What do you do with stuff u don't really use

destroya · Sep 15, 2016

Wasn't sure where to post this...

Moving so that means boxing up all my gear and film, along with other stuff. This of course forces you to look and handle everything you have. I have been trying to keep things simple the last few years. For me this means using 2 or 3 cameras and 3 or 4 different films. So what should I do with the rest of the gear that does not get used?

Do I pass it along to someone who could use it more than I do? And then regret selling shortly after? And what about film that was found in the freezer? I know it still fine, so do I use it or trade it for films I use more? I hate thinking about it.

Great film, great cameras and lenses. Too much really and not enough time to shoot.

I posted this in mf as I have 4 or 5 systems that don't really get used for no reason except I prefer others. Same with 120 films. Found a large stash of 120 film in the freezer that I bought to shoot, put in freezer for the right situation and have yet to use it. I guess it's a good problem to have.

Anyway, what would you do or what have you done when you were in the same situation?

Thanks

John

moto-uno · Sep 15, 2016

Possibly , you could start by mentioning what it is . And then , maybe we could help . Peter

zozur · Sep 15, 2016

destroya said:
Do I pass it along to someone who could use it more than I do?

This. Unless something its very rare you can easy buy it again.

Patrick Robert James · Sep 15, 2016

Simple rule to follow- If you haven't touched it in the last year, you don't need it. Sell it on.

removed account4 · Sep 15, 2016

i was given a silkscreen studio by a friend years ago and later a video camera,
(TV-news grade ) and i thought i would be albe to use them
but realized that they woule all be better off being given to
a place where they would be used so i donated them all to a community art-center and they use all of it.
i have had cameras of different types tha i was given or found or bought and rather than hang on
to them i often times give them to friends or family. sometimes stuff is nice to hang on to and look at
and sometimes they not only have captured memories but they are full of memories still. those get passed on
to other people to record more memories too. i don't usually sell stuff. value really has nothing to do
with what anything is worth. i mean i have bought things that cost $30 that are now like my right arm
and things i bought for hundreds are sometimes worthless.
i'd rather someone use stuff than it just sit around.

Arklatexian · Sep 16, 2016

destroya said:
Wasn't sure where to post this...

Moving so that means boxing up all my gear and film, along with other stuff. This of course forces you to look and handle everything you have. I have been trying to keep things simple the last few years. For me this means using 2 or 3 cameras and 3 or 4 different films. So what should I do with the rest of the gear that does not get used?

Do I pass it along to someone who could use it more than I do? And then regret selling shortly after? And what about film that was found in the freezer? I know it still fine, so do I use it or trade it for films I use more? I hate thinking about it.

Great film, great cameras and lenses. Too much really and not enough time to shoot.

I posted this in mf as I have 4 or 5 systems that don't really get used for no reason except I prefer others. Same with 120 films. Found a large stash of 120 film in the freezer that I bought to shoot, put in freezer for the right situation and have yet to use it. I guess it's a good problem to have.

Anyway, what would you do or what have you done when you were in the same situation?

Thanks

John

My experience is if I sell It, I'll need it. Never seems to fail......Regards!

darkosaric · Sep 16, 2016

1) Sell them.
2) If they cannot be sold, then give them away (usually here).

Harry Stevens · Sep 16, 2016

For me the answer is rotation or sell .

David Brown · Sep 16, 2016

destroya said:
Anyway, what would you do or what have you done when you were in the same situation?

John:

I am totally sympathetic, as I am in the middle of the exact same thing. We just sold our large house, and have moved into a rent house - temporarily - until the next house we are going to buy is a done deal and we have done all of the upgrading and modifications to it before we move in. So, all of my darkroom is in boxes and stacked in the garage of this rent house!

But it's not just photography. My wife is a painter, and she is without her studio temporarily. She also sews all of her own clothes, and, of course, the multiple sewing machines are stacked in a corner.

We are downsizing, literally by half in square footage. We will still have a painting studio and a darkroom in the new house, and she will have a place to sew, but it will all be smaller, and that's OK. We have gotten rid of enough furniture to furnish a small apartment. We gave stuff away. We sold stuff. We had a big garage sale. There was a pile of "trash" the size of a car on the curb!

By comparison, my camera collection is small potatoes in the larger scene of "things"! I do have several that I don't use. I've tried to sell many of them (including here on APUG), but some I literally can't give away. I dropped from 8 enlargers to 4! Donated to a local teaching facility. Depending on how the new darkroom works out, I may have to give up one of my two sinks. We'll see.

But, the cameras are mine! I've spent a lifetime collecting them, and using them if I wish to. This reverse snobbery about having too many cameras amuses and amazes me at times. They're tools. My god, I have multiples of screwdrivers, wrenches, saws, drills, you name it. What's the big deal with multiple cameras?

I have many things (not just cameras) that I haven't used in a year. But when I want or need them, they'll be there!

Cheers,

David

mweintraub · Sep 16, 2016

David Brown said:
.....
But, the cameras are mine! I've spent a lifetime collecting them, and using them if I wish to. This reverse snobbery about having too many cameras amuses and amazes me at times. They're tools. My god, I have multiples of screwdrivers, wrenches, saws, drills, you name it. What's the big deal with multiple cameras?

I have many things (not just cameras) that I haven't used in a year. But when I want or need them, they'll be there!

Cheers,

David

It's different when you're wife complains that you have too many cameras.

