das
Well-known
Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere and prior. And I certainly do not mean to step on any toes here. However, do we have a way to advertise giving away photography gear "for free" ("free" perhaps meaning "cost of shipping only"). I come across so much stuff (bodies, lenses, accessories, etc.) that I have no use for but others could certainly use / fix / enjoy. I have had really amazing five-star experiences buying and selling on RFF through the "Classifieds" - but to be honest, paying a listing fee for giving away free stuff kind of discourages me from doing so. But I understand that I do not run the site. 
. Also, my local donation options are really not good.
. Also, my local donation options are really not good.
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
I thought we used to have a "free" category in the old Classifieds. I guess no longer? Could it be returned?
Austintatious
Well-known
There have been give away threads for Christmas and even Groundhog Day started in the members only section of forums. Perhaps start one there ?
IF ALL items are free other than shipping,
yes, members can start a give away thread.
One suggestion, don't ship before shipping is paid.
Stephen
yes, members can start a give away thread.
One suggestion, don't ship before shipping is paid.
Stephen
iphoenix
Well-known
[QUOTE my local donation options are really not good. [/QUOTE]
Does this include church and charity opportunity shops that don't employ "managers" or other employees?
I volunteer at a local church op shop and have found photographic items sell very well, if priced around 30 to 50 percent of a realistic retail.
(I've given a bit of my own collection and put price tags on them first. That's a great help to the charity getting a reasonable amount for your donation).
Does this include church and charity opportunity shops that don't employ "managers" or other employees?
I volunteer at a local church op shop and have found photographic items sell very well, if priced around 30 to 50 percent of a realistic retail.
(I've given a bit of my own collection and put price tags on them first. That's a great help to the charity getting a reasonable amount for your donation).
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
A few thoughts.
Some interesting points raised in #5. In this corporatist-everything day and age, it's good to think small and local, and focus (pun intended, ha!) on what is best done to the greatest benefit locally.
Me, in my time ( a very long time in photo history, from 1961 until now and hopefully for years to come) I've donated and given away enough photo gear to fill up the Titanic. Not all of it has ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic off Newfoundland, I hope...
At my age, I'm financially comfortable and I no longer want to get maximum dollar value from my gear. So I'm happy to donate. With sensible provisos.
Where I now live, we have three charity shops. One is for the local hospital, but is a small empire run by elderly ladies with more will power than common sense. They give away stuff for nothing. As new CDs for 20 cents, movie DVDs a few months old for 50 cents, collectables for 50 cents up. To these worthy but common-senseless volunteers, I would rather make an annual money donation to their otherwise entirely worthy cause, which we do. But they get very few saleable items from us, because to be brutally frank, they haven't a clue about what they do, and it saddens me to think that items I've paid good money for get flogged off for a few pennies, often as not to dealers who then list them on Ebay at inflated prices. Me and profiteering never did get on.
The two other charities in my town are run by big business type charities of the sort I've long referred to as Let's Pretend Charities. One pays its two managers and mostly sells Reject Shop tat at inflated prices. They to a bit of local work but the money mostly goes to their head office. In the shop itself, stuff moves well, so I'm told, but I rarely if ever drop in, as it depresses me to see what I regard as basically junk being sold at higher prices than when flogged off new. They get some donations from us, but selectively - what the third shop won't take.
The third shop (referred to as the third in the previous paragraph) is another LPC, but with better items at somewhat higher prices. They (like Number Two shop) pay their managerss, but they do some local good work and for that reason, I give them the bulk of my donations. Camera gear is priced for them by a professional who puts fair prices on what they get. In fact I've bought a few photo items from them in the past, mostly accessories for cameras I own and use.
To sum all this up briefly but to the point, if you have a local charity (or charities) that are properly run and do good local work, consider giving them your unwanted photo items. Offer to price them if they will let you, as most volunteers are either retired or housewives who don't have much of a clue as to the value of things photographic. The most important consideration, to me at least, is if the money is used locally or not. The big boys in the charity game (think Salvos and Vinnies here) tend to send most of their money to head office and maintain big staffs which have to be paid salaries and benefits and of course pensions. To me the concept of charity giving is entirely about how much of what I give, whether money or goods, actually ends up being used to help those in need. If administrative costs and salaries eat up too much of what is given, then I avoid them.
Another option for you to consider is that of camera clubs or local photography groups. We haven't any in the small country town in Australia where I live, but in the past there was an active camera club in my former abode in Tasmania and I contributed items for them to give to the younger members who wanted to learn about photography (nowadays mostly digital) but couldn't afford good equipment.
When there is a will, there is always a way.
Some interesting points raised in #5. In this corporatist-everything day and age, it's good to think small and local, and focus (pun intended, ha!) on what is best done to the greatest benefit locally.
Me, in my time ( a very long time in photo history, from 1961 until now and hopefully for years to come) I've donated and given away enough photo gear to fill up the Titanic. Not all of it has ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic off Newfoundland, I hope...
At my age, I'm financially comfortable and I no longer want to get maximum dollar value from my gear. So I'm happy to donate. With sensible provisos.
Where I now live, we have three charity shops. One is for the local hospital, but is a small empire run by elderly ladies with more will power than common sense. They give away stuff for nothing. As new CDs for 20 cents, movie DVDs a few months old for 50 cents, collectables for 50 cents up. To these worthy but common-senseless volunteers, I would rather make an annual money donation to their otherwise entirely worthy cause, which we do. But they get very few saleable items from us, because to be brutally frank, they haven't a clue about what they do, and it saddens me to think that items I've paid good money for get flogged off for a few pennies, often as not to dealers who then list them on Ebay at inflated prices. Me and profiteering never did get on.
The two other charities in my town are run by big business type charities of the sort I've long referred to as Let's Pretend Charities. One pays its two managers and mostly sells Reject Shop tat at inflated prices. They to a bit of local work but the money mostly goes to their head office. In the shop itself, stuff moves well, so I'm told, but I rarely if ever drop in, as it depresses me to see what I regard as basically junk being sold at higher prices than when flogged off new. They get some donations from us, but selectively - what the third shop won't take.
The third shop (referred to as the third in the previous paragraph) is another LPC, but with better items at somewhat higher prices. They (like Number Two shop) pay their managerss, but they do some local good work and for that reason, I give them the bulk of my donations. Camera gear is priced for them by a professional who puts fair prices on what they get. In fact I've bought a few photo items from them in the past, mostly accessories for cameras I own and use.
To sum all this up briefly but to the point, if you have a local charity (or charities) that are properly run and do good local work, consider giving them your unwanted photo items. Offer to price them if they will let you, as most volunteers are either retired or housewives who don't have much of a clue as to the value of things photographic. The most important consideration, to me at least, is if the money is used locally or not. The big boys in the charity game (think Salvos and Vinnies here) tend to send most of their money to head office and maintain big staffs which have to be paid salaries and benefits and of course pensions. To me the concept of charity giving is entirely about how much of what I give, whether money or goods, actually ends up being used to help those in need. If administrative costs and salaries eat up too much of what is given, then I avoid them.
Another option for you to consider is that of camera clubs or local photography groups. We haven't any in the small country town in Australia where I live, but in the past there was an active camera club in my former abode in Tasmania and I contributed items for them to give to the younger members who wanted to learn about photography (nowadays mostly digital) but couldn't afford good equipment.
When there is a will, there is always a way.