A bit cheeky.

[dave34]

I bought an  ST102 and matching RACI finder from JohninDerby back in the autumn, i payed less than half price of a new one, it did'nt have a handle when it arrived, i soon remedied that, i think John would have approved,  a very fair price indeed. 

[Moonshed]

23 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Oh she knew at the time I bought it, but because she has no interest and also considering the many other scopes which have come and gone, she has no chance of remembering. 

No chance of remembering? You must be joking!!!

[Paz]

I had a read of the Q&A on ABS and it mentions that Kit Testers are individuals (not businesses) who buy and sell for profit, and unlike those just buying and selling for personal use and not for profit, Kit Testers pay a fee for each ad.

[Stu]

Scope is now on eBay I see, starting bid at £225.

[Xsubmariner]

13 hours ago, Paz said:

and unlike those just buying and selling for personal use and not for profit, Kit Testers pay a fee for each ad.

While I agree with the concept, I have noticed some have more than one membership and don’t declare Kit Tester on them. What I don’t like is when their language during the sale expresses user knowledge and performance of an item, which you find out is untrue after purchasing.  As they say “buyer beware”, but it does taint someone’s experience of our forums within this wonderful hobby. 

[Carbon Brush]

In my pre SGL days I used to regard UKABS as a good place to buy and sell.
But after joinging SGL in 2010 I gradually moved my buy/sell attention to here.

I have always enjoyed the idea of trying out different astro parts and packages. Buying used makes it more affordable.
I'm still working on the sell part though and seem to have ended up having enough stuff to open a small shop😁
Don't worry FLO I'm not competing🤣

These days I tend to regard some of the ABS 'kit testers' as like buying something from ebay, but without the buyer protection.
I'm sure many are honest people that don't sell a lemon and simply try to make the hobby more or less self financing or make a few ££ on the transactions.
However, SGL buying means I can look at post count, history, comments and contributions. Wonderful stuff.

 

[Franklin]

2 hours ago, Xsubmariner said:

their language during the sale expresses user knowledge and performance of an item,

Ditto. It seems to me that these "traders" don't really know anything about the items they are "trading"🤣.

[Telescope40]

Hello. Think I ran across this guy last year via an advert I was running on ABS at the time.  I was selling a scope and basically he came at me asking for my "rock bottom" price.  Had to confirm the price was on the advert.   I didn't take offense in any way as he wasn't meeting my price. Just fishing and everyone wants a bargain don't they.

Lately, anything I sell seems to get a " would you take so much for it"  e mail on any adverts I post.  I do try and price fairly but it doesn't seem to  work anymore. Personally I don't do this.  If I 'm happy with the price on the advert I'll pay it in full. If not, I move on. I think most sellers try and price accordingly.       The way of the world I guess.  Sigh !! 

John

Mods - if this post against forum rules, I apologize. Please remove if you see fit.  Thx 

[Franklin]

55 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Lately, anything I sell seems to get a " would you take so much for it" 

I've noticed that as well. The lower you go, the more they'll make, aha!

[AL1]

I started my path into astronomy relatively recently, all second hand kit, and have benefited greatly from the generosity of SGL members who have priced their equipment with the intention of making the hobby accessible to others.   Case in point is my lovely new GP2 mount.

[Second Time Around]

2 hours ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. Think I ran across this guy last year via an advert I was running on ABS at the time.  I was selling a scope and basically he came at me asking for my "rock bottom" price.  Had to confirm the price was on the advert.   I didn't take offense in any way as he wasn't meeting my price. Just fishing and everyone wants a bargain don't they.

Lately, anything I sell seems to get a " would you take so much for it"  e mail on any adverts I post.  I do try and price fairly but it doesn't seem to  work anymore. Personally I don't do this.  If I 'm happy with the price on the advert I'll pay it in full. If not, I move on. I think most sellers try and price accordingly.       The way of the world I guess.  Sigh !! 

John

Mods - if this post against forum rules, I apologize. Please remove if you see fit.  Thx 

Like John I never haggle over the price.  If the price is too high I just move on. 

I don't accept offers at all at first.  I give SGL members first crack of the whip.  If the item doesn't sell here then it goes on UK Astro Buy/Sell.

If not sold after a while only then will I readvertise at a lower price, again on SGL first.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Second Time Around
Added again on SGL first.

[CraigT82]

I’ve just noticed another SGL regular classifieds seller is now advertising on ABS as a ‘kit tester’, not sure how long that’s been the case as haven’t been on ABS for a while. I think it would be appropriate to ask them to flag their SGL ads with the same designation.

[Littleguy80]

I’ve had similar experiences though not with astro kit. For selling, I always post here on SGL and leave it a few days before moving onto ABS. There’s always a chance that I can sell to someone who I’ve interacted with on the forum which is nice. ABS can be good too. I sold a book over the weekend to a nice chap who happened to be on holiday a few miles from my house. It was nice to see the book find a new home.

I generally shoot for a price I’d be happy with based on a bit of research on recent-ish sales. For me, I just want the kit to go somewhere where it will be well loved and used. Although it can be annoying if it ends up going via trader to find its new home, the main thing is it ends up back under the stars with a grinning astronomer. I’ve no doubt that little Vixen will be loved when it ends where it should be. 

[Carbon Brush]

1 hour ago, CraigT82 said:

I’ve just noticed another SGL regular classifieds seller is now advertising on ABS as a ‘kit tester’, not sure how long that’s been the case as haven’t been on ABS for a while. I think it would be appropriate to ask them to flag their SGL ads with the same designation.

