Old Lights

[Newcollegetechyboy06]

Hey guys im new to this forum and what im gonna say is porbably gonna be a long shot but worth a try I sopose,

 

I'm curently trying to get my own buisness up and running and was wondering if anyone has any old lights that work but they are looking to just get rid of because they've upgraded and so on, as im still a student im not exactly rolling in the dosh, or if anyone has any idea or helpful points that could be useful to me, would be very much aprreciated.

 

cheers

[AndrewR]

well asuming you're not a troll...

 

Either finish your course or go and get a job in the industry. Preferably both.

Do it for a while, then decide if it makes sense to buy kit. Remember, if it doesn't make you money then its not a worth it frankly.

 

If you want an idea of prices you could look at www.usedlighting.co.uk they are quite good.

 

I will let other people point out the other....interesting, bits in your request.

(Runs to hide from the incomming firestorm)

[gareth]

There's a whole load more to 'setting up a business' than scrounging a bit of free kit, you know. You need to register the company, get yourself insurance (public liability, employers' liability, and insurance for your equipment if you have any), get yourself set up with an accountant, set up a business bank account, etc. You've looked into all of that and set the necessary wheels in motion, I take it?

[JimWebber]

You know, I've been on this board so long now, and I've seen so many posts, I'm almost immune to noticing that people have used a lower case I for I . I have also been immune to the missing apostrophe in I'm and other contractions.

 

I have also got very used to people not being able to see the spell check button....

 

Jim (I think I got out the side of the wrong bed this morning....)

[Ynot]

Here's another Ebay sale that popped into my inbox today.

 

Have fun.

[gareth]

Well, his description's wrong for a start. Those aren't Sil 15s ...

[Ynot]

Well, his description's wrong for a start. Those aren't Sil 15s ...

:) :D :D

Should've said.....

"I have no connection with this Ebay listing and can make NO guarantees that the items there listed are correct (or even close) in any way"

Nuff sed!

:P

TD

[Ynot]

Here's some more that popped in the Ebay inbox today.

In fact the seller has a half-dozen old Strand items on his listing.

[dwh]

That first link?

[Ynot]

Sorted

[Jivemaster]

Spend you time passing your course, if you dont you are just 3 years behind your peers earning a living.

 

 

If you have Business, can sell, and can market yourself and services and then ask for the kit to do the jobs. There is soo much kit on warehouses underused at the moment, that you buying more isn't sensible.

[tom_the_LD]

Those 33 lights would do nicely at our school. Although, I do not think they will buy them :)

 

Ynot do you get e-mails from Ebay each time there is something lighty on Ebay? If so, how do you do it?? (Drop it in a PM if you want)

[saturnx21]

Hey guys im new to this forum and what im gonna say is porbably gonna be a long shot but worth a try I sopose,

 

I'm curently trying to get my own buisness up and running and was wondering if anyone has any old lights that work but they are looking to just get rid of because they've upgraded and so on, as im still a student im not exactly rolling in the dosh, or if anyone has any idea or helpful points that could be useful to me, would be very much aprreciated.

 

cheers

 

Hi there,

 

Now what other people have said in this thread already about setting up a business is extremely important, don't be discouraged it can be a great experience working for you're self. I have been working for myself for nearly two years now suppling and installing sound and lighting equipment to bars and clubs etc. I started out buying old kit that was in dire need of restoration and that I would suggest is a great way to get started because it gives you experience of the kit and how to use it to the best of its capability's and you begin to learn how to maintain and fix the equipment. Ebay is a great place to buy kit and a fair amount of mine has come from there the other way to get hold of very cheap kit is to get to know you're local sound and/or lighting company, most of those types of company's have store rooms/ warehouses full of old kit that requires some TLC and will sell it to you just to get it out of their hair!

 

If there is specific pieces if equipment you're after then get talking to as many people as you can and explain what sort of kit you're after. Every time I buy a piece of equipment especially from Ebay I go and collect it and when I do I have a good chat with the seller about what I'm doing and what I'm after and I now keep in regular contact with these people and some of them even email me when they happen to see something on Ebay that they know I'm after.

 

HTH :)

[Ynot]

Those 33 lights would do nicely at our school. Although, I do not think they will buy them :)

 

Ynot do you get e-mails from Ebay each time there is something lighty on Ebay? If so, how do you do it?? (Drop it in a PM if you want)

Setting up an Ebay notification is easy, assuming you have an account.

All you do is enter a search for what you're looking for, then 'Save that as favourite search' when the results come back.

You then get an e-mail when anything new drops in the system.

 

 

 

I started out buying old kit that was in dire need of restoration and that I would suggest is a great way to get started because it gives you experience of the kit and how to use it to the best of its capability's and you begin to learn how to maintain and fix the equipment.

Whilst this is a good starter-for-ten in the hire business, there are some cautionary notes to bear in mind.

If your hire stock consists entirely of old-style kit (eg patt 23's, etc) then your customer base is going to be rather limited. I don't mean that hirers won't come to you just because you don't have an up to date kit list, but perceptions from them may mean they would prefer modern gear.

Of course, some hirers just want something to do the job, and may not actually have anything specific in mind - some schools, for example, are one example of this, where they just want something to illuminate the performance of the little darlings at Christmas.

 

Other down-sides of older kit are the fact that they'll likely be more maintenance-heavy, spares will become increasingly sparse and some items in their original format may not pass PAT tests.

 

You would also not expect to be able to charge as much to hire out old kit as you would newer stock, so bear that in mind.

 

As for the rest, there have been far too many discussions here on the BR about how to set up (as well as NOT to set up) a business in this trade, to which I have contributed with others - I suggest the OP searches for more info rather than be repetitious.....

 

TD

[gareth]

*Warning - dubious analogy alert ...*

 

A lighting hire company with a hire stock consisting of old P23s, Sil30s, etc. bought from Ebay and refurbed - compare it to a van hire company whose rental fleet consists only of 20-year-old Transits and Renault Trafics with many thousands of miles on the clock. OK, so there might be the odd punter in the market for a cheap and cheerful rustbucket of a van to shift his three-piece suite a few miles up the road - but generally speaking, the vast majority of customers are going to choose to get their hire van from the company with the fleet of 6-month-old Sprinters or Ivecos, aren't they?