Selling on photrio vs ebay

[Sirius Glass]

I don't ask for PayPal "friends and family" payment because it offers no buyer protection and people who've never dealt with me may feel put off by that.

I know how to pack fragile and expensive items and have never had an item lost or damaged in shipment. A couple of packages have gotten stuck in "mail loops" over the years, but now I check the receipt before I leave the counter to make sure the destination printed thereon matches the one on the address label, and this seems to have solved the problem.

Once in a while I'll suffer brain fade and accidentally price something below what I paid for it (most recently with a 180mm Fujinon-W LF lens). I say nothing to the buyer and honor the sale - a deal is a deal. The Fujinon was maybe a $100 lesson, but it was my mistake and I have to live with it - that's life. I know how I'd feel if I were on the opposite end of something like that.

It really comes down to common sense and treating people the way you'd like to be treated. Selling on the forums isn't a business for me, it's a way to maybe make a few bucks to help cover my photographic expenses, and to get equipment I don't need into the hands of someone who will use it.

It's also against PayPal's terms of service to require/use f&f for non-personal transactions.

One additional downside to using f&f is that you can't use PayPal shipping, since PayPal assumes there's nothing to ship when transferring money to a family member. This can become a pain when selling books online since those are best shipped using Media Mail in the US and Media Mail postage cannot be purchased online at usps.com, but can be purchased via PayPal shipping. That means standing in line at the post office to ship books and other media that were purchased using f&f, which can be avoided using a non-personal transaction and PayPal shipping. For a low-value transaction, eating the small PayPal fee is worth it to avoid the post office.

I never select "friends and family". The 3% fee is the cost of doing business and provides the money for insurance when things go bad.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

It's also against PayPal's terms of service to require/use f&f for non-personal transactions.

One additional downside to using f&f is that you can't use PayPal shipping, since PayPal assumes there's nothing to ship when transferring money to a family member. This can become a pain when selling books online since those are best shipped using Media Mail in the US and Media Mail postage cannot be purchased online at usps.com, but can be purchased via PayPal shipping. That means standing in line at the post office to ship books and other media that were purchased using f&f, which can be avoided using a non-personal transaction and PayPal shipping. For a low-value transaction, eating the small PayPal fee is worth it to avoid the post office.

Do you know if film or photos have special postage rates as well?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Do you know if film or photos have special postage rates as well?

In USA, no. They are not media or books. A commercial movie film (16mm, etc.) is media. 10sec to check the official definitions.

 

[logan2z]

In USA, no. They are not media or books. A commercial movie film (16mm, etc.) is media.

Here is the official definition of 'media' from USPS:

https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

That definition includes this:

• Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information

So, does use of a film scanner that can be used by a computer to 'read' 35mm and 120 film imply that those film types are 'media'? Is that really any different than an external drive connected to a computer and used to read CDs/DVDs?

 

[Sirius Glass]

“Media Mail shipping is a cost-effective way to send educational materials.”
I do not think photographs outside of educational materials qualify. I am still waiting for a book 30 days after it was shipped Media Mail from Seattle to north Florida. For just a little bit more cost, first class mail gets there quicker, but the seller in this purchase did not offer it.

Media shipping is s----l------o--------w-----------! As darr noted, not worth the cost.

 

[logan2z]

Media shipping is s----l------o--------w-----------! As darr noted, not worth the cost.

I've shipped and have received loads of books via Media Mail. It generally takes 7 days to go coast to coast in the US. Not bad. The cost of Media Mail shipping is also very reasonable. I recently shipped a large, hardcover photo book via insured Media Mail and the cost was $7. It would have been 3-4x more expensive had I gone with another USPS service - greater than the value of the book itself.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I've shipped and have received loads of books via Media Mail. It generally takes 7 days to go coast to coast in the US. Not bad. The cost of Media Mail shipping is also very reasonable. I recently shipped a large, hardcover photo book via insured Media Mail and the cost was $7. It would have been 3-4x more expensive had I gone with another USPS service - greater than the value of the book itself.

For large boxes it may be worth it, but I have had a single book take more than two weeks since DeJoy started mangling the post office.

 

[mmerig]

I wouldn't buy from anyone with just a few posts who I didn;t know.

If everyone did this, no one would be able to sell anything, as everyone starts-out with one post. (Unless you know the person outside of Photrio)

 

[Sirius Glass]

If everyone did this, no one would be able to sell anything, as everyone starts-out with one post. (Unless you know the person outside of Photrio)

Over the 14 years I have been here, it has worked well.

 

[logan2z]

Sounds like it can be a money saver when shipping encyclopedias, but this has not been currently my experience. If it is heavy and fits in a Priority Mail box and a client (or me) needs it in a couple or a few days and is tracked, (right now my overdue Media Mail tracking says “In Transit, Arriving Late, Delivery Date Unknown”), then I will pay for it. USPS cannot even tell me where in their system my book is.

I don't buy/sell a lot of encyclopedias

Of course if you need it there fast then Priority is the way to go. But it is considerably more expensive than Media Mail. In my case, book shipments are rarely time sensitive so Media Mail is the best option. But whatever works best for you ..

 

[logan2z]

I totally agree, whatever works. I just want my book!
Not to hijack this thread, but I will say lately whenever I have shipped Priority Mail to my friends in Pennsylvania (from Florida), it seems to bounce around between Delaware and New York, missing the 2-3 day delivery service. The packages arrive within two weeks. Do not know what is going on up there (has happened to a few shipments), but it seems consistent. UPS and FedEx is better for me to use than USPS to up there.

Honestly, most of them are pretty bad right now. The only shipping service that seems to have maintained its level of service during the pandemic is Amazon Prime shipping. I'm still getting shipments (mostly photography books, I have a problem ) in 1-2 days. Oh, and DHL is consistently good. I've had packages get to me in California from Germany in two days!

