Depressing DeVere Day

BobNewYork

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Anyone see that horizontal DeVere 10x10 color enlarger go for less than $800 on "The Bay" yesterday? Great bargain for someone - but seemed like a bit of a tragedy to me. What do youse guys think?
 

David H. Bebbington

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BobNewYork said:
Anyone see that horizontal DeVere 10x10 color enlarger go for less than $800 on "The Bay" yesterday? Great bargain for someone - but seemed like a bit of a tragedy to me. What do youse guys think?
Click to expand...

I would say it's a cause for celebration that it's found a new home and an appreciative owner - plenty of 8x10" enlargers have ended up in the junkyard!
 

David A. Goldfarb

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The price of such things usually depends on location. If it's in short driving distance of a major city, the price is usually higher, balanced against the price of real estate in larger cities which means smaller darkroom spaces.
 

Curt

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"pickup only" ?
 

jd callow

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BobNewYork said:
Anyone see that horizontal DeVere 10x10 color enlarger go for less than $800 on "The Bay" yesterday? Great bargain for someone - but seemed like a bit of a tragedy to me. What do youse guys think?
Click to expand...

I tried to sell one on ebay and wound up giving it away for parts.
 

PHOTOTONE

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There are many of us in remote (relatively) locations that would love to purchase a bargain-priced 8x10 enlarger, but don't because getting the thing to our darkrooms is an insurmountable problem. I was lucky. I found a Chromega 10x10 floor standing enlarger (on ebay) just a 2 hour drive away, and I won it for $127.00. There just aren't very many 8x10 enlargers out in the wilderness.
 
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BobNewYork

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Yes. It was pick up only but it was in Los Angeles! Just seemed a shame to me but when I read JD's post I had to head for the medication!!!
 

Mick Fagan

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About 10 years ago, a friend and I travelled over 2,000 kilometres to pick up two DeVere 4x5 enlargers, one of them is now in my darkroom.

We left on a Friday evening and travelled all night, got to the studio mid Saturday morning, loaded them into my brother's Toyota Hi-Ace van, then commenced the return journey after lunch and a snooze.

It's all a matter of priorities, isn't it?

Mick.
 
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BobNewYork

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You're absolutely right Mick! Have to say, if I'd had somewhere to put it, (and if I shot in 8x10) I'd have been very tempted to drive the 3,500 miles to grab this one. It's a bit like a puppy - I just hope this thing's going to a good home!!!

I really do need to get out more!!!!!
 

eddie gunks

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i live 2 hrs from NYC. i got a devere 8x10, lens and 16x20 easel for $200! i am still waiting to get it into my soon to be finished darkroom. it will NOT ever see a junkyard.....unless i photograph it!

eddie
 
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BobNewYork

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Good for you Eddie! Now you just make sure you give that thing a good and loving home! I guess my point is that mural prints are nearly all done on inkjets (sorry "Giclee," whatever that means) nowadays and it just ain't the same!

Bob
 
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BobNewYork

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Yes - I saw the Odyssey site. That's why I was amazed at the $800 for a fully equipped horizontal.
 

langedp

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I think it's great. Those of us not doing this for a living could never afford these things otherwise. I've picked up four 8x10 enlargers over the years (don't ask why) and have no trouble driving 4-6 hours each way to pick them up. One Chromega F vertical, two DeVere 10x10 horizontals, and most recently a Durst 2501 horizontal auto focus that's in amazingly good condition. The Devere's and the Durst were only $500!!
 
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BobNewYork

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You're right of course. Those true enthusiasts who would have had no chance of even a sniff at them before can now get to enjoy them. I think my point is that perhaps the current commercial value of these beauties is a reflection of society's value of the craft. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

Now if I can just find a warehouse I could buy and convert I'll be glued to ebay
 

langedp

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That's my view. The commercial labs viewed these wonderful devices as just a means to make money. I view them as an extremely well designed tool that I couldn't afford if the commercial world hadn't gone digital. The lab I bought the Durst 2501 from spent $56K for the enlarger new. People like us are giving them a second life. I'll make room for the 20' of track and 600# enlarger. It's just an amazing step up from the Omega/Beseler/XXX enlargers we normally deal with.
 

Peter De Smidt

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I paid a lot less for mine. I'd be extremely surprized if Odyssey Sales has sold one of these type of enlargers in years.
 

Sharadn

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I own an 8x10 Fotar that I grafted a 2000 watt DeVere Dichro head onto. I love it. The Fotar is awsome with roller bearings on the neg stage, the lens stage and the base board. It probably weighs 6-700 Lbs. I traveled 6 hours to pick up the fotar and basically got the head for free in Manhattan during the liquidation of a lab. I can make 30x40 prints from 8x10 using a 240 G Claron for the lens.
 

Uncle Bill

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As long as the enlarger has found a new home and is being used, I am cool with the price. The price for my Devere 504 I have been told was $220 CAD.
 

walter23

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What'd you do 240 kph the whole way? It takes me 11 or 12 hrs to do the 1000 km to Vancouver

Oh wait, you probably mean 2000 roundtrip.
 

Paul.

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I did a 600 mile round trip to fetch my 504, started at 1.30 am to be there by 9.00 am so the proffesional I was buying off was not inconvenianced and could get on with his day, paid off as I had a load of extras thrown in for less than the asking price, in fact his whole darkroom. Had to stop twice on the way home just to open boxes and drool.

Whatever the price if it is selling it aint being junked.

Regards Paul.
 

Mark Burley

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I drove three hundred miles for my 504. When I got there, the guy very quietly asked me if I was in the market for anything else. I said why of course, he then proceeded to load my car with an enormous collection of trays at all sizes together with numerous boxes of paper and dev etc. On top of all that he even asked if I wanted an easel. It was a beard 16x20. He then asked me for an extra £35. I could not get my wallet out fast enough.

On the way home I honestly thought I trod in something brown outside his front door. To this day, a year later I am still extremely grateful, I was amazed at his generosity. All he said was "at least it's going to a good home". He seemed heartbroken to see it go. But boy did I have a smile on my face for a week...

Mark
 

MartinP

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I used a De Vere 504 for some years professionally, in the UK. When I started looking for one here in Holland I found that they are not so common. It ended up with me hiring a van to go and pick-up a 203 + bits, about 80km away. The chassis is as solid and precise as I remember, and I don't actually have any negs bigger then 6x7 anymore, so I was well pleased - especially as the price was right and again, like other people have mentioned, the sellers were pleased that it was going to be used instead of dumped !
 
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