"As is" Used Lighting

Doyle

Member
I am new to the forum and have already found a lot of tips including places that sell used lighting. I was a bit concerned when a lot of the ads I found said "as is". In the case of a simple fixture like a source four that might not be a problem but with something more complex like a scroller I thought I would ask about any experiences you might have had buying used lighting.

Thanks,
Doyle
 
Depends upon who you buy it from but "as is" to me says it's not going to be in servicable condition without a lot of work and probably parts.

If from a large respected company such as Bash/Fourth Phase than what they call "as is" might be exactly as they use it or perhaps and more likely a little worse for the wear. Otherwise they would be specific as to what's wrong with it. That "as is" however would be a large red flag for me even with them. When we sell equipment as a similar company, it's in at least "used" condition meaning still servicable and pulled directly from stock, to resale. It will function and not be missing anything, just might have some rips to the cord's sleeve and lacking fresh paint for instance.

Since it's simple to make the gear look good, there is no reason not to sell it with some pride. Such gear fixed up will also be worth more for resale so why sell it as is?

Normal used condition from us, most companies like any gear I bought from Bash, is 100% working, freshly painted to look as new and completely functioning and clean. Put a plug and lamp in it if it's not coming with and it's ready to go. That's the gear that you want to be buying - no surprises, bad lamp bases, broken alignment screws, dings will be pounded out, and they will at least have a satisfaction guarentee to them.

If "as is" than I expect it's something like a par can that's all dinged up, rivets are coming loose, lamp bases are trashed, wiring if any is substandard and fried and other parts are missing or broken. I just spent 16 hours fixing up a bunch of lamp bar fixtures someone bought as is. For the money they had to pay me to fix them they could have bought normal used gear. AS IS - you get what you pay for. Original asbestos wiring, bad lamp bases, ripped cords, melted wire nuts attaching to tourched wiring, burned up strain reliefs, chipped or green lenses, broken off attachment screws into the frame etc.

Could be something that's pulled out of stock and while dirty might be otherwise just fine but I kind of doubt it. Ma and pop dealers and places will sell off their gear and if they don't have the ability to bring them back up to factory spec it's going to be "as is" but also very chancy as to what's wrong with them. As is also says you can't return what you buy most times. Get them to take a photo or give you a warranty or guarentee on the equipment for your satisfaction than check it really well before you pay for it. Lots of places learn how to do stuff off their gear than sell them off when they advance.

I have a bunch of mini wash lights that would be considered as is were I to sell them and not work on them. Have not been used for years so there is probably some rust pockets, plus back than the equipment will not have been taken care of so they will be missing parts and in general bad condition. Some missing yokes, some with bad lamp bases, wiring etc. That's as is for me. If you can completely rework them with time and parts, sure they will function as per design, but it probably would add up to as much time and money as per a normal used fixture that's ready to go.

I have given away lots of fixtures that were once state of the art for how they are done but they outlived their usefulness and the way they were constructed or wired is no longer acceptable. In such "AS Is" conditions, the fixtures are worth a little more than they will have been as scrap metal and depending upon the fixture, under $50.00 each, or say under $20.00 for a par can that's as is and with bad wiring etc.

Hope it helps. Short of a photo and warranty, I would avoid the fixtures.
 
I occasionally buy "as is" gear... if it's cheap enough, and more for the fun I get out of tinkering with stuff than for the likelihood (extremely slim) that it'll work properly out of the box. If you're looking for something you can put into service and rely on right away, "as is" should probably be a red flag. If you're looking for something to tinker with, "as is" can be fun.

John
 
I would have to generally agree with Ship. Is the time and money spent rebuilding on an "as is" fixture less than the cost of buying a better quality "USED" fixture? Or will that "great deal" become a boat anchor because you can not locate the missing parts? I have only rebuilt a few lights and while I have found it to be a good learning experience, I propbably could have spent the time looking for paying work.
 
Hi Guys. I've found that As-Is is a term used more for protection. For example, moving lights are very picky. Things go wrong, and that should be expected. If you know your way around the light you will get wonderful use out of it. If a company sells things with a warranty, you will pay for it. Much like a used car, it costs more from the dealer, but you get peace of mind.

Personally, I think the key is to find someone who says "As-is, guaranteed not dead on arrival"
 
Josh said:
Personally, I think the key is to find someone who says "As-is, guaranteed not dead on arrival"

Good luck finding that . . . i've bought a lot of "as is" equip . . . but never have i seen not DOA . . .
 

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