KEH gives low lowball offer on my Gitzo GT5561SGT

[dh003i]

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]

[Len Middleton]

One issue that no one seems to have mentioned is the issue of total cost to the seller, as well as KEH's cost.

A tripod, particularly a big one will cost considerable to ship, although in this case not relative purchasing costs. And as a number of members outside the USA understand it gets much worse once you cross a border...

Who pays the cost to return it in a transaction with KEH, if the item is not as-described or the buyer is unhappy with the purchase.

Those factors could strongly impact how long it does sit on the shelf...

Small high value items like lenses where the cost of shipping is relatively small compared to the purchase price, are much less of an issue.

[Gem Singer]

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.

[dh003i]

B&H offered the least unreasonable price, around $500. But at that kind of price, I'd just buy the new one and hang onto this until I can sell it at around the going market rate for it used. vs. the alternative of that price, I could get used to having the GT5561SGT as a front standard support for my 1200mm lens and the GT5562 as the main pod (j/k).

I'll see if I have a box big enough to ship it in -- I think I saved the box it came in, I usually save all of my boxes -- get a quote on shipping and then put it up for offer here or on eBay.

[dh003i]

One issue that no one seems to have mentioned is the issue of total cost to the seller, as well as KEH's cost.

A tripod, particularly a big one will cost considerable to ship, although in this case not relative purchasing costs. And as a number of members outside the USA understand it gets much worse once you cross a border...

Who pays the cost to return it in a transaction with KEH, if the item is not as-described or the buyer is unhappy with the purchase.

Those factors could strongly impact how long it does sit on the shelf...

Small high value items like lenses where the cost of shipping is relatively small compared to the purchase price, are much less of an issue.

That is quite interesting and makes sense. I suspect that if you sell to them, the risk is all on you. Namely, they quote you and if it isn't as you described, they adjust their quote (but KEH offered $250 for my description of "excellent condition"; presumably if they got it and it was in awful condition, they could reduce the offer). So I suspect the process would be something like this: (1) They quote you; (2) You pay to ship to them; (3) Upon receiving your item, they revise the quote if warranted (there is actually a huge risk to people selling to them at this step); (4) If you don't like their revised quote, you pay to have it shipped back.

Regarding their return policy for items they sell, the buyers pay return shipping. So it seems like KEH does not bear any risk regarding shipping & handling -- that is all on the buyers and sellers.

http://www.keh.com/help.aspx#pe12

I can certainly understand that doing the whole thing in person is much more preferrable for the reasons noted above.

[Len Middleton]

I had not considered the shipping costs and risk transfer in selling to them.

Just I am very sensitive to total costs when making purchases, and part of that is the cost of getting it across the border for me...

[darr]

Just sell it on this forum or eBay if you are serious about getting rid of it. Expect wholesale offers if you are selling to a reseller.

[sully75]

My friend sold them his Leica M6 for $600 or something. Painful. I would have paid that for it, joyfully.

[evan clarke]

Sounds like nobody here has to sell merchandise for a living. KEH needs to at least DOUBLE their investment and turn it over in a short period of time to make business work..salaries and commissions come from profit...

[drew.saunders]

I've sold to KEH, mainly because of the trade-in deal where they'll knock 10% off the price of anything you buy when you sell to them as well. That's how I turned my Canon FD stuff into a Fuji 250/6.3 LF lens. Now that the m-4/3 and NEX camera adaptors are making FD lenses desirable again, I might have gotten a better price for them now.

I do like that Tamarkin lists exactly what they'll pay you relative to what they'll sell it for (60% for Leica M, 50% for Leica sm or R), and the process of selling: http://www.tamarkin.com/ordering