Man, selling is HARD work, why do you guys like it so much?

I hear ya. I hate selling equipment. Mostly because I'm not incredibly picky (I like to buy lenses with slight marks to save money -knowing it won't effect the image) and could care less about the look as long as the function is nearly 100%. There are people who are the complete opposite and I always fear having a buyer email me and say "there's a piece of dust in this lens!!! I'm going to give you negative feedback, make a Paypal claim and stress you out financially!!!". I'd rather just shoot what I like and enjoy photography than experiment with every possible lens and body combo until I find the "right one". I'd rather spend my time on finding the right woman....oh yeah, and taking photos.
 
I often get caught up with panics at work so responding timely to answering buyers questions and shipping is potentially problematic.

I just sent a pile of stuff, a month later than I intended, to Popflash to sell on commission.
I did exactly the same when I was in the UK with Ffordes.
Far less hassle and less risk for me, so the commission cost is worthwhile.
 
kuzano said:
I can often look at every complaint I see about eBay/Paypal and point out every red flag that would have saved someone grief... either a buyer or seller.
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I don't have a problem with PayPal and never have and require its use for my sales. I also understand how eBay works and have never had an issue using it. I just don't want to pay eBay fees and prefer selling in photographic communities at low cost to me.
 
Here's a link an article in today's Guardian that puts some of this in perspective:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/mar/28/amazon-fees-hike-third-party

"A second British trader, who generates more than £1m in sales through Amazon, said: "At the moment I am putting all my efforts into eBay." He said the cost of doing business on eBay would be much lower. As well as demanding lower fees, the trader said, eBay's PayPal business passes on payments promptly, within two or three days, while Amazon holds on to funds for between two to three weeks for smaller traders."
 
When we were first married, 23 years ago, I had another hobby, collecting antique guns. My wife convinced me we could only afford one or two $300 items a year. After a Decade, I had 12 or 15.

I decided when I got into photography I would not spend any "real money" on this hobby. I took a few dollars, bought a few ebay lots, and sold what I didn't need. I would buy cheap, resell, buy two, sell one, and always reinvest the money back into photography. My network stretched far and wide, and I started buying from "estates." I have never spent any income from my real job, or savings. I only buy when my "fun account" has money. Six years later I have 6 LF cameras, many, many rare expensive petzvals, exotic soft focus lenses, lots of rangefinder stuff. I've financed two trips to Europe (for my wife and I) with my proceeds, and a couple trips to the East Coast. It all started with $100, and now I have 10s of thousands of inventory. You know what? It's still a hobby, and I barely work at it any more. So the moral of the story for me is - hard work pays off.
 
goamules said:
When we were first married, 23 years ago, I had another hobby, collecting antique guns. My wife convinced me we could only afford one or two $300 items a year. After a Decade, I had 12 or 15.

I decided when I got into photography I would not spend any "real money" on this hobby. I took a few dollars, bought a few ebay lots, and sold what I didn't need. I would buy cheap, resell, buy two, sell one, and always reinvest the money back into photography. My network stretched far and wide, and I started buying from "estates." I have never spent any income from my real job, or savings. I only buy when my "fun account" has money. Six years later I have 6 LF cameras, many, many rare expensive petzvals, exotic soft focus lenses, lots of rangefinder stuff. I've financed two trips to Europe (for my wife and I) with my proceeds, and a couple trips to the East Coast. It all started with $100, and now I have 10s of thousands of inventory. You know what? It's still a hobby, and I barely work at it any more. So the moral of the story for me is - hard work pays off.
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Hold on. If it's a hobby, and you enjoy it, is it hard work?

Cheers,

R.
 
When I started my photo obsession/hobby, I went through a buying spree and then a selling one. After that, everything I purchased (with the exception of Leica gear) had an expiration date and I just learned to live with it. Occasionally I will sell things (like Nikon SLR glass I don't use), and I learned a few things that help me do it.

One has to pay in order to get paid.

One has to price items to sell.

Very recently, I sold two lenses that for some reason wouldn't get any attention from anyone: a Nikon AFS 24-120 with VR, and the 70-210 f4.5-5.6. I posted them in Amazon and in about a month they were both gone (after being advertised in Photo.net for weeks; I simply didn't offer them here because the system was malfunctioning and wasn't accepting my attempts to create an ad). They deducted a fee, gave me a credit for shipping, a deadline to ship and then deposited the funds in my bank account. It does take away the stress of watching one's eBay auctions and seeing them NOT go...

