Pre-Owned Equipment

Individual sellers, resale vendors, and auctions will have different policies and guarantees, so it is important to ask some quality assurance questions before buying

Massachusetts-based Biodirect and Boston Microscopes join California based BioSurplus in announcing Merger to form Copia Scientific

Key factors to consider before buying pre-owned laboratory instruments

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Knowing the history of the pre-owned instrument you’re purchasing is very important

Once the decision to purchase pre-owned equipment has been made, one important consideration remains: How will it get to the laboratory?

Non-profit to soon announce awardees for its Instrumental Access program

Problem: Whether due to mergers and acquisitions, lab downsizing, upgrading or outsourcing, many pharmaceutical and biotech companies—large and small—are opting to sell R&D or manufacturing equipment no longer needed in their own labs. This presents a great opportunity for other institutions to obtain late-model, quality equipment at a reduced cost, direct from the working lab. While purchasing second-hand equipment can be a cost effective and socially acceptable way to go, there are potential pitfalls buyers should look out for including: unreliable sellers, equipment contamination, hidden fees, and unverified purchasing channels.

With the cost of an upper echelon field emission scanning electron microscope approaching $1 million, a pre-owned SEM becomes a cost-effective possibility. But before purchasing any SEM, new or used, a couple of questions need to be answered.