The Best Places to Sell Used Camera Equipment

Looking to get rid of some of your used camera equipment but still get the most amount of money for it? Then, you’re in the right place.

In the post, we’ll cover some of the best (and worst) places to sell your used gear so you know where to get the most back for your equipment and which places to avoid. So, let’s right into it.

Sell Your Camera Gear at These Places to Get the Most Money:

Grid50

Grid50 is a marketplace website catered specifically for photography and videography people. The site lists all different kinds of camera equipment including lenses, lighting, DSLRs, pro video cameras, and more.

It’s similar to eBay in that people can list their own used or new equipment and browse hundreds of listings of equipment to buy from.

However, unlike eBay, you’ll keep a lot more of your money when you sell your gear on Grid50.

Whereas eBay charges 10% of the final sale value, Grid50 only charges 3.5%. So if you sold a camera lens for $100, eBay would take $10 of that sale. Grid50 would only take $3.50.

This can add up when you list an expensive piece of gear (and we all know how expensive camera gear can be) or when you sell multiple items. You’ll keep a lot more of your money when you list and sell on Grid50.

Additionally, since it’s marketplace website built specifically for photographer and videographers, there’s likely a good chance there’s someone looking for exactly what you’re selling. In other words, there is a target market of potential buyers and you’re not limited to selling to only a specific geographical area as you are with a site like Craigslist.

Craigslist

Craigslist can sometimes get a bad rap. While there have been some horror stories from people meeting on Craigslist, these are rare and Craigslist still remains one of the best places to buy and sell camera equipment.

If you’re worried about meeting someone in person, just make sure to meet in a public place. If you’re buying or selling an expensive item, bring a friend or two along and keep your money in your car at first.

Personally, I’ve bought and sold over 100 items on Craigslist and I have never had a problem.

Probably the biggest advantage of Craigslist is that there are no listing or selling fees. So you’ll keep 100% of your sale.

In addition, with Craigslist you don’t have to worry about shipping the item. Which in a lot of cases, can be more convenient than shipping. You can simply meet up with the potential buyer to sell your gear.

Lastly, you won’t have to deal with Paypal transaction fees as you would if you sold your gear on Grid50 or eBay (Paypal charges $0.30 + 2.9% of the total sale value on transactions).

Avoid Selling Your Camera Gear at These Places

eBay

eBay can be a great place to sell your gear if you want to get rid of it fast since the marketplace website has such a large number of users.

However, if you want to make the most amount of money from your sale, then you should avoid eBay.

As mentioned above, eBay charges 10% of the total sale fee. So if you sell an item for $100, eBay will take $10. If you sell something for $1,000, they will take $100. It should be noted, however, they do have a max fee of $750. So if you sell a really expensive item, the most you will be charged is $750.

That is still a lot of money, though, and it adds up when you sell expensive items or list multiple pieces of gear. The large percentage that eBay takes from your sale could be money invested into higher-quality camera gear, additional lenses, etc.

Your Local Camera Store, KEH, B&H, or Adorama

All of these places are camera stores that will buy your used camera equipment, then turn around and resell it for a profit.

In order for any of these places to make a profit, they have to buy your gear at a low enough price point to ensure they can resell it and still make a decent enough profit for it to be worth their time and investment (they often will clean the equipment afterwards, take quality pictures, list the item online, and keep it in their inventory until the item sells). There’s also a certain amount of risk if they can’t sell the item.

This concept means that you won’t get top dollar for your equipment from any of these places. Therefore, you can expect to earn about half of what the used value of your equipment is worth. So if you could sell your used camera for $500 on eBay or Grid50, you might get one of these places to give around $250. Of course, it varies by each store.

If you need to get rid of your gear fast, either because you need the money right away or you don’t want to hold onto the equipment until it sells, then these places are probably your best bet.

But, if you want to get the most money back from selling your used camera equipment, these places should be avoided.

Tips for Selling Your Used Camera Gear

Include the Original Box

When listing your camera gear online, if you have the original box it came in, make sure to include that in the item listing and even include a picture of the box.

Listings that include the original box tend to sell more quickly (and for a higher price) because it shows the owner is organized and likely took good care of their equipment. The original box may also be helpful to the new owner in terms of warranty information.

Clean Your Gear

Clean up your gear as best as possible. If you’re selling a camera lens, make sure to wipe the glass clean. If you’re selling a camera body, try to clean any dust and debris out from the cracks. It only takes a few minutes but it will make your listing more attractive to potential buyers.

Take Quality Pictures

It might seem obvious, especially to many of you who are photographers, but taking the extra time to take a few quality images of the gear you’re selling can help it to sell more quickly. Buyers appreciate when there are a lot of detailed pictures. It puts any worries at ease that there may be damage to the item.

While many of us don’t have a professional studio, there are still a few things you can do at home to capture quality photos. First, make sure the image is well light with natural lighting. You can do this by snapping pictures near a well-exposed window.

Next, make sure the image background is a solid color and free from clutter. Messy backgrounds can distract the buyer and they may not click on your listing.

Lastly, take multiple pictures from different angles. This will give buyers the chance to really inspect the item. If there are any scratches or other damage to the item, make sure to include those so they buyer knows what to expect.

Be Detailed & Honest

It will do you no good to leave out any important details about the condition of your gear. The buyer may receive an item that wasn’t properly describer and you’ll then be in a dispute over the item. Which will likely result in a return and refund of their money.

To make sure the buyer knows exactly what they are getting, be as detailed as possible about the item you’re listing. If there’s something wrong with it, just be honest. State that X feature doesn’t work or there is a large scratch on Y.

In conclusion, if you want to get the most from your used camera equipment, try selling it on Craigslist or listing your gear on Grid50. Signing up for Grid50 is free and you are only charged when and if the item sells.

We hope this post was helpful to you, and if you have any tips for selling used camera equipment, leave them in the comments below. We’d love to hear them!