Turning $5 into $80! Why Reselling Cameras is Your Next Investment Opportunity
By Matt Sulava | @mattsulava on Twitter
When I first started garage sailing in February, I saw pictures people are posting of items I never thought I would sell. People bought things from vintage speakers to older antiques and anything else they could get their hands on. One of these items I never expected to sell (or enjoy selling for that matter) is cameras. Cameras seemed like a tricky deal to me because I didn’t know much about them. However, they have quickly grown to be one of the top things I look for the garage sale.
Why wouldn’t I want to sell cameras you might ask? Well, let’s think about it. Cameras are tricky business because electronics often times can break after repeated use. Often times they’re designed to last 3–5 years and electronics at garage sales tend to be on the older side. I didn’t want to lose money trying to purchase an item that didn’t work, and I didn’t really know much about selling cameras. These excuses I made for myself would have held me back from making a good amount of profit on cameras. Instead, I was fortunate enough to find a Camera at one of my first garage sales that were cheap enough to be bought for $5 and was selling regularly on eBay for anywhere from $50-$100. With an ROI that high, it was a no brainer for me to start selling my first camera.
The camera I bought her five dollars what is a Nikon Action Touch AF underwater camera that was originally sold in the 1980s. I was wary of this because I had no way of testing to see if it worked. I don’t own any film, and I wasn’t about to go try and find some then try and get it developed somewhere. After I bought the camera, I put the batteries in and a couple of test shots to make sure that the flash worked. I listed it as in good working condition and it sat on eBay.
A month and a half later, it sold for $80 + shipping.
There’s money to be had, people!
Right now, I just want to outline a couple of things I look for when it comes to cameras which will help you make more money with your reselling.
Branding is EVERYTHING
The first thing I’m always looking for is an expensive brand. Anything from a Nikon or a Canon, even a Kodak sometimes will pique my interest. Even the old Polaroids are a good flip from time to time. Any cameras that look like they have been built well and were at one point expensive, are my immediate go to. I enjoy looking for film cameras as well because they are an item that is not made anymore and are more of a rare find than a typical digital camera. There are still people that use film cameras, more than you would probably think. There’s some way that the film develops that can give you different pictures and different effects on pictures that can’t be had on cameras today. For this reason, many photographers who want that vintage look or need the type of exposure offered from film cameras will still use them from time to time. They also just might like using them for that retro feel, and take film pictures as a hobby. Because these cameras are out of production, they are rare and hold value for the more high-end models. Keep these in mind when looking through electronics at a garage sale!
People Take Videos Too!
Another item I’m always on the lookout for when it comes to cameras is camcorders. These can be anything from Sony to Panasonic or even some of the brands I’ve mentioned earlier. Another example of a camera I found very cheaply at a garage sale is Sony CCD-TRV138 Handycam Camcorder. I offered the woman two dollars for it and she took it without hesitation. That exact camera sells anywhere from $90-$130 depending on how much equipment you have with it and if the original boxes included.
It’s strange because I never thought to look at camcorders before, but there’s a real arbitrage to be had between what people sell older camcorders for, and what they can be sold on eBay or Macari for. I have since been looking for camcorders more often, but they are much rarer find for me. The only one I have found so far is that Sony camcorder, but it will make me a HUGE profit.
Wait, people still use the original digital cameras?
Yes, people still use those old, clunky, 3 MP digital cameras that were popular in the early 2000s when they first came out. I don’t know why people still want these cameras, but if you can pick one up for about a dollar at a garage sale, it’s usually a pretty safe bet to get $12-$20 for it on eBay. It might sit for a bit but I personally have had no problem selling digital cameras before. I picked one up for a dollar from the same woman mentioned earlier. A week or so, I sold it for $20 plus shipping.
I remember when I first started looking at cameras, I passed over at digital cameras that were marked for a dollar just because I figured they were worthless. I remember I went to a garage sale near my college and saw two digital cameras sitting on the table that I know I could’ve gotten for one dollar total. I passed, figuring no one would want them, and didn’t even bother looking them up. A man who worked at my college also resells on eBay regularly. I follow him as one of my saved sellers and saw that a week later, he had sold both digital cameras for $12-$15 on eBay. Since then, I’ve always checked on digital cameras, and if they even sell for at least $10 and have had 3 to 6 listings that have sold in the past month and a half, I will pick them up and list them on eBay. Again, I test them to ensure they still work, the flash still operates, and then I list them and forget about them. They’re a great way to turn $1 to $10 pretty rapidly.
Cameras have been one of my BOLOs since I started garage sailing. I have developed a liking for cameras and selling them, even though I’m not much of a photographer. If you keep your eyes on the lookout for the few items I listed above, and take the extra minute or two to look them up on eBay, you could be coming out with a more profit from your garage sale than you thought you would have originally. Cameras are just another way to help you grow as a reseller and make more money. I hope this article was helpful to you, and as always thank you so much for reading!
