Selling Your Equipment to KEH

Why Sell Your Camera Equipment to KEH?

1.  It’s simple- Get a quote, send it to us, and then we’ll inspect it and offer you a final amount. If you accept, we’ll send you a check. If not, we’ll send it back to you.

2.  Saves you time- Instead of worrying about trying to sell your equipment through a service like Craig’s List, you won’t have to set appointments with strangers in person only to have your transaction fall through.

3.  Trusted reputation- You are dealing with a company that has been buying and selling cameras since 1979 and has a solid reputation. You can trust that when you send your gear to us that your equipment is in good professional hands.

4.  Customer service- If you have any issues during the process, you have a staff of knowledgeable customer service representatives ready to help.

Ways to Sell to KEH

There are several ways to sell your item to KEH.
1.  By phone-  770-333-4220 or 1-800-342-5534
2.  Through email- [email protected]
3.  In person- You can find us at a variety of live buying events nationwide (see our road schedule here) or if you’re local you can make an appointment and come by our location in Smyrna, GA (right outside of Atlanta).
4.  Online- using the Online Quote Wizard found at mercury.keh.com

(If you are not very familiar with photographic equipment, then we would recommend that you call or email our purchasing department so that we can walk through the quote process with you.)

Selling to KEH Online

For those of you who prefer to get a quote online, this is the article for you! We are going to break down each step of the process in the following article to make sure that your quote is as accurate as possible, and to make the process both understandable and simple.

(Note to iPad or smartphone users: At the end of the online quote process, you will need to print off the online quote form for inclusion in your shipment, so we recommend using a computer that has printing capabilities.)

1.  Be sure to have your equipment in front of you. 
* You will need to closely inspect your camera, lens and/or accessories to correctly match it up with our product descriptions, to inspect the item’s condition for grading, and to input the items serial numbers. Going by memory alone can often lead to inaccurate item selection and/or inaccurate grading.

2.  Go to www.KEH.com

3.  Click on the “Sell Your Gear” tab near the top of the page.

4.  Select your item.

First, select your item’s category from the drop-down menu.
If you are unsure what category your item falls under, please call us on our toll free number (1-800-342-5534) and we will be happy to assist you.

Next, select the Brand.
(This menu and those following will change according to your selection on the previous drop-down menu.)

Then, select the Class.

Camera Class:
“Camera Bodies” means you have a camera body without a lens. (In most cases, the lenses will be quoted separately).

“Camera Outfit” means you have both a camera body and a lens. (This option will be chosen most often with digital SLRs that originally came in “kits”. An example of this is a Canon Rebel XT that comes with a 18-55mm lens.)

“Point and Shoots” are compact cameras without a detachable lens.

Lens Class:

If your item is a lens, you will need to choose between fixed focal length and zoom.

You also need to determine if your lens is a Non-Manufacturer lens (Non-Mfg). If your lens is the same brand as the camera brand it mounts to, then it would either be under “Fixed Focal” or “Zoom Lenses”. For example, a Canon or Nikon lens falls under this category. If your lens is made from another company, but fits onto a Canon or Nikon body, then it would be a Non-Manufacturer lens. Examples of these brands are: Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, Vivitar, and Quantary.

Finally, select the product.

(Note that if you do not see your item listed, KEH may not be looking to purchase it. The item may also be new enough that we have not had one in our inventory yet, so if you do not see your item listed, or are confused about which item to pick, please call or email our purchasing department. Do not select a similar item as this could lead to unnecessary shipping costs for you if we are not actually purchasing it.)

There are many similar descriptions in the product drop-down menu, so read through them carefully to be sure that you are selecting the correct one. A small mistake in selection could affect your online quote significantly.

Cameras- Black vs. Chrome
Many cameras come in either black or chrome as you will see in your drop-down menu. This can be confusing since some cameras can have a chrome body and a black leather grip. What the drop-down menu is asking is what color the body is.

Lenses- (selecting the correct one)
If your item is a lens, you will need to know the focal length, aperture, filter size, and whether it is an auto or manual focus lens in order to make the correct selection. 

For further assistance in understanding where to find your lens details (such as the focal length, aperture, filter size, and determining if it’s a fixed or zoom, and auto-focus or manual focus lens), watch the video clip below.

(Note that the aperture is the number after the colon. So a lens that reads 1:2 is an F2 lens and not an F1.2 lens.)

