M. Valdemar
Well-known
I just like the psychology of the person who hoards the stuff.
I've known several. It's like visiting a morgue.
I used to know a guy in Manhattan who owned buildings down on Suffolk Street. He was sort of an unofficial "fence".
When any neighborhood guy down on his luck, junkie or second story man had anything to sell, especially electronics, expensive tools, instruments, cameras, swag, you-name-it, this guy would buy it, especially if it was crazy cheap.
He stored it in the basements of his residential apartment buildings. His basements looked like those eBay photos, only MUCH more cluttered, filthy, packed. The thought of parting with something was worse than stabbing him.
Sometimes he'd approach me (whom he knew was knowledgeable), and offer to sell me something, like a camera. Usually, the price was outlandish, and I would refuse immediately.
If I DID accept his offering price, he became insanely peasant-suspicious, and REFUSE to sell it to me, even after he offered it. His reasoning was probably that if I actually agreed to his price, he figured he was pricing it too cheap. Then he'd ask again at a different, preposterous price, and I'd refuse.
Eventually, I refused to discuss buying anything from him, because it was all an exercise in comedic futility.
He'd buy a computer, for example, in 1985 for a thousand bucks, but in 1999 he'd want a higher price for the ancient heap that was now worth $2. He refused to part with anything without a profit.
He died a couple of years ago, after he became drooling senile. A 22 year old Chinese girlfriend took everything that wasn't nailed down before he died.
His idiot son got the rest, he had no idea what to do with it, and sold it all for a pittance, giving away unbelievable treasures for pennies.
This is him.
I've known several. It's like visiting a morgue.
I used to know a guy in Manhattan who owned buildings down on Suffolk Street. He was sort of an unofficial "fence".
When any neighborhood guy down on his luck, junkie or second story man had anything to sell, especially electronics, expensive tools, instruments, cameras, swag, you-name-it, this guy would buy it, especially if it was crazy cheap.
He stored it in the basements of his residential apartment buildings. His basements looked like those eBay photos, only MUCH more cluttered, filthy, packed. The thought of parting with something was worse than stabbing him.
Sometimes he'd approach me (whom he knew was knowledgeable), and offer to sell me something, like a camera. Usually, the price was outlandish, and I would refuse immediately.
If I DID accept his offering price, he became insanely peasant-suspicious, and REFUSE to sell it to me, even after he offered it. His reasoning was probably that if I actually agreed to his price, he figured he was pricing it too cheap. Then he'd ask again at a different, preposterous price, and I'd refuse.
Eventually, I refused to discuss buying anything from him, because it was all an exercise in comedic futility.
He'd buy a computer, for example, in 1985 for a thousand bucks, but in 1999 he'd want a higher price for the ancient heap that was now worth $2. He refused to part with anything without a profit.
He died a couple of years ago, after he became drooling senile. A 22 year old Chinese girlfriend took everything that wasn't nailed down before he died.
His idiot son got the rest, he had no idea what to do with it, and sold it all for a pittance, giving away unbelievable treasures for pennies.
This is him.
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Gumby
Veteran
M. Valdemar said:
Great portrait. Was that before, or after, he became drooling senile.
I've seen this phenomenon happen in other areas of interest, where collectors die and their heirs piss it all away without a care. I never seem to be able to buy great treasures for pennies, however. One look at me and the reaction is usually "cha-ching!" and they quote outragious prices. Why they have different reactions to a sweaty old guy in worn-out clothes with bad breath and a broken-down truck is beyond my comprehension. But that is who seems to buy all of these great collections.
M. Valdemar
Well-known
I have some unscanned photos of Marvin Tanner I should dig out.
This guy's street name was "Saul". He used numerous other names, such as "Jerry".
I don't want to post his full name online.
PS: I hear Marvin is still alive and living quite well in Australia. Am I correct?
PPS: That photo was at the very beginning of senility. He still had most of his marbles at that point.
.
This guy's street name was "Saul". He used numerous other names, such as "Jerry".
I don't want to post his full name online.
PS: I hear Marvin is still alive and living quite well in Australia. Am I correct?
PPS: That photo was at the very beginning of senility. He still had most of his marbles at that point.
.
Tuolumne
Veteran
Wow. This thread is nuts! Did anyone go to the auction this past weekend? What was the stuff like? Any good deals? Is it worth going next weekend?
