Biggest "steal" you ever made...

[Cornelius]

I think this one is one of the tops.

Agreed, that's a hell of a deal.

[gnuyork]

Leica M6 -

It was one of those Ebay auctions I was going to try to snipe, but my wife and I were going to the movies and I would have missed the end of the auction, so I decided to just put in a low ball bid and see what happens. I really didn't care if I lost it because the description and picture of the camera were not great, and in the description it stated the presentation box was cracked, though that was not a deal breaker for me.

However, when I came home I found that I had won it and I thought "Great - now I have to shell out $900 for a this thing..." A little buyer's remorse.

Long story short, I was extremely surprised when it came in the mail. Looked Brand new, not even a finger print on it. Still had the plastic on the bottom plate. Flawless, no indication of use, however the previous owner bought it as a store demo and had it for a short time and ran some rolls of film through it before he needed to sell it due to losing his job two years ago.

Anyway, I feel like I got a great deal... and the moral of the story. Take nice pics and give an accurate and thorough description of any item you want to get the most money for.

Funny, another M6 auction I was looking at was a genuine beater, scratched finish, well used (and maybe abused) but had good photos and description. It went for $1400 with a lot of bids. My camera had very few bids, perhaps the reason I won an item like that without having to snipe it.

Seems like all the M6 auctions I was checking out then, the going rate was between $1200-$1500. I got mine for $900 and was very happy.

[Bruce Barlow]

My Sinar Norma was on consignment in 2000 at the dearly-missed Pro Cam in White River Junction, VT. 8x10 complete camera, extra rear standard with 4x5 reducing back, 6 holders, accessory front standard, three lensboards, adapter board, extra rail, 8x10 hard case, Sinar tripod head, extra standard clamp, two bag bellows, and I don't remember what else. Basically two complete cameras, assuming one uses the bag bellows with 4x5 back.

$1,100. They had a Norma 4x5 outfit with a lot less stuff for $1,400. "Why is the 4x5 more expensive?" I asked. "Because nobody wants an 8x10." they said. "Well, not quite nobody," I said as my credit card leapt out of my wallet, almost all by itself.

I then raided their used gear in the basement and found a dozen gently-used plastic Fidelity 8x10 holders. Offered them $15 apiece. They were glad to get rid of them.

I later got a 5x7 back for Norma. Still have her. A great camera. MAybe not a steal, but a really good deal.

[DrTang]

so so many

Once found a Linhof tech 111 in a dumpster (with a 15" wollensak tele on it??!!?) from a disgruntled divorcee

a couple three boxes of old B&L lenses and cameras..the cameras were in pieces and the lenses covered in dust (a 250 imagon in there)- but they all cleaned up well - like 50 bucks

a hand cranked 35mm motion picture camera for 100

a box of leica M rangefinders and lenses for 350

another box of leica stuff (caps and booklets) that included a body and three lenses for - 30 bucks

the best though..was my friend and I bought out a commercial studio in Texas - although we spent like 5000 and had to fly there and drive a uhaul back - the number and quality of LF lenses (and other stuff!!)we got was incredible - they worked directly with Kodak specialists who handpicked the best lenses from Schneider and Rodenstock.. We ended up with 2 121 f8 super angulons for instance..a group of wide field ektars..symmars, gold dot dagors, WA dagors, etc - - I wished I kept a couple..but that was when I was inbetween shooting Large Format - oh well

yeah..I scrounge around a lot and occassionally come up with good stuff

[Rick A]

My latest was a couple of months ago. I swapped a handful of decrepit m-42 gear (35mm)that I had less than $20 tied up in for a complete Calumet cc-400 kit with Schneider 150mm, several film holders, several lens boards, and compendium shade. Now my daughter and I have matching kits, and I dont have to go looking for my gear in her room any more(you ever been in a teenage girls bedroom?)whew.

[Axon990]

A while back I bought a real beater of a Kodak 3A, for $20. Fast forward a few months and I see a pretty Century Graphic on a friend's mantle. He wasn't using it, so I offered a trade for my Kodak. He accepted, and I was just about to skip out of his house when:

"Oh, by the way, I have six film holders and this extra lens for it."

That was a good day.

[Shadowtracker]

I got an entire darkroom, with jobo, lpl enlarger, dry mount press, print washer, film washer, chemicals, trays, lensboards, lenses, paper, dry mount tissue, densitometer, laser alignment tools, zone VI compensating developing timer, and several (I mean several = a truckload, litereally) other things for 1,000.

He knew he was 'giving' it away, and I have used all of it. He wanted it to go to someone that would use it, and man, I have no way to thank him for what he did; that's the part that stumps me.

[John Kasaian]

Lets see, a real steal hmmm? A Panavision changing bag off ebay for $12---quality all they way and roomy enough to load 8x10 holders--it's more the size of a sleeping bag. A Calumet CC402 for $60, which I gave to a friend. A Lietz Valloy 2 for $40 with it's original lens. A neat 16x20 4 blade Saunders Easel for $20 from a lab that went digital.Then there was a 240 G Claron for $60 which has become one of my faves on the 8x10. Perhaps my biggest steal was a scruffy looking lens board painted red white and blue for $3.00 on ebay. I recognized the shape and after a bit of stripping and sanding and varnish I had a beautifully grained immaculate 6" round corner Deardorff board.

[Dan Fromm]

You paid $60 for a 240 G-Claron? That's a lot, John, way over market.

I once bought two 240/9 dagor type G-Clarons in our local flea market for $20. That's $20 for the pair, not for each.

[ki6mf]

While on vacation I found a new condition soligor spot meter for $35.00. So I have a decent back up meter! Discounting the $400 air fair I came out ahead!