Too much crap

RalphLambrecht · Nov 13, 2015

zozur said:
Maybe you should put it here on classifieds. I think many people may be interested [emoji4]

That hasn't been my experience.Then they want to know the shipping cost and I have to run to the post office or shipping company to find out; Afer days of work and many emails. I'll be back where I started.It's just sad.I offered stuff for free in a 2h radius to fellow amateurs and nobody even invested in the drive.

blockend · Nov 13, 2015

ColColt said:
Nakamichi tape decks

I'd like one of those, as I still use cassettes. Objectively speaking, cassette tape like VHS video is a technically poor medium, but manufacturers still went to great lengths to get the best out of what was available. For similar reasons I want a 126 Instamatic SLR. In audio and visual equipment there is no "better", only different.

Mackinaw · Nov 13, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
..........It's just sad.I offered stuff for free in a 2h radius to fellow amateurs and nobody even invested in the drive.

You may want to send your free stuff to the Film Photography Project.

http://filmphotographyproject.com/

Yeah, youll have to pay postage, but the cameras will eventually end up in the hands of some young just-discovering-film students. Ive shipped several old classic, but not-collectable 35mm SLRs, to the FPP.

JIm B.

removed account4 · Nov 14, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
That hasn't been my experience.Then they want to know the shipping cost and I have to run to the post office or shipping company to find out; Afer days of work and many emails. I'll be back where I started.It's just sad.I offered stuff for free in a 2h radius to fellow amateurs and nobody even invested in the drive.

seeing no one is 2hours from you and wants it ...
cast your net out further
if shipping to FFP is too much $
give it away on eBay...
start the bid at 1¢ ( dagor77 used to start his bids off at 77¢ )
the buyer pays you and the shipping and you send it off.
ebay has "the giving fish "
it automatically puts the listing on the top of the pile because it is
for charity ( there are thousands listed, and if the one you want isnt' listed
you contact the charity and they get listed ) this way you can give gear to someone
who can use it, and you give the money to a worthy cause too
there are no fees for the sale.

David Brown · Nov 14, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
That hasn't been my experience.Then they want to know the shipping cost and I have to run to the post office or shipping company to find out; Afer days of work and many emails. I'll be back where I started.It's just sad.I offered stuff for free in a 2h radius to fellow amateurs and nobody even invested in the drive.

Mine, too Ralph!

I have been able to sell two medium format enlargers and other assorted darkroom do-dads recently. But I have several perfectly good SLRs that are worth very little, but still won't sell. I have two 4x5 enlargers that people might take for free (maybe) but I've had two sales fall through after the buyer changed their mind. And I totally agree about shipping and all that is not worth the trouble.

I do feel a bit sorry for whichever niece or nephew has to clean out my house (hopefully not for another 25-30 years), but until then, this is my stuff.

I am in the position that a lot of folks are at my age. We now can afford gear that we would have never dreamed possible decades ago when we would have had to have bought this stuff new. So, now I've got it. They're just tools. (I have actual "tools" in my shop that I rarely use, too; but if I ever need them ...) Whether or not I use them (or use them "enough") is really nobody's business. There are periodic and frequent threads about getting rid of gear, and the usual "I only have one camera and lens" crowd always shows up. Well, bully for you guys. As is appropriate on so many topics: "YMMV"

Excuse me, I think I'll go fondle a camera ...

Roger Cole · Nov 15, 2015

One problem is that shipping costs have escalated as used film gear has declined and sometimes it is just worth far less than it costs to ship. I'd love to have another good 4x5 enlarger with a color head, but when I find them no one will ship them. And I understand why of course - it would cost more than the enlarger. I have a decent D2V and a spare one mostly for parts though I could get it working easily enough.

Not so much true with regular cameras and lenses though. I've bought all mine used and they've been shipped, either from people on a forum or from KEH across town.

Old-N-Feeble · Nov 15, 2015

The way to save on shipping costs is to bundle several items together. It costs about the same to ship one lightweight 135 SLR body as it does to ship a half dozen. Also, bundling small items with much larger ones makes shipping the small items practically free, if not literally free. So this has me thinking... maybe I'll start giving away small low-cost items when I sell something of reasonable value. They'll basically be trinkets and probably useless to the buyer but hey, it's the thought that counts.

gone · Nov 17, 2015

All most people need is a 35mm camera w/ a 50 lens, and an 85 or 135 lens. Maybe add an inexpensive 120 TLR for square formats and larger prints. I finally got down to that setup, and yes, it is very liberating. In fact, I went further in the interests of portability, and am now down to a small 35mm rangefinder camera and one 6x6 TLR. If the shot can't be taken w/ all that, it doesn't need to be taken.

Theo Sulphate · Nov 17, 2015

momus said:
All most people need is a 35mm camera w/ a 50 lens, and an 85 or 135 lens. Maybe add an inexpensive 120 TLR for square formats and larger prints. I finally got down to that setup, and yes, it is very liberating. In fact, I went further in the interests of portability, and am now down to a small 35mm rangefinder camera and one 6x6 TLR. If the shot can't be taken w/ all that, it doesn't need to be taken.

For 15 years all I had and used was just one 35mm camera and its 55/2 lens; I didn't feel like I was missing anything. But maybe I just saw the world in that 55mm view. Anyway, I made some great photos.

All the rest is nice to have, but it's good to realize what the minimum is that works for you. For me, maybe a 35mm rangefinder with 40mm lens would be all I need.

Laurent · Nov 18, 2015

momus said:
All most people need is a 35mm camera w/ a 50 lens, and an 85 or 135 lens. Maybe add an inexpensive 120 TLR for square formats and larger prints. I finally got down to that setup, and yes, it is very liberating. In fact, I went further in the interests of portability, and am now down to a small 355mm rangefinder camera and one 6x6 TLR. If the shot can't be taken w/ all that, it doesn't need to be taken.

