Thinking about selling (almost) all my 35mm gear...

ronwhit · Apr 10, 2019

Hi Brad,
For the last year or so, I've been selling equipment that I've accumulated over 45 years of 35 mm photography accompanied by occasional rounds of GAS. I've sold through craigslist, photrio, to dealers at a photo show, and to dealers as a trade-in on other equipment. And some I have given away. Here in SE New England, there seems to be no general rule - it's a crap shoot. Sometimes a private party will pay more than a dealer - sometimes not. I think that may be related to whether or not the dealer knows of a willing buyer.

My philosophy has come down to this. I didn't acquire this stuff as an investment, and I can't expect a great rate of return. Although I am retired, I don't have so much spare time that I want to look for getting every last dime from a sale. If I don't use it, and I truthfully won't in the next year or so, it goes on sale. And I don't want to burden others with disposing of it when I no can longer use it. Other folks' MMV.

ronwhit

Ko.Fe. · Apr 10, 2019

BradS said:
Here too.
My older son (not the one who recently decided to go to college) attended a year and a half at Universal Technical Institute. He gradualted and is a certified Diesel mechanic. He has certifications in several relavent engine families, can diagnose many issues as the trucks pull into the lot, is good with the computer systems, has worked for a Kenworth dealership, and a couple of Peterbuilt dealerships. He's been at it for five years...and still makes less than $25 an hour. He lives near Salt Lake City, Utah where the cost of an aparment is about a third of what it is here in California. He has trouble making ends meet. He has a second job and routinely take side work.

I'm in the broadcast business, since nineties. Certificates, diplomas... I'm paid 16 USD per hour as field support engineer.
And I'm paying more than 50% in taxes.
Our daughter is early childhood educator. It is 11 USD per hour job. Before taxes.

Embrace what you have in America.

etn · Apr 10, 2019

BradS said:
Education is the only chance we, in the 99%, will ever have at making ends meet in today's economy...and even then, the best we can do is to "barely make it". I'm very fortunate to be able to give him a chance in this life.

Cannot agree more on this. The economy is changing and the middle class is shrinking - we can be sure that we 99% will get poorer, not richer.
Sorry for the out of topic post!
Etienne

KN4SMF · Apr 10, 2019

You say there was a Nikon F2 in the batch. Certainly you must know that would be the one to keep, without question. If you had a million cameras and had to shave down to just one, that would be it. But seriously, if money is the prime motivator, I truly believe that getting out of California would be like having a 100 ton weight taken off your shoulders. From everything I hear, that place is a giant money-sucking machine with an insatiable appetite. You can have a 100 room mansion is NC for the price of an outhouse in California.

BradS · Apr 11, 2019

Yeah, I think I would probably keep a Nikon F2 and one of the other Nikons and, probably, a couple of Spotmatics.
It is my habit when travelling to carry two bodies that can share lenses...two Nikons, or two Pentaxes (Pentaces?) you get the idea.

blockend · Apr 11, 2019

ronwhit said:
My philosophy has come down to this. I didn't acquire this stuff as an investment, and I can't expect a great rate of return.

I agree. It's worth remembering that photography's digital upheaval is only twenty years old. People went from expecting five to ten years hard use out of a professional camera, with strong residuals, to their F5 and EOS1n being almost worthless, and the expectation of renewing the digital replacement every couple of years. A few film cameras have held their price, but they are the exception to the rule. For every desirable super compact - which were never cheap in the first place - there's a mountain of 35mm AF DSLRs selling for the price of postage. I shot with my Nikon F55 this morning!

Lenses have defied the general trend, with mirrorless digital cameras offering old glass a new lease of life. Who would have thought Victorian movie camera lenses would be highly prized in 2019, or a turret of 16mm movie lenses would provide a M4/3 system?

jtk · Aug 18, 2019

Dump it all, go digital/inkjet ( fine for footloose)...if you're genuinely hoping to do active photography rather infrequent snaps.

BradS · Aug 18, 2019

jtk said:
Dump it all, go digital/inkjet ( fine for footloose)...if you're genuinely hoping to do active photography rather infrequent snaps.

Thanks but I will quit taking pictures before I "go digital/inkjet".

Sirius Glass · Aug 18, 2019

jtk said:
Dump it all, go digital/inkjet ( fine for footloose)...if you're genuinely hoping to do active photography rather infrequent snaps.

For myself I would rather be impaled.

blockend · Aug 18, 2019

BradS said:
Thanks but I will quit taking pictures before I "go digital/inkjet".

As I may have mentioned, my favoured output is the printed book. To achieve this an image requires digitising. Although I use digital cameras half the time (but disproportionately in frames taken), most of the stuff that ends in a book originated as a film image. This is clearly making work for myself, but people are strange.

jtk · Aug 18, 2019

Big moves are big opportunities. That some are into impalement, rather than making photographs is a genetic problem.

NB23 · Aug 18, 2019

jtk said:
Big moves are big opportunities. That some are into impalement, rather than making photographs is a genetic problem.

If for you a big move is to go digital, I’m afraid you do not know what a real big move is.

jtk · Aug 18, 2019

He explained his big move (for readers). My digital suggestion related to his physical move to a camper. I suggest that shooting is more important than owning and that most highly skilled and "famous" photographers have long abandoned film, and certainly do not rely on mail-away labs. "Most"...

jvo · Aug 18, 2019

ronwhit said:
Hi Brad,
For the last year or so, I've been selling equipment that I've accumulated over 45 years of 35 mm photography accompanied by occasional rounds of GAS. I've sold through craigslist, photrio, to dealers at a photo show, and to dealers as a trade-in on other equipment. And some I have given away. Here in SE New England, there seems to be no general rule - it's a crap shoot. Sometimes a private party will pay more than a dealer - sometimes not. I think that may be related to whether or not the dealer knows of a willing buyer.

