How to Dispose of Old Cameras?

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The best and most useful way to dispose of an old camera is to give it to someone who might use it well.

However, that’s only possible if your gear is not ancient and out of commission.

Other than giving away your old cameras, you can sell them, recycle them or put them on display at a vintage show.

Giving Away Used Cameras

When we say used camera, we don’t mean one that has had its run and is no longer usable. Naturally, if your device is timeworn and cannot be reused, you cannot give it to anyone.

Therefore, if you plan to give your old camera to someone else, be sure it is in a decent state and functional.

There are many people who would love to take your camera because they intend to use it. You can find someone willing to reuse your gadget through friends and family.

Ask your relatives if they know someone who would put your old camera to good use and truly appreciate it.

If they don’t have anyone for you, you may want to pass down your prized possession to someone in the family.

Younger siblings and cousins are often given used clothes and accessories by their elders. The same approach can be applied when getting rid of an old camera.

You can pick someone in the family as the lucky winner of your gear, and that person doesn’t need to be interested in photography.

Even though it would be ideal if they were, it’s okay if they aren’t.

Many photographers were initially not into this profession, but then someone gave them a camera, which eventually sparked a passion for photography.

So, even if the person you choose seems indifferent towards photography, you can still give them your old camera.

Besides passing down used cameras in the family, you can give them to a junior at your school. Many students enjoy clicking pictures but cannot afford the gear to do so.

You can look for someone who falls into that category and help them follow their passion.  

If you don’t know anyone personally, you can ask your friends if they do.

Another way to find a deserving candidate for your camera is by posting about it on private Facebook groups.

However, going this route can match you up with fraudsters not interested in photography. They might only be taking advantage of the situation to sell your camera later and make money.

To avoid encountering a con, you should only deal with people you or your friends know.

Whichever path you choose to reach a deserving candidate, you will be helping someone with their photographic endeavors.

Generally, professional photographers love to support budding artists by giving them the gear to advance in their careers.

If you are one such shutterbug, you should definitely consider giving away your old camera to someone who would use it well.

Donating To Charities

If you can’t find anyone to give your camera to, you can donate to a non-profit organization.

There are two types of charities that you can choose for this purpose

  • One that accepts items to sell and uses the money earned to support its cause
  • Or one that takes used articles to give to needy people

Regardless of which of the two routes you choose, you will be doing a good deed. So, if you want to be generous, you should contact a charity to take your old camera off of your hands.

Donating To Schools

Another way to get rid of an old camera is by giving it to a school to use either for teaching kids or to cover their in-house events.

Not all educational institutions have the funds to have a photography department, and even if they do, students may not be able to afford a camera to practice their skills.

Donating your used equipment to such a school can be tremendously helpful for the faculty.

Apart from helping a school improve its photography curriculum, you can give your camera to any institute to cover events.

Pretty much every school holds functions, which they may not be able to preserve in pixels due to a lack of proper equipment.

If your gear is relatively up-to-date, you should consider donating it to an institution that might need an advanced camera to better cover their events and ceremonies.

Selling

One of the most commonly employed methods to dispose of used gadgets is putting them up for sale. So, naturally, you can do the same with your old camera.

There are endless ways to find a buyer for your equipment. Here is a rundown of them.

Selling To Businesses

Many businesses deal in used items; you can look them up to offer your camera. These setups buy old articles, touch them up a bit and resell them, making a decent profit in the process.

You can connect with such an enterprise, but keep in mind that they are professional traders, so they know how to bargain.

You must get an idea from websites for secondhand retailing about the price of your model to get a fair deal. If you go unprepared, the chances are that you will face a loss.

There are two types of shops that will accept your camera

  • An exclusive camera shop that deals with photography equipment
  • An appliance store that deals in all electronic items

You can choose either of the two as long as you get a reasonable price. Like any marketplace, the stores mentioned above can be online or brick and mortar.

If you go with the former, you will get free shipment (as most online places that take secondhand articles offer it) and instant payment.

If you go with the latter, you will have to carry your gear to the location, which can be quite a hassle.

Considering the hassle-free dealing in the case of online businesses, it’s safe to say they are the better option for selling an old camera.

Selling To Individuals

If you don’t want to engage with professional buyers, you can sell your old camera to an individual online.

Websites like eBay are excellent platforms for connecting buyers and sellers. You can post an ad on such a forum and wait to get offers.

The flipside of selling on eBay is that the shipment charges aren’t covered, which means you will have to adjust those in your listed price. 

Many people don’t feel comfortable selling things online and prefer to meet with the buyer in person before making a sale.

If you are one of them, you can find someone to sell your photography gear to through friends or groups online.

Facebook has many public and private chat rooms where users can advertise different goods and connect with potential buyers.

You can join one of these groups and look for the ideal candidate to whom to sell your old camera.

That said, you may want to mention your location in your advert so that you only receive offers from people in your vicinity.

Otherwise, you might get in touch with someone sitting halfway around the world, which will defeat your purpose.

One last option to connect with a buyer is posting an advertisement on a classified ad website, such as craigslist.

Selling Parts of Your Camera

Camera parts are worth a sufficient amount of money, as new parts are costly.

Naturally, buying fresh, expensive lenses may not be possible for aspiring photographers who don’t make much money yet. But that doesn’t eliminate their need for different camera lenses.

That’s where you come in to save the day, and put your used but working camera accessories up for sale.

This way, those who cannot buy expensive photography gear components can continue clicking pictures and get better at their job until they have enough money to purchase new pieces.

Recycling

Cameras are made with valuable materials that can be recycled and repurposed.

Things like copper, aluminum, and gold wiring, among others, are recyclable and present in almost every model.

So, you can contact a recycling facility in your area and see if they take electronic items. If you find one, you can give them your old camera and get paid in return.

Furthermore, it must be noted that some camera parts are unrecyclable and harmful to the environment.

This means you need to find a facility that recycles and disposes of waste (or at least sends it to a relevant agency) to keep Mother Nature safe.

Displaying At Vintage Shows

If your camera is ancient and cannot be used by anyone, you might want to display it at an art show.

If you don’t have one happening in your area, you can ask a friend or relative who likes to collect old things to take your camera.

They can use it as a showpiece in their home or studio.

If you don’t have such a relative or friend, you can set up a display case and put all your old cameras in it, provided that you have enough.

Obviously, you wouldn’t want to place just one piece of equipment in an entire showcase.

Ending Note

The good thing about old cameras is that they can mostly be reused. So, even if you have gotten a new model, you can give your older one to someone else.

That is certainly a productive way of disposing of old gear.

However, if there is no life left in your used camera, you can recycle it and contribute to saving the environment.

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