Visit shopgoodwill.com and do a search for "Leica".
Leica M3 and M4 on the Goodwill website! Both auctions end today!
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They look real clean. Each with a Summicron. What a crapshoot though!
Well over 1K now. Too much for the lottery.
I'm a frequent, but very selective buyer at goodwill's auction site. One thing I've noticed, and it doesn't just happen with cameras, is that high quality items frequently get bidded up well beyond their fair market value. Sometimes I'll save one of these items in my watch list, just to see how crazy the bidding got and what the item's selling price was. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Folks tend to get caught up in bidding frenzies over there.
It is possible to find great deals on more obscure items that are worth a fair amount, however. Like an underwater housing with wide angle attachment that sold for well north of $1,000 new I picked up for $10. Only problem is the underwater housing is for a series of Canon camcorders that have been discontinued for several years now. So trying to find buyers is a slooooow process.
It is possible to find great deals on more obscure items that are worth a fair amount, however. Like an underwater housing with wide angle attachment that sold for well north of $1,000 new I picked up for $10. Only problem is the underwater housing is for a series of Canon camcorders that have been discontinued for several years now. So trying to find buyers is a slooooow process.
Yeah, there are a few deals to be had, mostly on very common or undesirable stuff. Anything else that seems desirable seems to get bidded up to more than a comparable item might be on EBay even thought the Ebay item is listed as working and comes with some buyer protection and the Goodwill item is “as is”, “untested.”
Yeah, their shipping prices can often be rather exorbitant. Not sure, but I don't think shopgoodwill.com even ships internationally. Which might be why AgX gets banned.
Even though all their stuff is as-is and frequently untested, a lot can be gleaned just be closely examining the photos. When it comes to cameras, yes, I've bought a few duds off their site, but I've also had great success. I've bought a couple of very clean Canon F-1s off that site -- cameras that work perfectly. And I've bought several Canon FTbs from the site, all of which worked well. My Pentax LX came from shopgoodwill.com, as did my MX, KM, and K2. I've also bought a couple of Canon A-1s that worked perfectly and a few Nikon N80s. Up until about a year ago, it was possible to pick up cameras that were popular back in the 80s, like the Canon AE-1 and AE-1P and A-1, Pentax K-1000, Nikon FE and FM, etc, for good prices. Now, it seems that all these cameras get bid up into the $100 range. Others, like Canon FTbs and Minolta SRT-101s could be easily picked up for $10-20, but no more, sad to say. It is the growing interest in film and its re-emergence in popularity that's causing this, I think.
Even though all their stuff is as-is and frequently untested, a lot can be gleaned just be closely examining the photos. When it comes to cameras, yes, I've bought a few duds off their site, but I've also had great success. I've bought a couple of very clean Canon F-1s off that site -- cameras that work perfectly. And I've bought several Canon FTbs from the site, all of which worked well. My Pentax LX came from shopgoodwill.com, as did my MX, KM, and K2. I've also bought a couple of Canon A-1s that worked perfectly and a few Nikon N80s. Up until about a year ago, it was possible to pick up cameras that were popular back in the 80s, like the Canon AE-1 and AE-1P and A-1, Pentax K-1000, Nikon FE and FM, etc, for good prices. Now, it seems that all these cameras get bid up into the $100 range. Others, like Canon FTbs and Minolta SRT-101s could be easily picked up for $10-20, but no more, sad to say. It is the growing interest in film and its re-emergence in popularity that's causing this, I think.
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^This. I can just hear the thoughts of denial running through the bidder's heads - !!!! It's Goodwill - I'm getting a good deal, really I am !!!!
Isn't that the idea behind all auctions?
I have purchased a few items with them. They do a very poor job of identifying the items for sale, which can be problematic with third-party lenses, but it you can identify the mount from the photographs, there are deals to be found. It seems like a lot of eBay sellers pick up items from goodwill for resale and drive up the prices of recognizable equipment.
Well, I dunno about driving up prices. I've bought a number of items from goodwill's site and then sold them on eBay, but I'm not able to sell them for more than what the eBay market will bear. I have to work within the limits in both directions -- which is why I end up passing on most goodwill auctions -- because there's no profit to be had by the time goodwill's shipping is added to the cost and the eBay and PayPal fees are subtracted from a sale.
If you buy items "as is" on Goodwill, and sell them as "used" on ebay, then you should get more. In the first case, you have no recourse (that I'm aware of) if the item doesn't work. In the latter case, you are guaranteeing that the item works as intended.
Yeah, but eBay buyers don't care about what the seller has to go through to get the items. They just want to pay half the seller's asking price, and of course, they expect the item to work perfectly.
To be fair: Can you identify ad hoc for sure more than 3 mounts?
I can't, nor can the guys from the shops I visit. Even photographs are of little help, as design may be identical, except for the diameter a millimeter or two larger...
