Classifieds - very quiet?

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LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

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I just noticed how quiet it is in the classifieds (Canon) sect. A couple years ago there was easily five-fold traffic. Is this some holiday quiet time, recession or people just stopped trading for whatever reason? I'm just hoping it will pick up again...

Please feel free to move the thread if needed.
 
The new rules on only a certain percentage (50%) of posts inside the classifieds got rid of quite a few who were here for classified access only (and righty so if they don't post else where in the forum). Certain items do go quickly but others (more expensive usually) don't seem to move.
 
horses for courses personally I think the new rules have hindered newcomers having access to cheap upgrade kit.
they browse the kit ask questions then can't buy it, hey ho.....
 
I think more people are selling/part ex with shops especially since WEX started taking used gear
 
I think it's a combination of:
- 50% post barrier thus less people visit classified, especially those who only use the forum to buy/sell.
- Mirrorless have picked up and many have moved away from Canon (myself included)
 
wuyanxu said:
I think it's a combination of:
- 50% post barrier thus less people visit classified, especially those who only use the forum to buy/sell.
- Mirrorless have picked up and many have moved away from Canon (myself included)
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I think its mainly the 1st one. If you look at the classified Canon is still the most popular (but only just ahead of Nikon at the moment), but is still someway ahead of other (which would include most mirrorless). Obviously this doesn't consider that people might be buying Mirrorless elsewhere of new, but I think the main impact is the change in classifieds rules.

Possibly also with other forums doing the opposite and relaxing their rules (avforums for instance have relaxed their rules on advertising elsewhere at the same time)
 
There have also been a variety of trade-in deals and cashbacks which have tempted some (including me) to downsize to mirrorless, plus it is quite normal now to see offers being made and rejected as they are below what the likes of MPB will pay for secondhand kit. I find the wanted ads quite interesting as Fuji lenses seem to be wanted and are snapped up quickly when they appear for sale.
 
Mr Bump said:
horses for courses personally I think the new rules have hindered newcomers having access to cheap upgrade kit.
they browse the kit ask questions then can't buy it, hey ho.....
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actually new comers didnt have access before either - access criteria were the same then 25 posts and 60 days, if they spend those 60 days asking questions about kuit and researching their options when they are up they will have a decent cushion of contributing posts from those discussions and won't be hampered in buying their kit from the classifieds

those who just want to hoover up cheap kit and then flip it on ebay on the other hand are hampered and we are better off without the freeloading wasters
 
big soft moose said:
those who just want to hoover up cheap kit and then flip it on ebay on the other hand are hampered and we are better off without the freeloading wasters
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I agree with this but for me it's more the amount of threads that are for sale that has considerably shrunken. Therefore if anything it was the other way around ie people buying elsewhere and then selling on here. I think there are pros and cons with the current rules. I do agree that it has made it more difficult for newbies starting off that might be looking for 2nd hand kit as there is less choice for them to purchase from here now.
 
tijuana taxi said:
I think more people are selling/part ex with shops especially since WEX started taking used gear
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The thing to watch out with WEX is its store credit only, unlike MPB they don't sell for cash. There are a few other places like Facebook groups that seem to have picked up some 'business'.

Peter B said:
There have also been a variety of trade-in deals and cashbacks which have tempted some (including me) to downsize to mirrorless, plus it is quite normal now to see offers being made and rejected as they are below what the likes of MPB will pay for secondhand kit. I find the wanted ads quite interesting as Fuji lenses seem to be wanted and are snapped up quickly when they appear for sale.
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I've noticed the low offers that are now common so it's good that people do go down the MPB offer route. There is of course the problem of selling grey imports as MPB don't take them (I had a lens they wouldn't take as it was a grey).
 