Moopheus · Sep 16, 2016

One factor is, what does it cost you to keep them? Is it becoming a storage/maintenance problem? Do you need to free up some cash to buy the next thing? I have a shelf for my cameras, and if that shelf starts to overflow, something's got to go. I've been trying to consolidate systems just to make things more manageable. (Do I really need two toy cameras, when I really like the Clack more than the Diana? No. Do I need two that both shoot 6x6? No, not really. Do I keep the Speed Graphic just to play Weegee once in a while? Sure, why not?)

RichardJack · Sep 16, 2016

I built a shelf and have 40 SLR's on display. I pick one every month to run a roll of film through it for old time sake.
Moving is another story. I partially agree with "sell it or give it away, you can always buy another one". But I've found this to be untrue. It's not easy to find a camera that you've disposed of in the same condition unless your willing to pay top dollar. Even if it's not a rare camera it might be difficult to find one with a working meter, or clear glass. Parts are scarce and repairs expensive.
Consider your options carefully. I once thought I'd never shoot medium format film again or use my darkroom, I was sure wrong.

Thomas Bertilsson · Sep 16, 2016

The stuff I don't use are wonderful dust collectors.

It's so funny because I sometimes have cameras for so long I forget I have them.

I suppose I've come to a place where I don't really care what camera I use. My current favorite is a little Olympus Pen-D that's a half frame 35mm camera. But I know that next month my favorite will be the Hasselblad or something else.

4season · Sep 16, 2016

I might put all give-away candidate items into a cardboard box, then close the box so I'm not tempted to browse or reminisce. Over the next few weeks or months, remove items as needed then sell/discard/donate the remainder. Something about that "trial separation period" really makes the decisions a lot easier for me.

FL at CC · Sep 17, 2016

Hey destroya! I have a similar issue at the moment, coincidentally. I do agree with above posts to think carefully and not be too hasty. Something I do is I'll look at of a piece of gear I've not used in months (say my Pentax 67 200mm) and I'll envisage a shoot or project I can implement it with. I've found this little strategy to be handy in keeping your collection relevant and loved, to go back to a piece of gear that may not have been used for over a year or perhaps even ten years! Unless there are monetary struggles that are encroaching on your collection, then perhaps a couple of pieces may need to be moved on. However, if it's no issue at all - keep them!! You'll most likely want to use it again in the future

Frank

Jim Jones · Sep 17, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Simple rule to follow- If you haven't touched it in the last year, you don't need it. Sell it on.

I've not touched items for decades and then found them precisely what was needed for some project. It's that way with knowledge, too. Almost any information can be found on the internet, but it's handier to have a good library of rarely used books.

wiltw · Sep 17, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Simple rule to follow- If you haven't touched it in the last year, you don't need it. Sell it on.

I find it difficult to part with something for $300 today which cost $3000 originally, even if seldom used! The used price today scarcely covers a rental for a couple of weekends, should you find the need in the future.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 17, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Simple rule to follow- If you haven't touched it in the last year, you don't need it. Sell it on.

easier said then done;nobody wants this old analog crap even for free.There is no market for it. You can only dump it even if it breaks your heart.

Wallendo · Sep 17, 2016

If they looks nice, I display my old non-working cameras.
If the cameras work, I make an effort to use them. Some of the less frequently used bodies are loaded with niche film such as some Lomography products.
I do have a collection of camera bodies I don't really have a use for, however. Most of these were bought with lenses I wanted. It is often cheaper to buy a camera with a lens than the lens by itself. These are collecting dust until I can figure out what to do with them.

destroya · Sep 17, 2016

Sorry for the late reply. Moving sucks. Only have a few min so...

In MF the gear that gets occasional use are Pentax 645n with 3 lenses, mamiya 6 (really should use it more) fuji 645z. The results are great with all 3. I also found a long lost stash of 220 astia and 220 velvia 50. Also a bulk Roll of plus x and 40 35mm rolls of tri x. There are a few 35mm cameras but I have a headache and it hurts to think.

I know I should use em. Maybe a new city will give me an excuse.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 17, 2016

Jim Jones said:
I've not touched items for decades and then found them precisely what was needed for some project. ...

Yes, exactly. I'll set aside a hobby for a while and come back to it years later. There's a certain comfort in returning to familiar things.

My cameras and other things do not need to justify their existence to me.

Jeff Bradford · Sep 17, 2016

Several times I have disposed of a majority of my possessions and moved on. I have never missed anything I deliberately sold or gave away.
Several times my wife took it upon herself to dispose of some of my possessions. To this day I still do not miss her.

paul ron · Sep 17, 2016

put it away because i MAY need it one day.

one90guy · Sep 18, 2016

I find myself in a somewhat different situation. My wife and I are strongly considering buying a larger RV, and selling our home. The last few years I have been selling and giving away cameras but will have to cut much deeper. Also I have collected 4 enlargers and a well stocked darkroom, all of these must go My medium format gear is going to be tough, have not been using them a lot but really pleased with what I have. The Mamiya 6 and Rollieflex III will stay, but the Bronica EC with a nice lens collection is such a pleasure to use, Mamiya C330 is well liked and several 35mm slrs and 3 rangefinders. Plus my digital (sorry) which the wife also uses must be kept. Space will be tight and weight also. I only have 2000 pounds to work with, which sounds like a lot, but clothes, kitchen supplies, food, water, will add 2nd battery and generator and the pounds start to add up in a hurry.

Sorry to have hijacked this post, just needed to share my problems with other liked minded camera folks. Feel free to delete post.

David

Old-N-Feeble · Sep 18, 2016

Stuff I don't 'want' to use... I'm tripping over this crap but selling it takes energy I no longer have. Stuff I 'want' to use... sitting unused because I don't have the energy to make it useful but want to. Catch 22's... life is full of them.

What do you do with stuff u don't really use

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