Found a $10 Minolta srT101 + 5 lenses at a thrift store.

[Sirius Glass]

If you want to find good cameras at thrift stores, you have to go often and consistently. Chat-up the workers and let them know what you are looking and sometimes they will alert you to something you might have overlooked.

Casual shoppers who drop in once a month or every blue moon will only be successful by pure luck

I did that a few years ago and still could not get them to hold the cameras for me to see.

 

[MTGseattle]

I think in the bigger metro areas, it's the smaller thrift stores that are dedicated to one specific entity where we would have a better chance at camera gear (Seattle Children's hospital thrift store comes to mind). This probably means higher prices too, but the various Goodwill locations out here tend to be really busy, and stuff gets knocked around a lot, or put straight into the glass case.

 

[Tomwlkr]

Put out the word to relatives and acquaintances that you are looking for film cameras. You might be surprised at what comes out of the closet...

No no no no When I seriously got into photography, every relative was bringing me yard sale fids! For every diamond was dozens of useless junk!

 

[Kino]

No no no no When I seriously got into photography, every relative was bringing me yard sale fids! For every diamond was dozens of useless junk!

Small price to pay for when they eventually bring you that Leica and set of primes...

 

[Tomwlkr]

Small price to pay for when they eventually bring you that Leica and set of primes...

Mostly cheap point and shoots

 

[Pioneer]

This is kind of funny. I'm pulling together all the various Minolta cameras, and other cameras as well, that have landed on my doorstep over the years. I have several. Most of them are SRT cameras but a few are the later autofocus models as well. A couple of the SRT-101s have been used semi regularly since this was the camera I learned on way back in high school, but most of them haven't been pulled out of the drawer in years.

I'm kind of amazed, so far every single one of them has worked. I haven't gone to the length of actually testing the shutter speeds but they sound pretty close. Obviously I didn't check meters since they have no batteries but I wouldn't be surprised to find those work as well. They have not been abused or left out in a garage with large temp swings but neither have they been regularly exercised. They were loosely wrapped in brown paper to keep the worst of the dust off but that is it.

Minolta must have built them pretty well for them to still work all these years later. The build quality is occasionally compare to Leica and it doesn't surprise me when you look at them. As has been noted, they aren't worth a whole lot now days but they are still surprisingly good cameras. They are headed for an online used camera retailer if they will have them.