But it can be a right PIA trying to sell on here.
Everyone seems to want showroom condition gear at 30% max of new price.
Don't have a box for me to store in the attic? Minimium 10% reduction because of obvious reduction in performance of the gear.
Got a 1mm scratch? Another 10% reduction so long as you show me at least three photos where I can see this major damage.
Got all the receipts and paperwork? NO? Must reduce by anything up to 15% just in case it's grey.
Slight scratch on lens hood? Only buy if you send it back for recalibration.
Then seller must pay postage.
As for feedback. Nearly a waste of time. Some guys just won't give any regardless of how the deal went. Happy to accept positive feedback, but reciprocate? No thank you; I may want to make a claim against the seller in a couple of months.

Contrast that to selling with MPB.
If you are honest with yourself about the condition they will give you a price. They pay postage. Then how often do they start haggling? Never have with me. Then they pay or p/ex. Sorted.

There's a guy just started a thread asking for CF cards. He doesn't want to pay the price for new cards. But...he will only accept new and unused ones. So the seller has to buy new, not use them and then sell to this guy. Is it just me that sees that as a bit odd?

I sometimes wonder if some guys on here buy gear to show their mates down the pub but never to use for real.
 
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mike_6480 said:
Therefore if anything it was the other way around ie people buying elsewhere and then selling on here.
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It was pretty much a 50/50 thing TBH.
There were a lot of people making a lot of money from the members, and obviously making more money, by not paying ebay fees, nor having a trading account, which is most un fair on those that do have
and in doing so, keep this site membership free.
 
Don't have a box for me to store in the attic? Minimium 10% reduction because of obvious reduction in performance of the gear.
Got a 1mm scratch? Another 10% reduction so long as you show me at least three photos where I can see this major damage.
Got all the receipts and paperwork? NO? Must reduce by anything up to 15% just in case it's grey.
Slight scratch on lens hood? Only buy if you send it back for recalibration.
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Don't knock it, have bought some nice stuff over the years that has been heavily discounted (by the seller originally, not by me haggling) for minor problems
Had more than one lens with a tiny scratch on the outside edge of the front element, makes bugger all difference in use.
Also had unboxed gear, sightly faulty in ways that doesn't matter 99.9% of the time and even a lens from your good self with a broken integral hood (very reasonable price I must add and works fine thank you with its diy replacement)

Got to the point now that when I buy something secondhand, my daughter asks what is wrong with it (doesn't mention the bargainous 5d mkii I got for her , battle scarred, but works perfectly.

I buy the stuff to use and just as likely to damage it myself although sold a 5d last month that was probably nearly as good as when it was bought nine years ago

So any unboxed, cosmetically marked gear for sale please let me know especially a Fuji 23mm, thank you
 
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mickledore said:
But it can be a right PIA trying to sell on here.
Evereyone seems to want showroom condition gear at 30% max of new price.
Don't have a box for me to store in the attic? Minimium 10% reduction because of obvious reduction in performance of the gear.
Got a 1mm scratch? Another 10% reduction so long as you show me at least three photos where I can see this major damage.
Got all the receipts and paperwork? NO? Must reduce by anything up to 15% just in case it's grey.
Slight scratch on lens hood? Only buy if you send it back for recalibration.
Then seller must pay postage.
As for feedback. Nearly a waste of time. Some guys just won't give any regardless of how the deal went. Happy to accept positive feedback, but reciprocate? No thank you; I may want to make a claim against the seller in a couple of months.

Contrast that to selling with MPB.
If you are honest with yourself about the condition they will give you a price. They pay postage. Then how often do they start haggling? Never have with me. Then they pay or p/ex. Sorted.

There's a guy just started a thread asking for CF cards. He doesn't want to pay the price for new cards. But...he will only accept new and unused ones. So the seller has to buy new, not use them and then sell to this guy. Is it just me that sees that as a bit odd?

I sometimes wonder if some guys on here buy gear to show their mates down the pub but never to use for real.
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So Much Like, unreal how accurate you are :)

bravo Sir
 
I buy and sell bits and pieces every few months depending on what I fancy trying out at the time, over the last year or so I've had much more success buying and selling on ebay & gumtree than I have using the classifieds on here. I think some buyers have unreasonable expectations regarding prices vs. condition and generally the classifieds section seems to be much quieter than it used to be. Not a bad thing though, it is a photography forum and not a trading forum after all.
 
