, including Elinchrom triggering abilities, which the guy didn't know and didn't highlight in his auction. When I resold it I stressed a lot that that was including native Elinchrom triggering, I took beautiful pictures, etc, and I managed to resell it for 250€! A 100€ margin increase from 150€ in just 3 days! One of my fastest and greatest feat ever 🙂
My best find was a Leica IIIc with 50mm collapsible Elmar for $120. They had some other stuff there that I offered an extra $50 or so for. One of the items was some lens I’d never heard of before called a Pinkham + Smith portrait lens. I sold that one for $3000 on eBay
The local camera shop guy has a pair of 5D Mk II's that he has owned for over 15 years and they're still going strong. Those things get so much use. If you ever want to go full frame, start with those types of DSLR's. They're not hard to find and are excellent starter cameras even if they were such flag ships back in the day.
I do the same thing with camera gear….sometimes great gear gets no bids, and I snag it at the last second…doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does….also find bulk camera gear packages, where I want some of the gear….I bought a like new Olympus with 3 lenses, extra batteries, leather cases, all the extra bells and whistles for under $200, from South Korea, and received it in 3 days…..you are right on sir!
For this technique to work you need 2 things. Be in the right time and have time to study prices. I know the prices for a few body’s and glasses so I immediately know if the deal is a bargain or not. Bought my camera gear pretty cheap in the past. ;)
I recently got a great deal on a camera lens on Ebay. I was searching for weeks afterwards to see my transaction show up on the sold items list. It never did. Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't aware that Ebay withheld listing transactions that fell too far below the average price.
Bought my X-T1 for $270 with everything in it and a flash mount. Best purchase I’ve ever made and camera is still going strong after 3 years since I owned it. :)
Really interesting video - I do a lot of buying bundles and selliing off what I don't want so it's cool to see others do this too :) The point at 2:57 about eBay removing 'outliers' is incredibly interesting - I was looking for a certain lens last year and I saw two go through eBay (before I had the funds to bid) and they were in the sold items a few days later.. But then a month later when I wanted to check something, no amount of searching could find those sales and I was very confused!
Beware of eBay! People tend to automatically assume is cheapest and in my experience they are actually more expensive. The other thing to factor in is that buying on eBay you are at risk when it comes to faulty gear that has something wrong with it. Camera repair these days tends to be hideously expensive. Some online repair shops have a "minimum" repair charge of $300! Most online used camera dealers offer at least a 90 day guarantee and some go as high as 6 months.
One thing that this explanation doesn't take into account is 'time = money'. If you're a busy person looking for a deal, this might not be a cost-effective way of finding a discount. If you've got extra time to put towards it, then by all means do so.
Unfortunately, my budget only got me a panasonic dmc-fz20. It does work. The quality is good. It does struggle with shutter speed and does not take long exposures. The o.i.s. works surprisingly well. The iso only goes up to 400, which is a bit of a shame. I am currently trying to buy a telelens conversion for it, but it's kind of expensive for a teenager to buy. I am into horse photography and horse jumping photography. This is my setup. If you know of a slightly better model that fixes the issues that I mentioned above but is still old enough to not empty my wallet, share your thoughts.
Personally I still use my Kodak Easyshare ZD710. If I had to recommend any it would probably be that one or a Z710, Z740, or Z650. They sell for roughly 20 bucks on ebay and they can be used professionally as they don't have the issues similar era point and shoots have with funky forced auto-settings like the Olympus FE series. They also have tripod mounting slots and good zoom (for the time). They can be set to manual and shoot in pretty good resolutions. They're also snazzy and tough. Note: they are fed by AA batteries so you don't have to worry about a worn out battery.
Very much appreciate this advice and how you break it down in terms that are easy to grasp , practical and just good common sense. As with all the information you share... WELL DONE! Thanks. 🦉
For the last few years ive owned 3 canon m50s with various lenses. All 3.kf them I bought on the low from ebay and then traded in to mpb for pretty mich what I paid for them. I am essentially renting the gear for trips at little to no cost
For me i go back to Vietnam in vacation and got my XT1, in country like Vietnam the camera usually expensive so they really carefull with it( they even keep the original box) , thanks to that I got a good condition XT1 GSE with only 1 scratch at the bottom for 325$ and the battery grip for 15$.
After watching the original video I put an XT-1 on my radar. Within a few days I found one w/ TT Artisans 35mm lens, a battery grip & the flash. Since then I've added a 35mm F2 Fujifilm XF lens for $200. Now I'm hunting for a zoom lens to go with it.
bought my xt1 for only $268 about 2 years ago. it came with the battery grip and a manual lens. a few months later I bought an xt20 with 18-55 for just $465.
The price you pay for a second hand camera depends on where you look because a specialist will likely charge you as much as they can but a general second hand store who just want to sell it but not try and get a peak price for the item
I know people in Norway use Ebay to set the price for the gear they want to sell. The problem is that Norway is a small marked where prizes are pressed down, so the price they ask for will be to high due to new prizes. I have also tried to find out what bying a camera or a lens from Ebay will cost me, with freight and taxes, and the prize comes close to bying new gear in Norway.
