De-cluttering - How to place Premium enlargers in the marketplace

[youngrichard]

Like most of us I have been greedy over the years, though that is not to say that I have been an enlarger hog - A Durst 606, and so many others I can't now remember have all been taken in, loved and used, then re-settled in good new homes; until I am finally left with 3 old friends which have seen extensive use. But recently I have realised that I can manage with just the one, in fact the only one I have used for the past year or so, and when I think of how they will carry me out when the sands of time finally run out, and my enlargers, if not cared for, might find themselves buried in a scrapyard - I would like to find someone to love them as I have done. I am quite surprised that it is my Durst DA900 with Ilford Multigrade 500 head and power unit that I have chosen to take to the grave with me; consequently I will have a Leitz V25 with Focometer 2, and a Leitz 11c with Ilford 500 Multigrade head and power unit, and various lenses; to sell separately or together.
I am not expecting a fortune - I certainly didn't pay a fortune for them - but I would dearly like to think they are going somewhere where they will be loved and used.
Anyone have any ideas how best to place them on the market and find them a home?
Richard

 

[Kino]

Perhaps you should speak to this person who just posted looking for an enlarger in London...

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/hello-and-a-question.172848/

 

[ic-racer]

I think someone could make a business restoring enlargers if shipping could be perfected.

I was very curious about how these Dr.Z amplifiers were shipped safely using blow-in foam (scroll up the video to 17:43)

 

[Malcolm Stewart]

...Anyone have any ideas how best to place them on the market and find them a home?Richard

I bought my last 3 enlargers (different versions of the Leica V35) using eBay and sold my oldest enlarger to a guy on a UK bulletin board. I've had a lot of fun getting the V35s serviceable again, but have yet to make a "real" print...

 

[koraks]

Tough call. I have two enlargers, only one of which actually sees use. I've owned a few more, but they have moved to other darkroom printers and at least one of them may actually see some occasional use. The other one, as far as I can tell, was dismantled and most of its parts are currently waiting to be thrown in the bin. The ones I do have and use, a Durst M605 and a Durst 138, were both given to me for free. Both by kind gentlemen who wanted exactly the same as OP: to see these pieces of equipment actually being used. Both were in fully functional state when I received them; the M605 was and is in like-new condition, the 138 was an old beast with only 2x240 condensor and I had to scrape the other ones together from various sources (these were the parts I actually did pay for). I guess the essence of this little story is that even with today's supposed darkroom resurgence, it can be difficult to find someone willing to take a perfectly good enlarger off your hands even for free. Leitz enlargers seem to have a slightly different position in that they actually seem to get sold from time to time - but I also see some being put up for sale and remain for sale for months.

 

[jvo]

yes, tough - i would call local apuggers looking for photographers (young) who are processing and scanning and may want quality equipment or setting up a darkroom; or workshops, school programs, check websites, (like ilford local darkroom), local pro's, wedding photographers, and more. i'd really cast a wide net to contact photographers who know photographers, who know... ???? 8 out of 10 calls will go nowhere, (or voice mail). maybe message digital members of this forum. you will find 2 with good possibilities worth pursuing and the highest possibility of someone who will really use it and appreciate it.

it's harder that just putting ad's for "free enalrger" where you'll get a lot wannabe's and people who want to have a good backup themselves.

i'd offer it for free to a 'good home", so my baby would be taken care of and well used! once i gave 'the gift", i would let it go - the receiver gets to choose what they do with it.

 

[David Reynolds]

I have been and am in the same situation. I retired from the commercial photo world of NYC 6 years ago and moved to the Hudson Valley. I brought my darkroom with me (Omega D2V- B&W and D5XL -Dichroic Head Enlargers) thinking I would build a new space for it. With all these good intentions it is not going to happen. Living in the country has challenges that were not considered. For example, water supply. Having limited supply from a well source and quality due to abundant minerals and deposits, I cannot count on archival prints from the washing cycle to name one major problem. It would take some major engineering to correct that problem and still I would have to deal with a limited water supply.
As a result I have monitored Photrio classified looking to sell my darkroom equipment. I must say that I was ready to almost give it away and in some cases I did offer it for free but have been unable to find a new home for it. The major factor is the difficulty of shipping bulky equipment.
I think I have found a solution. I have located an active photo community in Vermont (2 hour drive from the Hudson Valley) that will welcome darkroom equipment donations and put it to work. I plan on loading up my SUV with an enlarger in the next week or two and delivering the first enlarger to them. It is satisfying to know that the equipment will not lie in storage and possibly self destruct from disuse (I think that is a word).
I am keeping the color enlarger (D5XL) for the time being in hopes that I can find a new home for this equipment.

 

[summicron1]

the big problem is resale value of these things is minimal, at best.

When I start to downsize I think I'll start working through the local university -- its darkroom has a very firm "no donated enlargers" policy in its darkroom lab section -- they are full-up -- but they also have a lot of students go through every semester. With time I would hope I can find someone who wants to build a darkroom and needs good gear.

God only knows what I'm going to do with the Durst Labrator -- a beast that does 4 by 5 my brother is storing in my darkroom forever because he realized selling it would be more hassle (shipping mostly) than the return would be worth.

Sad, but that's the situation we all find ourselves in.

 

[igzabeher]

I'm sort of in the market to aquire some darkroom equipment. The sort of is I spent a year underemployed, bought a house and the endless repairs that go with it, and am expecting baby number 2 shortly. So everytime I think I might have some cash stashed away, it gets repurposed. Hopefully this second job will dig me out of some of these holes and I can go back to pretending I have disposable income. For those of you in the NYC area who are able and willing to be patient, your equipment can find a good home with me.