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CSB said:
I buy and sell bits and pieces every few months depending on what I fancy trying out at the time, over the last year or so I've had much more success buying and selling on ebay & gumtree than I have using the classifieds on here. I think some buyers have unreasonable expectations regarding prices vs. condition and generally the classifieds section seems to be much quieter than it used to be. Not a bad thing though, it is a photography forum and not a trading forum after all.
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And I'd agree with this. Buying used is always a bit of a lottery, but generally stuff off the 'bay is a bit cheaper (occasionally a lot cheaper) with a similar hit & miss rate. I've had better success and similar prices buying used from people like Ffordes and Clifton cameras, plus if you don't like how it works then it can go back without fuss.
 
I've generally had good experiences buying from TP Classifieds though do see some unrealistic prices at times ... possibly due to the expectation of buyers trying to knock too much off?
 
I think what people on TP try to do is they will go to ebay and look at the sold prices then they will pick the highest and pop the item in for that thinking that's ok.

But they don't want to take in consideration that on ebay the sale fees are 10% plus paypal fees are 4%.

they want there cake and to eat it.

so if a lens sells for £300 on ebay the seller has had to coff up over £40 in fees.
 
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CSB said:
Not a bad thing though, it is a photography forum and not a trading forum after all.
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And that's exactly why the rules were automated (y)
 
...or to slightly parody Paul (not meant nastily at all btw :))

I think what people on TP try to do is they will go to ebay and look at the sold prices then they will pick the lowest and make an offer on the item thinking that's ok.
But they don't want to take in consideration is that the seller is already taking a huge hit and can probably get more for it by going to MPB.
they want there cake and to eat it.​
 
yeah i suspect the unrealistically high asking price on tp is a direct response to knowing they'll be asked to negotiate down
 
Mr Bump said:
I think what people on TP try to do is they will go to ebay and look at the sold prices then they will pick the highest and pop the item in for that thinking that's ok.

But they don't want to take in consideration that on ebay the sale fees are 10% plus paypal fees are 4%.

they want there cake and to eat it.

so if a lens sells for £300 on ebay the seller has had to coff up over £40 in fees.
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Not sure I really understand the point here. The buyer pays the same whether it's £300 on eBay, £300 on MPB or £300 on here, so fees are irrelevant to the person actually paying for it. If the going rate for a lens is £300, why would you ask less for it on TP just because some people chose to sell at £300 on eBay and take a hit on the fees? Yes, you get protection as a buyer on eBay, but the system in place here makes it at least as safe in practice.

I've personally found very little wiggle room between the price people are willing to pay here / on eBay and the price that the likes of MPB pay for good gear these days, for some items there is very little in it. That would partly explain the popularity of MPB and it getting quieter here.
 
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ukaskew said:
Not sure I really understand the point here. The buyer pays the same whether it's £300 on eBay, £300 on MPB or £300 on here, so fees are irrelevant to the person actually paying for it. If the going rate for a lens is £300, why would you ask less for it on TP just because some people chose to sell at £300 on eBay and take a hit on the fees? Yes, you get protection as a buyer on eBay, but the system in place here makes it at least as safe in practice.

I've personally found very little wiggle room between the price people are willing to pay here / on eBay and the price that the likes of MPB pay for good gear these days, for some items there is very little in it. That would partly explain the popularity of MPB and it getting quieter here.
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i think you seem to have not actually understood my post, it wasn't for the attention of the buyer it was all about the seller?
I didn't think it was difficult to understand, maybe i was wrong
 
ukaskew said:
Not sure I really understand the point here. The buyer pays the same whether it's £300 on eBay, £300 on MPB or £300 on here, so fees are irrelevant to the person actually paying for it. If the going rate for a lens is £300, why would you ask less for it on TP just because some people chose to sell at £300 on eBay and take a hit on the fees? Yes, you get protection as a buyer on eBay, but the system in place here makes it at least as safe in practice.