Brilliant video! Had a few good catches recently. I still have a GH5 to sell, but after selling 2 lenses and a gimball that came with it, I'm juat AUD140 from breaking even. And am keeping a gorilla pod, 128GB SD card, PD strap... An then I bought a 5D2 last week with 2 L lenses, grip, 2 genuine batteries for the price of just one of these L lenses. The camera has an insanely low SC of 5300! And it looks brand new, as do the lenses. Cheap L lenses are usually beat up workhorses even if they are optically perfect. I'll probably keep the longer lens and try to fund it with other items. Also bought a Sigma 150-500mm lens within 10 minutes of liating for $200 below the lowest ever price....One thing you didn't mention about selling is to sell in pieces and be patient. To get the market peice you have to set a fair, but high price, auction end to most popular time of week and wait for a week with little or no crazy deals like you described.
I believe it. The xt1 is a very old camera now. We are up to the V and xh2 series now. Still a good photo camera but I wouldn’t pay $500 for that. Maybe a xt2 or xt3 used. I got a xh1 years ago for $500 new. From b&h. It was on sale for $900 at the time and came with a free battery grip and several free batteries and a charger. Sold the free stuff and got about $400 cash for it.
Living on Vancouver Island, I'm often leary of items on Ebay being shipped in from China and Japan (lots of items shipped in from Japan). It's difficult to determine duty, exchange, etc and occasionally I have been hit by a bill that when factored into the price, I could have got locally with less wait time and hassle. What newbies to the whole used market need to know, most amateurs don't use their gear that much. I have bought two cameras, seven lenses, studio lighting, light meter, camera bags, et. al. and they all looked like I bought them new from a store.
Yes, I'm always amazed that used gear from camera dealers/stores (whether on Ebay or not) usually commands a higher price. There is no information on the history of the gear, how many people have owned it before you, etc. I'd much rather buy from an individual who is the original owner and took it on vacation a few times a year. Of course, they can lie about it, but your chances are better that you'll receive a barely used piece of gear. As an aside, I must say that Vancouver Island is beautiful place for nature photography!
@@geezer2tech154 I have used kerrisdale Cameras which is a chain in Vancouver. I just bought a used Canon 7K mk2 (for the crop factor when using it with my long Sigma zoom - BIF's). In fact I only bought this camera about two months ago. I phoned in and talked to a clerk. She assured me cosmetically it was clean and the shutter activation was 5,000 which for this model of camera is only warming it up (shutter activation = 200,000 for 7D mk2). When I got it you can appreciate I went over it with a "fine tooth comb." It was immaculate, looked brand new though based on the dating Canon uses, it was made in 2021. In Victoria I use a very miniature KEH who are pretty factual about the shape of their gear.
Got a Pentax 645 with 2 lenses for free, because I helped somebody in my neighbourhood cleaning his parents attic. There we found the beauty and he said I could keep it. Things are worth what we want them to be worth ( dont know if that makes sense, my english is bad). :)
I only buy my gear used and I've traded several Fuji cameras to get the overall cost of my using Fuji cameras down, my early models like the X-M1, X-E1 and X-E2's are now zero cost to me and all my other higher end models cost a fraction of the original price. I've also built a collection of Billingham camera bags on the cheap that would have cost thousands if bought new. It's all about knowing your market inside out, spotting the bargains and acting immediately. Knowledge and patience are key, it's good fun as well !!!
Yes acting immediately is the key. Because a few times I decided to wait while I decided and then you go back and the item is gone. You just need to pull the trigger because worst case you can always resell it.
Ebay sellers also put items for sale at crazy prices that never sell and just rotate on auction &/ buy now. They never intend on selling it, it's there just to pump the price and make their other items look cheap.
I used this technique when I bought my canon EOS-M with 22mm lens combo for $200 few years ago from Ebay, and I could've sold the lens to cover for price. (I really wanted to try Magic Lantern). I think I can resell it now and still make profit, if I really wanted to.
I got the X-E1 + XF 27mm R WR for $380, sold the lens for $350 lol. Later I got the X-T10 + XF 18-135 R WR for $450, sold the lens for $400. Kept these awesome cameras. But yeah, I paid with my time and knowledge
Another thing you can do is look for items ‘For Parts Only’. I got a Nikon D800 and an Olympus EM5 at half the market price. Both were listed for parts, but if you hit forums you might find work arounds for some common issues. For example, the EM5 has a known issue where you take an image and the camera shuts down. The work around is to set the camera to high multiple shots and voila the camera works. It can be a hit and miss strategy, but I got two great cameras at half the market price this way.
I shoot film on older cameras so that requires getting vintage lenses. and the amount of times ive saved insane amounts of money buying "as is/for parts" gear that only needed cleaning or simple repairs is crazy. spent $10 on a canon NFD 28mm f/2.8 (which can go for $90-$180 in mint condition) that was listed for parts because it had fungus, but it was in fantastic shape physically its almost mint all I had to do was pop off the plastic ring holding the first element group and the fungus was on the back of it, couple of swabs of hydrogen peroxide, naphtha, and rubbing alcohol and it was as good as new, my favorite lens for my A-1
I used to do this all the time. Between 2014~2018, I would regularly find great deals. However, in the last few years it's gotten a lot harder to find good deals.
I suspect the ones you’re seeing that eBay is “wiping out” are the fraudulent listings that were busted (they discovered the account was hacked or the seller sent a box of rocks or some other method). Or the seller didn’t follow through and had it canceled.
I prefer an Olympus E-M10 Mark 2 for Street photography, the only caveat ist : phase Af ist not supported. When it was released it offered more even computational features than the Olympus flagship E-M1 M1. Yes Fuji systems are very intersting and form time to time I consider it but shooting with Olympus and Nikon Z I hesitate to built up a new line of lenses - though I currently own at least 10 vintages lenses operated an both systems. Unfortunately the price of used Fujy XT1 is to high to invest though for the first approach I would alos buy a used FUJINON XF18-55mm F2.8-4...
