Well, down is the word to best describe the event.
I expect a number of things, but there does appear to be a trend of overall numbers of both tables and punters being down.
I saw a few interesting things down the back of the hall where on one table there were three ½ plate cameras of what looked like the same design, but different models. All of them had a brass lens of suitable vintage fitted and they all looked as though they were literally pulled out of a dump that morning. There were also a couple of magic lantern projectors, one of which appeared to have been converted to electrical power shortly after electrical power came on the scene, these also looked as though they had just been pulled from a dump as well. The cameras had $400.00 on them, not sure whether or not they moved them.
There was a complete Shen Hao 4x5 camera with a Shen Hao right angled viewfinder attached as well as a dedicated Shen Hao 612 back, complete with 645, 6x6 and 6x9 masks. I wanted the 612 back, another fella was after the camera, neither of us was after the right angled viewfinder. Even though both of us sot of hung around for about an hour, coming back, he wouldn't budge. As I was leaving I called back to his table, it was still there, but he exclaimed he finally had a buyer for the right angled viewfinder, but couldn't find either of us, stiff!
Watched a beautiful Hasselblad 503CX fitted with a 150 lens, A12 back after market brighter screen and a prism finder on top, being haggled over and eventually sold. At the same table an identical Hasselblad but with the 180 lens, two A24 and one A12 back, plus odds and sods complete and fitted very nicely into a foam cutout aluminium case, attracted nobody. Both of these were used by the same fella for wedding photography for some years it appears. The 150 fitted Hasselblad went for $1,450.00 to a trio of gentlemen obviously adding to their shared collection of cameras that they appear to use often.
I saw a Nikon F5 and F100 alongside each other that didn't move. $500.00 for the F5 and $400.00 for the F100. Plenty of tyre kickers but no takers. I was reminded of Marko in Canada who recently picked up his camera for $300.00 which I think was an F5.
I picked up a 500 sheet box of Agfa 5x7 MCP 310 RC paper for $25.00 I may use this for a postcard exchange in the future, as well as happy snaps. This made me quite happy.
I believe that there will be some changes regarding the frequency of the Melbourne market day, as well as a possibility that there will be a country held version next year. My money is that the March market will still stay and the October one will drop off.
Look out for the possibility of a September photographic market being held in a provincial city next year. In other words sharpen you pencils and mark your diary for the market then.
Mick.
Or maybe from the sounds of it, I didn't really miss much?