The filter size is denoted by this symbol:

5. Choose the Grade

After selecting your product, click continue to go to the next screen where you can choose the condition or grade of your item. Judging the wear of your item may be difficult if you are unfamiliar with our grading system.

Here’s an explanation of our grades:
LN-

All grades are based on cosmetic condition and mean that the item is in full working order (except for AI). Something to understand is that this is a grading system we have created. It may not match another company’s grading system, such as Shutterbug, B&H, or others. Thus, it cannot be compared to the standards of other places. For example, a camera in excellent condition with us may mean something completely different than another company’s excellent. This is why it is important to fully read our descriptions when purchasing or selling. It’s also important to grade honestly. This ensures the most accurate quoted amount so that you can have an estimate that will more closely match the final amount offered. If your equipment is not in “mint condition”, then we will not pay you for a mint condition piece- we thoroughly check each and every piece for working condition, needed repairs, and cosmetic grade as it applies to our grading system and standards.

Sometimes signs of wear are obvious, and sometimes it’s much more subtle and requires a closer look. Watch the video clip below to see specific areas to look for more subtle wear that can factor into the grade.

6.  View Your Online Quote

After selecting the grade of your item, click continue to view your online quote which is generated based on your responses.

*Note that this quote will not necessarily be the final price offered for your item. If you accept the online quote, you will then need to send your item to KEH for an inspection by one of our technicians, after which you will receive your final quote. The findings of the inspection may increase or decrease your initial online quote.

If you have another item to add, click “Add Item” and repeat the process explained above.

Once you have all of your items added, you can click “Reject Quote,” “Save Quote,” or “Accept Quote.”

By clicking “Reject Quote,” you are letting us know before you leave the website that our offered price was not sufficient.

By clicking “Save Quote,” it will allow you, if you are registered on KEH.com, to save the quote for later evaluation. Note that you can only save one quote at a time.

Finally, you can click “Accept Quote” to proceed.

7.  Registration and Contact Information

This next screen gives you the choice of registering with KEH.com or skipping registration.

Registering will save your information to our system so that you do not have to enter it every time you wish to sell or buy with KEH.

8.  Additional Information on Items

After you have entered your contact information, you will come to the KEH Quote Form- Additional Information page. 

Here, you can add in the serial numbers of the items and any notes that you would like to share about the them. 

You again have the three options on this page: Reject Quote, Save Quote and Submit Quote. Hit Submit Quote to complete the process.

9.  Print and Sign Online Quote Page

After clicking Submit Quote, you will see the finalized online quote page. 

This is the web page that you need to print, sign, and include with your equipment. It is recommended that you print two copies, one to include with the equipment and one for your own records.

10.  Packing Tips, UPS Estimate, and Confirmation Email

Hit the Continue Button and you will be taken to one last page. 

This page will have links on it for Packing Tips, a link to the UPS Website so that you can get a shipping cost estimate, and the option to start a new quote, or return to our home page. This last step will finalize your transaction and you will be sent a confirmation email to the address you provided. The email will have packing tips, the list of the items you had quoted, the KEH mailing address, and payment information. This email can also be included with the equipment if the other print-out fails.  

11.  Packing and Shipping
   
Now you simply need to send your equipment to KEH. Be sure to read our Packing Tips section in the confirmation email and follow the directions. Camera equipment can be heavy and shift in route to us. No matter if you are a state away or across the country, poorly packaged equipment can cause damage.

Watch this video clip for the basics of how to correctly pack and ship your item:

Additional packing tips:
Before sending the equipment in, it’s best to remove any stickers or grime from the equipment. If you are sending in a digital camera, don’t forget to include the battery and charger!

Acceptable packing materials include: packing peanuts, bubble wrap, Ziplock baggies, and newspaper or packing paper. Unacceptable materials include clothing items and sticky bakers wrap or tape put directly on an item.

12.  Payment

Once KEH has received your equipment, it will be processed in a first come first serve order. This could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on our current volume. KEH has a staff of trained technicians to inspect your equipment. After the technicians evaluate the equipment and determine the condition of your items, a KEH buyer will contact you about your equipment and give you the final quote, explaining how KEH arrived at the quoted price. If you accept the final quote, payment arrangements will then be made at that time. Payment from KEH can be made by check, PayPal, or you can apply the amount towards a trade. (If we can not make you an offer on all or part of the equipment, KEH will return the equipment to you at our expense.)

We hope that this helps you successfully complete our online quote process, but if you still have any questions, please feel free to contact our purchasing department at 1-800-342-5534, or by email at [email protected].
–>