It had to happen I suppose - Variable Pricing on Used equipment !!!

I know there a few of us who trawl round the photographic shop websites looking for second hand equipment we didn't know we needed - well I've noticed over the last week or so something strange with the prices of used Pentax (and presumably other brands) on one UK website.

Each day prices of some items change, sometimes by a small amount but often by a significant sum - and I'm not just talking about price reductions, most items have been going up. For instance Pentax KS-2 bodies had been £399, then dropped to £369, now £329. While Pentax KP bodies have changed from a low of £489 up to £709 (and based on the shutter count I'm 99% certain it is the same body). DFA*50/1.4 lenses and K1 MkII bodies have also fluctuated (I don't remember exactly how much by)!

The traditional model of selling second hand used to be based on paying the seller/part-exer a relatively small sum for an item and adding a high percentage to make the profit. Some items would hang around for a while and gradually get reduced in price until the item was attractive enough for a buyer, or often would be put on Ebay with a price that would cover the costs at very least. This new method (which is a bit like demand-based pricing) seems a bit strange, and it'll be interesting to see whether it works or not

I have not noticed this yet, and I will look out for it now.
If this is the new way I will just sit on my hands, lest I pay too much.

Are you sure it is not some artifact of trackers or cookies on your computer?

I use ccleaner regularly to get rid of nuisance background stuff.

It's called crapitalism

Working MX's have held a price for a while, but recently non guaranteed working ME Supers and even MG variant have increased considerably. I also get a sense that traditional dealers are buying up items on eBay and then reselling through more traditional channels a few weeks later.

Regarding your last sentence, I have had that thought as well.

It was only a matter of time I suppose as this method of selling new photo equipment has been around for years and not just restricted to AMZ.

Having been used by airlines and holiday companies initially it has spread to many other retail sectors.

Ultimately though when i'm buying used equipment I have a good idea of my 'valuation' of a particular item and if I can get it for that price or lower all is good...if not then I don't bother. One could of course always make a cheeky offer...it works both ways! Retail businesses need both product and customers...one without the other isn't going to be profitable.

I did think about that - but I'm fairly sure there are strict rules over offering different prices to different customers, so it should be the same for all of us?

As 1stEverPentax points out, this sales method has been used by other sectors for some time (I've nearly been caught on Amazon more than once!) so it'll be interesting to see how it develops in photographic retail.

In the UK you can't offer different prices on the basis of age, sex, religious belief or any other so-called 'protected characteristic'. But your computer's IP address doesn't seem to be a 'protected characteristic' .

Personally, I don't have a problem with variable pricing for used items. If you don't like the price then don't buy it and if someone else does like the price then good luck to them. And you can always laugh at the buyer's gullibility - as Harry Enfield realised years ago with his comedy series 'I Saw You Coming'.

Steve

Tough times reflected in sellers hustle demands buyers respond likewise - set your limit, haggle hard, be prepared to walk away

The Pentax KP that had risen to £709 has now dropped down to £549 - not the lowest it has been, but a bit more realistic

Other prices have also dropped today - it's becoming a bit addictive watching what they do day by day (Note to self - Get a Life!)

"it's becoming a bit addictive watching what they do day by day (Note to self - Get a Life!)"

Or get an app. Something like Fetchie (www.fetchie.app) will automatically track prices of things you're interested in and alert you to when the price has dropped. And a useful side effect is that you will get your life back . Never used an app myself but my son-in-law has with some success.

Steve