Unique Photo Trade-In values suck

[Old-N-Feeble]

Screw Caesar... stop taxing the crap out of us.

 

[pdeeh]

I hear he speaks highly of you also

 

[BrianShaw]

I'm not a firefighter and I live in the USA. Pensions are safe nowhere because corrupt politicians raid them for pet projects.

Where do you think Detroit is?

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Where do you think Detroit is?

That's my point... pensions are safe NOwhere. It's not about initial collection of pension funds. It's about those funds being raided for political 'special projects'. No additional taxes should have been needed.

 

[BrianShaw]

As the OP hasn't contributed to this thread since January, it's all a bit of a pointless debate.

also, render unto Ceasar the things which are Caesar's.

Does this thread belong in the lounge or the hidden from search or the soapbox anyway?

+1

 

[greg zinselmeier]

yes, this thread should be in the lounge. under the heading " when taxes keep the man down". it should be a "go to" thread for the anti tax crowd.

 

[BrianShaw]

Sure, we all hate paying taxes... But we like our roads, clean water, etc, etc. Others like their disability benefits; some even need and deserve them too. All this needs to be paid by someone. But let's keep all the tax hating and cheating going in this fine "go to" thread...

 

[BrianShaw]

But photographically speaking, low-bid offers on old camera gear is to be expected... From almost anyone who may be buying!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

... I know that in Washington state the rate of tax you pay varies by location (county).

Some items, such as food you buy in a store, medication, and some services are not taxed.

Canon 50/1.8 FDn lenses are not taxed (*).

living on an island(UKor AUS)is expensive but the salaries are higher too

Austria^H^H^H^H^H^H^HAustralia is a continent - but you knew that.

From what I've observed in the days of old camera shops, typically they'd offer 35%-40% of what they'd sell it for - assuming it's a desirable item. These days, the offered value is much less - I assume this is because of competition from auction sites and such. They have to make more of a profit on what they sell.

Still, I'm surprised that the few remaining camera stores still manage to get interesting film cameras and equipment in on a regular basis. I'm sure there are many people who don't want the hassle of selling on eBay (possible return of the item, etc.), Craigslist, or even selling to KEH. They just take their photo equipment to a real camera store and hope for the best.

(*) not really

 

[greg zinselmeier]

IMO, In todays times, you should not sell your gear,( just keep it) unless your selling it to another Apug'er. . . .etc. The selling price is just so low, why bother!!! Every Camera I ever bought, I sold less then I paid for ( to be expected), However, In this day and age, the term "low" has an entirely new meaning. case in point. I just picked up a NewArc plate vacuum plate burner 33x44, for a $100 bucks!!!! I felt guilty taking it. Although removing 1000 lb machine was a PITA.

 

[Arklatexian]

There is no VAT in the USA... yet.

No but most states have sales taxes (which may be another way of saying VAT) and some may have similar rules. When I worked in a camera store some customers refused to pay sales tax on used equipment, that was a common misconception at the time. We finally had to post information on this subject from the sales tax commission so everyone could read it......However just wait until state governments find a "sure-fire" way to collect sales tax on items bought on the internet. Talk about "you-know-what hitting the fan, all of us will need to stand out of the way when that happens......Regards!

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

No but most states have sales taxes (which may be another way of saying VAT) and some may have similar rules. When I worked in a camera store some customers refused to pay sales tax on used equipment, that was a common misconception at the time. We finally had to post information on this subject from the sales tax commission so everyone could read it......However just wait until state governments find a "sure-fire" way to collect sales tax on items bought on the internet. Talk about "you-know-what hitting the fan, all of us will need to stand out of the way when that happens......Regards!

Yes, but another member suggested that individuals (not retailers) should be reporting sales of our personal used gear to the state and paying tax on that. I said that isn't going to happen.

 

[MattKing]

Yes, but another member suggested that individuals (not retailers) should be reporting sales of our personal used gear to the state and paying tax on that. I said that isn't going to happen.

You may be referring to me.
I wouldn't necessarily use the word "should", but the provisions of your state's taxation laws are what applies.
And one further point: there is a fundamental difference between sales taxes and value added taxes. Of greatest practical effect is that Value Added taxes generally tax service transactions as well as sale of goods transactions.