I don't think we need a kit tester or similar marker on SGL classified ads.
The rules make the seller requirements/restrictions quite clear.
The moderators have the option to revoke an SGL members access to classifieds, if they feel it is being used incorrectly.

[Paul M]

I gotta ask, what's a "kit tester"?

I've seen a number of member that just seem to churn over high end equipment but rarely add any other imaging or observing contributions. Is that them?

 

[John]

13 minutes ago, Paul M said:

I gotta ask, what's a "kit tester"?

I've seen a number of member that just seem to churn over high end equipment but rarely add any other imaging or observing contributions. Is that them?

 

It is a term invented by Paul who runs the UK Astro Buy & Sell website. This is from the site FAQ's:

"Kit Testers:
This is a category for those individuals (not businesses) who like to buy and re-sell for profit.  I came up with the label "Kit Tester" to describe people who buy equipment, fix it or improve it, test it and then re-seller at a profit. But it also applies to anyone whose goal is to sell for profit, regardless of their approach.  Kit Testers cannot have a banner ad, rather they pay a fee (based on the price of each item) for each ad..."

Edited March 7, 2023 by John

[Mr Spock]

SGL doesn't allow traders. We do keep a close eye on individuals who are 'borderline' to make sure they remain withing SGL's Code of Conduct. Other than that we tend to stay out of the way. It's up to buyers and sellers to decide who they conduct business with and on what terms. Buyer/seller beware as they say 

[Paz]

This has been interesting to follow. I've been vaguely aware of people who churn a lot of gear but I never really stopped to think about it.

In the end though, I'm not too concerned if people want to try and make a profit, because bear in mind that they have to invest the time and go through the hassle and take the risk.

As has been said above, what is not so good is if someone presents as being something they are not, but that can happen in any endeavour.

[Stu]

I’ve bought and sold a huge amount of kit, so could be seen in similar terms but it has been solely for the pleasure of experiencing different scopes and eyepieces, and finding out what I enjoy. Sometimes I will buy something for a particular time period (like my Sumerian Alkaid) and sell it on for similar or a bit less and treat it a bit like renting. I don’t believe I’ve ever made a profit on anything, if I have it was entirely accidental by way of not recalling the purchase price! More often I lose a bit, and on occasion a lot, which tickles a bit 😱🤣

I don’t know if all kit testers are in it for profit; I believe being one removes the limit of how many ads can be placed in a certain time period which may be useful to them.

Instant resale for profit leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but as Michael says, we largely steer clear of getting involved in this, leaving it to members to choose who to deal with. If nothing else, this whole experience will have informed some of those decisions.

[Mr Magoo]

The ABS definition of a kit tester, to me, spells out trader, for profit. Those that are regularly buying up equipment and selling it on for profit are denying newcomers and longstanding members the opportunity of obtaining kit at reduced cost.  I think they should be challenged.

[CraigT82]

I foresee a two tier pricing system in my future ads:

Mates rates if I know you, and full price of not.

🤷🏻‍♂️

[F15Rules]

Well, I see a "Final Reduction"  to £365 now..so that's all right then🥴🤦.

Look, like Stu, I've bought and sold more stuff over the years than I could shake a stick at (mainly on UKABS much more some years ago than more recently).

Overall I very much doubt I have broken even (ask my Bank Manager!), although I did make a bit on some items, often when they left me in a much better state than when I bought them. 

I used to just love trying out different items and buying used allowed me to do this. It also meant I contributed to the wider new AND used market, by helping to enlarge the pool of decent products that were affordable to others, whilst others would upgrade to new product purchases.

I actually bought one of my past Vixen Apos from a "Kit Tester", not having the foggiest idea of what that meant, a guy based in Devon. But the product was well priced (half the original cost) and the transaction was smooth and easy, and I was delighted with that scope. 

When I sold it, I got back around 8O-85% of what I'd paid for it, which after 3 years of ownership and a couple of accessory upgrades by myself, I was well satisfied with. 

So "Kit Testers" per se don't put me off..until I become aware that they are adding on the kind of margins that a bona fide business like FLO can only dream of..and then position a "Final Reduction" as though they are doing buyers a favour!

Dave

[Peter_D]

Interesting thread. I still don't understand why they are called 'Testers' though if they offer no formal evaluation or no returns (or do they?). Why not call a spade a spade and call them 'private resalers'?

I'm in the process of upgrading to a larger sct and I contacted an established company here in Germany looking for a specific used scope - yes, I'm paying a premium over an eBay or astro site but in this case I have the peace of mind that it's been serviced by a professional , will be sent securely and I have the right to return it. 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Peter_D

[Peter_D]

And if it's any consolation @Franklin, I also recently sold a Vixen (80mm) achro - it took ages to sell even priced very generously. It just seems the market is getting smaller and smaller for these types of scopes. 

[Franklin]

41 minutes ago, Peter_D said:

And if it's any consolation @Franklin, I also recently sold a Vixen (80mm) achro - it took ages to sell even priced very generously. It just seems the market is getting smaller and smaller for these types of scopes. 

Yes I agree, in fact I don't see the A81m on Vixens site anymore just the A105m, maybe it's the end of an era. Still, even though the plethora of China ED80's are very good scopes, the longer focal length achro is still a fantastic all rounder, starter scope and it would be a shame to see them disappear. Maybe we should have hung on to them???