Hi,- I just bought an X-T1 here in Denmark for 700 Kroner.... that is 100 USD..... it came with one battery and a charger. It was a little used on the outside,- but in full working condition. So yes,- it can be done.
some lent's may retain the value , but most camera body plummet fast and some lents will soon become cheap really fast , the nikon F autofocus , i also recently buy some zenith camera , for 10-20euro ,, and the lent's on throws are really good and work on modern cam with only a cheap adapter ,
Got my XT1 with a 23mm f2.8 lens for 375 canadian $ on facebook marketplace. Drove 45 minutes to get there but was worth it. Marketplace will always have better deals than Ebay.
I personally wouldn't buy used gear as you never know if there is an issue and a camera shouldn't be older than lets say 4 years.. The x T1 was released 2014. Cameras will also get on sale so you will get good discount. Keep an eye open for sales. Got a 2000 dollar camera for 999 on sale.
Not actually. There are tons of scams on eBay that sell for very low prices. (Usually no rating new users or hacked users) eBay removes these listings as those users are reported. So you do need to be careful of who you are buying from. Also many low prices sold items have flaws or faults with the item. Now, there are excellent deals you can find from people who do not know the value of their item or those looking for a quick sale. You have to be patient and you do need to look quite often as really good deals go quick in minutes. There is some good advice given here though. Buying in bundles and selling unwanted items and etc. Still, selling is tough for people who have no experience or reviews. EBay fees are high and many pit falls to watch out for when you sell on eBay. MPB and KEH are also good options to look into for buying and selling as well.
My insight on eBay removing the lowest priced items from the sales history is person experience. I regularly buy items that’s don’t show up in the history, when I get them at a very low price, and they are genuine items.
Facebook marketplace is great. I got a 5Dii essentially like new (estimate was 15-20k shutters) with original box and all accessories like battery charger and strap for what a "well used" to "good" with 80k shutters is going for on camera websites. $250.
I would love be a professional photographer, I bought a vintage lens Tokina 35-105mm f3.5 for 15 USD. Is it possible be professional photographer with vintage lenses? I have Olympus omd 10 mark 3, I do thinking buy fujifilm xt4 or xt5... but how about use vintage lense for professional work?
Cheaper overall as a bundle is absolute FACTS. I got an Olympus E-PL8 for £300.99 including postage. I got the kit lens, the 45mm lens and all the original accessories for that bargain price. Ebay can be good at times.
I bought a 5D MK II with a Canon 24-105 F/4 L IS and a 50mm 1.8 for 200€. The 24-105 had a big Scratch in the front which didn't affected the image quality, so I did sell it at 200€. So the 5D MKII with the 50mm 1.8 ended up being "free"
sadly for the most part here in canada where I am at camera gear is as an average a full third more expensive on facebook or kijiji (canadian Craigslist) than on ebay...
Ehhh my experience with FB marketplace & craigslist is that most people who don't know what they have will way overvalue camera equipment. Especially true for budget and vintage gear. So many people try to sell their grandpa's Pentax ME with the m-series 50 f/2 lens for $150 or more... Also buying bundles and reselling can be an excellent option but when you're getting going be prepared to eat it on a few sales and budget for that before you spend all your money.
That's what I find. FB marketplace listings are grossly overpriced. They seem to look at MPB and KEH prices and then add $50. Shame, because a local guy on FB selling the XF 80mm for months now has finally dropped the asking price below what I paid months ago at UPP for that lens. He still hasn't sold it. I would have bought it if he'd been more reasonable, but his original price wasn't even close, so I didn't bother.
Careful of all the scammers on eBay, if a deal is too good to be true it usually is. I was looking for an x-pro3 and there were a handful of listings for around $400 while the rest were around $1500. They all used the same photos and all the sellers had either no feedback or a few feedback from buying things. the seller will ship you a box of junk so there's a tracking number and a weight, that way most of the time eBay will take their side.
Oher reasons for the lower local price is that people want to avoid ebay fees, the "hassle" of having to ship the item and any risk of returns or scams. As a rule of thumb, I consider a 20% discount off an ebay price, a good local price (10% ebay fees and 10% hassle avoidance).
Ebay is a risky gold mine.. i got a Nikon D800, with tamron 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8, and a Nikon SB-900 inside a pelican case.. and won the auction for 600$ lol.. pawnshop also often accept offers lower than their listing prices if they had the item for too long.. Not long ago i was saving to buy another Nikon D800 but with a Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G and a Nikon 105mm f2.8G micro VR lens with SB-800 flash, and a backpack.. for 900$ but someone else beat me to it..
X-T10 listed for $400 on FB Market Place. It was listed with a lens. I asked how much without the lens and guy brought it down to $300. Prices these days I jumped on it.
I've been doing this for years (I'm only 3 minutes in).. I used to sell cameras/lenses on eBay for a couple of years.. Recently I picked up a mint Olympus EM-1 Mark 2 for $330.. Why? Because I saw one that sold for $340 in the last 6 months.. PATIENCE is EVERYTHING! (I'm guessing you'll get to that in this video)
I was selling a piece of gear on Facebook marketplace once (well below market value) and kept getting low-ballers, so I edited my post saying that every time someone tried to low-ball me I would raise the price be $25 until it reached the lowest price on eBay. Sold it for $50 more than I originally asked for.
or, just kindly low ball everyone. I got someone selling a canon 6d Markii with an 85mm L lens for $1500, I offered $550, and they came down to $900. If I kept going, I am confident I couldve gone down to 750 for the pair. Both in excellent condition might I add, not even a scratch on the body of either.