I would never buy anything off that site unless you really like gambling. All the good stuff inexplicably ends up going for more money than eBay with zero return policy or guarantee that anything works at all. If you wanna score a $20 SLR and lens sure, expensive gear? NO.
threre was a point a couple of years ago where few people know about it and were turning up real deals, but as others have noticed it is not the victim of its success. And with all sales as-is, and photos that rarely give you enough detail, things are selling for more than other sources like eBay, UsedPhotoPro, and KEH.
It reminds me of eBay in 1998. I was shopping for a new video camera--a Canon GL1. I found a store selling them new on eBay as auctions (this was before Buy-it-Now). I noticed they seemed to sell a litlle high. I went to the sellers own webshop (separate from eBay) and the prices were several hundred dollars cheaper than what they were getting on eBay.
Auctions make people go a little crazy.
It reminds me of eBay in 1998. I was shopping for a new video camera--a Canon GL1. I found a store selling them new on eBay as auctions (this was before Buy-it-Now). I noticed they seemed to sell a litlle high. I went to the sellers own webshop (separate from eBay) and the prices were several hundred dollars cheaper than what they were getting on eBay.
Auctions make people go a little crazy.
That site is a scam. I don't believe it's a scam that Goodwill runs, but I do believe there are a lot of individuals who work there that scam the heck out of it, and you the consumer. Here's my reasoning, and if you do some internet searches, you'll find out that I'm not alone in these experiences.
Like Cooltouch said, things frequently sell for way, way above fair market value. That makes no sense. Sure, on occasion, you might have some things go for more than they're worth. But who's frequently buying stuff at above market value, that usually is in worse than normal market condition (and with poor listing descriptions and photos), and with no good return policy? It makes no sense that there would be that many people frequenting that site, overbidding on poor quality stuff when they could get better products for less money with better buyer protections on a ton of other sites!
Second, I've actually won several items that somehow sneaked past everyone. I've actually scored a couple of really nice products at extremely good prices. And do you know what has happened EVER SINGLE TIME? They always magically get lost after the auction is over, and they never ship it out to me. Then I have to contact them and bug them to get my money back. I always get my money back, but it takes a few weeks to go through the process, and it's rather annoying that that happens every single time!
Needless to say, I like shopping at Goodwill (and other thrift) stores. But I don't do business through their website anymore. It just can't be trusted.
Like Cooltouch said, things frequently sell for way, way above fair market value. That makes no sense. Sure, on occasion, you might have some things go for more than they're worth. But who's frequently buying stuff at above market value, that usually is in worse than normal market condition (and with poor listing descriptions and photos), and with no good return policy? It makes no sense that there would be that many people frequenting that site, overbidding on poor quality stuff when they could get better products for less money with better buyer protections on a ton of other sites!
Second, I've actually won several items that somehow sneaked past everyone. I've actually scored a couple of really nice products at extremely good prices. And do you know what has happened EVER SINGLE TIME? They always magically get lost after the auction is over, and they never ship it out to me. Then I have to contact them and bug them to get my money back. I always get my money back, but it takes a few weeks to go through the process, and it's rather annoying that that happens every single time!
Needless to say, I like shopping at Goodwill (and other thrift) stores. But I don't do business through their website anymore. It just can't be trusted.
I think that if i'd scored a great deal and the item somehow got lost, I'd be pretty suspicious too.
Overall my experience has led me to believe that they do a decent job. Shipping is too much on many items.
As much as desirable items get bidded up to more than their value on other markets, I think they would do themselves a great service by doing a better job of listing items.
Pentax LX 2-3 months ago was listed as "vintage Pentax" I believe with horrible pictures. It was paired with a K1000 which had more/better photos. Don't ge me wrong, the LX still went for a bunch of money.
I'd venture that a lot of their cameras work, but who wants to take a chance when they can't even bother to find a battery to do basic testing. Just being able to confirm that film winds and shutter activates would garner more bids.
Overall my experience has led me to believe that they do a decent job. Shipping is too much on many items.
As much as desirable items get bidded up to more than their value on other markets, I think they would do themselves a great service by doing a better job of listing items.
Pentax LX 2-3 months ago was listed as "vintage Pentax" I believe with horrible pictures. It was paired with a K1000 which had more/better photos. Don't ge me wrong, the LX still went for a bunch of money.
I'd venture that a lot of their cameras work, but who wants to take a chance when they can't even bother to find a battery to do basic testing. Just being able to confirm that film winds and shutter activates would garner more bids.
There was a very nice Canon F-1n that was due to close yesterday and I planned to bid on it, but I got invited out to dinner and just forgot about it. After remembering my error, I logged back into the site, expecting to see that the F-1n had gone for some serious change, but I was surprised and not a little frustrated to see that the auction had closed for $51. Grrr. I would easily have paid double that because the camera really was in superlative condition. So there's an example for you of a popular item that didn't get bidded up beyond reasonable limits. It still happens some. I also had my eye on a really nice Sony amp/receiver that, according to a web search I did, was worth used north of $200. It closed with one bid at $5.99. Made me even angrier. I should have skipped that dinner. Yet K1000s and AE-1s routinely go for more than they do on eBay.
