Camera Shows

3Dfan · Nov 16, 2007

I've heard from time to time that camera shows are places to find older equipment, but have never seen one advertised. Where does one go to find out when and where one is going to be?

Shawn Rahman · Nov 17, 2007

Shutterbug used to be a good resource for shows like this, but I haven't looked through an issue lately.

I've been to a number of shows in the past year, and they can be a good source for older equipment, but I don't think the deals are generally as good as you can get online or on ebay. Keep in mind that most of the dealers at these shows are generally "for profit" professionals. But at least you get to inspect the goods at these shows.

smieglitz · Nov 17, 2007

Photorama show dates

bdial · Nov 17, 2007

The price you pay depends somewhat on your barganing skills, which isn't an option on-line or on ebay. Even though the dealers are for profit professionals, generally they know perfectly well what stuff sells for on ebay. At the last couple of New England shows I've gone to, I'd characterize the prices as a bit more than eBay or KEH on stuff that has good demand, and is always pricey, like Leica, Nikon and the like. But lots of other stuff was downright reasonable. I encountered a box-full of a Sinar view camera with lots of accessory pieces and a 210 Schneider Symar for $600 which seemed eminently reasonable. That one, I didn't want to look at too closely....
The shows are a great resource if you want to compare several different models side by side. And as HKR pointed out, you get to actually look at the stuff, and you aren't reduced to trusting what some ebay seller is saying, or not, about an item.

3Dfan · Nov 17, 2007

That's why I'd like to go to one. Even if I don't buy a thing, I could get a better idea of what would suit my needs via hands-on comparisons.

winger · Nov 17, 2007

I know there are ones in Watertown, MA a couple of times a year, but I don't know of others. If Whitey checks in, he knows the site and timing for the ones in MA and might know how to find out if there are others. I got a 6x9 Zeiss folder for about $30, IIRC.

Akki14 · Nov 17, 2007

I googled and accidently found one listed with the local carboot sales (for anyone in the UK looking for camera fairs). There's one in Potters Bar tomorrow morning at the Elm Court community centre and it's apparently fairly frequent (every few months). Will report back to see if it's any good. I'm looking for common stuff so the stuff at the big Photographica fair in central London once a year was kinda too high end for me and my budget. Not everyone wants a leica or hassy...

bdial · Nov 17, 2007

The ones I know about in MA are sponsored by Photographic Historical Society of New England (http://www.phsne.org/). They do two shows each year in the spring and fall, and an auction.
As for finding them in other places, Shutterbug is a good source, also the "event's" section in the newspapers, local shops, camera clubs and regional newsletters.

Barry

pauliej · Nov 18, 2007

Does anyone know about any camera fairs, car boot sales, camera shows, etc in the Indiana/Ohio area anytime soon? Where to look to find about these in advance? Help? I would like to find a cheap ($50 or less?) but reliable 6x6 like a Isolette or similar. I am a newbie, so to speak, but I have learned an awful lot on Apug in the last several years - many thanks to you all. And thanks for any assistance.

Paul

Jim Noel · Nov 18, 2007

Just do a google search for Camera Shows and many will show up. The shows are getting fewer and significantly smaller, but they do still exist in most areas of the country.

3Dfan · Nov 18, 2007

Jim Noel said:
Just do a google search for Camera Shows and many will show up. The shows are getting fewer and significantly smaller, but they do still exist in most areas of the country.

It was my failure to find any Pittsburgh area camera shows on google that prompted me to start this thread.

Bill R · Nov 18, 2007

Not Pittsburgh of course but in the midwest www.camerashow.biz handles St. Louis, Omaha, KC and other locations.

pgomena · Nov 19, 2007

Between Craig's List and E-bay, it took about 5 years to finally kill the photo swap meets in the Portland area.

Meets became a few dozen sellers with a lot of old junk that showed up with mostly the same junk year after year. It was still fun to go poke around, but neither the organizations fronting the meets nor the sellers could make a buck. Sad. We had about 25 years of continuous annual meets, even had two competing meets at one point.

Peter Gomena

Whiteymorange · Nov 19, 2007

winger said:
I know there are ones in Watertown, MA a couple of times a year, but I don't know of others. If Whitey checks in, he knows the site and timing for the ones in MA and might know how to find out if there are others. I got a 6x9 Zeiss folder for about $30, IIRC.

Unfortunately, Whitey knows only what bdial knows at this point. The PHSNE website says that their spring show this year will be May 3 & 4 (in Wakefield these days, not Watertown.) Barry is also correct in his estimate of costs there. High interest items go for a touch more than the same on a good website, but there are deals to be had and folks to ask questions of. More than anything else, it's fun.

There is a monthly show, I believe, in NJ, but I'm not sure of the details. Sorry.

John Shriver · Nov 25, 2007

The Fall 2007 PHSNE show was quite dissapointing. Shrinking, shrinking, shrinking.

Peter Schrager · Nov 25, 2007

jersey show

Whitey- I get a flyer from the show in jersey but as usual I'm nowhere near my house right now. I will post the details when I return on Dec 8 it is still a pretty good show. there is a great filter guy and some other regulars who know their stuff. I found an 8x10 which I sold to Jim Galli and a bunch of other stuff. it runs on the second sunday of each month...
Best, Peter

Whiteymorange · Nov 26, 2007

Thanks Peter. I did a search and came up with this.

IloveTLRs · Nov 26, 2007

Camera shows are dangerous things for me, and feared by my wife. In the two shows that I've been to I've come away with more than seven cameras ...

Peter Schrager · Nov 26, 2007

second sunday show

Whitey-yes it is the second sunday show in Wayne.
Best, Peter

photobum · Nov 26, 2007

I bought all of my stainless steel darkroom gear at the 2nd. Sunday Wayne, NJ show. That was a few years ago. E-bay has killed it off and the show is now about a third of what it once was. Still the place to go for filters. You never know what you might find. It's just a lot harder to find stuff now.

Camera Shows

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