What is it with people who...

[Sirius Glass]

Not to hijack the thread, but keep in mind that even "reputable" sellers are often clueless as to what constitutes "fully working" condition. Case in point, an EOS 1V I recently bought from Shutterblade came with a smashed hotshoe. While they were willing to take it back, it's obvious they didn't test it to see it was working fully. Too much trouble to actually try and slip a flash onto the hot shoe.

It's amazing how many people will snap the shutter three times and if that goes ok, assume the rest of the camera is in great shape.

You will please note that Shuttleblade was not in the list. I have had less than sterling results with them, some good but still less than sterling.

Steve

 

[David Brown]

I wouldn't (and have not) ever purchase anything mechanical (camera or otherwise) from a thrift store, pawn shop, camera show, etc,, that I couldn't satisfy myself was fully functional before I bought it. If it "needs a battery", but doesn't have one, I have to pass. Usually, that's enough. Oh, there was that Zorki that worked fine at the show, but then exploded the next day at my house, but the seller should have told me ... :rolleyes:

 

[WolfTales]

I wouldn't say a thrift shop is a type of gambling operation.

It just takes all sorts of people to make the world go round, that's all.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I wouldn't (and have not) ever purchase anything mechanical (camera or otherwise) from a thrift store, pawn shop, camera show, etc,, that I couldn't satisfy myself was fully functional before I bought it. If it "needs a battery", but doesn't have one, I have to pass. Usually, that's enough. :rolleyes:

Excellent advice.

Steve

 

[Jesper]

But now and again you come across nice people instead.
This summer I bought a Nikkor 105/1.8 on a Swedish auction site. It was advertised in bold letters as BROKEN and the picture showed in three pieces.
I know a good repairman so I decided to take a chance and got it for the equivelant of $80. I went to pick it up since the seller lived close to me.
He gave me the lens in a bag, smiled and told me that if I could not get it together he would refund my money!
I pointed out that I was fully aware that the lens wasn't working and that it was bought as a non functioning lens.
We discussed this for a while and then I left him to go to the repairman.
The repairman took a look at it and told me that he couldn't guarantee that it would be ok.
I asked him to make a try and I would pay him for his efforts.
When he gave me the receipt for the lens he explained that naturally it wouldn't cost anything if he didn't succeed..

Sometimes people are just nice.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nice, recumbent! Yes, some people are nice. If I am buying an expensive item, I will shop as I posted above. If I am looking for a bargain, I will try awn shops, thrift stores, ... , but I will also check out the camera thoroughly before I buy it.

Steve

 

[2F/2F]

It goes both ways. I got my Rolleiwide in near-mint condition in a thrift shop in a metro area of 13 million people. Not only is it a one-in-four-thousand camera that could be sold for thousands of dollars, but it is also one of the cleanest cameras I have ever seen. The point is that people have no idea what they are giving to thrift shops, and thrift shops have no idea what people are giving to them.

 

[dougjgreen]

It's no different than eBay. Any item on eBay listed as "I don't know if it works or not" or it "just needs a new battery" are outright lies. Both equate to "This is a piece of junk but I won't sell it if i tell you the truth".

Assume everything is broken unless assured otherwise. Even then, be prepared for the trully ignorant to give exception to the rule.

Ironically enough, my experience is that on ebay with cameras, cluelessness significantly outnumbers outright fraud. I'd say that around 2/3 of the time, the "I don't know if this works or not" is a true statement - and the item either actually does work - or they really couldn't find the right battery.

And as for the other 1/3, usually, asking enough questions about the item can glean enough info to give me a heads up that I'm dealing with someone who is being intentionally dishonest.

The trick is to make sure that you're saving enough - relative to a known working sample of the same item, to make the gamble worthwhile.

 

[Chris Nielsen]

Wow, I posted this late last night and just a few hours later this thread is up to 4 pages!

Seems to be a consensus that it's a lottery buying from these places. Yeah, I'm starting to think so too. I guess I'm just grumpy about the person who donated that Trip - there's no way it took photos and yet they gave it to the thrift store to sell to some poor unsuspecting person?? What's up with that?

 

[MattKing]

So is anyone interested in the mint Pentax K1000 SE with 50mm f/1.7 and 70-200mm f/4 Takumar lenses I bought at a thrift store today for $25.00?

Complete with immaculate cases.

Oh, and the meter is working.



Matt

 

[Vonder]

Sure!

So is anyone interested in the mint Pentax K1000 SE with 50mm f/1.7 and 70-200mm f/4 Takumar lenses I bought at a thrift store today for $25.00?