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Apparently Media Mail allows 16mm film and narrower width films. Here's the list: See the link for all details.

https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm
www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Complete explanations of qualified items can be found in the DMM.

• Books (at least 8 pages).
• Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs.
• Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
• Printed music.
• Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
• Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films.
• Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
• Printed educational reference charts.
• Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

If everyone did this, no one would be able to sell anything, as everyone starts-out with one post. (Unless you know the person outside of Photrio)

That's the point. I wouldn't buy from anyone here who just started to post. There's just no sense of trust yet. Now that I think of it, I wouldn't sell to anyone like that either unless I got the money first.

 

[BrianShaw]

Who are you calling Old, Gregg?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

From buyer:

Sadly, buying on Photrio offers protection that may be part of PayPal payment & is hopefully enforceable, but it is just a trust set up (no complaints, just saying). Going ebay offers substantially more comfort, but of course there are more and more crooks creeping in again (important to skip a seller if replies are not addressing question precisely).

If everyone did this, no one would be able to sell anything, as everyone starts-out with one post. (Unless you know the person outside of Photrio)

The one-post point is about that first post being a sale offer, so assumption is that person registered to sell, not to participate long term. Not a sure thing, but first impression.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have listed and sold a few things recently. eBay and https://reddit.com/r/photomarket/ win over Photrio every time. Another marketplace worth mentioning is FredMiranda forum, it is also high-traffic. Photrio did not perform for me. There is just a handful of you here, and you're all old and already have everything

On eBay, you get incredible exposure and plenty of buyers who are not price-sensitive. I sold a Hasselblad film back for $550 over there in an hour. The same back sat on Photrio for a week and nobody took it for $400. Reddit also offers 10x the traffic, sold a Hassy and a Leica there in a day, with both buyers being local in my city.

Who are you calling Old, Gregg?

I am taking umbrage at being called old.

 

[mmerig]

From buyer:

Sadly, buying on Photrio offers protection that may be part of PayPal payment & is hopefully enforceable, but it is just a trust set up (no complaints, just saying). Going ebay offers substantially more comfort, but of course there are more and more crooks creeping in again (important to skip a seller if replies are not addressing question precisely).


The one-post point is about that first post being a sale offer, so assumption is that person registered to sell, not to participate long term. Not a sure thing, but first impression.

Okay thanks -- I get the context now, and agree.

 

[sfphoto]

Steve, How do you handle payment and shipments? Do you ship first or wait until the payment clears? What kind of payments do you accept? Do you use Paypal for payments even if selling here? Would you handle selling a single item like a lens differently than a whole system that costs a lot more? Thanks. Alan

A complex set of questions and the basic answer is to treat each sale in a method agreeable to both parties - which is the beauty of conducting transactions here, if the item(s) have appeal, i.e. film photography related.

 

[sfphoto]

For a low-value transaction, eating the small PayPal fee is worth it to avoid the post office

Might look into shippo or [shiver me timbers] pirateship, they offer 1st class (& more), not sure about media.

 

[sfphoto]

we’re in MT, so the craigslist market isn’t as strong

I sold my [high end] darkroom to a Craigs List shopper in Washington DC.
Had to get an empty cardboard guitar box from a local music store for the enlarger column. The rest was easy to box up & ship.

If the CL buyer knows what they want now-a-days folks are more used to purchasing on-line, and CL has no restrictions on posting across the country.

Have had a few buyers from the other side of the country whom shopped various CL ads in several major metro areas and found my 'local' listing.

 

[DaveInAZ]

I am taking umbrage at being called old.

If you know what 'taking umbrage' means, you ARE old!

What? How do I know what it means? Well, I just... err, that is I... umm... aww, crap.

 

[DaveInAZ]

... Going ebay offers substantially more comfort...

I understand the arguments in favor of this viewpoint, but don't agree. I have quit eBay twice, now, due to eBay failing to protect me as their user agreement stated they would, the first time, and then due to eBay themselves royally screwing me through sheer stupidity on their part. It was not for a large sum, but it cost me $100 when it should not have cost me anything if they had processed two returns correctly.

That is why I am going to be selling my photo-related stuff here (if I can find buyers). I will also say, though, that Etsy has been surprisingly effective as a market for vintage gear. Beware of their advertising policy, though. It cost me the entire 'profit' I would have made after fees and shipping on one sale.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If you know what 'taking umbrage' means, you ARE old!

What? How do I know what it means? Well, I just... err, that is I... umm... aww, crap.

Now I am taking extreme umbrage! I took Latin dammit and from the second year when we read Julius Caesar's Gaelic Wars I learned over fifty root words to destroy, devestate and waylay a town or village.

 

[DaveInAZ]

Now I am taking extreme umbrage! I too Latin dammit and from the second year when we read Julius Caesar's Gaelic Wars I learned over fifty root words to destroy, devestate and waylay a town or village.

Yeah, yeah! That's what I meant to say! I took Latin, too. Of course, the other languages hadn't been invented yet.

And don't forget 'decimated', the most frequently waylaid and abused Latin word among the pseudo-educated.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If you know what 'taking umbrage' means, you ARE old!

What? How do I know what it means? Well, I just... err, that is I... umm... aww, crap.

Now I am taking extreme umbrage! I took Latin dammit and from the second year when we read Julius Caesar's Gaelic Wars I learned over fifty root words to destroy, devestate and waylay a town or village.

Yeah, yeah! That's what I meant to say! I took Latin, too. Of course, the other languages hadn't been invented yet.

And don't forget 'decimated', the most frequently waylaid and abused Latin word among the pseudo-educated.

As we said in school, "Latin is a dead language. First it killed the Romans and now it is killing me."