My philosophy has come down to this. I didn't acquire this stuff as an investment,
ronwhit

DITTO! - and mostly "...My philosophy has come down to this. I didn't acquire this stuff as an investment,..."

if i haven't used something in a year, i move it on - sell it, give it away to someone who will appreciate and use it. just move it on - enjoy photography, helping your son, and a pending retirement!

BradS · Aug 18, 2019

Update: I ended up not selling my collection off to the used dealer - I was out of town the weekend that he was in town. However, I've started just giving stuff away to interested young people...recently gave a Spotmatic kit and all of my Minolta gear to a high school kid who showed interest. He appears to have picked up the habit. He keeps the spotmatic loaded with B&W film and the uses color in the Minoltas.

I'm on track to retire next year...and I plan to travel a bit in my micro-RV.
I think a small Nikon kit and the little Barnack will come with me...the rest? We shall see..

NB23 · Aug 18, 2019

jtk said:
He explained his big move (for readers). My digital suggestion related to his physical move to a camper. I suggest that shooting is more important than owning and that most highly skilled and "famous" photographers have long abandoned film, and certainly do not rely on mail-away labs. "Most"...

And then there is the notion that, sometimes, the biggest move is no move at all...

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 18, 2019

My friend gave his darkroom to a local college that still taught photography using film cameras. I think he even took a charitable deduction on his taxes. The school's professor came to his house with one of his students to pick up all the stuff.

John51 · Aug 19, 2019

I'd make room in the RV for a suitcase enlarger and just enough processing kit to do some wet printing under the stars on a moonless night.

RalphLambrecht · Aug 19, 2019

BradS said:
I'm retiring soon and planning to vacate my apartment and live in an RV for a while....maybe, a long while.

Downsizing....in a very dramatic way.

To make it as painless as possible, I've contacted one of the large dealers in used equipment. I know, I'll get maybe half what I could if I sold it on Bay...I accept this as the price I pay for the convenience. It will be much easier and faster...no hassles.

Surely, some of you have done something like this...any anecdotes, comments, advice or suggestions?

keep only what you need and love.

jtk · Aug 19, 2019

In other words, he's going to stop being a collector of tools and sessile, will become motile...perhaps more photographer than owner.

jtk · Aug 19, 2019

RalphLambrecht said:
keep only what you need and love.

Exactly! And maybe the need is the desire is to do more or different photography, not to continue to accumulate and hoard.

Sometimes photographers are burdened by things they mistakenly think remain important...if they have ever really been important to their camera work.

summicron1 · Aug 19, 2019

BradS said:
Update: I ended up not selling my collection off to the used dealer - I was out of town the weekend that he was in town. However, I've started just giving stuff away to interested young people...recently gave a Spotmatic kit and all of my Minolta gear to a high school kid who showed interest. He appears to have picked up the habit. He keeps the spotmatic loaded with B&W film and the uses color in the Minoltas.

I'm on track to retire next year...and I plan to travel a bit in my micro-RV.
I think a small Nikon kit and the little Barnack will come with me...the rest? We shall see..

This sounds very wise Letting go of toys is always hard, but for a daily user as small a kit as you can easily carry is best and the rest just gets in the way.

Giving to students really is a wonderful thing -- I'm doing that as well, that and hoping my grandkids will take an interest in using Leicas because when they're ready I can certainly equip them.

kingbuzzie · Aug 19, 2019

filmphotographyproject.com donates cameras that are sent to them to schools. Some of the better ones are sold off to support the site and podcast.

Berkeley Mike · Aug 21, 2019

Scaling down. Clearing the decks. Simplifying.

Get someone else to sell the stuff. For you to do that you will clutter your brain and make things complicated.

There is a strong sentiment on this site that you will get more from selling individual pieces. I've heard that about high end bicycles, too. You have to market all the stuff and deal with the lack of value it will have. You have to go back and forth in communication for each item. You have to wait around to move the stuff. Then, if you are lucky enough to sell it, package and send everything with all that entails. Plus, you still have to deal with the leftovers...and there will be leftovers.

Swallow the pill. Get someone else to do this job and pay the piper. You have already gotten value from you camera gear.

BradS · Aug 21, 2019

Berkeley Mike said:
Scaling down. Clearing the decks. Simplifying.

Get someone else to sell the stuff. For you to do that you will clutter your brain and make things complicated.

There is a strong sentiment on this site that you will get more from selling individual pieces. I've heard that about high end bicycles, too. You have to market all the stuff and deal with the lack of value it will have. You have to go back and forth in communication for each item. You have to wait around to move the stuff. Then, if you are lucky enough to sell it, package and send everything with all that entails. Plus, you still have to deal with the leftovers...and there will be leftovers.

Swallow the pill. Get someone else to do this job and pay the piper. You have already gotten value from you camera gear.

Yeah, I kinda agree...life is short and getting shorter. Whether I net $800 or $100 matters very little to me at this point. Having sold a fair amount of stuff both here and on eBay over the past two decades (och!) and dealt with the hassles of listing everything and shipping stuff dealing with the occasional scammer...I'm just not sure its worth it. I'd rather spend the time on the road, taking pictures, visiting friends and family that I've not seen in too long, living life...

Thinking about selling (almost) all my 35mm gear...

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency