Philadelphia Antique/Vintage Camera Show

[SteveH]

All,
I stopped at a camera shop in Chestnut Hill yesterday as they have a wide assortment of antique cameras, and I was trying to match-up my old Balda folder. The owner of the shop told me about an antique/vintage camera show this weekend, here are the details:

'Photorama'
Radisson Hotel - Trevose.
2499 Old Lincoln Hwy
Sunday March 5th, 10-3. $6 entrance fee.

www.photorama.com

I am going to attend. If anyone else plans on going, shoot me a PM and perhaps we can make lunch.

 

[wfe]

Would love to join you Steve but my weekend is full. I have been to these before, in fact I bought my Hassy at one of these. Lots of good stuff.

 

[SteveH]

Sorry for the late notice. I wasn't aware of this until yesterday.....

 

[Shinnya]

Hi Steve,

I think I will try to come by just to see what is there. Give me a e-mail if you want to meet up.

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

 

[stark raving]

Steve,

I will be there, unfortunately as I have a church organist gig the earliest I'll be at the show is around 12:30. Happy to meet any APUG'ers who are around.

Jonathan

 

[SteveH]

Jonathan,
I may still be around. Shoot me an email.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I went, I saw, I left.

Practically nothing there appealed to me. The usual few vendors but a few more buyers or lookers than at the last several shows.

I came away with a lens cap, a strap for the N8008S I expect KEH to replace (taking longer than I want, grrr!), and a small semi-treasure in the form of a 203/7.7 Kodak Anastigmat in barrel. S/n ECxxx, so made in 1941. Slightly odd, the front cell is threaded externally for reverse mounting. Glass not perfect, but only $10.

I hope the other people who attended came away happier than I did.

 

[SteveH]

Dan,
I agree - I wish I hadn't drove all the way up there. I went with the hopes of finding some old leaf shutters, some barrel lenses, and maybe a darkroom timer. All I saw was old canon/nikon/minolta 35mm stuff. Damn near no darkroom items at all. The couple of timers that were there, the asking prices were close to insane ($55 for an old bessler).
I left with the sense that people need to use soap when (if ?) they shower, and what I thought was a bargin 150mm Schneider enlarging lens. It looked great indoors, but upon going outside I found it to have either fungus, or element separation in the front. Anyone up for a game of hockey ?

 

[Dan Fromm]

Thing is, Steve, if we don't look we can be sure we won't find. And I did find a little.

Better luck next time, and if no luck chalk it up to entertainment,

Dan

 

[Shinnya]

Hi,

I did find an Ambrotype of a beautiful young lady in a excellent condition! I don't think it was a great deal or anything, but it is in a really good condition and I like it very much.

I also bought a Kodak publication "Conservation of Photographs" for $9 which was a pretty good deal to me.

I could not find a flange for Ilex #5 though. I will go next time as well.

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

 

[stark raving]

Steve -

As you know, I didn't make it there. I wish I'd known you were looking for darkroom stuff, as there is almost never any quantity of that at these shows.

Jonathan

 

[John Jarosz]

Those same shows run in the Chicago area. We have two or three guys that specialize in darkroom stuff. When they show up it's a very dangerous time because they are always selling at bargain basement prices. Why they don't sell on ebay is beyond me. (I'm still mad at myself for passing on a Omega E6 (5x7),Omega cold light head, 2 good lenses, neg holders and a paper safe for $150) I screwed up.

But if any of those guys don't show up, it can be a pretty dull show.

john

 

[Dan Fromm]

Funny that this thread should have come to life today.

There's another "Philadelphia" show in Trevose this Sunday (6/4) if the postcard Photorama sent me and the listing on Photorama's site are to be believed. I'll go, am not hopeful that I'll find much tempting.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'm thinking of coming up for this - They only do the show like this outside DC once or twice a year it looks like now. Anyone want to organize a meet-up at the show? It would be cool to meet some more of the folks from here in person.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I don't feel like organizing, will be there at opening, I hope. Just another guy with trifocals, grey hair and beard. Recent haircut, so fairly trim, and not as fat as I used to be, either.