Complete with immaculate cases.

Oh, and the meter is working.



Matt

I bid 50 quatloos. Don't know what a quatloo is? Seek ST:TOS

 

[McFortner]

I bid 50 quatloos.

I bid 55 quatloos and a third round draft pick!

Michael

 

[Sirius Glass]

So is anyone interested in the mint Pentax K1000 SE with 50mm f/1.7 and 70-200mm f/4 Takumar lenses I bought at a thrift store today for $25.00?

Complete with immaculate cases.

Oh, and the meter is working.



Matt

I will trade my ex-wife for it, please!

Steve

 

[IloveTLRs]

It goes both ways. I got my Rolleiwide in near-mint condition in a thrift shop in a metro area of 13 million people. Not only is it a one-in-four-thousand camera that could be sold for thousands of dollars, but it is also one of the cleanest cameras I have ever seen. The point is that people have no idea what they are giving to thrift shops, and thrift shops have no idea what people are giving to them.

It's stories like that, where someone's hit the jackpot, that make buying from thrift shops tempting

It helps to carry batteries around with you, if you're specifically going to look at junk cameras. The local camera fair in my city always has a few junk tables with old RFs & SLRs tossed here and there. With some AAs, CR2s, CR123As, LR44s, or that adapter that takes LR44s, you can test quite a few cameras without having to buy them.

 

[alexmacphee]

But now and again you come across nice people instead.

I bought a lens from a chap, and in the course of the e-mail conversation in which I said it had arrived and was fine, and exchanged a few pleasantries in which my enthusiasm for things Yashican was obvious, he mentioned he'd a Yashica AF SLR lying around doing nothing, fully working (except for the pop-up flash -- no loss), and as I'd be a good home for it, I could have it for the postage. He was as good as his word. I sent him a fiver for P&P, and two days later, I had a Yashica AF270.

I also remember successfully bidding on a Yashica M42 tele zoom. A day later, the full payment amount re-appeared on my account, and the seller said that on packing it, he'd given it another check, and noticed the diaphragm was sticking, and since he'd advertised it as fully working, felt he couldn't sell it to me with a clear conscience. I said I was willing to have a go at fixing it myself. His reply? In that case, I could have it for nothing.

Of course, I've had my share of lying toerags, but it's nice to encounter some of the real gentlemen (and not forgetting one gentlewoman) that still exist in Auctionland.

 

[MattKing]

I will trade my ex-wife for it, please!

Steve

You've kept her around for trading purposes???

Matt

 

[Sirius Glass]

You've kept her around for trading purposes???

Matt

Like bad money. Hard to get rid of.

Steve

 

[dougjgreen]

OK Serius, I'll take her off of your hands, but you'll also need to give me a clean working Hasselblad, and a 50mm Distagon lens. Plus, you pay the shipping costs on the ex-wife. Fortunately for you, we're both in Southern California - but on the downside - that means she might be able to find her way back if she wants to.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I gave her to her new husband. He even took her without the dog food I offered!

Steve

 

[MattKing]

I gave her to her new husband. He even took her without the dog food I offered!

Steve

So she's not available for trade - in that case you can't have the Pentax and lenses!

.

Matt

 

[Sirius Glass]

So she's not available for trade - in that case you can't have the Pentax and lenses!

.

Matt

Some how at least in this situation, I am better off!

Steve

 

[Perry Way]

I figure on clueless personally

These are evil people who do this. They derive sheer pleasure knowing someone will spend valuable time and end in complete frustration over the failure and loss of $'s.

 

[Perry Way]

It goes both ways. I got my Rolleiwide in near-mint condition in a thrift shop in a metro area of 13 million people. Not only is it a one-in-four-thousand camera that could be sold for thousands of dollars, but it is also one of the cleanest cameras I have ever seen. The point is that people have no idea what they are giving to thrift shops, and thrift shops have no idea what people are giving to them.

doooooooooooooooooood! You must have the best karma in the world. I want some of that!!!! hahaha

 

[Perry Way]

Like bad money. Hard to get rid of.

Steve

Is she hot?

 

[yellowcat]

Last year got a durst M605 for a friends daughter who is doing A level photography. It was being sold on ebay for Oxfam.
I collected it from a charming retired physics professor who checked over donated photographic kit for the Oxfam shop. He told me that he had started doing this when he was visiting the shop and the volunteers had, before his intervention, been on the point of throwing away a Leica as 'a tatty old thing that no one would want'!