For how much should I sell my Nikon D40?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I want to sell my camera with its kit lens through my university’s classified ads so I don’t have to deal with shipping. There’s one problem: I don’t know how to determine its price.

It has one major cosmetic flaw: the screen is scratched on the top right* – I unwisely kept it in a bag with an old, uncovered Nikon lens…you do the math. There are a few other VERY minor scuffs here and there. You see them only upon close inspection.
More importantly, there are no flaws with the camera’s electronics. It functions perfectly.
*I’ll obviously take better pictures with a better camera for the actual ad. All I have right now is my crappy phone. :stuck_out_tongue:

On Amazon, the price for a used Nikon D40 + kit lens ranges from $300-$550. D: I don’t want to price it too high and rip someone off, but I don’t want to price it too low; I’m planning to use this money to go towards buying a D90.

Help a sister out! :slight_smile:

#2

You really need to be using eBay. Every time I’ve tried to sell technology items locally the response was pitiful. The $10 to $20 for shipping and transaction fees will be more than offset by the better offers via the huge marketing exposure.

#3

http://www.keh.com/camera/Nikon-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DN029990945020?r=FE

keh.com seems to be a reputable place for selling used gear and they are pinning the price around $300 depending on condition. They don’t have the kit as a package, but you can figure that in from the lens section. I’d expect to get less for the camera in a private sale.

#4

Yeah, you really should use eBay.

If you don’t, I’d say that damage is about $30 bucks to me. The LCD screen still works, right? Just that scratch makes it a little bit harder to see.

#5

Well, good news for you then: this isn’t possible. If someone buys it, then they didn’t get “ripped off” (because they apparently chose to pay the price you are asking for it).

#6

Yup, the screen still works.

I haven’t ruled out the option of selling through eBay – but no matter where I sell it, I still have to decide how much I should sell it for, and the $200 gap in the price range seemed a little big to me.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

#7

Which lenses are you including?

#8

The kit lens: the 18-55mm. It won’t affect the price very much, ha.

#9

I think B&H Photo also buys used camera gear. In the ‘completed sales’ section of eBay, I see two right off that sold for about $340 and $360, without any scratches or dings. One had an 18-55mm lens, the other was just a body.

#10

I bought my used camera on Adorama.com - another place to see what others are charging.

#11

I bought mine from a coworker for $350 Canadian, with 18-55mm lens and coworker threw in a memory card and camera bag.

Funnily enough, between 6 of us, we now own a D40, D50, D60, D70, D80 and two D90s. No, photography is not part of our work.

#12

Including a memory card is a good idea. What size was it?

#13

8GB

#14

No you don’t. That’s the whole point of an auction - the buyers decide how much it’s worth. (As long as you give a detailed and honest description of the condition of the item.)

#15

How many pictures have you taken with it?

There should be a way to see how many shutter releases have been done through the life of the camera somewhere in the menu.

#16

To find the ballpark value of an item, I go to eBay, and search the completed listings. If you find a decent sample size, you can get a good idea of what the public generally believes an item is worth.

Doing such a search, I’m finding closing prices that average in at around $300-$350, shipping inclusive. With that kind of a scratch and as a private sale, I wouldn’t pay more than $300 for it myself, if that.

#17

Hell, even looking at Craigslist, I’m seeing prices of $300 locally for the above configuration, and I usually find Craigslist prices run higher than eBay. (although they don’t seem to in this case.) See this listing, for instance. That’s $300 for what is claimed to have “no bumps or scratches.” But, hey, if someone is willing to pay more for it, that’s not your problem.

#18

I don’t believe it shows shutter activations anywhere in the menu on a D40, but the number of shutter activations is recorded in exif data.

#19

:smack: For some reason I’d completely forgotten about eBay auctions. I was just thinking of Buy It Now items.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help, everyone!