Your Great Garage Sale 35mm Find?

[Brian Legge]

I picked up an Olympus 35DC yesterday for $10.

Great condition with the exception of the rangefinder patch which didn't move. Opened it up and cleaned it - looks like it is working well now. First camera repair success. Just need to do the light seals and it should be ready for use.

Edit: Oh, last page I mentioned missing out on an auction... turns out I got it after all. Maybe the winner bailed? Anyway, I picked up a nearly new condition Canonet 17 and 28 for $9. It also included a working Pony 135 and a bunch of Instamatics. I think I'll take the Pony out at least once.

 

[marylandphoto]

I got a slightly beat up (externally) Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens that has almost flawless glass (somehow), for $100. That's a fraction of what I'd pay for an EF model. Still works wonderfully!

 

[daleeman]

A dear friend of mine who retired and was moving down to South Carolina for warmer weather than Dayton Ohio came by my home the day before he left and handed me a dingy old leather camera bag "Here maybe you will enjoy these they belonged to my father years ago. Hope you can use them"

Being more concerned with not seeing my friend again for months to come I set it by me in the chair, thanks him profusely and begain to talk about all the years of friendships we have shared and how we will stay in touch, come see each others and such.

30 mintues after he left I opend the bag not knowing what to expect and found a Leica M2, a 35mm, 50mm and a 90mm lens. All needing CLA from lack of use but I was amazed. His dad, was an old school German tool and Die worker knew the value and build of these cameras when he purchased them new.

I sent the lenses one at a time to Sherry Kroouter (SP) and had the body CLAed too, they all are beautiful. I send John pictures that his dad's camera takes from time to time in thanks.

Lee

 

[Nikon Collector]

lenses

Bought a lot of 3 lenses for $15 off evilbay to get the Minolta 50mm f1.7, when I checked out the other two I found a Ricoh Rikenon 50mm f1.7p and a Vivitar 50mm f1.7 in Pentax K mt. I'd been looking for a Rikenon but kept loseing the bids around the $50 range.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Don't know if this counts, but I found a Minolta SRT, 50mm f/1.4 and 135mm lens for only $14. I saw it in the bargain bin and grabbed it. These days, thrift stores aren't they used to be :-( Everyone us looking for bargains in this down economy. I have too look a little harder for those bargains.

 

[veriwide]

People around town know I like cameras, and sell on ebay. I was handed three boxes of camera stuff that were a friends father's gear (1930's - 1970's), with the instructions of, keep what you like and if see you can get any money for the rest.
The 35mm gear was Retina IIa(w/field case and Retina filters), Pony 135(Field Case), Exa 1.3(field case, 2 lenses, close up tubes), Pentax SV(3 lenses, tele-converter, close-up tubes). The Exa has been sold, and the rest will be on ebay this weekend.
Also Kodak cine camera w/ case filters and lens adapters, Leica meter 3, 4 Weston meters, old sears electronic flashes.
I kept the "unobtainium." TTL focusing unit for Kodak cine 8mm cartridge movie camera, Kodak 102mm cine lens(to complete my Kodak 16mm lens collection, art deco Kodak 616, and Kodak Bantum Special(near mint, original field case, box, soft touch shutter release, and every bit of paperwork that came with the camera).
I went through the boxes, cataloged the items, then explained to my friend what I was keeping and why. He was happy to see that his fathers cameras will find a loving home in my collection. How cool is that.
Also handed to me free in the past week: 5 8x10 film holders, blue dot 135mm lens for Mamiya C330, and a Goerz Dagor 8 1/4inch barrel mount lens. I guess it just pays to talk to people.

 

[C A Sugg]

Retina Automatic III at a flea market over the weekend. (version with a RF) It looks to be working well. Good street shooter?

 

[alapin]

Olympus XA with flash unit, for five dollars. I gave it a little CLA and then shot a roll of film, which turn out very nice. Use it to carry around and back my other cameras.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Local church annual garage sale. Always a good hunting ground, if you get there early. I was there at 10 minutes before opening and was about 300th in line.
Found a Canon Sureshot 35-70 P&S as a backup to the same one my wife uses. $3.
Hansa condenser enlarger with 50 and 75mm hansa and schneider companon 50 lenses, 35mm and 6x6cm neg holders. $2
Camera bag of about 12 filters 55mm and rollie tlr push ons $5
Box of darkroom supplies of all needed for a darkroom including 3 5x7, 7 8x10 and 3 11x14 trays 2 tanks 4 reels, except enlarger and safelight. Included numerous good books, and about 180 sheets 8x10 of old Ilfobrom FB circa early to mid 70's. $10. Have not had a chance to test the paper for fog and contrast loss yet. If fogged I guess it will go for lith experiments or paper negs

 

[Andrew K]

Here are a few of the "finds" from the last year or so...

dropped in to see a friend of mine a couple of months ago, and he handed me a camera "you still shoot film - you may as well have this"....thanks I said, for the as new Mamiya C220 with 80 mm lens.......

Church Run Op Shop (thrift store) - found the box of cameras on the shelf in the back of the store - bought the Ex + Pen EE2 for $3....

Another Op Shop - Polaroid 635 as new in box - $4 (sorry that got sold on ebay for a rediculous profit - as I already had one.....)

Another community Op Shop - Kodak DCS 240 - early digital (I collect them!) - $5

Walked into an antique store I rarely visit - sitting on the counter was a Topcon RE Super with 35mm lens - bought it for $25..then asked if there were any other cameras - spent another $50 for the Topcon 50/1.4 guide number lens, Topcon Bulb Flash in box, and the motor drive for the RM.............never thought I'd own one.....

