Pause and buy used
Posted on Dec 8, 2023 by Samara Husbands
In the face of the upcoming shopping and gifting season, it makes sense to ease the pressure and save more than just money with used specialist MPB
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With mega shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday seemingly starting earlier than ever, then the mass consumerism of Christmas straight afterwards, it’s easy to be swept up in the wave of frenzied buying.
But there is a way to take a break from the stress of hitting the shops for the latest must-have gizmo. Take more of a mindful approach to what you buy, especially in the face of shifting consumer attitudes towards circularity and full-on consumerism. It’s far better to get onto today’s agenda of sustainability, consider what you buy a little more carefully and make real use of the kit you don’t need.
Chances are that you probably have drawers chock-full of photo and video equipment you don’t use much any more. From cameras and lenses to accessories that don’t fit, hoarding your old gear and splashing out on the latest all-new tech as soon as it comes out doesn’t really fit the modern ethos.
It just makes sense to recycle your unwanted equipment so it can trickle down to less experienced filmmakers and help them on their career path. Of course, you can then use the cash to go on a trip you’ve always wanted or treat yourself to gear you really could use. That’s why selling old gear and buying used is sensible. It simply costs less, so you can cut your costs or get more for your budget.
The hurdle to many people is selling unwanted equipment. De-cluttering your cupboards of old gear makes sense in terms of cutting down mental stress and freeing up funds. But the actual process can cause anxiety and feel like a waste of time. Selling old equipment privately is a real headache as you invest time and effort taking photos of the kit, then uploading it to auction sites, writing descriptions, sorting out postage fees and answering lots of questions from potential buyers.
There are fees to pay to the auction site, more fees to cash-handling firms like Paypal, then even more for couriers and insurance to give you some sort of protection. There’s the real worry of being ripped off by dodgy buyers, who could say the kit you sent wasn’t as described. There are also security concerns if a buyer wants to meet up to try the kit before haggling you down – not to mention the worry that they come back months later and demand a refund. Pretty much everyone knows of someone who has been ripped off selling something on the used market. In truth, it is a massive headache that no busy professional wants.
So avoid the worries and let a used specialist take all the stress out. More and more filmmakers are switching on to the huge benefits of trusting all their equipment needs to used gear specialist MPB. It’s a massively successful cinema and photo equipment retailer staffed by experts. And that’s why it has been voted as best used retailer once again in the Pro Moviemaker Gear of the Year Awards.
Selling your kit to MPB is the easy way to get a good price fast, with no hassle. It’s safe, convenient and the modern way to make money from your old equipment. Plus, it’s completely commitment-free. If you change your mind at any point, the kit is shipped back for free. Selling to MPB is simple thanks to a safe website with a free online valuation tool for an instant quote.
In fact, MPB has solved all the issues about buying and selling used kit, but also offers so much more than just a convenient and safe way to get more for your money. With bases in the UK, US and Germany, MPB has stocks of a huge range of cameras and lenses to suit all budgets, plus access to some of the very latest cameras that are often hard to source. As well as previous-generation models, MPB offers simple part-exchange or cash for your old kit, a guarantee of quality and more. MPB is the ultimate recycler, happy to supply fully tested and guaranteed equipment – the best and easiest way to recycle old kit for cash or as a trade-in.
There is a huge database of prices for all major manufacturers and products so you can get an instant valuation online. If MPB doesn’t hold a price for your particular item, then one of the team will get in touch via email with a price within a matter of days – often hours.
It’s then a case of boxing up your gear and MPB will arrange a courier to collect it, fully insured and totally free. Once kit is checked, you are sent a final price via email before cash is paid directly into your bank account, or credited against some new gear. You don’t need to have the original receipt. And if you are a VAT-registered business, MPB can do all the paperwork needed. It’s simple and brings in cash quickly.
If you are not certain about your next purchase, MPB is staffed by people who love making images and have a passion for the kit. They are in an ideal place to help fellow image makers make the right choices. Help is always on hand from friendly photographers and filmmakers at MPB’s operation centres in Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin.
They are there to help you buy exactly what you need, every time. They know the ins and outs of all the kit and are on hand to answer any questions about your purchase with impartial, real-world advice.
Buying a used camera, lens or accessory lets you save money and ease cashflow without compromising on quality. Used doesn’t have to mean old, as many of the newest cameras are available pre-loved.
MPB always has a massive stock of mirrorless cameras, lenses and accessories from the likes of Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony and Panasonic. What makes MPB ideal for filmmakers is that it regularly has a big range of cine cameras and camcorders from Canon, Red, Sony, Blackmagic, Panasonic and Arri, as well as cine lenses.
MPB also has EVFs, monitors, media, tripods, sliders, gimbals, action cameras and drones. All from a retailer rated five stars on Trustpilot with over 300,000 customers. The easy-to-navigate website lists every item, with photos of the actual kit for sale along with a condition rating. There’s a detailed, honest description of the item’s condition and what it includes. Saving time, recycling old kit and buying new equipment for a fraction of its original cost is a sure-fire way to cut out the stress of the season. Once you try MPB, you’ll never want to pay for brand new again.
Originally published in the November/December 2023 issue of Pro Moviemaker.
