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Thread: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

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  1. #1
    David J. Heinrich
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    KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    I called for a quote on my Gitzo GT5561SGT (in excellent condition) from KEH and they offered $250! That was quite surprising to me, seeing as how market value is still worth around $1k, even though Gitzo recently superceded it by the GT5562GTS (which is why I called KEH, as I think that with a good sale of my pod and a Nikkor-SW 90/4.5, I can trade up on the pod without any net cash outflow).

    GT5561SGT: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ematic_6X.html
    GT5562GTS: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...YSTEMATIC.html

    The new one supports 88 lbs instead of 55 lbs, but the idea that somehow makes the older one worth $250 -- instead of a discount off of the almost $1200 its going for on PhotoCraft -- is ludicrous.

    I wonder if that pricing is because they don't have much tripod business.

  2. #2
    Large format foamer! SamReeves's Avatar
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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    You could always try Adorama or B&H to see if they will quote you a better price.

  3. #3
    David J. Heinrich
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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by SamReeves View Post
    You could always try Adorama or B&H to see if they will quote you a better price.
    Thanks for the suggestion! I didn't realize they made offers on used equipment.

  4. #4

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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    I'm no fan of KEH, I was unhappy with their final offer on some 35mm Zeiss stuff I shipped to them years ago after they gave me a much higher telephone offer (long story, no need to repeat it here). But did their offer cause you some harm or damage? I wouldn't think so since you didn't ship it to them, you just got an offer by phone. And if not then why do you care enough about what they offered to start a thread on it? I don't see that KEH did something wrong by offering what they're willing to pay for it. If you don't like the offer just sell the tripod somewhere else.

    Any retailer is going to give you a wholesale price. You should be able to do much better using ebay or somewhere else and get a retail price.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  5. #5

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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Ellis View Post
    Any retailer is going to give you a wholesale price. You should be able to do much better using ebay or somewhere else and get a retail price.
    My thoughts, exactly.

  6. #6
    David J. Heinrich
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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Ellis View Post
    I'm no fan of KEH, I was unhappy with their final offer on some 35mm Zeiss stuff I shipped to them years ago after they gave me a much higher telephone offer (long story, no need to repeat it here). But did their offer cause you some harm or damage? I wouldn't think so since you didn't ship it to them, you just got an offer by phone. And if not then why do you care enough about what they offered to start a thread on it? I don't see that KEH did something wrong by offering what they're willing to pay for it. If you don't like the offer just sell the tripod somewhere else.

    Any retailer is going to give you a wholesale price. You should be able to do much better using ebay or somewhere else and get a retail price.
    No, I certainly didn't mean to imply they did me any harm or that I'm really upset about it; it is just kind of a laughable offer, considering exactly what you said: it is still selling on the market for near retail price. Also, KEH doesn't sell stuff at prices much better than eBay or other used retailers (what they offer is quality assurance), so it isn't like that is necessary to make a profit.

    I was actually calling KEH hoping to establish a floor price, below which I won't sell it ($250 isn't even close). My best guess as to why they'd offer something like that -- which no one would take -- is because they think they'd have trouble moving it, because tripods aren't typically on KEH. The reason I posted the thread was kind of out of curiosity / entertainment as to why their offer was 1/5 to 1/4th market-value. I'll try B&H and Adorama and see if this is more up their alley, and if so, use that and the last eBay sale price (discounting to account for eBay & Paypal fees) to see if anyone here would like to buy it.

  7. #7

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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by dh003i View Post

    that somehow makes the older one worth $250 --

    no..it makes it worth that to them

    they have to resell it as used..with a newer model out

    they sell it for what? 450? 500 maybe?

    maybe they carry it for 6 months before it sells.


    stick it on ebay and see exactly what the market is

  8. #8
    David J. Heinrich
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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by DrTang View Post
    no..it makes it worth that to them

    they have to resell it as used..with a newer model out

    they sell it for what? 450? 500 maybe?

    maybe they carry it for 6 months before it sells.
    No, the sale price is not going to drop that low. Look at their used lenses and other used equipment. They'll be able to sell it for $1000 or $1100. Look at Photocraft's website -- $1200 new. One sold recently on eBay for essentially retail value and KEH is typically price-comparable to eBay, sometimes under sometimes over (from what I've seen).

    Last year, I bought a used Arca Swiss Z2 from B&H for a hundred (maybe 150) or so less than what they were selling the new one for.

    The other thing you mentioned does, however, make more sense -- how long it would have to sit on their shelves, if they think they can move it. My thought is that -- other than trying to get the largest possible profit on it -- they think the risk is, "no one thinks to look here for a used tripod like that". I never thought to search KEH for used tripods, so I could understand that.


    stick it on ebay and see exactly what the market is[/QUOTE]

  9. #9
    Octogenarian
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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    KEH attends the camera shows, in the spring and fall,here in the DFW metroplex to purchase used equipment.

    I have sold several pieces of old photo equipment to them at these shows.

    It's been my experience that they pay more for a piece of used equipment when they can examine it in person before buying.

    The KEH phone estimators cannot actually see what they are purchasing. Therefore, the low ball bids.

  10. #10

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    Re: KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

    Quote Originally Posted by Gem Singer View Post
    KEH attends the camera shows, in the spring and fall,here in the DFW metroplex to purchase used equipment.

    I have sold several pieces of old photo equipment to them at these shows.

    It's been my experience that they pay more for a piece of used equipment when they can examine it in person before buying.

    The KEH phone estimators cannot actually see what they are purchasing. Therefore, the low ball bids.
    Unless KEH has changed since I sold to them, there's no difference between selling at a show and selling by mail. Either way they examine the item before committing to a price. Their telephone price is (or was back when I sold) just a conditional offer based on the seller's description of the item's condition. Final price wasn't set until they received the item and examined it. In my case that dropped their telephone offer of something like $300 to $50 despite as accurate a description of the items' condition as I could give (no point in puffing the condition, they're going to see the item before they buy it). When I asked what their problem was with the condition they were vague and said something like "it just isn't what we thought it would be."

    This was in 1994, back when Shutterbug was the main vehicle for individuals selling used photo equipment to other individuals. And that was a real PITA way to sell - write the ad, send it in, wait two months for it to appear and probably another couple weeks at best before you had your money. I suspect that sales to places like KEH were much more common back then than they are today just because selling to other individuals was such a long, drawn out process.

    All of which is one minor reason why I'd never again sell to KEH or any other retailer (the main reason of course being the wholesale price). Once you ship to them they have you by the short hairs. You don't want to pay to have it shipped back and you don't want to go through the same thing all over again with another buyer. Plus that immediate cash is tempting. All of which probably causes some sellers to accept offers from places like KEH even though they think the price is low.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

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