 

[pdeeh]

are we all doomed yet?

 

[benjiboy]

You may be referring to me.
I wouldn't necessarily use the word "should", but the provisions of your state's taxation laws are what applies.
And one further point: there is a fundamental difference between sales taxes and value added taxes. Of greatest practical effect is that Value Added taxes generally tax service transactions as well as sale of goods transactions.

That's correct Matt, Value Added Tax is a tax on goods and services, so if I have to get a service engineer to fix my washing machine I have to pay V.A.T. on the transaction.

 

[Jim Jones]

Yes, but another member suggested that individuals (not retailers) should be reporting sales of our personal used gear to the state and paying tax on that. I said that isn't going to happen.

Some of us appreciate the many services our governments provide with the taxes we pay, and do try to be thorough and honest in our tax returns. No one is rich enough to provide every one of those services through his own resources. I and most others complain about government expenditures on some services only for others but not for us. It's better to have government services with that shortcoming than no taxes and government services at all.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I have no problem paying taxes. I just don't like seeing tax dollars squandered and pillaged such that we're taxed to death largely to line the pockets of corrupt politicians. Enough is enough.

 

[BrianShaw]

are we all doomed yet?

Yes, but mostly because a perfectly good photographic discussion has been successfully subverted into a personal anti-tax discussion. Let's get back to talking photography!

 

[AgX]

So far I did not encounter aggrevated discussions between someone bringing stuff in and the shop assistant at the local camera store.
The customer is even told what the camera will be offered at by the shop, there also is the shop window with likely similar or even same models.
The customer is informed that less interesting models go straight to the rummage box, with a general price tag for all content.
With more valuable stuff, a customer even may get the chance to establish a price of his own and the shop puts the item in the window explicetly "by order of customer".

 

[BrianShaw]

Does "consignment" still exist in photography shops as an option? Years ago that was an option for both sellers who wanted to maximize their gain and shops who wanted to minimize their investment. I suppose that is a completely old skool concept that has been supplanted by the businesses that consign fit eBay sales. Did consignment ever yield higher gains on the sale of old photography gear?

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Does "consignment" still exist in photography shops as an option? Years ago that was an option for both sellers who wanted to maximize their gain and shops who wanted to minimize their investment. ...

Consignment is alive and well - at least in some areas. Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon, has much of what they offer as being on consignment. The same may be true of Pro Photo Supply.

 

[railwayman3]

The internet and sites like Ebay have changed the nature of retail selling of both new and second-hand goods. A friend of mine has been an antique and collectables dealer for many years, and tells me that the market for less valuable antiques and collectables has collapsed, simply through the internet. Anyone can now find anything they want within a few minutes for a direct purchase, and margins are no longer sufficient to justify holding large stocks and to cover the business expense of property , salaries and all the other overheads. (His business is now almost entirely in high-end antiques, mainly for export to the US, and to the nouveau-riche markets of China and Eastern Europe). It's no different for cameras, except that the demand for s/h analog equipment has become specialist, while most people can afford new digital gear.

 

[AgX]

The internet and sites like Ebay have changed the nature of retail selling of both new and second-hand goods.

Fleamarkets and thrift stores are thriving here lately.

Sometimes fleamarket sellers tell me that they could get a better deal on Ebay than my offer. When I ask why they did not offer their stuff at Ebay then, I mostly get it for my offer.

Putting things on Ebay and handling the transaction means to spend time. Something what some dealers rather avoid and consider it more economical to sell locally.

 

[onre]

Austria^H^H^H^H^H^H^HAustralia

$ stty erase ^H

 

[removed account4]

Went to Unique Photo today with a lens to trade. They sell the lens new for $849- but offered me $150 for a like new lens. B&H gave me $279 for the same lens.

trade in values everywhere stink.
its like anything else
sometimes there are places
that will give you a little more
and some places give you a little less
and evay is a crap=shoot and classifides sections
are filled with bottom feeders who will try to talk you down
from 900$ to 100$ and when you reduce your prices by half
they will complain in an open forum and advertise on the internet
that you somehow ripped them off ...
good luck !