When lighting, audio, and video gear ages, or you just simply don't have any more use for it, what do you do?  

You have 2 options - you can keep using it until it drops dead, or you can sell it.  Selling it while it isn't ancient can mean that you recoup a good bit of your original cost, and can allow you to get newer gear, more often if you play your cards right.

Similarly, when you need to buy gear, you might be looking on the used market if your quote from us at Above AVL for new equipment (remember, always add items to your cart and request a quote!) doesn't match your budget.

The first question then becomes:

Where Should I Buy or Sell Used Audio, Video, and Lighting Gear?

AVL gear is unique in that it can carry a fairly high cost, or for older gear, it may carry a high percentage of it's value in shipping cost.   Because of that, you do have to be careful - if you purchase an item and decide it doesn't meet your quality standards, the seller probably won't return it.

Similarly, used gear is going to be in a variety of conditions - a church-installed light that is 3 years old might look and work like it's new, but a world-toured light that is 3-years old will require maintenance much more often!  If you're prepared to repair lights, this can be a great buy, but otherwise you may want to avoid gear that's seen heavy usage.

Another thing we see is that scammers will use general marketplaces like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to scam people out of money on AVL gear, so it's always best to avoid those.

Thankfully, there are a variety of places to get or sell used AVL gear that offer some verification process for buyers and sellers, and therefore have stronger anti-fraud protections.  Here are some of our favorites:

ChurchGear

ChurchGear is a really cool business for churches to use to sell their old gear.  They give an upfront offer, and pay the church when the gear is picked up.  They then inspect and repair gear and resell it.

The fact that they do inspect, test, repair, and warehouse the gear themselves means that you know you're getting a piece of gear that is in the condition described.  It's still used, so you should test it the second you receive it, but knowing that it's been tested before you purchase is a big relief - and you don't need to be a church to buy from ChurchGear.

Used Lighting

UsedLighting.com sells used audio, video, and lighting gear.  It's run by 4Wall, one of the larger production companies in the US, and their listings are a variety of their own used gear (which carries a higher guarantee), and member-posted gear for sale.

4Wall is a smart company that does dry rentals, touring, and one-off live events.  Because of this, older gear from 4Wall has worked hard, and will show significant wear and tear - so be ready for that potential.  They have a solid guarantee, but it is gear that's been worked hard, so you may see issues in the first year.

It's worth noting that they also sell audio and video gear as well.

GearSource

GearSource is one of used gear brokers that specializes in larger sales of used inventory.  They help people sell larger pools of equipment and use a escrow system to protect both buyers, sellers, and themselves.  You can buy smaller quantities from their listings, or whole lots.  

They work hard to ensure the buyers are happy and receive what was described, but their gear will come from a variety of backgrounds and uses.

Photo/Video Retailers

Various photography/videography retailers also offer used gear sales, and these cameras and video equipment are generally inspected and guaranteed.  Stage Lighting and audio equipment generally isn't in their catalog.