Greetings....I am a professional camera hoarder

I have entered the business of camera reselling. First started off as a hobby, then it became a routine and eventually a business.

Many associated hoarding as something negative, but when hoarding become profitable, being able to pay large part of my rent. It makes me wonder why should I stop pursuing this endeavor.

My first used camera was an E-PL1, bought from a Singaporean couple. They sold me the camera so cheap I event doubted if it is real of fully functional. In the end, it turned out everything works well and I entered the realm of buying and selling camera gears. From E-PL1 to E-M1 II, from Olympus to Nikon, and now I am  even considering the wonderland of Zeiss and Leica.

What is so special about camera (as an asset class)?

It is hard to counterfeit.

Cameras are combination of high-tech electronics and optics craftmanships. You cannot a cheapo Chinese factory can replicate such asset at good profit margin and amount without specific manufacturer instructions and blueprints. These factory might be better off counterfeiting Rolex watches which is cheaper to producer and got much larger market to sell.

It has huge value discrepancy

It can be junk to those who don't do the hobby but precious to those who are engaged in the hobby. As an average enthusiast and non-professional user. I have found the business makes great opportunities to bridge such gap so junk can become valuable asset on hobbyist / enthusiast hands.

Camera can be one-time usage to some people, who only used their camera once or twice a year. These are experienced camera users who have switched to smartphone usage during smartphone disruption, still they treasure serious photography during  important occasions.

Its functional!

Let me insist that.....cameras are fun to fulfilling to own. You can always try out new gears on friends, sharing your joy with the community, test new gears (and get travel insured) when aboard.....Even if you are not using it as frequently, hanging it around your neck makes good piece of fashion accessories to some.

Risk and opportunities:

When you are too obsessed with profit, sometimes you will loss direction. Always ask yourself what others are using their cameras for and explore opportunities around it.

You don't have to to be a professional shooter to sell gears, but you will need passion to convince others you are not just chasing after profit.

I can see a clear trend the consumer segment of camera sales is eroding. However, many still willing to enjoy the experience through rental, or hassle-free low-end cameras.

Broken electronics. Cameras, especially digital ones are prone to malfunctions. However, many cameras these days are well-made from Japanese Corporations. They are much resilient than expected, all you need to do is take good care of them, with proper storage, and occasional usage / check up. They can last for long time to come.

Still, not everyone is happy with this hobby or business. Try to convince your significant half about this small venture is futile. As she sees no value taking photos with dedicated cameras. It seems to some people (actually most people...i guess) the ability to instant share outweighs IQ / handling of a serious camera.

Let me know if you all want to know more on this, so I can share more experience on the matter.