I went th same road, and could not be happier. I even considerd seling the M4, but my son and wife objected to this... I'm now down to one leica, 5 lenses ( at least one of the 3 35mm shoud go, trouble is to figure which one), the Rolleiflex and that is all.

I was lucky enough to sell the 45 system for little loss, but had to deliver the enlarger...

uniondale · Nov 18, 2015

Paul Cunningham said:
Use it or lose it, that's what I say. And it's amazing how much I can use (or will use very shortly)!
I'm only sentimental about one or two pieces, the rest have to earn their keep.

this is what I'm trying to do!

Renato Tonelli · Nov 19, 2015

I am trying to pare down but it's hard. For example, I have a Pentax 645 system in very good condition that I no longer use but the going price for such a system is 1/4 of what I spent on it - if you can find a buyer.

uniondale · Nov 19, 2015

For anyone selling gear, I just realized. using eBay's advanced search, you can search all items that have sold. It gives you a much better idea of what the demand is.

benjiboy · Feb 29, 2016

You have to be ruthless, I used to have a lot of disparate cameras and lenses, before the last time I moved house and downsized to my present one which is much smaller I rationalized my equipment and sold a lot of it so my SLR's are now all Canon FD and all my lenses fit and work correctly on all my bodies and my Mamiya C330F TLR lenses and accessories are all compatible too so my equipment now makes sense as an outfit, and I've never regretted it.

nolanr66 · Feb 29, 2016

I have always been happy with just one camera. However I think the world is going to run out of 35mm camera's so I am going to buy 2 or 3 Nikons just to make sure I have one. I am just a family type photographer and do not need any special features. So pretty much any 35mm that works properly is fine. Nikons are good for me as I have glass already and you can get a diopter eyepiece for them. I have no interest in medium or large format.

Sirius Glass · Feb 29, 2016

nolanr66 said:
I have always been happy with just one camera. However I think the world is going to run out of 35mm camera's so I am going to buy 2 or 3 Nikons just to make sure I have one. I am just a family type photographer and do not need any special features. So pretty much any 35mm that works properly is fine. Nikons are good for me as I have glass already and you can get a diopter eyepiece for them. I have no interest in medium or large format.

Yes, you should buy up Nikons to keep them from the hoarders.

fstop · Feb 29, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Yes, you should buy up Nikons to keep them from the hoarders.

too late I have all the Nikons I want.

nolanr66 · Feb 29, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Yes, you should buy up Nikons to keep them from the hoarders.

That's my plan. I am going on a buying frenzy and plan on buying a $39.00 camera every year for 2 years.

ColColt · Feb 29, 2016

I've seen enough occupied coffins in my day to have recognized early on that none of those decades of hard-earned money gets packed tightly around the guest of honor before the lid is finally closed. If you don't spend it on things that bring you enjoyment, and instead just leave it in the bank earning interest at 0.001% until the beneficiaries get hold of it, then why did we all work so hard in the first place? What was the point?

I have to agree with this 100% My sister left me a tidy sum when she died and it gave me the ability to retire sooner than I had anticipated. I have what I wanted years ago and don't intend parting with it. No, every camera doesn't get used weekly or even monthly but they're there when I want to use them. I do "exercise" them weekly to keep the juices flowing just like I exercise my vintage stereo equipment.

I do intend leaving what I do have to my one brother as he's all the kin I have left. Until then, what I have gets used. The way I see it, if you can buy what you lust after and it won't affect your ability
to pay bills or decrease from the amount of food in the cupboard, go for it.

Theo Sulphate · Feb 29, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Yes, you should buy up Nikons to keep them from the hoarders.

fstop said:
too late I have all the Nikons I want.

Yep. The Nikons I have now are the only ones I want.

nolanr66 · Feb 29, 2016

Well I have 6 kids and Grandkids and I plan to leave them a significant sum to help them on the way. Camera's have nothing to do with it.

paul ron · Mar 1, 2016

hahaha my wife has no idea what I have in my man cave. She just refers to it as HOLY CRAP EVERYWHERE. I ahve way too much of every hobby you can imagin.

My cameras are gold to me as well. I have collections of old restored n working cameras of all types n brands. My biggest collection, twice over with spares for parts, complete with every model made, are my yashicamats.

Besides those, I still have inventory from my MF n LF repairs which I once had a fleet of loaners for college kids.

35mm cameras of the 60s n 70s which many I have never used but did loan them to students as well.

Darkroom equipment stored in the garage takes up 30% of my space.

The good news is Im not buying anymore stuff.

The bad news is I cant keep up the maintenance on them as well as I like. I try taking them all for a roll now n again but just too many of em.

I love the LEAVE IT FOR MY KIDS line. My kids have been educated n use my cameras so they know what they are. But most kids have no idea what they are since they use their phones as cameras. after you're dead, they will try to sell them at garage sales n hopefully here for dirt cheap so WE can buy them up to fill our closets n garages with more HOLY CRAP EVERYWHERE!

The old guy was a horder!

.

lauffray · Mar 1, 2016

Jesus guys, I have three cameras and I feel like a hoarder

I'm not at all a fan of keeping stuff, it makes me anxious

DWThomas · Mar 1, 2016

Damn! Every time I see this title pop up I think it's another election thread!

I have too much crap. I am beginning to think the only solution is to die and let my wife call the dumpster folks -- so I am in no hurry to resolve the problem.

benjiboy · Mar 1, 2016

Be ruthless, If you can't hoard the crap, and can't sell it put it out for refuse collection.

Too much crap

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