Many people do this already with Everything… Reselling is just harder these days. Profits are slim unless you buy really cheap. Every selling platform takes a cut. eBay and PayPal takes a lot in fees. If you sell too much then the government will send you a 1099k and want 30% in taxes etc. if you have the time, selling locally is the best way to go if you have the time. Then you factor in the hours you spent watching eBay items or driving and meeting people etc. your $50 profit was a waste of time.
There are definitely bargains out there, and eBay has certainly worked for me. Recently I got a Nikon F6, boxed with manual in close to mint condition complete with grip for £500 here in the UK, which is about $630 usd, normally $1500 upwards.
I got a x-t1 for 130$, it was dusty and the hinge was loose. Did a deep clean and fixed the hinge with some metal wire. Gave it to a friend and he loves it
my quick rule of thumb for 2nd hand gear is commercial resellers (MPB etc.) minus 20%. Or if you want to sell something: Whatever the resellers are offering plus 15%. But your ebay approach sounds useful as well.
MPB actually has a higher markup. It depends on the total value of course, but I'd say its more around 50%.
@@JaySilva88 So the GH5 they're selling for $580, they got it for $290?
Buying in a bundle to resell is called "Cherry Picking". I owned a business that took in buildings of items, basing the offer on a few of the main items that could resell quickly and recover the cash investment. Then you go through and resell the rest at 100% profit minus expenses, fixed costs. Fun times, retired now.
Where did you get those bundles from?
I did buy an excellent condition XT1 for $350 Canadian, well under $300 USD with battery and charger from a well known camera chain in Canada . The same camera is often listed for much more. Many camera stores, especially chains, resell based on the trade in value plus a defined mark up. In other words, it traded in low and it resold low and vis versa. I also bought an XT3 at a killer bargain from a different camera chain store. Like new for $650 USD equivalent. Took thousands of photos on the Xt3 and got my money back and more when trading in for a new XT 5.
Where did you find it? I tried a few local stores in BC and they didn't have any fujifilm :(
Hope this is in BC. please tell us 😊
No I’m in Ottawa. Gosselein is a Quebec chain of stores with good used gear and prices
Why not an Olympus OMD Em-1 mark II for that price ? @@davidbrighten2572
@@davidbrighten2572what condition was the Xt-1? I just ordered a used camera in condition 7 scale on Gosselin photo site.
This is exactly how I funded my X-Pro1 more than 10 years ago.
I was buying analogue camera bodies that came with lenses I knew were in demand.
That gave me enough to buy a new X-Pro1 with bundled lenses which I sold for a profit.
I still have two of the Fuji lenses and used the same method to upgrade the X-Pro1 to an X-T3.
It cost me some time and effort but after working everything out I haven't spent a penny on camera gear.
Also if buying on eBay, consider the square trade extended warranty. My XT1 after about 6 months the EVF and some of the button started to malfunction. I sent it in for a warranty repair that I bought when I bought the camera, and they replaced the entire top plate, all the buttons, EVF, and LCD. It's basically a brand new camera. It's worth spending an extra couple bucks on an extended warranty when buying old used electronics.
Nice to know. I'll consider it in the future.
My best deal ever was years ago. I got a brand new $1500 Olympus camera for $200 in the end because the seller put so much stuff in the package I sold all the stuff I didn't want and was only $200 total into that brand new camera. Sweet.
so how much did you pay for that package?
@@Postbus22 I paid $800 up front, then sold the extras for $600 immediately. She literally included a shrink wrapped copy of photoshop with the camera! I wasn't complaining. :P
Something ive found on eBay is that auctions that end on a holiday or day that something distracting is going on like Christmas or the Superbowl are great times to get some great deals. Just gotta wait for the right time to strike
I have been using this technique for years so I know it works 100% I buy things all the time in a bundle and get what I really want for free or much cheaper than it should be. One thing you forgot to mention is auctions that end too early, like in the morning or early afternoon usually sell for less. I never list anything past 11pm.
I do this while selling things on eBay to get a more realistic idea of what I can expect to sell things for. I never considered doing this when purchasing!
I’ve been having a heck of a time trying to find an XT 1, 2 or 3 for anywhere near the prices that I’ve heard people saying they can get them for. The XT1s I’ve been looking at are all well over $500 with a few “poor condition/heavily used“ cameras for around 350 to 400.
The one XT3 I found for around 550 that seemed to be in excellent condition and was also the graphite color. I ended up bidding on it and winning, but then they canceled the auction immediately after. I’ve been pretty convinced this whole time that the prices have skyrocketed on Fuji because of their recent trendiness. It’s been really bothering me, so I’m glad to hear this new tip. I will try it out right now! Same thing with lenses too. I hear people saying “lens is amazing” then when I go to try and purchase one I can’t find one for less than $250. 🤦🏼♀️🤯🙄
I too buy used, and SAVE TONS OF MONEY. I just got a $300 Rode Blimp for $125. It needed the clamp that holds the pivot position and one of the mechanisms that secures the blimp to the handle. I contacted Rode and they sent these parts to me FOR FREE!!
