I hear the same story all the time in one version or another: someone who came across a seemingly good deal on second hand DJ equipment, jumped on it and ended up regretting that decision.
Before you part ways with your money on second hand DJ equipment, here one very important consideration that you should keep in mind:
There is ALWAYS a good reason someone is selling second hand DJ equipment, especially for cheap!
Figuring out the real reason is what will you save headaches in the future. And that’s the most important consideration to make before you engage in any sort of negotiations.
If the used DJ gear comes from a nightclub that just went out of business only three months after opening, that’s good.
Why? Because it means that the used DJ gear is probably three months old only and that the club owners just want to make some money from it or the bankruptcy agent will sell them for cheap because he or she does not know the real price of DJ stuff or wants some quick cash quickly.
If the gear comes from a DJ who’s been a pro for 15 years and wants to upgrade his setup, think twice.
Why?
For starters, his second hand DJ equipment set-up is probably obsolete. The only single piece of gear that may still have sort of relevance would be the Technics SL-1200 turntables because they do not age. But you do not want to inherit his Pioneer CDJ-500 DJ CD decks (if you’ve ever played on them or if you actually know what they are, daaaamn, you’re an old school DJ!).
The best source of second hand DJ equipment is from people or institutions that want to get rid of their relatively new or used DJ gear for cheap. That’s why I am always on the lookout for DJs who are about to have children and need space in their homes or money or clubs and other venues that did not last long.
Case in point: in the Spring of one year I DJed at the opening party of a million-dollar bar/lounge. By the end of Summer, the place had gone bankrupt (newbie club owners spend millions on their posh venues but forget about the marketing budgets) and I called the owner asking him a good deal on the second hand DJ equipment.
Someone had beat me to it and instead of the $8000 the whole kit would have cost brand new, this lucky buyer got everything for $2000 on used DJ gear of less than 5 months! Wait for it… that included two shinny Pioneer CDJ-2000 DJ CD decks!
Last case in point (a sad but equally funny tale): a very dear friend of mine thought he had a good deal of a lifetime on second hand DJ equipment when he replied to an ad on Craigslist. He sent the money and to this day, he is still waiting for his supposedly three-day old Pioneer CDJ-1000 MK3 CD decks! (In case you did not get it, my friend got royally conned because he did not ask himself why someone was selling such a good pair of used Pioneer CD decks for so cheap without any valid explanation!)
Why is someone selling second hand DJ equipment? Ask yourself this question first before parting ways with your money on used DJ gear!