Soon I'll be selling again, and I'll do it through Amazon. That's how I learned to cope with selling stuff and live with the bomb. :)
 
Over the years, I spent 30 plus in sales, I found that the tough jobs pay the best. In sales, some (my experience, middle & upper level managers) think it's easy and why pay the salesperson so much money? All s(he) does is collect orders. Right?

Monte Zucker once said, "an educated client is your competitors worst enemy!" I like that.
 
Selling now is even more difficult than normal, I think. There is so much Leica RF flux among users, who are trying to decide from the assorted options (M8, M9, M9P, MM, ME, M). All are imperfect in a way (or two), but all great options. Users are trying to figure this all out, with many still on waiting lists. This, I think, is slowing sales somewhat, but, if you gotta sell, you gotta sell ;) For example, to fund an M9, I recently sold an M6, M8, and Elmarit 28mm ASPH. I did OK on the lens, but would have made at least a couple hundred dollars more on each body if I had sold just a few months ago ... (Such is life.)
 
After 10 years buying and selling all kinds of items on ebay, I have very few complaints. It's their game, and they can charge as much as they like, but they do provide an easy to use platform, and access to a huge audience of buyers.
In my case, I've found that my greatest success comes when starting auctions at $1.00. This takes a bit of nerve at first, but only once have I been disappointed with the final selling price.
It is, however, sometimes a hassle to find just the right shipping box!
 
Selling is tedious and time consuming. I sell cameras and lenses that are no longer getting much use on eBay mostly and have never had any trouble with it. I ship USPS Priority Mail and pay and print my shipping labels at home and just drop my box at the counter in the PO and leave without waiting in line for a postal clerk. I save boxes and packing that I get when I order things which makes packing sold items pretty easy. You can get free Priority Mail boxes from the post office. I have learned that if you buy something you will likely need to go though the trouble of selling it one day which has stopped most of my GAS purchases. I need to sell some things now and dread the tedium of it. - jim
 
I hate selling. I only do it when I absolutely have to. But when I do, I do it here, because I know what I sell will be put to good use. The physical act of selling isn't hard, as long as you are brutally honest about what you are selling and don't expect the moon for it, unless it is worth the moon, of course. Folks will usually have no problem paying a fair price. But the psychological part is a different story, the pack-rat in me just hates to get rid of anything, and the "by necessity" part means parting with the good stuff (that I might have some personal affection for) first.
 
Selling stuff is indeed a lot of work, but over the years I've accumulated a great number of photography books. I don't want to keep them all, and I don't want to give or throw them away, so I sell them. Mostly on the RFF classified forum, which is a really great place to buy and sell. Just posted a new ad today, in fact.
 
I agree that it has changed the way I look at cameras too now, thankfully the GAS has slowed down a lot the last couple of years so there isn't much I'm lusting after at the moment (emphasis on 'at the moment')
Selling is just too much hassle, sometimes I just want to try something out. Too bad there aren't any stores that rent the stuff I'm interested in (aka neither Canon nor Nikon)
 
I love it!!!!

"I sell here on RFF and use lower prices because I know I'm giving somebody a good deal, and the camera (other stuff) will get used"

HOGWASH!!!

Do you really think speculators don't farm all these forums for deals to put on eBay/Craigslist and "flip" your philanthropic "donation" to the camera community for more money?

Yes. How wonderfully generous of you. You are lining the pockets of people who buy and sell camera gear for a profit. These forums are no great secret.

If you are not going for the real value of this merchandise, then donate it to Good Will.

At least then the gear will show up on the www.shopgoodwill.com auction site and the money will go for a good cause.

In fact, I buy on the Good Will auction site and often "flip" those items for profit. Am I proud of that... Damn Right. It's the American Way, and it's simply "business as usual". I am not taking advantage of anyone. People choose to be generous and I am a rather normal recipient of their generosity.

These forums are no secret to the commercial and retail market. In fact, don't be surprised to see your "merchandise" show up in Brick and Mortar retail locations at somewhat more than you donated it to some buyer on the forum.

Now, let me finish with this. I don't recall ever buying something from RFF, to flip for more money. No matter how low any of you think you are "providing an opportunity at a lower price" by selling here on the forum. I can always find exactly what you are offering, often for a lower price, by an ongoing scrutiny of eBay and Craigslist, and waiting for an opportunity.

I often find deals on eBay, that I can check out and "flip" for a profit by putting it back on eBay with a better listing and my 100% decade long positive feedback.

I am quite proud to be a "capitalist"!! I am not using any advantages of the system, buying and listing as a moderate eBay user. I do not pass up chances to make a profit, however. And I have expended a lot of energy to know the system well and use it wisely.

Yes, it is hard,... and profitable.
 
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