Scuba Swap 2017 - 25th Annual

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

Please welcome, presented by OUE, the 25th Annual Scuba Swap 2017!
*** Save the date, April 29th, 9am - 3pm! ***

Details:
ScubaSwap.org - Home

Join the event on Facebook and share it:
25th Annual SCUBA Swap

==> New Location, please check details.
==> Gear Registration is on Friday Evening, 6-9PM.
==> Watch the site for updates on the presenters and topics!

View media item 202472

 

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

Some exciting news for Scuba Swap 2017:

We will have 2017 tokens for BOTH Tobermory's Fathom Five Park and Brockville's Centeen Park available!!!!!

Also, the presenter schedule and timetable has been published!!! Visit ScubaSwap.org - Presentations

 

[cleung]

What is the admission fee for visitors (not selling any gear)?

 

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

What is the admission fee for visitors (not selling any gear)?

$5

 

[KeithG]

Okay - I have a whole pile of old scuba junk, I mean a few lightly used gems that I want to turn into a large pile of cash. What should I be doing to maximize my profit, erh I mean making diving accessible to others on a budget?

 

[GTA_Diving_Wonder]

Okay - I have a whole pile of old scuba junk, I mean a few lightly used gems that I want to turn into a large pile of cash. What should I be doing to maximize my profit, erh I mean making diving accessible to others on a budget?

Well, here's what you could do with your old cra... er I mean valuable gear ....

Put it all in one of those big plastic bins, or a wheelbarrow, then head up to the Rameses Shriner's Hall on Friday evening between 6p -9p. When you get there, bring it inside following the signs to "Scuba Swap Intake / Gear Registration". There, you will be greeted by OUE volunteers that will go through each piece of scuba treasure with you and tag it with the price you would like to get for it. You will also be asked if you want it discounted for the 2nd half of the swap, if it doesn't go in the morning. If you say yes, than it will go to this new price later in the day, if no, then it will never go lower than your initial asking price.

We also have "used gear" specialists on hand that can help you with any needed realistic market assessments on any gear you are unsure of value.

Then return on Saturday around 3pm to get your loot and leftover gems that didn't get reacquainted with new owners.

Good luck, have fun! Make some cash! Come to the show on Saturday, it's sheer awesome! And a cool crowd, heck, it's divers how could it not be cool?

J

 

[ScubaRAWRR]

ok so i was at scuba swap 2017 and overall.. i appreciate the event and purpose, but like most enthusiasts, I was not interested in the 70-80% of ancient scuba junk most people were selling. Yes the vast majority of stuff was being sold by folks trying to "make big bucks" on some really old, worn and scuffed up gear, so if thats what you are interested in perhaps, it would have been a good venue.

sure there were a few gems here and there but original owners were wanting far too much for their own gear.

i brought in nothing close to scuba junk, like what most folks were selling. I had a near new looking and under 50 dives used scubapro knighthawk bcd in a medium, 5th gen.. was only selling for 350C$ dropped to 300$ and did not sell.

in fact none of my gear i tried to sell, sold at the event.

my personal feelings are that folks go to these events to unload really old junky stuff they really don't want, and come hoping to score something *really* good for a fraction of the price - which they were not going to find at the event.

Obviously i did not see any Shearwater Perdix or Petrel computers for instance, or anyone selling newer gear for much less than the original price. Saw a Apeks tech bcd and wing setup for $750 - obviously the owner is f'kin dreaming to get that price at scuba swap.

anywho, be warned that the event was smaller this year and i honestly felt the networking opportunity was far more valuable then most of the garbage they had on display.. but if you go with the right mentality and are possibly looking for good deals for some mid range stuff, it might be the event for you.

Obviously please appreciate a lot depends on what exactly you are looking for, and how much a seller is looking to get for his stuff, so you need some luck on either side - still, if you look hard enough, you will find some deals on accessories and stuff -- just don't go in expecting to pay pennies for really good stuff.

 

[KeithG]

ok so i was at scuba swap 2017 and overall.. i appreciate the event and purpose, but like most enthusiasts, I was not interested in the 70-80% of ancient scuba junk most people were selling. Yes the vast majority of stuff was being sold by folks trying to "make big bucks" on some really old, worn and scuffed up gear, so if thats what you are interested in perhaps, it would have been a good venue.

sure there were a few gems here and there but original owners were wanting far too much for their own gear.

i brought in nothing close to scuba junk, like what most folks were selling. I had a near new looking and under 50 dives used scubapro knighthawk bcd in a medium, 5th gen.. was only selling for 350C$ dropped to 300$ and did not sell.

in fact none of my gear i tried to sell, sold at the event.

my personal feelings are that folks go to these events to unload really old junky stuff they really don't want, and come hoping to score something *really* good for a fraction of the price - which they were not going to find at the event.

Obviously i did not see any Shearwater Perdix or Petrel computers for instance, or anyone selling newer gear for much less than the original price. Saw a Apeks tech bcd and wing setup for $750 - obviously the owner is f'kin dreaming to get that price at scuba swap.

anywho, be warned that the event was smaller this year and i honestly felt the networking opportunity was far more valuable then most of the garbage they had on display.. but if you go with the right mentality and are possibly looking for good deals for some mid range stuff, it might be the event for you.

Obviously please appreciate a lot depends on what exactly you are looking for, and how much a seller is looking to get for his stuff, so you need some luck on either side - still, if you look hard enough, you will find some deals on accessories and stuff -- just don't go in expecting to pay pennies for really good stuff.

I agree that some (many, most?) people seemed to think that their old junk were family heirlooms. But that is not unexpected. Too many people have seen too many episodes of antique roadshow and storage wars.

While I waited in line to register my stuff, one seller took 20 minutes to register 4 items. They wanted way too much and continued to argue and disagree with the advice of the expert.

I registered my 8 bundles in under 5 minutes. 7 of 8 sold and 6 went for my asking price - the BCD went for the discounted half time price. The BCD for parts ($20) went unsold. I had considered it a long shot. They did indicate that they had a ton of BCDs, so I went aggressive on my discounted price for a 4 year old Scubapro Bella.

Maybe my "sales success" was realistic aggressive pricing based upon my years of watching overpriced items linger on eBay?

So it worked well for me. I would recommend it to others, as long as they have a grip.

 

[scubafanatic]

Given the oceans of used gear sloshing about on E-Bay and other sites, people do have to 'keep it real' when it comes to pricing. Scuba gear is a very small niche market, so used gear depreciates even faster than more universally practical goods like motor vehicles, but a lot of people have unrealistic expectations of market pricing and would rather have their unneeded gear rot-in-place than 'give it away'.

 

[NorthernPike]

I thought it was a fabulous event, as usual. Clearly, YMMV.

I met lots of fellow divers I haven't seen since last summer; many since the last Swap.
There were some good presentations by learned speakers, and I saw some great deals on perfectly good, useable, used equipment.
My buddy got a very gently used OMS BP/STA/Wing/Harness combo for $150. We had to fight over that one, but she needed it more than I do.
Lots of excellent regs. for anywhere from $50 (Sherwood Brut combo; w. octo and console) to $250 (full combo. recently serviced by a reputable shop).
I saw a like new pair of Plana Avanti fins sell for $5! Old but never used and exactly the same as the ones I paid $90 for in the 1980s, and still use on a regular basis.
Remember the Scubapro split fins? They were the latest, greatest and most expensive not long ago. They were $20 and $30 at the Swap.

All the good stuff went fast and early. Yes, scubafanatic and giffenk, you're right. There was a lot of over-priced stuff that didn't sell, and also some old junk that no one in his right mind would take in any water other than a swimming pool.