Classified Ad Busybodies

Just an observation. If someone is selling something through the classifieds, don't they have the right to choose the price they wish to sell at? It's up to buyers to check the going rate for equipment. I don't know why, but it really annoys me when people comment on the price, or the merits of the equipment, when they have no interest in the sale!

Agree...

Agree ..........

If the seller is not happy and the comments have nothing to do with the sale or are just price pointing then they can ask for them to be removed by clicking the report link at the bottom of the page. I have on more than a few occasions.

I think there are occasions where the seller genuinely makes a mistake with the price. In this case, it is doing them a favour pointing out their error. Maybe a PM would be more appropriate though.

Agree completely. It's happened to me more than once, and with some very 'dubious' advice.

Perhaps we should change the nature of the classifieds forum so only the originator (or a moderator) can add comments and everyone else makes contact by PM.

I remove quite a few posts from Classifieds when they stray from the point. Not all of them because some are harmless. But when they clutter or impede the sale they go.

However, if I'm away from the PC for a while sometimes it's too late or becomes irrelevant, especially if the OP has covered the diversion or joined in.

Please use Classifieds for the buying/selling process. Anything else may be removed without notice!

What is the general starting price for sales? Is it internet prices, or is it second hand shop prices.
I have a lot of lens I have been asked to shift for a deceased friend. I have no real idea of whether his asking price is correct or not.
Having seen some of the comments here I am somewhat nervous of listing them.
How do others set their prices?
regards Thoramay.

I would search the classifieds here, and ebay prices for ended auction listings (not Buy It Now prices).

The price starts at what a seller asks for, but the final sale price is what the buyer is prepared to pay and the seller is prepared to agree to.

A guide to prices can be found by searching eBay and Amazon and looking at all the adverts in AP.

Probably wise on here to check the SRS price as well before posting.

It is fairly easy to fix a price for equipment that is currently available as new prices are advertised by retailers. If selling second hand I would pitch the price around 2/3 to 3/4 of the new price depending on condition, original packaging, remaining warranty etc. If customers think the price is too high they can make lower offers.

Pricing older equipment is much more difficult as some items due to rarity (e.g. Pentax 1.7 AF converter) may go for surprisingly high prices. Most older consumer grade lenses are not as good and or less easy to use than the modern equivalents so command much lower prices. As has been suggested eBay completed sales are a good guide.

Archie

I tend to do a search on eBay and look at 'Completed Listings'. You can then look at individual adverts to see what things sold for (and how good the description was). You could also list it and email a second-hand dealer to see what they'd offer. Their prices would be lower but it gives you a benchmark and a backup.

I would recommend thoroughly checking equipment before putting it on sale (especially as it isn't yours) to make sure it's As Described.

There is nothing stopping you from starting a post (not in the Classifieds forum) to get an idea of price. There are some people on here who seem to have a gift for knowing the value of kit!

If you accurately list the items you have for sale in a PM or email to Chris at SRS, he might be interested in all/some/none of them and offer you his price for them.

SRS prices will be lower than you might get on ebay or a private sale because thay have to resell them for a profit, but when it removes the hassle and profits made by Paypal/Ebay, I think it's worth it.

I've sold quite a lot of kit, that was redundant to me, to Chris and I was very pleased with the outcome indeed. He also arranged for a courier to pick it up at his expense. Hassle-free and you are dealing with someone you know.

Please don't do this - you're overlooking one key point. New signups to the forum cannot send PMs for 30 days. In that situation, it could stop a buyer from buying, and stop a seller from selling!

It actually happened to me a couple of weeks ago, when I was still new. I wanted to buy a lens and a flash from someone, and had to put a post in the thread telling the seller I couldn't PM him yet! He saw it and PMed me (luckily I was able to receive it, and to reply), and we completed the sale (and a jolly good sale it was too).

So - unless you're going to lift the ban on PMs for noobies, don't lock the Classified threads, please.

I would say the Classifieds are quite adequately policed as they are, and if sellers have problems with buyers (or non-buyers) posting stuff they're unhappy with, let them take their own action. It's their thread, after all, and their sales pitch. If they let it get misconstrued or hijacked, or feel undermined by someone pointing out why their overpriced junk isn't selling, and they don't report the post(s), then that's their lookout surely?

Caveat Vendor, for once, eh?