Joseph R. Schlauch , Feb 07, 2012; 03:02 p.m.
I have a large selection of classic folders that I have decided to sell. KEH made what appears to me a nice offer on my Voitlander Bessa II with Heliar lens. I have to send it to them for better evaluation and pay for shipping and insurance. If they decide its worth considerably less, they will deduct that from their offer. If I am unsatisfied with the final offering, I will most likely have to pay shipping and handling to get it back. My question is: Is this procedure worthwhile? In short, I will be out $30 if the offer holds and $60 if I need to get it back and try to sell. I have no worries about Keh's reliability or the process, just the cost effectiveness of it. Has anyone else faced this dilemma and if so what would you suggest?
Eric Friedemann 
, Feb 07, 2012; 03:35 p.m.
I've found KEH to be honest and reputable to deal with. I'm sure they aren't trying to sucker you into sending them the camera so they can make you a lowball offer.
Is the procedure worthwhile? Probably- a local camera store isn't going to have KEH's potential buying pool of customers, so you won't get a better offer there. Also, if you sell the camera on eBay, you're going to pay listing fees. Unfortunatley, your options are limited selling esoteric, old film cameras these days.
Stephen Lewis 
, Feb 07, 2012; 03:36 p.m.
I usually wait for them to come to the local camera shows where they can examine stuff on the spot and make an offer if they think they can resell it. OTOH if you have a lot of stuff, then it may make sense to send it to them, assuming you have already done your research on prevailing prices.
Eric Friedemann , Feb 07, 2012; 03:40 p.m.
Yeah, per Stephen, you might ask if one of KEH's buyers will be in your area where you can meet. KEH buyers travel around the country- occasionally, a KEH buyer will come into my store and clean out our whole used shelf.
Harris Goldstein , Feb 07, 2012; 04:34 p.m.
First, confirm whether you will have to pay return shipping.
When I sold some items to KEH by mail, they felt one item was not in as good condition as I said but that another item was better. IIRC, they gave me slightly more than their online offer. If you're not going to sell it to a private party yourself, I think KEH is the way to go.
Michael Smith 
, Feb 07, 2012; 04:51 p.m.
I think you are better off selling them on your own. Try selling them here on photo.net or some other group you belong. Try selling on Craigslist. On craigslist just use commonsense and meet the buyer a public locale. I know it seems like a hassle to do it on your own, but you get can get top value for the stuff. Just sell it slowly over a period of time. Good Luck.
Peter Simpson , Feb 07, 2012; 05:23 p.m.
I sold some of my father-in-law's Olympus stuff to them. The offers are pretty low, you could probably do better if you tried to sell it yourself. I didn't feel like making that effort. Given the deals I've gotten buying used gear from them, I think I'm ahead. They're good guys, but they are in business to make a buck.
William Roberts 
, Feb 07, 2012; 05:24 p.m.
I have bought from KEH and never had a problem. BUT, the one thing I tried to sell them a Asahi ESII black, that had no brassing, it just needed new seals. The meter matched my DSLR and I rated it conservatively maybe VG... when they got it they held it for three weeks, then told me it was not in good shape and decided not to buy it... they were kind enough to send it back for free since they had taken forever to evaluate it... I ended up selling it on Ebay for 100 bucks more than their original quote. I think they are fair and I know they have to make a profit, just wish they were faster... just my experience, take it how you want it.
John Shriver 
, Feb 07, 2012; 05:53 p.m.
Market prices on eBay are midway between what they pay buying and what they charge selling. If you're a good eBay seller, with good reputation, and provide good photos and documentation, you can get more than KEH will pay you. Or you could get ripped off by a sleazeball buyer on eBay who returns a different camera as "your camera" but defective.
If you want a "no trouble" approach, there's really no place better than KEH.
Marc Rochkind , Feb 07, 2012; 07:19 p.m.
eBay is the place to sell classic cameras. Some hints:
1. Can't have too many well-lit, high-resolution photos taken with macro lens.
2. Describe the camera in complete detail.
3. Note every ding, smudge, scratch, blemish, etc.
4. Insert the listing on a Sunday at about 7PM Eastern time (if you're in the US or Canada).
That ensures that last minute bidders have the time available to bid.
5. If you know anything special about the camera, such as that it was once owned by
Douglas Fairbanks, or it is covered in very rare red lizard skin, include that.
6. If the camera has been in your family since new, say that.
7. Make the sale final. No refund. (See the post from John just above this one.)
8. Do not make shipping charges excessive.
9. Do not make your listing too professional looking. Buyers prefer buying from people, not eBay businesses. (Which is not to say there's anything wrong with them... many of the 100 or so cameras I've bought on eBay are from outfits like that.)
