AKA Murder
We need to tell the story
There were plenty of enlargers
25 years ago
Every small and big town had very good enlargers
And studios in store fronts
AKA Murder
We need to tell the story
There were plenty of enlargers
25 years ago
Every small and big town had very good enlargers
And studios in store fronts
Tin Can
Nowdays a poster with a single post is either a 'bot' or trying to scam someone.
I used to be someone with a single post was trying to give you something.
(this is the ad that led to my acquisition of a Durst)
2008 the SHF
I never worked again. Too old at 55
Took years to find my way
Tin Can
And somehow, the easiest to find for sale now, are horridly damaged.
2008 was a very hard year. I was still Tiny Format. Lost my decades l long very good job. I tested engine. I also had 13 motorcycles in my Art Condo. No work. I was very well paid for my talent.
Very depressed. Sold many bikes.
I made a bathroom Darkroom. People were dumping ALL wet gear.
I bought a nice van that was smoking heavily. Easy fix.
Took out the seats.
I drove and bought analog gear.
500 Mile Rule and 2 days. Sleep in van.
Entire DR
New 10 foot SS Sink fit inside the van. Very cheap.
Detroit had a lot. I was in Chicago. Indiana too.
However I know how to buy AND sell
I love Barter
Face to Face
Tin Can
With baby boomers aging out a lot of enlargers will be coming available in the next few years. Question for younger people will be how to keep those estate enlargers out of the landfill. These enlargers have a value that is usually a very small part of the total estate. So, the heirs, bogged down with estate logistics, are not going to spend much energy disposing of them. If they could do an internet search and easily find someone to come take them away they could be saved. So, you would need a national enlarger repository.
But who is going to make one?
A few years back...when an upcoming divorce made it clear to me that I'd need to get rid of my otherwise beloved Nikon Multiphot system...I found a guy a bit north of me in Vermont who purchased the whole shebang for what, to me, seemed a decent amount of money. Turns out that he had a warehouse/workshop and basically collected and rehabbed mostly Multiphots! Mine was in mint condition and needed no rehab - but I'm also thinking that with his connections he probably flipped my gear for a good profit! I do miss that setup!
At any rate...a national repository for photographic enlargers (especially LF/ULF) seems like an amazing (and viable) idea...but my guess is that if nobody stepped up to the plate on this during the era of the "great enlarger purge," then its now a bit late in the game. How sad!
There are some brokering firms in USA that deal with 8x10 enlargers:
https://www.footprintsequipment.com/Results.asp?Cat=200
https://glennview.com/durst.htm
That is an inaccurate generalization. It's easy to find enlargers for sale in shops that specialize in film & darkroom paraphernalia, like Blue Moon Camera (what could be easier than going to a shop and viewing the enlargers they have to offer?? And Blue Moon is very careful to assess and repair any equipment they sell, so that the buyer doesn't have to worry about what they're getting).Originally Posted by monochromeFan
Every day of the week you can find enlargers for sale in places like Craigslist, and most of the time these have been brought out of storage after decades, and they are lightly used and have been well cared for. (maybe dusty, and need a new light source, but hardly "horridly damaged")
I recently saw a Beseler 23C II for $75 at a local thrift shop. I inspected it out of curiosity (I already have an excellent one) and it was very lightly used, complete, and ready to be put to use. My own 23C II came from a friend who was giving up her darkroom and I got it for $150 and it came with lenses, carriers, and a load of other darkroom miscellany. It was in nearly new condition (she had been it's only owner and she took very good care of it) and it has been a pleasure to use.
I gotta say, I'm just not seeing any evidence to support your "used enlargers are horridly damaged" notion. Sure, if you buy enlargers that are being retired from the local high school photography dept., you can expect them to be badly abused. But that is not the whole picture.
I met Glenn 3 times in person. 1 time he came to see my Dark Room.
We had long chats. I bought some very rare goodies.
I clearly still see him walking away.
Both in our Chicago fortresses
Not kidding.
I saw too many dead on streets before Police.
I packed and ghosted…
Tin Can
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