I know the first answer and most appropriate and trusted is FM. I agree 110% here. But I am having hard luck with the stuff I am looking to buy in our FM forum here and wanted to try other trusted sites/locations.
I came up with the following list:
- Craigs List
- Ebay
- BH Photo Used Dept
Any other recommendations? Would greatly appreciate your input.
Wow, thanks guys. KEH was one more I forgot to mention (had it bookmarked but haven't been there in a while). Will check there. Yes, I am leery of Craigs List/ebay too but if its a local photog its probably OK. Hopefully, I can find what I am looking for (tripod-gitzo/ballhead-rrs bh40 or markins m-10/rrs quick release plate for D300/CPL filter for now.
I don't shop at B&H's used department. They're almost always more expensive than KEH and Adorama.
----> Its rather funny how they price their used equipment. Always almost costlier than the brand new one.
dehrk wrote:
Both of these can be fine options as long as you're smart about it.
Agreed, NYC Craigslist is very active and I've gotten some great deals......also great for selling, usually I can sell something in a day or two, no shipping and cash in my hand
for buying, as long as you use common sense you'll be ok....
*if it sounds too good to be true - it's probably fake or stolen
*never go to anyone's home, ever!!!
*always meet in a crowded, public place.(Starbucks, police station)
*if you get an email that uses the word "Item, merchandise, goods, etc, etc" instead of the name or description of the item that you're actually selling.......ignore it, it's probably a Nigerian Scammer.
*No Shipping! No Paypal! No Checks! No Money Orders!!!! Cash only! that's the whole point of selling on CL.
FortyOneSixty wrote:
I don't shop at B&H's used department. They're almost always more expensive than KEH and Adorama.
Any time you think the price of something in our used dept is out of line, let us know, tell us why, and it's possible an adjustment can be made.
KEH when I first started building a dslr system many years ago.
Since then, I've bought a few things from the used equipment departments at bhphoto and adorama, the potn sellers forum, and Canons refurbished equipment web site.
But, most of the used equipment I buy these days is from sellers on FM.
henryp wrote:
Any time you think the price of something in our used dept is out of line, let us know, tell us why, and it's possible an adjustment can be made.
I disagree. KEH is far and away the most expensive of the three. People say that they grade very conservatively, but on the few occasions I have bought B&H used it has been MUCH cheaper than KEH and even though some of the stuff was rated 8 it looked minty. In comparison to Adorama, B&H is in the same ballpark. For whatever reason I have this ingrained distrust of Adorama. A few years ago they obviously used shipping as a profit center, the comparisons to B&H were glaring. Adorama has since stopped doing that, but the memory still makes me avoid them most of the time.
I buy practically all my used equipment from FM and NikonCafe, with some from B&H and Craigslist. I would never buy a lens on eBay, though I will routinely sell there. It seems that nothing is moving on the boards anymore unless it is very aggressively priced. Even after commision eBay can be very attractive to photo gear sellers, and it seems that many people buy there without flinching.
I once bought a used camera from Adorama and returned it after a week. Nothing wrong with it; just had a change of heart. A couple weeks later I realized that I had accidentally left a 4 GB card in the camera when I shipped it back (worth $40 at the time). Not such a big deal and I didn't expect to get the card back but I called the used department, anyway. They sent me a comparable card. Friendly place, Adorama.
GroovyGeek wrote:
I disagree. KEH is far and away the most expensive of the three. People say that they grade very conservatively, but on the few occasions I have bought B&H used it has been MUCH cheaper than KEH and even though some of the stuff was rated 8 it looked minty. In comparison to Adorama, B&H is in the same ballpark. For whatever reason I have this ingrained distrust of Adorama. A few years ago they obviously used shipping as a profit center, the comparisons to B&H were glaring. Adorama has since stopped doing that, but the memory still makes me avoid them most of the time.
Overall it's pretty much a tie. Seems like someone in the market for a used lens should look at both sites.
I will say KEH really does understate the condition of their items though. I got an EX condition D300 from them last year with less than 1,000 clicks and no blemishes on the body. They also gave me a $100 refund once because of a 'ding' on a built-in lens hood of an EX+ rated lens.
P.S.
I did a much less thorough look through Adoroma's site as well. I only found one lens that was cheaper on their site in comparison to KEH or B&H. YMMV however.
Mitchell Carter wrote:
I once bought a used camera from Adorama and returned it after a week. Nothing wrong with it; just had a change of heart. A couple weeks later I realized that I had accidentally left a 4 GB card in the camera when I shipped it back (worth $40 at the time). Not such a big deal and I didn't expect to get the card back but I called the used department, anyway. They sent me a comparable card. Friendly place, Adorama.
Very good to hear - thank you for taking the time to feed back
FortyOneSixty wrote:
I did a much less thorough look through Adoroma's site as well. I only found one lens that was cheaper on their site in comparison to KEH or B&H. YMMV however.
At Adorama we'll always make every effort to price match to equally reputable retailers (unit cost as well as shipping) - you can always drop me an email: [email protected]
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