If I can find it I suppose I'll wear my Cinema Beaulieu t-shirt.

 

[SteveH]

"Lazarus, Lazarus, come forth !"

Hell of a way to resurrect an old post ! Anyway, sorry guys, but I won't be making the show tomorrow, as I have to work 'till 8am tomorrow.

 

[Jim Chinn]

Before Ebay these types of affairs were pure gold for trading and finding anything in any format. In Omaha we still have 2 each year but nowadays the pickings can be pretty slim unless you are looking for 35mm gear or well worn used MF kits. But I still go with the idea that I really don't know what I might need untill I see it sitting on a table. The last two bargains, a very nice Seal drymount press for 75$ and three sets of developing trays (11x14, 16x20 and 20x24) that I paid $25 for the whole lot.

One interesting development at the last one was vendors selling older versions but new in box scanners, printers and digital cameras. At the next one I hope to pick up a scanner so I can start posting some work.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Steve, it is Sunday, not Saturday. And you're right, the timing is very strange.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Jim, I went with low expectations.

Came home with a lens I think I can resell for enough profit, to cover admission; a lens that I've been meaning to get to try out; and a 2x3 Crown Graphic with Graflok AND 105/3.7 Ektar. I have to take the focusing panel apart to see if it was made for fresnel -- no fresnel there now -- and the lens is in a broken shutter -- all timed speeds are the same -- but the price was very very right.

So much for expectations.

 

[stark raving]

Jim, I went with low expectations.

Unlike March, I made it to this show, too (didn't tell SWMBO I was going, just up and went on the way home from church........... she never noticed.) Similarly wasn't expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised by a Zeiss Contina II in good cosmetic and functional condition for the right price -- it followed me home. :rolleyes: Also saw a nice Pentax SV which I would have bought if I hadn't found the Contina.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Good for you, Jonathan.

Last Sunday I trekked up to Wayne, which was more dismal than ever. Dismal, perhaps, relative to my hopes of finding anything that I wanted/needed/could resell for vast amounts. Did come home, though, with a Folding Pocket Kodak #3 Model G that held a 130/6.3 CZJ Tessar in Compound. $not much, and its a pretty little lens. By the serial number, made in 1911 or 1912 and more fodder for the "old lenses, good lenses" polemic.

 

[Lopaka]

The man who runs the Photorama shows works out of his homebase in fotogenic pherndale (Detroit, Michigan area) - I've known him and his dad for a long time - bought used equipment from his dad 40 years ago.

These shows are smaller than they used to be. Now almost all equipment shown is 35mm, used to have much more MF and LF stuff. The darkroom guys, when they come, don't bring nearly all they have. Enlargers are kind of bulky to transport hundreds of miles. I think most of the dealers do sell on ebay. They also buy at these shows.

There is a show this weekend in the Detroit area - if you guys think there would be interest, I'll ask the darkroom guys there if I can post their name and contact info here. I know one that has a warehouse full of stuff in the Detroit area - last time I walked through it, he had a DeVere 504! If I hadn't already just bought a 4x5 enlarger, we might have made a deal.

Anyway, I plan to go and see if I find something I didn't know I couldn't live without.

Bob

 

[SteveH]

Thanks for the info Bob.
I would really be hard pressed to go to another show. As it stands now, my main interest would be in vintage folding cameras, and old LF lenses. When I was at the show last, there was only a couple of old folders, going to 4x as much as they should. I discovered one old brass lens; but it was missing its front element.
My only other interest was in film holders; but they were either in poor condition, or not much cheaper than I could purchase new for.

 

[DBP]

You may want to come to the next DC area one. We have a local guy who shows up with some beautiful early 20th century folders and box cameras. I bought a Century 5x7 with a triple convertible lens from him at the last one. It's in gorgeous condition. Takes pretty good pics so far, too.

 

[Lopaka]

A bust!

Well, this weekend's camera show in the Detroit area is kind of sparse. About 99% 35mm and not even a lot of choice there. Some of the biggest vendors elected not to do this one, and no darkroom vendors. I guess they are either on summer vacation or figured everybody else is. Maybe this fall's show will be better.

Bob