I also bought a $400 lens for $148. The auto focus didn't work on the lens, and because I shoot narrative films I NEVER USE AUTO FOCUS. It didn't matter to me that it didn't work on the lens.
Those were ebay. On Craigslist I got a 35mm APS-C Nikon lens for $50. Perfect condition.
On Reverb I got a $600 shotgun mic for $280. In the box, perfect condition.
I've also got SO MUCH MORE. You get so much more bang for your buck this way. You get stuff you otherwise could not afford.
I’ve used all these techniques. The only thing I would add is that lately I do 90% of my buying and selling on Facebook marketplace because the seller doesn’t pay eBay fees, which benefits both buyer and seller. Great tips!
So true... I did exactly that with eBay and thrift store finds for years (buy cheap, resell for profit) and worked my way up from a Canon EOS M a few years ago to a Sony A7Rii, which I bought for $925 barely used... couldn't be happier! :)
Thats how I exactly get an idea how much something used is worth, glad someone is showing this neat little trick
Doing exactly this, buying from people not knowing value of their items (bad descriptions, bad on no photo, etc), then repack, take good pictures, thorough descriptions, and I can get premium prices. Just this month I found a guy selling a Sekonic L-478 for 215€, and I managed to bring him down to 150€; the item was actually the "EL" version, including Elinchrom triggering abilities, which the guy didn't know and didn't highlight in his auction. When I resold it I stressed a lot that that was including native Elinchrom triggering, I took beautiful pictures, etc, and I managed to resell it for 250€! A 100€ margin increase from 150€ in just 3 days! One of my fastest and greatest feat ever 🙂
My best find was a Leica IIIc with 50mm collapsible Elmar for $120. They had some other stuff there that I offered an extra $50 or so for. One of the items was some lens I’d never heard of before called a Pinkham + Smith portrait lens. I sold that one for $3000 on eBay
The local camera shop guy has a pair of 5D Mk II's that he has owned for over 15 years and they're still going strong. Those things get so much use. If you ever want to go full frame, start with those types of DSLR's. They're not hard to find and are excellent starter cameras even if they were such flag ships back in the day.
I do the same thing with camera gear….sometimes great gear gets no bids, and I snag it at the last second…doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does….also find bulk camera gear packages, where I want some of the gear….I bought a like new Olympus with 3 lenses, extra batteries, leather cases, all the extra bells and whistles for under $200, from South Korea, and received it in 3 days…..you are right on sir!
For this technique to work you need 2 things.
Be in the right time and have time to study prices.
I know the prices for a few body’s and glasses so I immediately know if the deal is a bargain or not.
Bought my camera gear pretty cheap in the past. ;)
I recently got a great deal on a camera lens on Ebay. I was searching for weeks afterwards to see my transaction show up on the sold items list. It never did. Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't aware that Ebay withheld listing transactions that fell too far below the average price.
Bought my X-T1 for $270 with everything in it and a flash mount.
Best purchase I’ve ever made and camera is still going strong after 3 years since I owned it. :)
I bought my X-T1 two weeks ago for $199 mint and CiB. What a awesome Camera, thanks for the tip.
Really interesting video - I do a lot of buying bundles and selliing off what I don't want so it's cool to see others do this too :)
The point at 2:57 about eBay removing 'outliers' is incredibly interesting - I was looking for a certain lens last year and I saw two go through eBay (before I had the funds to bid) and they were in the sold items a few days later.. But then a month later when I wanted to check something, no amount of searching could find those sales and I was very confused!
This is what I did to get my first camera gear a couple months ago. Here’s what I got
• canon R50 w/ 18-55 mm lens - $500
• Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 - $225
Beware of eBay! People tend to automatically assume is cheapest and in my experience they are actually more expensive. The other thing to factor in is that buying on eBay you are at risk when it comes to faulty gear that has something wrong with it. Camera repair these days tends to be hideously expensive. Some online repair shops have a "minimum" repair charge of $300! Most online used camera dealers offer at least a 90 day guarantee and some go as high as 6 months.
Pro tip. Steal
😂😂😂
Stealing isn't illegal. Until you're caught.
1284x for free crown vics.
It is easy to steal an xt1 since it is used for street photography.😂😂
Works every time 👍
One thing that this explanation doesn't take into account is 'time = money'. If you're a busy person looking for a deal, this might not be a cost-effective way of finding a discount. If you've got extra time to put towards it, then by all means do so.
100% true, but if that’s you, you probably know it.
Unfortunately, my budget only got me a panasonic dmc-fz20.
It does work.
The quality is good. It does struggle with shutter speed and does not take long exposures.
The o.i.s. works surprisingly well.
The iso only goes up to 400, which is a bit of a shame.
I am currently trying to buy a telelens conversion for it, but it's kind of expensive for a teenager to buy.
I am into horse photography and horse jumping photography.
This is my setup. If you know of a slightly better model that fixes the issues that I mentioned above but is still old enough to not empty my wallet, share your thoughts.
Personally I still use my Kodak Easyshare ZD710. If I had to recommend any it would probably be that one or a Z710, Z740, or Z650. They sell for roughly 20 bucks on ebay and they can be used professionally as they don't have the issues similar era point and shoots have with funky forced auto-settings like the Olympus FE series. They also have tripod mounting slots and good zoom (for the time). They can be set to manual and shoot in pretty good resolutions. They're also snazzy and tough. Note: they are fed by AA batteries so you don't have to worry about a worn out battery.
Love the e-bay tips and tricks. And Marketplace. I just may have too give it a try.
