So a relative of mine is looking for an entry level canon DSLR. She has a couple of EF lenses from 10 years ago, a standard zoom and a couple of primes, so she thought a gently used Canon XS or XSi might be a good starter choice (body only), and in her price range.

I'm trying to help find some options but I find it strange that CL matches are $325 on the low end and $450 on the high end, for body only. The mean is probably $400-410!

On eBay, prices are much lower. $250 on the low side, $300 on the high side.

To me this seems backwards - shouldn't the method where you can test the item first, and pay cash, be worth less overall, than the method where you compete with the world, and hope that in a week or so, a box shows up at your door with the item in good condition?

Are the craigslisters just greedy, or are they actually getting those prices?

Those are probably asking prices that are based upon seller research. The sellers have gone to dealer sites like Adorama, KEH, and B&H to see what they're asking for those bodies.

Maybe not...

KEH has prices closer to what you're looking for, and their grading is extreemely conservative. I've been very pleased with all of my purchases from them.


[www.keh.com]

what free said. Cl sellers usually ask 25% more than they think they can fairly get. It's not a price. It's a negotiation starting point.

Of course most Americans don't know how to negotiate prices of things. If you've never said "My children will STARVE !", you don't get it.

Part of the answer is right there in your question, but you have it backwards:

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To me this seems backwards - shouldn't the method where you can test the item first, and pay cash, be worth less overall, than the method where you compete with the world, and hope that in a week or so, a box shows up at your door with the item in good condition?

An eBay purchase has a certain element of risk. You don't get to test or examine the item before purchasing, so have no idea what the exact condition will be when it arrives. The extra competition from buyers in a wider area may offset that a bit, but how much may depend on the potential buyers. With cameras, most persons I know want to be sure they are getting a good item. With other items auction fever does seem to happen more often on eBay.

Another significant difference is that eBay is an auction site. You get a chance to see final prices much of the time. With craigslist the prices are asking prices, only the buyers and sellers know what they finally agreed to make the deal at.

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cbelt3
what free said. Cl sellers usually ask 25% more than they think they can fairly get. It's not a price. It's a negotiation starting point.

This, or CL sellers are just delirious and their item will never sell.

For some things, buying locally is worth more money. Cars, camera gear, expensive audio, etc.

For a lot of people, they want to hold and inspect things before purchasing. You can't do that on ebay. Some things also don't ship well. That leads to higher prices for those items locally. Plus, you don't have to pay for shipping so that is more you can spend on the item.

There is also the negotiation aspect. On Clist most people expect to get at least 10 to 20% less than the posting price.

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C(-)ris

Maybe I've been using craigslist wrong. I'm not much of a negotiator, not for being intimidated or anything, more because I'm annoyed that I've had to carve time out of my schedule to meet someone, and they want to offer me less than what I felt like was a fair price to begin with. Conversely, I don't generally respond to ads that are "too high" because I don't want to waste anyone else's, or my own, time.

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DRR
Maybe I've been using craigslist wrong. I'm not much of a negotiator, not for being intimidated or anything, more because I'm annoyed that I've had to carve time out of my schedule to meet someone, and they want to offer me less than what I felt like was a fair price to begin with. Conversely, I don't generally respond to ads that are "too high" because I don't want to waste anyone else's, or my own, time.

Yep, you are doing it wrong.

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C(-)ris

CL people are only competing in their local sphere. eBay people are competing with the world. Local economies impact price as well. Someone in SF, where homes cost $1.5 million/sft might look at $450 as a bargain, while someone in Detroit, where homes cost $1.5/sft might think that is highway robbery because of differences in cost of living.

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Nothing to see here, move along.

.....a paradigm shift....???

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____________________________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

You're comparing apples to oranges.

CL is just the old newspaper (classified) ads online.
Ebay is an auction.

The processes and dynamics are different.

Supply, demand and local economy. Around here, people will often sell stuff for cheap on CL just because they want to get rid of it, don't care enough to figure out how much it's worth and the time it takes them to deal with anything else defeats trying to get any money for it.

On the other side of the state, it's a different story. People want top dollar for their stuff because they need it more, there's less supply (though less demand) and their time isn't worth as much.

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KEH is a great source for used stuff as a buyer. Very conservative when they grade.

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C(-)ris

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DRR
Maybe I've been using craigslist wrong. I'm not much of a negotiator, not for being intimidated or anything, more because I'm annoyed that I've had to carve time out of my schedule to meet someone, and they want to offer me less than what I felt like was a fair price to begin with. Conversely, I don't generally respond to ads that are "too high" because I don't want to waste anyone else's, or my own, time.

Yep, you are doing it wrong.

Ditto. Negotiation is a social interaction and an opportunity for performance art -- an art form that is not well taught in the US. I learned how to dicker while traveling/living in South Asia and the Middle East, and I even came to enjoy it. I found that the more I could amuse my trading partner, the better price I would get.

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C(-)ris

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DRR
Maybe I've been using craigslist wrong. I'm not much of a negotiator, not for being intimidated or anything, more because I'm annoyed that I've had to carve time out of my schedule to meet someone, and they want to offer me less than what I felt like was a fair price to begin with. Conversely, I don't generally respond to ads that are "too high" because I don't want to waste anyone else's, or my own, time.

Yep, you are doing it wrong.

I'm doing it the same way-sometimes it's taken a couple weeks to sell something but I've always gotten my price.

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JoeH
Part of the answer is right there in your question, but you have it backwards:

what Joe said

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2012 01:47PM by Jimmypoo.

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Janit
I learned how to dicker while traveling/living in South Asia and the Middle East, and I even came to enjoy it. I found that the more I could amuse my trading partner, the better price I would get.

How did you get an AK-47?

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Jimmypoo

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Janit
I learned how to dicker while traveling/living in South Asia and the Middle East, and I even came to enjoy it. I found that the more I could amuse my trading partner, the better price I would get.

How did you get an AK-47?

Actually, it was an UZI -- two of my colleagues were IDF Reserves commandos, and one of them was very absent-minded.