I know absolutely nothing about cameras or radio equipment and my husband left a lot of it. What’s the best way to go about selling this stuff when I don’t know what I’m doing?
For example, he had a Nikon D300 camera. Prices seem to be all over the place. I wouldn’t be able to tell mint condition from a hole in the wall, or even grasp some of the other terms.
When it comes to radio equipment, it’s even worse. I don’t know what the stuff even is (he was a ham radio operator).
Heck, his car is another issue. It’s a 1973 Mustang convertible. What in the world do I do with it when I wouldn’t know what I’m even talking about? (He did leave a ton of receipts, but still.)
Maybe one of his friends that had the same interests could help you out and you could post them on Ebay? Heck, maybe even checking out some of the same items on Ebay will help you determine its value.
If the Mustang is in good condition, why not keep it?
My mom is in the exact same position as you. My dad died in November and was an avid ham with tons of equipment. She enlisted the help of the local ham radio club (of which they were both members) to determine fair prices. She has sold some of it at a local ham swap (she’s in TX for the winter) and plans to try to sell some more when she gets back to WI.
One difference, though, is that she at least had some idea what some of the stuff was. I helped her find some going rates over the phone; she read me model numbers and I just Googled away. eHam.net seemed to be a good source of prices and reviews.
So I would say check with your local ham club. We also have some ham operators on the Dope who might have some advice. Or if you like, I could try to put you in touch with some of the people who helped my mom. PM me if that interests you.
One thing I found useful when considering the price of a camera I was thinking of buying was to look for the same camera on craigslist. Look there or in more specialized listings for various things. Ham radio/camera/car magazines might have similar listings, or be able to point you to online listings. And definitely photography/car/radio clubs are a good place to start.
(The camera turned out to be a deal).
I wouldn’t be surprised if various members of the SDMB would buy some of the stuff.
I can second this recommendation. I have both bought and sold from these guys. You won’t get the absolute top dollar from them, but they rate equipment honestly and pay out fairly given their service.
For the car, pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News. You’ll see ads for a number of them, and that’ll give you an idea of what its worth (there’s also ads for professional appraisers). Keep the reciepts for the car, as they add to the value to a collector.
The things that a buyer of the car would want to know is first the condition of the vehicle. Is their rust? How’s the paint look? Is it original? Next, he’ll probably want to know about the engine. This is tricky, but not impossible to figure out if the car still has the owner’s manual. It may say exactly what kind of engine is in the car, or it might not. (Don’t know about Ford, but some car makers made it easy to decode the engine type based on the VIN.) Some engines will make the car worth a lot more than others. With the right engine in the car, you can practically name your price. A buyer will also want to know what kind of transmission is in the car (manual or automatic). There are a number of other minor details which can change the value of the car, but those that I’ve mentioned are the biggies. Don’t be in a rush to sell the car just because someone offers you money for it. Mustang fans are hugely loyal, and you can always find a buyer for one, no matter what the condition.
Before you decide to sell the car (if you do), you might want to start a thread mentioning the car in the thread title to get information from folks here that’ll help you get what you should for the car. I’m sure we’ve got a few 'Stang lovers here, who’d be happy to tell you all you need to know to make sure you don’t get ripped off.
One thing I’d do is take that stuff in to local businesses if at all possible, especially if prices vary. Unless you’re willing to ship something cross-country, a price in New Jersey isn’t going to help you in Ohio. They may also be able to hook you up with a local buyer.
About the car. Did he do business with a local hot rod shop? They might be able to give you an idea. Hemmings is also a good resource as is eBay and Google. I did a google on 1973 Mustang convertible and found several for sale.
A word of warning, don’t just grab the first offer that waves cash, you might be getting low-balled. Try to get at least 2 offers from independent bidders.
The easiest thing may be to take them to a local camera shop or, uh, I guess they have radio shops? and do consignment. In my experience, local shops that have been around for awhile aren’t too likely to cheat you - Himself’s camera shop does lots of consignment and while you don’t necessarily get quite as much as you would selling it on your own, it’s no work for you and you may end up getting more if you have something more unusual you don’t know about. Of course, it might not sell, but you’d have that with Ebay too.
Thank you to all for your suggestions, especially Pork Rind and Furious Marmot.
I just got a call from KEH. They had given me a quote for the camera equipment and it looked good so I sent it all to them. They just called offering $130 more than the quote! I was really impressed with the way they do business.
If jsgoddess doesn’t mind, I’m going to hijack the thread slightly.
I have a portable speaking device designed to be used by a person who cannot talk, but can use their hands to push buttons on a screen. Picture a Windows XP laptop with a touchscreen, and pretty specialized software.
About a year old, still under warranty. Bought it for $12K (yes, I typed that right), and my mom can no longer use it. The nursing home she is in doesn’t want it.
Where else can I sell it, and recoup at least a fair chunk of my investment??