Very much appreciate this advice and how you break it down in terms that are easy to grasp , practical and just good common sense. As with all the information you share... WELL DONE! Thanks. 🦉
For the last few years ive owned 3 canon m50s with various lenses. All 3.kf them I bought on the low from ebay and then traded in to mpb for pretty mich what I paid for them. I am essentially renting the gear for trips at little to no cost
For me i go back to Vietnam in vacation and got my XT1, in country like Vietnam the camera usually expensive so they really carefull with it( they even keep the original box) , thanks to that I got a good condition XT1 GSE with only 1 scratch at the bottom for 325$ and the battery grip for 15$.
I bought an XT-3 like new for $795. Do a firmware update and it makes it a X-T4 great little camera.
Im currently looking for a fujica dl-100.....
After watching the original video I put an XT-1 on my radar. Within a few days I found one w/ TT Artisans 35mm lens, a battery grip & the flash. Since then I've added a 35mm F2 Fujifilm XF lens for $200. Now I'm hunting for a zoom lens to go with it.
Great to hear!
bought my xt1 for only $268 about 2 years ago. it came with the battery grip and a manual lens. a few months later I bought an xt20 with 18-55 for just $465.
The price you pay for a second hand camera depends on where you look because a specialist will likely charge you as much as they can but a general second hand store who just want to sell it but not try and get a peak price for the item
I know people in Norway use Ebay to set the price for the gear they want to sell. The problem is that Norway is a small marked where prizes are pressed down, so the price they ask for will be to high due to new prizes. I have also tried to find out what bying a camera or a lens from Ebay will cost me, with freight and taxes, and the prize comes close to bying new gear in Norway.
Brilliant video! Had a few good catches recently. I still have a GH5 to sell, but after selling 2 lenses and a gimball that came with it, I'm juat AUD140 from breaking even. And am keeping a gorilla pod, 128GB SD card, PD strap... An then I bought a 5D2 last week with 2 L lenses, grip, 2 genuine batteries for the price of just one of these L lenses. The camera has an insanely low SC of 5300! And it looks brand new, as do the lenses. Cheap L lenses are usually beat up workhorses even if they are optically perfect. I'll probably keep the longer lens and try to fund it with other items. Also bought a Sigma 150-500mm lens within 10 minutes of liating for $200 below the lowest ever price....One thing you didn't mention about selling is to sell in pieces and be patient. To get the market peice you have to set a fair, but high price, auction end to most popular time of week and wait for a week with little or no crazy deals like you described.
I believe it. The xt1 is a very old camera now. We are up to the V and xh2 series now. Still a good photo camera but I wouldn’t pay $500 for that. Maybe a xt2 or xt3 used.
I got a xh1 years ago for $500 new. From b&h. It was on sale for $900 at the time and came with a free battery grip and several free batteries and a charger. Sold the free stuff and got about $400 cash for it.
I got my first Fujifilm for US $248.50, it was a X-T1. Altough it was almost 2 years ago.
If you save a listing, once it’s sold you can always see what it sold for, even when it doesn’t show up on a search 😊
I OWED IN THE PAST AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE X-T1 IS THE RUBBER SKIN IT DOES PEEL OFF FROM HEAT
Living on Vancouver Island, I'm often leary of items on Ebay being shipped in from China and Japan (lots of items shipped in from Japan). It's difficult to determine duty, exchange, etc and occasionally I have been hit by a bill that when factored into the price, I could have got locally with less wait time and hassle. What newbies to the whole used market need to know, most amateurs don't use their gear that much. I have bought two cameras, seven lenses, studio lighting, light meter, camera bags, et. al. and they all looked like I bought them new from a store.
Yes, I'm always amazed that used gear from camera dealers/stores (whether on Ebay or not) usually commands a higher price. There is no information on the history of the gear, how many people have owned it before you, etc. I'd much rather buy from an individual who is the original owner and took it on vacation a few times a year. Of course, they can lie about it, but your chances are better that you'll receive a barely used piece of gear. As an aside, I must say that Vancouver Island is beautiful place for nature photography!
@@geezer2tech154 I have used kerrisdale Cameras which is a chain in Vancouver. I just bought a used Canon 7K mk2 (for the crop factor when using it with my long Sigma zoom - BIF's). In fact I only bought this camera about two months ago. I phoned in and talked to a clerk. She assured me cosmetically it was clean and the shutter activation was 5,000 which for this model of camera is only warming it up (shutter activation = 200,000 for 7D mk2). When I got it you can appreciate I went over it with a "fine tooth comb." It was immaculate, looked brand new though based on the dating Canon uses, it was made in 2021. In Victoria I use a very miniature KEH who are pretty factual about the shape of their gear.
Got a Pentax 645 with 2 lenses for free, because I helped somebody in my neighbourhood cleaning his parents attic. There we found the beauty and he said I could keep it. Things are worth what we want them to be worth ( dont know if that makes sense, my english is bad). :)
I only buy my gear used and I've traded several Fuji cameras to get the overall cost of my using Fuji cameras down, my early models like the X-M1, X-E1 and X-E2's are now zero cost to me and all my other higher end models cost a fraction of the original price. I've also built a collection of Billingham camera bags on the cheap that would have cost thousands if bought new. It's all about knowing your market inside out, spotting the bargains and acting immediately. Knowledge and patience are key, it's good fun as well !!!
Yes acting immediately is the key. Because a few times I decided to wait while I decided and then you go back and the item is gone. You just need to pull the trigger because worst case you can always resell it.
