How to Sell Used Photography Gear
photo by EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER via iStock
I’ve been getting a ton of questions lately from people looking to sell used photography gear to bring in some extra income while they’re waiting out the pandemic.
Selling used photography gear can be stressful if you don’t know where to sell used photography gear, or if you don’t know how to price your gear. After all, you obviously want to get the most money you can if you’re going to be selling off your prized gear.
Anyone who has been following PhotographyTalk for a while knows I use MPB to sell used photography gear, so I’m going to walk you through how you can as well.
What Can You Sell?
photo by EKKAPHAN CHIMPALEE via iStock
The first question you need answered when learning how to sell used photography gear is, “What can I sell?”
On MPB, you can sell just about any camera by any manufacturer, although they specialize in modern technologies. So, you can sell your DSLR that’s a decade old, but probably not your grandfather’s camera.
MPB also accepts tripods, flashes, lenses, bags, memory cards and just about any other used photography gear you can think of.
If you aren’t sure whether you can sell off a specific piece of equipment you have, you can submit this form to MPB and they’ll let you know.
Selling Your Gear Made Easy
photo by EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER via iStock
The reason I sell used photography gear on MPB is so that I don’t have to mess with the actual selling process. I got so sick of using eBay and dealing with scams or rude people every day that I went in search of a used camera platform that would deal with the buyer for me.
When you sell used photography gear to MPB, you’re literally selling your gear to MPB. They act as a middleman between you and the eventual buyer.
The way this works is that you submit information about your specific camera gear in order to get a quote from MPB. If you like the quote you get, you then get a prepaid shipping box to wrap your gear up in.
You send the box back to MPB and if your gear is as you described it, MPB puts the money directly into your bank account.
Then, MPB will list your gear on their website and deal with all of the hassle of the actual selling process.
Now, there are some drawbacks to this method. For instance, if you sell used photography gear on another website where you’re dealing directly with prospective buyers, you may make more money. But, I personally feel like not dealing with scammers, not dealing with companies (like eBay) that care way more about buyers than they do sellers, and not dealing with a bunch of different shipping problems is worth the loss of a few dollars.
Learn More:
Questions to Consider When Selling Used Photography Gear
The first question you should ask when you’re thinking about where to sell used photography gear is: can I trade in my gear?
If you aren’t in desperate need of cash at the moment, it may be wiser to trade your old gear in for new gear so that you can get better jobs and more clients. This is especially true if you are new to the photography industry and only have one solid camera.
On MPB, you can either sell your used gear or trade your new gear in. If you opt to trade your gear, it works the exact same well as selling your gear except you’ll need to make up the difference if your new gear is more expensive.
Another question to consider when selling used photography gear is whether or not there are hidden costs. A lot of used photography sites use hidden costs to scam you out of money.
But, with MPB, there are no hidden costs. Shipping is built in. Insurance is built in. All you need to do is pack your equipment and you’re good to go.
I know a lot of us are currently feeling trapped by our situations right now, but by selling your used photography gear you can either reinvest that money into your business so that it is better off than before the pandemic started or you can sell your gear to have a little bit more money for your family right now.
You can check out more about the selling process on MPB.
