Broadcast Equipment Auction Results: Photography and IT Sale Draws Bidders from Nine Countries

PRESS RELEASE: 18/06/26

When Hickman Shearer conducted a broadcast equipment auction for a major OEM earlier this year, the response told a story that went well beyond a line of results. Bidders from nine countries registered to compete for 402 lots of professional broadcast, photography and IT equipment, and what followed was a reminder of just how vigorously the global market moves when specialist assets of genuine quality are handled well.

The vendor, a major OEM operating at the highest levels of the broadcast and sport technology sector, had assembled over the years a remarkable collection of production-grade equipment. Camera systems, lenses, broadcast infrastructure, IT hardware, the kind of inventory that only comes together when an organisation is serious about what it does. Due to them relocating to a new, state of the art purpose-built headquarters, Hickman Shearer was appointed to handle the disposal of the unused assets so that they could continue their life within the industry. Many of the equipment had very low – no hours of use, and so the sale was a rare chance for interested parties to acquire high spec, well looked after kit for a fraction of the original retail price

The cine lens sets drew particular attention. A Cooke S8/i FF T1.4 six-way set attracted a single, decisive bid of £50,000, the kind of transaction that speaks to a buyer who knows exactly what they want and knows the market well enough not to wait. By contrast, a JDC Xtal Xpress Anamorphic four-way set generated 47 bids before being secured by a Swedish buyer at £47,000. Between them, the two lots returned just under £100,000. These two results unfolded so differently, one swift and certain, one fiercely contested, illustrating the breadth of the bidder pool as much as anything else.

Competitive demand extended well beyond the headline lots. Sony PMW-F55 camcorders drew between eleven and thirteen bids each. A Sony RCP-1500 attracted twenty bids, eventually selling at £1,300. Rack-mounted audio and networking equipment proved equally popular, with a 19″ rack case of Shure and Netgear hardware matching the RCP-1500’s price after seventeen bids. Even a single Sigma lens at £150 drew twenty registered bids. The appetite was consistent from the top of the catalogue to the bottom.

The marketing campaign that preceded the auction reflected the same deliberate approach. A targeted email programme achieved open rates well in excess of industry benchmarks, peaking at 55.6%, more than double the average for the sector. A third-party partnership brought the catalogue in front of over 32,000 professionals in the cinematography and broadcast community, generating more than 2,000 clicks and contributing to the 66,400 page views the auction listing accumulated over the course of the campaign.

The international dimension to the sale matters for anyone considering how to realise value from surplus broadcast and photographic equipment. Demand for this category of asset is not confined to the domestic market. A lens set that might attract modest local interest can, with the right presentation and the right audience, reach a specialist buyer in Scandinavia, North America or beyond who is prepared to pay accordingly. Auctions, when approached with the precision it requires, remain one of the most effective mechanisms for discovering that price.

Commenting on the auction, Tim Howard, Managing Director of Hickman Shearer, said:

“This was a strong result on every measure that matters. The depth of international bidding, the competitive tension across the full catalogue and the outcomes on the premium lens sets all reflect what is possible when specialist assets are properly valued, properly presented and put in front of the right audience. The engagement we saw across our own subscriber base — consistently above 50% open rates throughout the campaign — reflects the trust that broadcast and media professionals place in Hickman Shearer as a source of relevant, credible disposals. We are grateful to our client for their trust and to the bidders, from the UK and internationally, who participated.”

About Hickman Shearer

Hickman Shearer is a specialist consultancy providing RICS and ASA-certified capital asset valuation, advisory and disposal services across the broadcast, film, media and wider commercial sectors. The firm advises lenders, insolvency practitioners, corporate clients and private owners on the valuation, management and sale of high-value operational assets, with a particular focus on complex and specialist equipment.

With deep sector knowledge and a reputation for independent, regulated advice, Hickman Shearer supports clients throughout the asset lifecycle, from strategic valuation and risk management through to sale and realisation.

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