You folks are killing me! It hurts, it hurts! This stuff never happens to me!
William "Still Paying Full Price" McEwen
You folks are killing me! It hurts, it hurts! This stuff never happens to me!
William "Still Paying Full Price" McEwen
Memories keep coming back.
Full sized metal Gitzo Studex with ball head---$35 at a consignment auction. Twelve years ago and still working perfectly.
Last summer, helped a friend sell her uncle's estate collection of really great gear. My payment? About 7 boxes of 4x5 Ilford 100 and 25 sheet boxes and over 20 rolls of 120 B&W, old but well stored and shooting perfectly, PLUS, a near mint Galvin 6x7 with Fuji 150mm, two boards, and two roll backs. Finally, a Zone VI calibrated Pentax V, two Tamrac backpacks and 30 4x5 holders in near mint condition. All that plus a big thank you hug sure made my day.
"One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude." Carl Sandburg
oh yeah, i almost forgot: a couple of years ago i bought a hasselblad a12 back from a retired photographer and saw he had a fridge full of rollfilm. so i went home with the back and 60 rolls of perfectly fine kodak epd free of extra charge.Originally Posted by William McEwen
the good deals are getting more rare though. seems like most of the pros got rid of their analog equipment by now and prices are rising again.
The dagger goes in deeper...
Bill, if you don't look you won't find. Or, more exactly, if you didn't look you wouldn't have found.
These days real steals on dealers' web sites or on eBay are quite uncommon. Dealers know better than they used to and the scavengers have got better at searching. There's a reason why all the braggarts in this thread use the past tense.
I'm not sure about Craigslist and international equivalents. Although I've got a few good items below market from foreign equivalents of Craigslist in the last couple of years, I've never found much worth trying to buy on Craigslist itself. People trying to sell there usually have inflated ideas of how much their treasures are worth.
The days when I could go to a camera show, spend a little money, and recoup my expenses and then some by selling the stuff on eBay are long gone too. Few camera shows left and little worth trying to resell at the ones I attend. The occasional lens board, every once in a while a shutter that seems to be dead but that can be resurrected ...
Our local flea market has never been good for much either although I did once buy a pair of 240/9 Dagor type G-Clarons there for $20. Each brought a little more on eBay, as did another of the same bought for $50 delivered from a seller on eBay.co.uk. Unrepeatable opportunities, alas.
Fortunately my kit's pretty complete until I go crazy and decide to change format. 6x12 has some appeal. With luck I'll find buried treasure that will pay for that move, but until I do its on hold.
What I know for sure is that if I don't look for buried treasure I'll never find any. Might have some in the closet, though, haven't gone prospecting there for a while. One lens forgotten in the closet paid for last year's big acquisitions.
Cheers,
Dan
Oh yeah, and a free Omega D5500 loaded with lenses, turret, carriers...again, free.
A good drum scanner went for $400 today on eBay. I know since I didn't win it.
a minty coated 360mm heliar for $166 and 180mm heliar in compur for $78. Both from epay.
My biggest steal was a 16x20 G.Gennart Soldak camera complete with a plate holder. The eBay auction ended this past weekend, and I was the only bidder on it with a very low amount. I got it for the listing start price of $199.99.
I was pretty sure someone on here was gonna blow me out of the water, but I guess you were all too busy chasing after some little baby 8x10 Eastman 2Ds or something.
Garage sales? Any luck there?
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