Should I buy a used lot of equipment?

[Bierstadt]

I've gotten some amazing deals on used gear. Not price per say (though that has been great too), but in terms of finding someone selling off the exact thing I wanted at the time I needed to get it.

But for each of those wonderful intersections of opportunity and need, there are dozens of grab bags of "I am never diving again, here's my junk for sale" posted. If there's the gem you were looking for in one of those bags, then that's wonderful. If it's not what you want, pass. You'll only end up using it briefly and then buying what you really wanted in the end, and that is a waste. From what you said, this grab bag includes a bcd that isn't the one you want, a decent low-level reg set that will need another $200 into it before you can dive it, and an assortment of personal dive kit that you probably can't use or don't need. Is that worth $600 to you? Talk to your dive shop and see what a package of what you really want would be, and then decide what that grab bag is worth to you. gl

 

[happy-diver]

They are asking $600 obo for everything.

Magnificent, buy and think about it later, and whatever you do don't stiff your husband's allies wife

Yep, I bought a near mint Apeks reg set from someone I work with. I told him the price that I was comfortable with factoring in $100+ servicing even though it may not need it. He was very unhappy, but I told him that he probably could get more for it online and he should take that route. If he changed his mind, I've got cash for him if and when ready. He took the money within two hours.

Like this winner



and then go diving

 

[little seahorse]

I took everything to my local dive shop, and am having them inspect the BCD and regulator. They said externally everything looks like it's hardly used, and if it passes inspection, a comparable regulator would be around $600, so factoring in the $70 I'm spending on inspection, I plan to offer $400 and tell them they are welcome to try and sell online if they would like to try and get more. Thanks for all of the advice and comments!

 

[Marie13]

I took everything to my local dive shop, and am having them inspect the BCD and regulator. They said externally everything looks like it's hardly used, and if it passes inspection, a comparable regulator would be around $600, so factoring in the $70 I'm spending on inspection, I plan to offer $400 and tell them they are welcome to try and sell online if they would like to try and get more. Thanks for all of the advice and comments!

Do you know when the gal stopped diving and how old the gear is?

 

[rob.mwpropane]

You ran around, got stuff checked out. The only thing worth any value is the reg, which you've already sunk $70 into. Chances are the shop you took it to will say "you should rebuild" and as someone stated, there's another $150.

The problem with used stuff (besides the reg) is that it's very rarely exactly what you want. The fins fit ok but they don't have the springs you want, the boots too small and the mask not 100% right... after a while chances are you'll replace all that stuff with stuff that actually works for you. (I'm speaking from experience, my basement is full).

I would find out what the reg would be worth, deduct your time and rebuild costs and offer them that. If they give you the other stuff great if not chances are that stuff wasn't going to work for you anyway. Offering $400 + $70 + maybe a rebuild is not doing yourself any favors.

 

[Eric802]

I've been looking at used gear on Craigslist for months and have come to the conclusion rob.mwpropane stated above. You find a lot of gear where some of it looks okay, but other stuff just isn't what you're interested in. I saw someone doing the "sell all my gear" thing and they had a very decent Apeks reg set - but it had an old puck computer in the console. There's always something, or several things, where you find yourself thinking "Well, I could use the rest of it, and maybe I could sell the stuff I don't want". You're essentially just setting yourself up to be the next person listing that same stuff on Craigslist or wherever.

I'm a cheapskate by nature but even I've come around to the "buy once cry once" philosophy, especially given the fact that the stuff you're buying, you know...keeps you alive and all.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

"buy once cry once"

I've got so much stuff that I "thought" I could make work, when in reality it was just someone else's junk.

Speaking of which, please see my add "Selling all my Gear" on marketplace... jk.

@Eric802 I go after what I want, and offer what I'm willing to spend. I really try to refrain from collecting more stuff.

I sent my son to NJ to pick up 2 100HP tanks (he had to work up that way). He came back and the guy literally filled the back of his pickup truck full of crap, 90% was old wreck diver stuff from the 80's and 90's. I'm still going through it and really most of it's crap... I get to haul his junk top the scrap yard, lol. I did get some good steal 72's out of it, but that's it.

 

[Marie13]

The gear for sale posts I see online are full of stuff from the 80s and 90s. Might have been expensive once I see a lot of ScubaPro BCs - but no one wants your junk now. People have an inflated view of what stuff is worth. You see it with all sorts of stuff.

 

[little seahorse]

You ran around, got stuff checked out. The only thing worth any value is the reg, which you've already sunk $70 into. Chances are the shop you took it to will say "you should rebuild" and as someone stated, there's another $150.

The problem with used stuff (besides the reg) is that it's very rarely exactly what you want. The fins fit ok but they don't have the springs you want, the boots too small and the mask not 100% right... after a while chances are you'll replace all that stuff with stuff that actually works for you. (I'm speaking from experience, my basement is full).

I would find out what the reg would be worth, deduct your time and rebuild costs and offer them that. If they give you the other stuff great if not chances are that stuff wasn't going to work for you anyway. Offering $400 + $70 + maybe a rebuild is not doing yourself any favors.

If I need to put money into a service/rebuild I will definitely be factoring that into offer. I am waiting on inspection before making offer as that will definitely determine if it is worth it. As you said the other stuff is just meh, and the BCD isn't exactly what I want, but the reg set up did look nice, so valuation is based mostly on that. If it needs servicing or more I am not sure it will be worth it.. we shall see!

 

[Marie13]

If I need to put money into a service/rebuild I will definitely be factoring that into offer. I am waiting on inspection before making offer as that will definitely determine if it is worth it. As you said the other stuff is just meh, and the BCD isn't exactly what I want, but the reg set up did look nice, so valuation is based mostly on that. If it needs servicing or more I am not sure it will be worth it.. we shall see!

If all you want are the regs, just offer $$ for them. No need to take stuff you’d have to pitch.