Any condition, any size
Valuation Photography: The Eight Shots That Matter
A working guide for Ohio sellers: what decides the number and how the unit leaves.
What we buy
What we buy here
Valuation Photography: The Eight Shots That Matter is a subject where Ohio practice and the national rulebook agree most of the time and differ in ways that matter. The unit will outlast the building it serves, which is why so many of them change hands. A buyer who works the whole state can move a unit to whichever plant needs it, which is why the coverage matters.
The sequence matters: identify, inspect, document, then move. A short list of photographs covers the cabinet, the tag, the bushings and the access, and nothing else is needed at the start. A seller with a deadline should say so early, because the schedule is built around the date rather than the unit.
Who we buy from
Six kinds of seller, one desk
- Recyclers
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment dealers
- End users
- Demo contractors
- Distributors
Fast offers
A nameplate photo is usually enough to price a unit the same day.
Dedicated logistics
We arrange the crane, the permits and the flatbed, not you.
No broker fees
You are dealing with the buyer, so nothing is shaved off the offer.
How it works
Six steps from your yard to the money
- 01
Take pictures
The nameplate, the cabinet interior and the tank in daylight. Three photographs are usually enough to place a unit in the right class and the right price band.
- 02
Send them to us
The form on this page, a text or an email all reach the same desk. Include the city, the access and any deadline the site is working to.
- 03
Review the offer
A buyer reads the photographs, asks one or two questions and sends a written offer with the assumptions stated, so nothing changes on the day.
- 04
We schedule freight
Crane, flatbed and permits are booked around your access. You get a date and a window, and we carry the cost of getting it right.
- 05
Testing on arrival
Winding resistance, megger and turns ratio, plus oil analysis where the unit is liquid filled. The results decide the final number, and you see them.
- 06
Get paid
Payment is released on the agreed terms once the unit is received and tested, by check or ACH. No retention, no sixty-day terms.
What we handle for you
The parts sellers dread, done for you
Rigging
Crane and forklift arranged around your access, not the other way round.
Oil containment
Bunds, absorbent and disposal handled before the unit moves.
Bill of sale
A clean title document for your records, signed on collection.
PCB paperwork
Pre-1979 units get the testing and the manifest they need.
Guide
The essential shots
A square-on photograph of the nameplate, taken close enough to read every character. A three-quarter view of the whole unit, showing the cabinet, the pad and the surroundings. A close view of the bushings, because that is where damage shows.
A transformer that is still bolted down belongs to the building until somebody unbolts it, and that is a decision. Nothing about a transformer improves by waiting, and the oil in particular gets worse rather than better.
The context shots
A photograph of the approach, showing the gate, the turn and any overhead obstruction. A photograph of the pad and the ground around it, showing drainage and staining. A photograph of the gauges and the oil sight glass.
A transformer is heavy, oily, regulated and awkward, and every part of the process reflects that. A yard with a dozen units in it is a record of what Ohio plants have been replacing.
The paperwork shots
A photograph of any second data plate, service tag or asset label. A photograph of the last oil test or service record if one exists. A photograph of the serial number if it is stamped separately from the tag.
A unit that has been looked after is obvious within a minute, and so is one that has not. The industry runs on relationships, but the first one starts with a nameplate photograph.
How to take them
Use daylight rather than a flash, and take the nameplate at an angle that avoids glare. Hold the phone level and fill the frame, because a distant photograph is a wasted photograph. Send the originals rather than screenshots, because compression destroys the detail that matters.
Checklist for valuation photography: the eight shots that matter
Questions about valuation photography: the eight shots that matter
Related guides
Get started
Get an offer in minutes
Five fields and a phone number is all we need to start. We reply the same business day, and a firm number follows the nameplate photo.
(614) 715-3047or send the form and we will call you.
Questions
What sellers ask before they call
Equipment types
Does valuation photography: the eight shots that matter change what a transformer is worth?
A photograph of any second data plate, service tag or asset label. A photograph of the serial number if it is stamped separately from the tag.
Service area
Where does a seller start with valuation photography: the eight shots that matter?
A three-quarter view of the whole unit, showing the cabinet, the pad and the surroundings. A number is only as good as the description behind it, which is why the questions are short and specific.
Payment
Is valuation photography: the eight shots that matter part of what a buyer checks on site?
Use daylight rather than a flash, and take the nameplate at an angle that avoids glare. Send the originals rather than screenshots, because compression destroys the detail that matters.
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