I've personally found very little wiggle room between the price people are willing to pay here / on eBay and the price that the likes of MPB pay for good gear these days, for some items there is very little in it. That would partly explain the popularity of MPB and it getting quieter here.
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I think what Paul is saying is that if a potential buyer sees an item on EBay for £300, they would expect it to be £260 on here as there would be no fees to pay for the seller so they should be passed on to the buyer. I don't think values are in question, more that an EBay price isn't the actual amount the seller gets in real terms.
 
I also wonder if sometimes people check ebay 'closed' actions and see the higher priced successful sales, but choose to disregard the lower priced ones because they feel their stuff is worth more than that. There are some very clear exceptions (like the Nikon 80-200 2.8 that sold this week and some of the recent MFT lens sales) that are excellent value, but most of the time, understandably, sellers want as much as they can get for their used kit.
 
Personally I'd happily pay the same on here as I would via Ebay. I don't mind that the seller pockets more because to be honest, I feel safer and more secure when buying from someone who's an enthusiast and contributes to the community that is this forum. Sure you get the odd bad egg, but I've never had a bad deal on here or any other forum for that matter. For some reason, eBay makes me nervous in comparison.
 
rob-nikon said:
The thing to watch out with WEX is its store credit only, unlike MPB they don't sell for cash. There are a few other places like Facebook groups that seem to have picked up some 'business'.



I've noticed the low offers that are now common so it's good that people do go down the MPB offer route. There is of course the problem of selling grey imports as MPB don't take them (I had a lens they wouldn't take as it was a grey).
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MPB took my D750, filled their form in telling them it was from Panamoz and no issues. Sorry I got rid of it but nothing new there:rolleyes:
 
nog said:
MPB took my D750, filled their form in telling them it was from Panamoz and no issues. Sorry I got rid of it but nothing new there:rolleyes:
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Sounds like it's hit and miss then. I asked for a quote on a nearly new kit lens that was from originally bought from Panamoz (I bought used off here) and they wouldn't even quote. They stated it because it was Grey import (see email text below). At the time they did have one of the lenses in stock so it wasn't because it was a lens they wouldn't take. I wonder if it depends on who you speak as to whether it is policy or not.

Thanks for the enquiry, Im afraid as this was purchased from a known dealer of grey imports, we would be unable to offer you a price on this one. Thanks for the offer anyway.
 
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Ian W said:
Personally I'd happily pay the same on here as I would via Ebay. I don't mind that the seller pockets more because to be honest, I feel safer and more secure when buying from someone who's an enthusiast and contributes to the community that is this forum. Sure you get the odd bad egg, but I've never had a bad deal on here or any other forum for that matter. For some reason, eBay makes me nervous in comparison.
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from my experience of eBay and on here is I now avoid eBay due to bad experiences. It's much better to buy/sell on here and most are very fair and usually over describe any marks or scratches.
 
I have bought a lot of gear off TP and tried to sell on TP but when it doesn't go or there are similar items going really cheap I will sell elsewhere. This has meant sometimes getting more than what I paid but not out of trying to profit out of TP

Last week I listed a 7D with grip for £365 posted (so £350 net) on TP I bought it for £375 on TP late last year so offering it less on here. It was also the cheapest 7D on here by quite a bit but. I got nothing except an offer for less via pm which was rejected.

Put it on eBay and it sells in a few days for £420

Similar with my Kenko TC

MPB have also bought stuff I bought new off me for more than similar item are listed for on TP. They then add their profit and sell to someone else.

So my guess is there are not that many people who are actually into photography or at least taking photos using TP percentage wise. I also meet a lot of other photographers at events and not many are on TP or even Flickr.

If you look at the amount of second hand gear eBay and shops move on TP is a minor player and squeezing buyers out by the rule changers has only added to that.

As said above it is a photography forum but I would still rather buy off an established and trusted member here than off a stranger on eBay or a shop who know no history.
 
big soft moose said:
yeah i suspect the unrealistically high asking price on tp is a direct response to knowing they'll be asked to negotiate down
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Not always, I normally sell because something is just lying around doing nothing, I offer it at a reasonable prive and if someone doesn't want to pay
then I can just wait.
Did this with my house when the estate agent tried to tell me I needed to reduce the price, no mortgage so told him I could wait, it sold within a week
 
I was thinking the exact same but i'm not sure it's the 50% post thing as over at AV forums it's the exact same. Usud to wait a few days for an item to come up for sale not it seems like weeks.
 