Ebay sellers also put items for sale at crazy prices that never sell and just rotate on auction &/ buy now. They never intend on selling it, it's there just to pump the price and make their other items look cheap.
I used this technique when I bought my canon EOS-M with 22mm lens combo for $200 few years ago from Ebay, and I could've sold the lens to cover for price. (I really wanted to try Magic Lantern). I think I can resell it now and still make profit, if I really wanted to.
I got the X-E1 + XF 27mm R WR for $380, sold the lens for $350 lol. Later I got the X-T10 + XF 18-135 R WR for $450, sold the lens for $400. Kept these awesome cameras. But yeah, I paid with my time and knowledge
Not just with camera gear, you can use the same methods/tricks with other items such as game consoles for example.
Another thing you can do is look for items ‘For Parts Only’. I got a Nikon D800 and an Olympus EM5 at half the market price. Both were listed for parts, but if you hit forums you might find work arounds for some common issues. For example, the EM5 has a known issue where you take an image and the camera shuts down. The work around is to set the camera to high multiple shots and voila the camera works. It can be a hit and miss strategy, but I got two great cameras at half the market price this way.
Knowing ty will delete links could you say what the best forums are for this?
I shoot film on older cameras so that requires getting vintage lenses. and the amount of times ive saved insane amounts of money buying "as is/for parts" gear that only needed cleaning or simple repairs is crazy.
spent $10 on a canon NFD 28mm f/2.8 (which can go for $90-$180 in mint condition) that was listed for parts because it had fungus, but it was in fantastic shape physically its almost mint
all I had to do was pop off the plastic ring holding the first element group and the fungus was on the back of it, couple of swabs of hydrogen peroxide, naphtha, and rubbing alcohol and it was as good as new, my favorite lens for my A-1
@@killpop8255 Ebay and KEH
I used to do this all the time. Between 2014~2018, I would regularly find great deals. However, in the last few years it's gotten a lot harder to find good deals.
I suspect the ones you’re seeing that eBay is “wiping out” are the fraudulent listings that were busted (they discovered the account was hacked or the seller sent a box of rocks or some other method). Or the seller didn’t follow through and had it canceled.
I prefer an Olympus E-M10 Mark 2 for Street photography, the only caveat ist : phase Af ist not supported. When it was released it offered more even computational features than the Olympus flagship E-M1 M1. Yes Fuji systems are very intersting and form time to time I consider it but shooting with Olympus and Nikon Z I hesitate to built up a new line of lenses - though I currently own at least 10 vintages lenses operated an both systems. Unfortunately the price of used Fujy XT1 is to high to invest though for the first approach I would alos buy a used FUJINON XF18-55mm F2.8-4...
Hi,- I just bought an X-T1 here in Denmark for 700 Kroner.... that is 100 USD..... it came with one battery and a charger. It was a little used on the outside,- but in full working condition. So yes,- it can be done.
some lent's may retain the value , but most camera body plummet fast and some lents will soon become cheap really fast , the nikon F autofocus , i also recently buy some zenith camera , for 10-20euro ,, and the lent's on throws are really good and work on modern cam with only a cheap adapter ,
This is exactly what I've been doing for a few months! It really works great if you know the market.
I bought my X-T1 brand new for ~$300 when the XT2 came out. The store had a discount on the camera an Fuji film had cashback at the same time :)
Thank you for making this video. As someone who has never bought on EBay this was really helpful!
Got my XT1 with a 23mm f2.8 lens for 375 canadian $ on facebook marketplace. Drove 45 minutes to get there but was worth it. Marketplace will always have better deals than Ebay.
Yeah, prices (looked for) on ebay are often ridiculously high
i got an olympus om-d em-10 mark iiis and two lenses for like $80 yesterday brand new, only used once. its possible!
I personally wouldn't buy used gear as you never know if there is an issue and a camera shouldn't be older than lets say 4 years.. The x T1 was released 2014. Cameras will also get on sale so you will get good discount. Keep an eye open for sales. Got a 2000 dollar camera for 999 on sale.
Not actually. There are tons of scams on eBay that sell for very low prices. (Usually no rating new users or hacked users) eBay removes these listings as those users are reported. So you do need to be careful of who you are buying from. Also many low prices sold items have flaws or faults with the item. Now, there are excellent deals you can find from people who do not know the value of their item or those looking for a quick sale. You have to be patient and you do need to look quite often as really good deals go quick in minutes. There is some good advice given here though. Buying in bundles and selling unwanted items and etc. Still, selling is tough for people who have no experience or reviews. EBay fees are high and many pit falls to watch out for when you sell on eBay. MPB and KEH are also good options to look into for buying and selling as well.
My insight on eBay removing the lowest priced items from the sales history is person experience. I regularly buy items that’s don’t show up in the history, when I get them at a very low price, and they are genuine items.
Facebook marketplace is great. I got a 5Dii essentially like new (estimate was 15-20k shutters) with original box and all accessories like battery charger and strap for what a "well used" to "good" with 80k shutters is going for on camera websites. $250.
I would love be a professional photographer, I bought a vintage lens Tokina 35-105mm f3.5 for 15 USD. Is it possible be professional photographer with vintage lenses? I have Olympus omd 10 mark 3, I do thinking buy fujifilm xt4 or xt5... but how about use vintage lense for professional work?
i just bought a x-t20 for 525 cad body, two batteries and sd card
I’ve had some success with goodwill auctions. I’ve only purchased lenses nervous about getting cameras from them.
