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Resale value for binoculars (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ted Y.
- Start date
In real terms very few binoculars keep their value.
With devaluation of currency eventually most binoculars lose most of their value.
With cameras and lenses some appreciate over time.
But it is almost impossible to predict which ones will appreciate.
Collector editions of new binoculars nearly always lose value in the long term.
As soon as one takes a binocular, camera or lens out of the shop door it has lost 20% to 30% of its value.
With jewellery, more like 80%.
Regards,
B.
With devaluation of currency eventually most binoculars lose most of their value.
With cameras and lenses some appreciate over time.
But it is almost impossible to predict which ones will appreciate.
Collector editions of new binoculars nearly always lose value in the long term.
As soon as one takes a binocular, camera or lens out of the shop door it has lost 20% to 30% of its value.
With jewellery, more like 80%.
Regards,
B.
yarrellii
Well-known member
I think this is an interesting point that sometimes gets overlooked. Yes, obviously, the most important thing when you are buying binoculars is that they fit your criteria (and your face!), that they give you the performance you expect in a comfortable way and that are able to do so in a reliable way for the maximum time possible. I'm not a collector, but I like binoculars (for many reasons beyond the pure view, I guess as some around here: I like the mechanical bits, all the engineering and design solutions that go into it, I like that they are made to last and, in some cases, can be repaired, unlike many other contemporary objects). So I end up buying and selling (again, like many other forum members), and obviously resale value is an interesting point. However, even if you buy a pair "to keep for life", you don't know if your priorities will change overtime (you may get prescription glasses, or you might relocate to a different habitat and you need other characteristics, or you take into astronomy, who knows). What I mean is that is not a bad I idea to at least think about it. And the same goes for warranty or repairability. The more binoculars I try, the more I appreciate brands that back up their products with a solid warranty and a reliable repair/service policy. Probably not the first things to think about when searching for binoculars but, in my opinion, at least worth having in mind.
As for resale value, there are more brands that hold their value better than others, if you take "the holy trinity" (Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss), I'm sure every Euro/Dollar invested will keep a higher % of its value than if you buy, say Vortex, Opticron or Vixen, which are brands than can offer really good products and value. As Joachim says, if you buy 2nd hand at around 60 - 65 %, you are likely to not lose a lot if you decid to resell, some Leica, Swaro, Zeiss hold their value in a surprisingly stable way over the years. As a matter of fact, given the warranty/repairability of top brands, what I've end up doing is basically stick to 2nd hand, both my main binos and scope are 2nd hand from a top brand, both were repaired/refurbished and both perform flawlessly at a fraction of their original cost, and I'm sure they will keep like this for years.
As with everything, there are trends and fashions, and it can happen that a certain binocular gets a cult status, a model that comes to mind is the 7x42 Zeiss Dialyt, that it's usually sold at similar or even higher prices than the more modern (and smaller, and waterproof, amongst other things) Zeiss FL 7x42. This is just one example, but I'm sure other forum members can come up with other models that sell for surprisingly high prices and that have seen their value increased with time.
MiddleRiver
Well-known member
OTOH, 'buy once cry once'. Worst case, if you were to spend $3000 on binos, and used them for only 5 years, then sold them for $1500, they would have cost you $0.82 per day. Not totally insignificant, but...
Of course if you need 5-6 pairs, the math gets a little questionable
As to original quez: Definitely! If you buy $400 binos from MIC brand, I think you might as well assume resale will be 50% at best. I recently experienced this with Terra's. Top tier binos, if well cared for, typically seem to hold at least 75%, perhaps more if in short supply.
Of course if you need 5-6 pairs, the math gets a little questionable
As to original quez: Definitely! If you buy $400 binos from MIC brand, I think you might as well assume resale will be 50% at best. I recently experienced this with Terra's. Top tier binos, if well cared for, typically seem to hold at least 75%, perhaps more if in short supply.
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