Take your time. The purchase of a minilab is a serious matter, you need to weigh everything and think before you buy. You must understand that you get not a lighter (though here too, caution is necessary), but complex equipment, worth many thousands of dollars.
Find out who the seller. When buying a minilab abroad, find out who is the seller: a broker or dealer. Dealer's prices are usually higher, but the machines are in stock. He leads them in order, recovers or not, and can give the most accurate information or advice on its condition. A broker, unlike dealer, even has never seen the machine itself. It collects information on the sold machines and exposes them for sale. Virtually, often earning little money on this. Prices had generally low, but no guarantees that you will buy minilab in good condition.
Decide on the brand and model of minilab. Models in the world dozens, and each has its own unique characteristics in its class to help you make money. Choosing the right model can affect the entire subsequent operation. First, try to ascertain the views of market participants about the pros and cons of each manufacturer minilabs. Their is not so much and it is not difficult. Then learn the difference between each brand and model from similar models from other manufacturers minilabs. Before buying a particular model developing equipment, try to learn all its features, including its weight, the wiring diagram of the network and its dimensions. Check the availability of spare parts on the market and speed their delivery to you.
Only after that, making sure that you know about the desired machine is, make an order.
Make your selection of machine age. When you buying a new equipment you exclude many problems. You have a guarantee of six months or more (if installing by engineer of seller), but also you pay much more. In all of this, it is worth noting that the cost of new minilab and of used minilab differs order of magnitude. One has to mention, purchasing a new minilabs, you will not be able to sell at same price for which you bought it because it is automatically moved to the category of second hand minilabs. Think, are you willing to lose such money in three or four years if you wish to change the model.
You should also understand that buying second hand equipment, you run the risk compared with buying a new developing equipment. Too low prices often caused due to heavy exploitation by printing wholesale orders when print counter is off, or the presence of a complex but well-hidden damage, repairs which will cost you dearly. Very rarely, but you can find on the market minilab in good condition, which is sold cheaply, in connection with the change of business.
The challenges facing minilab and the reason for purchase. Identify tasks that you face, which led you to purchase the minilab, either: starting a business or increase the existing capacity, to attract professional photographers by some unique service or wholesale printing for «professionals» who are working on kindergartens and schools, universities, etc and, on this basis, decide on the model.
Recommendations. Ask addresses of 2-3 last customers who bought minilab from your partner. It is possible he will not want to give them to you, it is bad sign too.
Payment in advance. The most exciting moment. There's nothing I can advise you, because these experiences I have encountered only at the beginning of my work with our suppliers in Japan and the U.S. Although I am also risking whenever I instruct our «safe» bank to transfer foreign currency to partners abroad, for purchasing minilabs. By native country everything is much easier. Everything is in plain sight and you can just come and look at the job.
Do not hurry to pay. Until you have filled out all the questions on the delivery of equipment to the place of installation, its configuration, performance, your have right not to pay for the staff. Keep your money until the last moment and make payments only in the case of complete certainty about the reliability and efficiency of the transaction to purchase the equipment.
Clean - the key to success. If you buy the equipment at the store, inspect the place where it is sold. If there is dirt around, the engineers and operators messy facial as tractor drivers, think about the place of purchase of high-tech equipment. Do not accept any excuses, that «Later you can clean up here and work!».
Under the place where you have to "clean " can indoor rust that ate all the sensors, heaters and all limit switches, failure of which will print out all of the equipment failure, and you have to pay big bucks for expensive spare parts.
Check the operation of developing machine minilab. Take a film such as 135 and develope it on the developing machine that you buy. On the tape, there should be no scratches, it should not be crumpled or in one place. On the tape, there should be no divorce and the leader (the plastic card guide, which carries the film itself) should not be wrinkled, after passing it by car (if it will be :-).
Check the operation of the minilab printing machine. Print the entire film to buy a printer. At the same time: check out its work in all advertised Seller modes (view, cropping, etc.) Check the operation of printing on the back of photos device, as well as how works orders sorter. Without these devices, the operator's work is much more complicated, and the rate of production order falls very markedly. Open all the printer covers and inspect its interior. Inside, there should not be any frozen stalactites and stalagmites of chemistry, the operator's old slippers (it is not a joke) and soldered to whip up the wires. Visually inspect all the pumps and presence of filters. Excuse that " it's all nonsense and quickly repaired, and worth a penny", do not take seriously.
Monitor. Visually inspect the display performance, and it should not flicker and ripple, and display the image in sepia tone or in any one color. If the monitor faded letters or numbers, and you can see them on a gray background, it means that the machine was in operation at least a year or two (though it does not mean its bad condition).