I must admit that I was one of those members that just posted in the classified.

I'm more of a lurker and just read the posts in other parts of the forum and take onboard the advice that members post up etc and don't feel a need to post in the other sections.

My privileges to the classifieds had be revoked but I'm still on the forum and read posts daily.

I could post random stuff on the forum to increase my post count but as there isn't actually a real benefit to the forum, I refrain from posting.
 
ukaskew said:
Yes, you get protection as a buyer on eBay, but the system in place here makes it at least as safe in practice.
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You also get seller protection on ebay too.
I'm a relatively new forum member. I joined when I was looking for an upgrade, but due to the rules, I had to wait and I got stuck into the forum, reading, posting, commenting, which was all good. No problems with that.
When I eventually got access to the classifieds, I found what I wanted, agreed a deal and paid. However at that point, your money has been handed over to a stranger. I heard nothing for a while, then I got stories of delays, forgetting, a work trip and so on. After a week I got very worried. There is no protection as a buyer. You send your money, that's it. Twice the seller insisted that it had been sent and it had still not turned up. It did eventually turn up, about 2 weeks late, having only been posted the day before from a post office 4 miles from my house! I was really cross, I had already offered to come to his house and collect it, I would have quite happily driven the 4 miles to meet him at that post office.
So, yes you *hope* that the people posting on here are enthusiasts and will be trustworthy types, but you don't know and since there's no protection (unlike ebay, MPB, Wex) it's still a risk.

I'm now looking to do another upgrade and this time will be wanting to sell a couple of items to pay for it, but wondering if I'd be better off selling on ebay rather than here.....anyone after a 60D ? ;)
 
realistically though although ebay claim to offer seller protection they (and paypal) nearly always side with the buyer in a dispute - wrt to buying and selling here thisd is why i'll only deal face to face unless its someone ive got a reasonable degree of comfort with

EOTD if you want safety you best bet is a dealer like MPB , although you will find that price is inversely proportional to degree of safety - ie well known dealers are safe and easy to deal with but they don't pay as much as private buyers, whilst charging more than private sellers
 
ABTog said:
You also get seller protection on ebay too.
I'm a relatively new forum member. I joined when I was looking for an upgrade, but due to the rules, I had to wait and I got stuck into the forum, reading, posting, commenting, which was all good. No problems with that.
When I eventually got access to the classifieds, I found what I wanted, agreed a deal and paid. However at that point, your money has been handed over to a stranger. I heard nothing for a while, then I got stories of delays, forgetting, a work trip and so on. After a week I got very worried. There is no protection as a buyer. You send your money, that's it. Twice the seller insisted that it had been sent and it had still not turned up. It did eventually turn up, about 2 weeks late, having only been posted the day before from a post office 4 miles from my house! I was really cross, I had already offered to come to his house and collect it, I would have quite happily driven the 4 miles to meet him at that post office.
So, yes you *hope* that the people posting on here are enthusiasts and will be trustworthy types, but you don't know and since there's no protection (unlike ebay, MPB, Wex) it's still a risk.

I'm now looking to do another upgrade and this time will be wanting to sell a couple of items to pay for it, but wondering if I'd be better off selling on ebay rather than here.....anyone after a 60D ? ;)
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Did you leave appropriate feedback to reflect how the deal went?
 
Barrysprout said:
Did you leave appropriate feedback to reflect how the deal went?
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I didn't actually. For a couple of reasons. 1) the guy was getting out of photography, so unlikely to be selling anything else and there wouldn't therefore be much point, 2) it may have been a genuine set of unfortuneately timed circumstances causing the delay, so perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt. But mostly 3) I got a good deal, the lens was exactly as described for a bargain price (ie, I've not seen the same one sell for that price at all anywhere recently) and I'm very happy with it.
 
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