Giant lot auctioned on eBay

Diapositivo · Feb 15, 2013

http://www.repubblica.it/persone/20...ge_in_saldo_su_ebay-52711099/1/?ref=HRESS-4#1

A lot of around 1000 vintage cameras is on sale on eBay.
The base price is not really contained, some $30 - 40 per piece, but might be interesting.

If somebody is a repairer there's a life of work here refurbishing the cameras and re-selling them on auction sites with a nice profit.

batwister · Feb 15, 2013

at image #5 - as if we're entering a tomb! Is he stood between two cabinets?

Where's the eBay link?

kbrede · Feb 15, 2013

Here it is:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190796013023?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

abeku · Feb 15, 2013

Oops! I touched the "Buy it now" button!

jgwetworth · Feb 15, 2013

Holy crap! Just about all I can say about those pictures.

summicron1 · Feb 15, 2013

i saw that -- saw one rollei tlr, if he had more cameras worth bothering with you can bet he'd show them.

Look closely, most of that stuff is the sort of thing you can buy for $10 at a thrift store -- repairing and reselling at a profit is not going to work with this stuff. This guy obviously was a hoarder -- he bought everything, no matter what. I guess it's not as messy as hoarding cats, not as flammable as hoarding newspapers.

the per-camera price at bid works out to $35 each -- far too high for most of those.

Jim17x · Feb 15, 2013

At the most.. $5k with shipping..

Marc B. · Feb 15, 2013

And, so far, (2 1/2 hours until auction close), only one (1) bidder - with zero (0) feedback!
I know everybody using *Bay started with zero feedback, but on a sale like this,
I would be very suspicious as a seller to someone with zero feedback.
I bet we'll probably see this sale re-posted in the coming weeks.

Too pessimistic?

Marc

batwister · Feb 15, 2013

'Selling to fund divorce.'

nicholai · Feb 15, 2013

I saw a speed graphic and some rollei and mamiya tlrs, and five (!!!) polaroid pathfinders. thats the only things visible to me, that is really worth something.

Diapositivo · Feb 15, 2013

An auction like this should be prepared better and probably sold through Sotheby's or Christie's or somebody of the same experience.
I wouldn't make an offer without a proper inspection de visu of the material.
The lack of a proper list of items is certainly not very inspiring.

If the cameras really were as the seller says (Many cameras are in working condition. Most of them have a great cosmetic condition) there would certainly be margin for profit.

Jim17x · Feb 15, 2013

Its already relisted.. After 2 hours! Maybe the one bid came from him trying to give the impression that there is interest in the auction.. He also raised the shipping from $1k to $2k..

Two23 · Feb 15, 2013

I didn't see anything in the pile that looked at all interesting. Looked like a bunch of Argus and other cheaper cameras. Didn't see any Leicas, and only one or two Rolleis. No thanks. My taste is for gear much older than that relatively modern stuff. I'd rather have one $34,000 Gireaux sliding box camera with a Chevalier lens than all that 1960s junk. Or, 1 clean 1920s Leica Model 1.

Kent in SD

Barry S · Feb 15, 2013

It looks like a random accumulation of cameras. I went to a local sale of a similar "collector"--it was a little scary. There's a certain pathology at work and it's unsettling. Like this seller, there was a ton of random junk and a very small number of desirable cameras. No one will buy this collection at anything near the asking price and no major auction house will have any interest. It will end up with the estate sale folks--sooner or later.

Marc B. · Feb 16, 2013

...Its already re-listed...He also raised the shipping from $1k to $2k...

Plus, now he has added a $50,000 BIN, (buy-it-now) option.
I thought 35k was a stretch...50k is tad delusional.

He does advise 'on-site inspection' prior to purchase, and 'local pick-up' instead of shipping.

...Self Pickup is most preferable way to finish up the transaction...
It is strongly recommended for eye inspection before purchase...

This seems to be about the only aspect of this deal that's making any sense.

Marc

AgX · Feb 16, 2013

I don't like the term "junk" for this collection. It denounces all what I have. And, more important, it gives a better oversight over what really had been used in the history of photography than any elite camera only known to some collecting experts.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Feb 16, 2013

I don't like the term "junk" for this collection. It denounces all what I have. And, more important, it gives a better oversight over what really had been used in the history of photography than any elite camera only known to some collecting experts.

For me , I have to be expert to know that japanese garbage than know rollei and leica.

summicron1 · Feb 16, 2013

local news article has more pictures---one heck of a lot of cameras:

http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/14/massive-1000-piece-camera-collection-being-auctioned-on-ebay/

batwister · Feb 16, 2013

Did someone just mention Sotheby's? He'd have to auction them as Cartier-Bresson's cameras for that I think.

wblynch · Feb 16, 2013

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
For me , I have to be expert to know that japanese garbage than know rollei and leica.

Considering the contribution the Japanese have made to the history of photography, that is a pretty small minded statement.

EASmithV · Feb 17, 2013

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
For me , I have to be expert to know that japanese garbage than know rollei and leica.

have fun with your portraits with teles in low light, and macros. People always rave about Leica. I borrowed an M3 once. Wasn't amazed. First time I ever used an F, I became obsessed.

Sometimes I wonder if the people that rave about Leica are using it as a secret communication to rave about Aryan Supremacy or something.

brucemuir · Feb 17, 2013

:munch:

Vilk · Feb 17, 2013

:munch:

Bill Burk · Feb 17, 2013

Looks like one of everything, which may actually be an interesting collection. I bet there are some $300 cameras in the lot, but there are plenty of $15 and $30 cameras, which would make it hard to consider as an investment. I think you'd have to sell half of them to break even. And that would be hard work.

Red Tractors · Feb 17, 2013

I think this is a little crazy,

There are a ton, (or more probably) of cheaper cameras.

Aside from that, it's probably what my house is going to look like in a few years.............

Giant lot auctioned on eBay

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency