Used Aquarium Equipment Value

[TravelinLight]

In an effort to keep this short please explain to me why we value used aquarium equipment as high as we do? Just for example - 5 year old Mp40s for $220(299 new), Tunze 6105 for $275(350 new) and this goes for powerheads, pumps, skimmers, etc.. Do we not understand that saltwater is one of the most corrosive liquids and even with us running at 40% its entire life it is still in one of the harshest environments? Scanning the for sale section keeps me baffled that people pay that type of money for something used...

 

[PhaneSoul]

ill pay maybe 20$ for a 1200gph powerhead. basically if i cant get it for 20$ or less for big stuff its a no-go, 10$ & less for the small stuff

 

[CStrickland]

Nobody pays the ask, it's a haggle. You post your Tunze for $275 on the off chance that someone might pay that, but the first pm you get offering you $150 takes it. If you don't come down from $275, your stuff stays in the for sale for ever. Its not really a measure of value like how a price tag in the store is

 

[jrr98002]

I agree, it's a haggle. When I've sold used equipment before, I've rarely seen but maybe 1/4 to 1/5 return on original investment on a good day.

 

[pciscott]

It depends what you are selling and if it is in demand. 25% off no tax and free shipping on say a Kessil 360WE is a good deal. Tunze still holds value, but the Jaebo pumps brought that value way down, yet many that have tried the cheaper pumps do go back to Tunze. I have bought many items on the board in great condition and always seem to get at least 50% value on high end items. The lower quality beat up stuff I give away at club meets just to get rid of the clutter. Up until a few months back even a 3 year old Vortech was selling for $300 because a new one was $465 plus tax and shipping. I personally have upgraded my Vortechs every two years to have new ones because the used prices were so strong.

So Value and demand set the price, and I try to set fair prices when I sell an item and rarely have to discount more unless it is not moving. I do get low ball offers and these guys get mad when I do not reply. I just sold 2 Kessil 360WE lights with controller for $625 and I set my price at $650 and when it had not sold in 2 days I dropped it $25 and sold and delivered. I had several offers ranging from $300 to $500 that I did not even respond to and one guy sent me a nasty PM because I did not answer his pm.

This hobby has very expensive high end equipment and the quality stuff holds its value or there would not be so many for sale threads.

 

[gone fishin]

I look at it like cars. Some cars will hold their value better than others.same with our equipment. just my 2 cents.

 

[NewOne81]

I agree with pciscott. For things such as old koralia pumps for example, you can expect to pick up for a couple bucks. For the higher end equipment in good condition, even used you really cant expect to pick up for pennies on the dollar. It is especially true if the high end gears retail price rarely fluctuates. Also tank equipment can hold up very well in saltwater
when maintained properly. Ive bought my share of used gear and some of the lesser quality stuff has been very short lived as ive expected but the better stuff that some think is over priced used is still running without problems. I believe the reason why some gear is still commanding a decent price even used is because on the whole they last or perform better and people know this.

 

[rwb500]

saltwater is corrosive to some things, but not at all to the type of high-quality equipment that keeps its value. I would expect a high quality pump to last over a decade, possible with a couple impeller replacements. It really is amazing how the best stuff in this hobby is such good quality. I guess that's why you pay $350 for something made mostly of plastic (tunze 6105). I would expect a good skimmer body to last 30+ years.

It will be interesting to see how the used LED market evolves over the years, because a 5+ year old LED fixture might have a decent fraction of its useful life used up.

 

[ca1ore]

It's fundamental to the human condition that we expect to get more for our used gear than we'd pay for somebody else's! I steer clear of used gear in most cases as you are more often than not simply inheriting somebody else's headache. It actually amazes me how much people seem willing to pay for a used 'whatever'. I've been accused of being a low baller a few times because my starting point is 50% regardless of what somebody might say about age and usage.

 

[tkeracer619]

What do the 5 year old Jeboes go for?

Some equipment holds its value more than others. Don't like it find another seller or buy from lfs/internet. I'm dealing with a guy who won't budge on a price right now. He wants too much so I will let him sit with it for another month and try again. I'd go buy a new one for the same price but it is 3/4" too wide to fit in the spot...

 

[snorvich]

I look at it like cars. Some cars will hold their value better than others.same with our equipment. just my 2 cents.

I agree.