I don't think it's a scam. I think it's ignorance in part and auction fever also in part. Scams usually involve straw-man bidding with the intended purpose of leaving the unlucky bidder in the lurch. This practice is illegal though. And as for it being poor quality stuff they're offering with blurry photos, while this used to be a frequent recurrence, it happens much less often now. Usually -- not always, but usually -- there are sufficient sharp photos that aid the bidder in making a decision. Frequently, if there is damage or excessive wear, they will have one or more photos pointing out the damage or wear, and in the following descriptions now they will often point out the problem. So this isn't the problem it used to be. And if you've got questions, you can always send a note with the question. My experience with that is, most of the time, they're prompt in their answers and they're helpful, sometimes supplying additional photos. As for their inventory, I suspect a lot of it is gear that's been sitting on closet shelves for years that nobody cares about anymore, gear which often got very little use. Usually if a camera is being sold with an everready case, chances are the camera will be in very clean condition -- because it's lived its entire life in that case.
But I do think that some of the goodwill locations excessively pad their shipping prices. Especially one location in Oregon. It's shipping costs are often 3x or even 5x higher than anyone else who's equally far away from my location. I've also noticed that what the item is can affect its shipping price. Your typical camera with a lens may have a shipping price of $15, which I consider high, but not unusual. Yet I can go and look at guitars, which are a good deal larger and a good deal heavier, and often I can find that shipping prices for them are often no higher. Now, why would that be?
Nonetheless, I still tend to be a careful shopper and not infrequent buyer there. I've just found too many good deals to ignore the place, and if I occasionally get a dud, usually I haven't paid more than a few dollars for it, so in the overall scheme of things, I'm still way ahead.
I don't think it's a scam. I think it's ignorance in part and auction fever also in part. Scams usually involve straw-man bidding with the intended purpose of leaving the unlucky bidder in the lurch. This practice is illegal though. And as for it being poor quality stuff they're offering with blurry photos, while this used to be a frequent recurrence, it happens much less often now. Usually -- not always, but usually -- there are sufficient sharp photos that aid the bidder in making a decision. Frequently, if there is damage or excessive wear, they will have one or more photos pointing out the damage or wear, and in the following descriptions now they will often point out the problem. So this isn't the problem it used to be. And if you've got questions, you can always send a note with the question. My experience with that is, most of the time, they're prompt in their answers and they're helpful, sometimes supplying additional photos. As for their inventory, I suspect a lot of it is gear that's been sitting on closet shelves for years that nobody cares about anymore, gear which often got very little use. Usually if a camera is being sold with an everready case, chances are the camera will be in very clean condition -- because it's lived its entire life in that case.
But I do think that some of the goodwill locations excessively pad their shipping prices. Especially one location in Oregon. It's shipping costs are often 3x or even 5x higher than anyone else who's equally far away from my location. I've also noticed that what the item is can affect its shipping price. Your typical camera with a lens may have a shipping price of $15, which I consider high, but not unusual. Yet I can go and look at guitars, which are a good deal larger and a good deal heavier, and often I can find that shipping prices for them are often no higher. Now, why would that be?
Nonetheless, I still tend to be a careful shopper and not infrequent buyer there. I've just found too many good deals to ignore the place, and if I occasionally get a dud, usually I haven't paid more than a few dollars for it, so in the overall scheme of things, I'm still way ahead.
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You might get lucky. I might just have been unlucky. A lot of it might have to do with the particular location that put the item up for bid. Everyone is virtually anonymous on that site. Anyone can make a fake bidding profile with a burner email account. Anyone can overbid and back out without consequences. And you never know anything about the people on the other end either. They could be long term, reliable, hard working, and honest employees or dishonest theives who jump from job to job.
In any case, I've always managed to get my money back, even if it did take a bit of hassle on my part. So it's not a total gamble. But I've been frustrated enough by it that I stick to other sites for that type of stuff.
In any case, I've always managed to get my money back, even if it did take a bit of hassle on my part. So it's not a total gamble. But I've been frustrated enough by it that I stick to other sites for that type of stuff.
Okay, you got my curiosity up now. Which other sites, besides eBay, do you frequent for "that type of stuff?"
As for not paying for an item that has been won at auction, Goodwill allows a certain number of unpaid auctions before 86ing a member from the site. I don't recall the specific number, but it isn't many. I suppose a person can just open another burner account, but that also means coming up with a different address and contact info also.
As for not paying for an item that has been won at auction, Goodwill allows a certain number of unpaid auctions before 86ing a member from the site. I don't recall the specific number, but it isn't many. I suppose a person can just open another burner account, but that also means coming up with a different address and contact info also.
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