Originally Posted by
goamules
Most of us also remember cases of fraud on this board, brought on by a new member "asking questions" about desirable, expensive lenses.
One in particular was a Cooke Semi-achromat, which the newbie posted in a very similar manner: "I found this lens in my grandma's attic, and know nothing about it." These are strange statements, full of warning flags. The seller says he knows nothing about a rare lens, but has access to the internet, and access to eBay, where All Dreams of Riches Come From? The seller cannot use those easy resources, but searches for an esoteric Large Format forum (somehow knowing that's the purpose of the lenses) to join? Cannot read the boldly engraved writing on the lenses, and google that exact text string? Etc. In this case, buyers contacted the person with the Cooke query right away privately. Several people had competing PM bids, while the open thread lingered with people guessing prices. Finally someone made a deal, $2,000 I believe, and sent a check to the new member. All by PM, under the forum table. The money was never seen again. The lens never appeared, and the "seller" disappeared, never heard from again. The address was an empty house.
So yes, this forum is cautious with new members asking about rare lenses. The OP's angry response is unusual, I'm not sure if it gives me a more secure feeling - or less.
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