When selling cameras, never leave them out in the open.

Was wandering through one of our local "antique" malls, I stumbled across a nice clean little Nikkormat, with a clean 50mm f2 lens. Only problem was the mirror was stuck in the up position, and it looked like,the self timer had been cocked, and was stuck as well. When I talked to the dealer, they said the camera had been there less than a week, and worked fine when it was brought in. Evidently to was handled by too many hands, some of which didn't know what to do, and some were probably playful curious kids. In the meantime, the same dealer had a stash of 2 dollar light bulbs locked up in the display case. Go figure....


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.790811,-90.481159

I was once running a 20-screen movie theater outside of Atlanta, GA. I had to go there because corporate management decided to "clean house" at the local level. I was running the entire complex myself plus my usual technical maintenance duties. On top of that, I was doing triple duty as a floor usher when it was needed.

So, at the end of the night, I would press the button on the elevator to get up to the booth level, walk down the hall and go into the management office in order to get the key for the garbage compactor. When you take out the trash at the end of the night, you have to sign out the key to the compactor.

You walk into the management suite, make a left and go down the corridor. On the left is the assistant manager's office where the key box is kept. On the right is the accounting manager's office where the nightly receipts are reconciled at the end of every day. It was a busy Friday evening and on this particular occasion, there was a stack of money on the table that EASILY topped $50,000.

Corporate had just cleaned house because the previous manager was cooking the books. There was nobody in the accounting office at the time.

I was getting into my car at the end of the night, just shaking my head... They leave $50,000 laying out on the table where anybody can get it but they lock up the garbage???

Yes, it was a long story but the moral is the same as yours. People just don't seem to have common sense anymore.

Go figure...

Not only that, which is a great reason for covering your goods, but at our Trade Days (at Tannehill Park) some folks frequently display cameras and other electronics on open tables... exposed to the weather.
The first time we went, I saw an interesting old SLR (forget what exactly it was, but it was chrome and black) sitting on a table, so I wanted to check it out. Nearly burned my fingers picking it up. The guy wanted $50 for it, untested. If it had been a particularly valuable camera I'd probably have remembered what the heck it was. Besides, I had no idea how often/long it had been out there roasting in the Alabama summer sun.

In the case of Nikon blame the marketing dept and war correspondents. If a Nikon stops a bullet and can be used to hammer in nails in its "off-duty" moments then a few thousand people handling one and a little Alabama sunshine must be easy to take

pentaxuser

ambaker said:

Only problem was the mirror was stuck in the up position, and it looked like,the self timer had been cocked, and was stuck as well. When I talked to the dealer, they said the camera had been there less than a week, and worked fine when it was brought in. Evidently to was handled by too many hands, some of which didn't know what to do, and some were probably playful curious kids.

Click to expand...

It only takes one (1) un-knowledgable hand sometimes. It even happens on forums like this... by people who claim they are knowlegable.

Errr, I've locked up a camera before. But it wasn't at a store, but instead from an online order. Whooooops

Worker 11811 said:

I was getting into my car at the end of the night, just shaking my head... They leave $50,000 laying out on the table where anybody can get it but they lock up the garbage???

Click to expand...

Those decisions presumably were not made by the same people. Some person put that stack of money on the table and then walked away, deciding it was safe. Seems unlikely that was a corporate decision. In fact, I'd have to make a guess that someone's job would be in danger if corporate types found out. Usually businesses that handle large quantities of cash are more security-conscious. And since you say you were running the complex, wouldn't it have been your job to make sure the door was locked?

And how big was the compactor? Was it somewhere that say, an unauthorized person or an animal could get to? Get inside? I'd guess it was bigger than a household unit. Limiting access to it was probably not so irrational.

I agree, a lawsuit stemming from what a compactor can do to someone (though it may be their own stupidity) makes $50k look like small change.

At work, the key to the stationery cupboard is kept locked in a box in a drawer. The key to the box which the key is locked in is kept in someone else'e drawer!

Those pens and paperclips must be very valuable.


Steve

Steve Smith said:

At work, the key to the stationery cupboard is kept locked in a box in a drawer. The key to the box which the key is locked in is kept in someone else'e drawer!

Those pens and paperclips must be very valuable.


Steve

Click to expand...

We had to sign out all office supplies - it was all barcoded.

It was the Regional Manager who was in charge of the theater during the aforementioned house cleaning. I was called in to handle the technical side of the business until the problem was smoothed over.
He and I, plus two line-level employees who didn't get caught in the drag net were the only ones staffing the building.

We ran the entire 20-screen megaplex theater complex with a four-man skeleton crew for a week until the new general manager could be flown in from out of state.

Yes, it was one of those industrial trash compactor/dumpster contraptions. Yes, I agree that it should be kept locked for safety.

Finally... Yes, I also brought up the issue of the large sum of money lying out on the counter to the regional boss the next day when I came to work. It was an interesting (humorous) discussion.

really should not be broken by people handling it. Someone was saved from buying a product which would have broken on them within a few weeks...

ambaker said:

Was wandering through one of our local "antique" malls, I stumbled across a nice clean little Nikkormat, with a clean 50mm f2 lens. Only problem was the mirror was stuck in the up position, and it looked like,the self timer had been cocked, and was stuck as well.

Click to expand...

The antique mall near me actually has one vendor who does nothing but cameras!! He leaves out on tables the Brownies, old meniscus-lensed folders, 1980s P&S cameras, etc., and already-broken/parts cameras. Anything intact and over about $50 is in the locked showcase. This is a pretty good balance. The broken/parts cameras in the open are useful to me, because I'll sometimes find something that I've never met in the flesh (only seen on eBay -- I live in mostly a camera desert) and can at least handle it, even if it is broken. It was from this handling that I for example discovered how BIG the Yashica TL Super is for an SLR, and first got to look through an OM viewfinder (wow).
--Dave

I think a broken/parts camera shouldn't have any problem hanging out in the open. If I thought there'd be enough interest, I'd set up a space at Trade Days... probably need to diversify for that, though. Maybe a few rustic-framed photos would entice folks a bit.