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Sell camera gear in San Diego, CA
2 camera businesses in San Diego are confirmed to buy or take trades on used equipment, 1 of them an authorized dealer. Getting two offers in one afternoon is realistic here — do it, because the first number is rarely the best one.
Shops in San Diego that buy and trade used gear
Nelson Photo & Video
4.2 ★★★★☆ 400 reviews
Well-stocked shop carrying a range of cameras & accessories, also offering classes & photo prints.
Camera Exposure
4.2 ★★★★☆ 166 reviews
Store selling cameras & related accessories, while offering repairs & equipment rentals.
What a San Diego shop will offer you
These ranges hold across the trade — a local shop is not going to be dramatically off them, and a shop that is way under is worth walking away from.
| Route | Typical net to you | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Trade-in credit | Up to about 60% of expected resale | Same day |
| Cash | About 50% of expected resale | Same day |
| Consignment | Sale price minus 25–40% commission | Weeks to months |
Store credit usually carries a ~10% bonus over cash — a $500 cash offer is commonly $550 in credit. That is only a real gain if you are spending it at that shop. On consignment, expect a published price ladder: the industry pattern, as set out by Pro Photo Supply, drops the asking price 10% at 60 days and 20% at 120 days, and returns anything unsold at 180 days.
Before you drive over
- Look up the shutter count on digital bodies — it is the number that moves the offer most.
- Bring boxes, caps, hoods, straps and the charger. A complete kit resells faster and gets priced accordingly.
- Test every aperture and check the glass against a bright window for fungus, haze or separation — better you find it than they do.
- Bring the whole kit at once; bundled offers usually beat piecemeal ones.
- Know whether a body is gray market. Shops discount imports without US warranty coverage, and some will not take them at all.
Other San Diego shops worth calling
Documented to stock used gear, but nothing in our data confirms they buy from the public — worth a phone call, not an assumption.
Selling gear in San Diego: common questions
- How much will a San Diego camera store pay for my camera?
- The same math applies in San Diego as everywhere else: roughly 50% of expected resale value in cash, up to about 60% in trade credit, or the sale price minus a 25–40% commission if you consign it. With 2 confirmed buyers in town you can get more than one offer in an afternoon, which is the cheapest way to find out whether the first number was fair.
- Is it better to sell locally or ship it to a mail-in buyer?
- Sellers net roughly 50–66% of resale either way, so it comes down to time and risk. Mail-in offers from KEH or MPB are provisional and get revised downward after inspection — haze, fungus and shutter wear all reappear at that stage. A San Diego shop pays the same day, carries no shipping risk, and lets you argue your case in person. Use an online quote as your floor, then ask a local shop to beat it in store credit.
- What should I bring with me?
- The body, every lens, the charger and a charged battery, all original boxes and caps, and the shutter count if it is a digital body. Gear that powers up on the counter and comes with its packaging is priced as a clean resale; gear that arrives loose and dead is priced as a gamble.