Great stuff man!
That eBay trick is exactly how I got my ZV-E10 for $500 with the lens and free shipping. It works!
How do you do this on mobile phones
Another way of checking the market prices is mpb
Cheaper overall as a bundle is absolute FACTS. I got an Olympus E-PL8 for £300.99 including postage. I got the kit lens, the 45mm lens and all the original accessories for that bargain price. Ebay can be good at times.
I bought a 5D MK II with a Canon 24-105 F/4 L IS and a 50mm 1.8 for 200€. The 24-105 had a big Scratch in the front which didn't affected the image quality, so I did sell it at 200€. So the 5D MKII with the 50mm 1.8 ended up being "free"
Why is the xt-1 selling so high?
sadly for the most part here in canada where I am at camera gear is as an average a full third more expensive on facebook or kijiji (canadian Craigslist) than on ebay...
Ehhh my experience with FB marketplace & craigslist is that most people who don't know what they have will way overvalue camera equipment. Especially true for budget and vintage gear. So many people try to sell their grandpa's Pentax ME with the m-series 50 f/2 lens for $150 or more... Also buying bundles and reselling can be an excellent option but when you're getting going be prepared to eat it on a few sales and budget for that before you spend all your money.
That's what I find. FB marketplace listings are grossly overpriced. They seem to look at MPB and KEH prices and then add $50. Shame, because a local guy on FB selling the XF 80mm for months now has finally dropped the asking price below what I paid months ago at UPP for that lens. He still hasn't sold it. I would have bought it if he'd been more reasonable, but his original price wasn't even close, so I didn't bother.
@@christopherfedorchak9159 I'm guessing a lot of people do that because they know buyers are going to offer 50% of their asking prices.
Careful of all the scammers on eBay, if a deal is too good to be true it usually is. I was looking for an x-pro3 and there were a handful of listings for around $400 while the rest were around $1500. They all used the same photos and all the sellers had either no feedback or a few feedback from buying things. the seller will ship you a box of junk so there's a tracking number and a weight, that way most of the time eBay will take their side.
Oher reasons for the lower local price is that people want to avoid ebay fees, the "hassle" of having to ship the item and any risk of returns or scams. As a rule of thumb, I consider a 20% discount off an ebay price, a good local price (10% ebay fees and 10% hassle avoidance).
In Russia I could buy xt-1 for $300 easy, but unfortunatelly at this moment I could not list it on ebay and get a money for it with paypal.
I bought a 5Dmkii for $150, and a canon c300 for basically $320. The deals are out there! 🖤
Ebay is a risky gold mine.. i got a Nikon D800, with tamron 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8, and a Nikon SB-900 inside a pelican case.. and won the auction for 600$ lol.. pawnshop also often accept offers lower than their listing prices if they had the item for too long..
Not long ago i was saving to buy another Nikon D800 but with a Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G and a Nikon 105mm f2.8G micro VR lens with SB-800 flash, and a backpack.. for 900$ but someone else beat me to it..
Great tips
Recently bought a canon EOS r on offerup local for only 400 bucks with the body,battery,128gb sd card,and the rf 24-105mm f/4.0
X-T10 listed for $400 on FB Market Place. It was listed with a lens. I asked how much without the lens and guy brought it down to $300. Prices these days I jumped on it.
super useful tips. really appreciate this
US only?
Yes, Europeans tend to be smarter about pricing it's never this cheap
I want to know where the magical door in the background of the video goes.
Tamron sent me a 15-30mm f2.8 back in 2018-19 after doing no an article/review on me. Not a bad deal 😊
I've been doing this for years (I'm only 3 minutes in).. I used to sell cameras/lenses on eBay for a couple of years.. Recently I picked up a mint Olympus EM-1 Mark 2 for $330.. Why? Because I saw one that sold for $340 in the last 6 months.. PATIENCE is EVERYTHING! (I'm guessing you'll get to that in this video)
Thank you! Very valuable info!!
I did buy an xt-2 in mint condition for 400 last year
thanks, i didnt know they were holding back undervalued lisitngs sold
I was selling a piece of gear on Facebook marketplace once (well below market value) and kept getting low-ballers, so I edited my post saying that every time someone tried to low-ball me I would raise the price be $25 until it reached the lowest price on eBay. Sold it for $50 more than I originally asked for.
fantastic thank k you Mark!
you also have to know what is actual a good bargin. great tip btw
I got my Lumix GH5 body with 3 batteries, charger and a camera bag for 250$, and a 45-150mm lens for 90$ later that week
or, just kindly low ball everyone. I got someone selling a canon 6d Markii with an 85mm L lens for $1500, I offered $550, and they came down to $900. If I kept going, I am confident I couldve gone down to 750 for the pair. Both in excellent condition might I add, not even a scratch on the body of either.
Many people do this already with Everything…
Reselling is just harder these days. Profits are slim unless you buy really cheap. Every selling platform takes a cut. eBay and PayPal takes a lot in fees. If you sell too much then the government will send you a 1099k and want 30% in taxes etc. if you have the time, selling locally is the best way to go if you have the time.
Then you factor in the hours you spent watching eBay items or driving and meeting people etc. your $50 profit was a waste of time.
There are definitely bargains out there, and eBay has certainly worked for me. Recently I got a Nikon F6, boxed with manual in close to mint condition complete with grip for £500 here in the UK, which is about $630 usd, normally $1500 upwards.