What/Why I'm Selling
First and foremost, this site isn't a regular 'retail storefront' in any way. I do not purchase and stock items on a regular basis in order to profit from selling photo gear. I'm an ex-photographer / videographer who's also a collector and tinkerer - who's selling off items I don't need or use, or pieces from a collection that I'm refining.
The 'bullet points'...
- Basically - I don't or won't use these items, but it/they might be exactly what you've been looking for.
- I sell what I don't use, and you'll know exactly what you're getting beforehand, because:
- I provide better than sufficient detail on every item's condition, operability, and usability; with both hi-res photos and a deep knowledge about the items I list.
- You get reasonable pricing since I'm not trying to recoup high listing fees or gouge you for profits.
- Sales are done with a secure payment system that ensures both payment and delivery, where both the buyer and seller are accountable.
- Your payments are verified, and my shipping is trackable and verified - which means that both of us are covered for the entire process.
If you're absolutely certain that my listed selling price is more than you really think it's worth, you can always "Make an Offer" on any of the used/tested/NOS items I list. It's kind of like I'm having a garage sale, but without all the driving for you to get here. Just use eBay's 'Best Offer' link on the item you want to tender your offer. Sorry, but I can't accept offers on 'new' items, and/or adjust shipping costs.
The long version...
a. I may buy a bundle of gear where my main intention is to acquire one or two items to regularly use for myself, or to add to a collection. The other items still have value, but might not be what I'm looking for - or - I already have others like them and don't need duplicates. I also don't have unlimited interests - or unlimited space or money - so this allows me to offer these items to others who'd use and appreciate them.
b. There are occasions when I might acquire items to use, and they're missing something - like, 2 or 3 'XYZ' brand lenses that came without their front or rear caps. I'd want functional replacements for my own use, so I'd purchase a bulk lot of 5 or 10 new and generic front/back caps, instead of an exact number of OEM caps. I can post any extras for sale as new items at a really cheap price. You win / I win.
c. I may have found a replacement for an item in a collection, or I've decided to refine the focus of a collection in a different way... and what I'm selling is a result of that effort. That could also mean I've decided to remove an entire group of items, and won't replace them at all. I prefer to collect working examples, so these items still have a useful life as photographic tools of the trade, and they're not just a collectable piece of gear that's only suited for sitting on a shelf.
Why post things for sale here and on eBay, instead of setting up a shop at a regular storefront site?
The plain and simple answer is, economics. The charges and fees to set up a commercial web shop at a 'vintage marketplace' site might be okay if I'd be making a regular income from these sales. However... I already have a webspace of my own that can work well for the limited purpose of showcasing my items. I can sell my now-extra gear at a reasonable price to recoup my original cost, without being forced to gouge buyers to recover overpriced listing fees. I'd have to puff up the prices even more to cover my extra expenses.
Additionally, by using eBay for completing the transactions for my listed items, I can provide a well known method of handling payments and shipping that is not only trustworthy for buyers, but it includes a guarantee for us both that would be prohibitively expensive if I did it on my own. One more case of, you win, I win.