Should I mention camera markets? No? Why not - you can still get a bargain if you are lucky.....picked up a Prontor mechanical shutter timer - makes long exposures from 3 to 30 seconds on any shutter with a B setting - $10. 30 meter Roll of Agfapan APX 400 - 5 years out of date - $1 per year out of date ($5). 2 Mamiya RB/C330 quick release tripod plates/bases - $5 each....and a 105 mm lens for the C220 - a few scuff marks on the element (at least thats what it turned out to be like after I removed 20 years accumulated dirt from the lens)..slow speeds accurate - $25

Doesn't take much to make me a happy man.........

 

[Andy38]

This weekend, I found, for €20, a new Lunasix 3 and two french cameras in pretty good working condition : an old (~1935) 6X9 Luminor folding and a later coupled rangefinder FocaSport II 35mm; all in their case.
Also happy !

 

[Hikingman]

Today: 3 Rolls of Kodak Max film (2) 400 and (1) 800 for 3 bucks. Did I mention the minty Olympus Stylus Zoom DLX that was included?

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Earlier this year, got a deal, albeit not at a thrift or garage sale. Got a black FT2 with 50/2 Nikkor-H and instruction book for $16.00, including the shipping. Seller ended the auction early, since someone said that the manual was for an FTn. Asked me if I still wanted it. Said "yes". Sent her the payment, expecting it to be $6.00 for the bid, and $10 shipping. Got the box a week later, and discovered that the shipping label was for $15.30. Got the camera for 70 cents. Didn't feel bad spending $138 for an overhaul, which it needed. Since then, I've been using it as my sole Nikomat body.

Previously, my best score was my black F for $75. Came with FTn finder and motor drive plate. Finder needed an overhaul, but, the rest of the camera was fine, if a bit beat up. Is an "Apollo" version. Have since replaced the FTn finder with a chrome diopter capable eyelevel finder that's nearly mint, except for some crud in the eyepiece. No vertical line. Got that for $50 last month.

-J

 

[wblynch]

Two Olympus XA rangefinders for $20, including a11 flashes.

Both need cleaning and light seals replaced but they both work and their rangefinder patches are visible as well.

 

[papa52]

Not a garage sale buy, but

I got an OM-1 with a vivatar 75-205 (Looks like new) in a blind five dollar junk box bid at the local auction barn last year. fresh battery and o-ring and it works great.
Gotta love these folks.

 

[magkelly]

Somebody gave me an all black original Canon AE-1 and a 35-75MM lens a few months back. I was going to sell it and put the $$$ towards another Takumar for my old SP1, but I kind of fell in love with it while testing it out. I'm actually working towards getting this whole kit of lenses for it now. I'm going to pick them up next week. I'm still a confirmed Pentax person, but it's a really good camera this AE-1, and I have enjoyed using it I must admit.

 

[Athiril]

Picked up a mint F100 with fresh batteries for $20 AUD

Nikonos III with lens $100 AUD

OM10 with 50/1.8 for $50 AUD, all this weekend

As well as 2 Super8mm projectors.

MY friend got a K1000 with 55/1.8 mint for $50 AUD

And a mint Gossen Lunalite SBC for $10 AUD.

 

[Pumal]

Pentax MX with various lenses, ('Belonged to my grand father')

 

[bvy]

Olympus XA2 with A11 flash. Two dollars from Goodwill. Even has some film in it (Kodak Gold, Lot 6 -- late 90s?). I might develop it and see what's there.

 

[Pompiere]

Olympus XA with A11 flash for a dollar at a rummage sale. Mixed in with the no-name fixed focus point and shoots, some of which were priced higher.

 

[wblynch]

And I was so happy with my 2 XA's plus A11 flashes, $20 the pair. Now you gents got me feelin' took !!

 

[Brian Legge]

New win:

Olympus 35RD, 35SP and 35RC for $3 each. They were part of a bigger buy but getting the RD in particular was huge for me. I've been looking for the camera for a while but couldn't justify putting down a bunch of money on it. Yet I'll probably be paying Zuiko for a CLA. I feel sort of silly as I have functional Canonet 17 GIIIs - and the RD is similar enough that I can't logically justify the expense - but there is something about the camera I simply like. Or at least, about the 35DC that I like and assume carries over to the RD.

 

[McFortner]

The Kodak Star EF point and shoot I got on ePay for around $6. My 6 year old daughter LOVES it and has been taking pictures like crazy with it. Now both of my children have film cameras and use them.

 

[bvy]

And I was so happy with my 2 XA's plus A11 flashes, $20 the pair. Now you gents got me feelin' took !!

If you got any good batteries, that counts for something. The two in mine were dead, and one is costing me more than the whole rig!

 

[LowriderS10]

Somebody gave me an all black original Canon AE-1 and a 35-75MM lens a few months back. I was going to sell it and put the $$$ towards another Takumar for my old SP1, but I kind of fell in love with it while testing it out. I'm actually working towards getting this whole kit of lenses for it now. I'm going to pick them up next week. I'm still a confirmed Pentax person, but it's a really good camera this AE-1, and I have enjoyed using it I must admit.

I totally know where you're coming from. I got my first AE-1 less than a month ago for the simple reason that I'm a die-hard Canon guy and I figured every die-hard Canon guy should have an AE-1. I wasn't planning on using it much, I have too many other cameras, I just wanted to be able to say I have one. Now it's probably my favourite camera to shoot with and I have 5 FD-mount lenses and 3 AE-1/AE-1P bodies, 2 Powerwinders, and a bunch of other accessories and odds and ends.