Used or previously owned equipment is an alternative to buying expensive original gear. Investing in genuine DJ equipment costs a bomb and this is a severe impediment to those who are planning to take up disc jockeying as a career but havent made the final decision yet. Essential parts of the DJ equipment are turntables; CD, MP3 or DVD players; and sound mixers. Each of these parts costs hundreds of dollars and can really set back the budget. However, the consolation is that all these parts are available in used condition at lower rates and in fairly good qualities.

Most stores retail their used equipment online. There are also individuals who want to get rid of their old equipment and they advertise for them online. Internet advertisements for previously owned equipment contain the names of the equipment along with names of the makers and their versions. Features present with the gear are mentioned. It is considered ethical to mention the period for which the stuff has been in use and what kind of use it was light or heavy. Sometimes, pictures of the appliance are posted along with the advertisement.

Portals like eBay sell several items of used DJ equipment. There are various other websites like Birdland Music, Calibex, Tom Lee Music, Pro Mix, etc. which are dedicated only to selling new and used DJ equipment. Some of these websites require registration to buy and sell equipment. Funds are exchanged through wire transfer and transactions can be either worldwide or local.

Apart from online transactions, there are many music stores who stock used DJ equipment. Even peripheral components like headphones and speakers can be obtained at extremely low prices.

Sellers of used equipment usually tweak equipment before reselling them. This includes improvement of their quality as well as amelioration of their looks. This is called refurbishing the equipment and is a very common practice employed by used equipment sellers. Due to this, they can charge a few extra dollars from the second customer and earn their profit.

Buying used equipment is entirely at the buyers risk. In most cases, there are no guarantees and warranties, and it is made clear to the buyer that all liabilities are at their sole risk. Some store owners do not issue a receipt of the sale. Even insurance companies shirk from covering used equipment. It must not be expected from used equipment that they would function for a long time.

However this is not true most of the time. Sometimes professional DJs keep selling their equipment and buying new ones whenever they are launched with additional features. Such equipment is rarely used and is almost as good as the original.