/T
/T
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Wow, and how organized it is! Hmm, some of the stuff is interesting and some of it is "junque". The old 8mm cameras ahs limited value (to put it midly). The paper and film collection is mouth watering though, particularly for someone with a fondness for out-dated film (and lots of Benzotriazole "anti fog" on hand).
Fred, I concur with your analogy to cars, I have had a long standing rule that "no car shall cost more than a good quality lens". It used to be $1000 to 1500. but with the Leica price increases I can now upgrade to more modern cars.
My current "wheels" (1993 Grand Cherokee) cost the same as my 75f2 Summicron!
Fred, I concur with your analogy to cars, I have had a long standing rule that "no car shall cost more than a good quality lens". It used to be $1000 to 1500. but with the Leica price increases I can now upgrade to more modern cars.
My current "wheels" (1993 Grand Cherokee) cost the same as my 75f2 Summicron!
mackigator
Well-known
Ok, I love these NY camera hoarding stories - nice portrait to put it over the top Valdemar.
Fausto
semper ubi sub ubi
"I see now the majority of RFF guys are such babes in the woods when it comes to what is actually being accumulated (forget legit collectors) in the world. I have seen so many basements full of thousands of cameras. I think the top floor of Olden or Wall Street Camera would have put them into shock. Altmans, would have killed them, and the closing of Nikon in Chicago (I got 70 motor drives) they would have thought was a stage set." Nikonwebmaster
Altman's had cameras? I was only in there a few times but what a great department store. They had a room where they sold famous autographs, letters, etc.
The word "hoarder" makes one think of the demented Collyer brothers, whose mountains of stuff finally killed them. This guy was a camera store owner, and he just had the room to keep his inventory.
I don't even have space for a darkroom. Most of my cameras are under the bed.
Altman's had cameras? I was only in there a few times but what a great department store. They had a room where they sold famous autographs, letters, etc.
The word "hoarder" makes one think of the demented Collyer brothers, whose mountains of stuff finally killed them. This guy was a camera store owner, and he just had the room to keep his inventory.
I don't even have space for a darkroom. Most of my cameras are under the bed.
raid
Dad Photographer
Enjoy what you have and don't drool over what you cannot have.
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Fausto said:
I'm smiling because mine are in kitchen drawers and in bags on the unused kitchen chairs...
kathytoth.ca
ktoth.ca
Tasty stuff!
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
M. Valdemar said:
Ohh ohh......I am quite dizzy after seeing this, honestly I almost blacked out!
Wonder if there`s any "Kugellager" or "Half Race" Leica`s among that lot.....Xenon, Thambar....anybody?
The paper and film stuff`s very interesting, also makes good props for my photoshoots
Tom
PS: oooooo unopened Conterex "Bullseye" hmmm I might be watching that one for sure
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colyn
ישו משיח
I wonder about this seller since he claims eBay has forced him to take other payments in addition to paypal..
eBay does not set what payment options you prefer..
On Dec-08-07 at 19:08:09 PST, seller added the following information:
I have been forced by eBay to change my accepted methods of payments. PLEASE READ the following: Along with the PayPal requirements I have outlined in my description above, payment can also be made using a domestic money order or personal check. International money orders and international checks must be payable in US dollars and drawn on a US bank. EBay rules prohibit me from offering you the option to pay using cash, even if it is your preferred payment method. EBay (the owner of PayPal), also prohibits me from offering you the option to pay using a Western Union (a competitor of PayPal) electronic payment, even though Western Union is fast, easy, reliable and safe. And thirdly, eBay prevents me from offering you the safest payment method, a bank-to-bank wire transfer - if I require you to pay the $40.00 fee the bank charges me to accept your payment. I would like to offer you these payment options so that you can decide how "you" would like to pay for your item, but eBay would instead like to steer you to "their" service (PayPal), by prohibiting me from offering the services of their competitors.
eBay does not set what payment options you prefer..
On Dec-08-07 at 19:08:09 PST, seller added the following information:
I have been forced by eBay to change my accepted methods of payments. PLEASE READ the following: Along with the PayPal requirements I have outlined in my description above, payment can also be made using a domestic money order or personal check. International money orders and international checks must be payable in US dollars and drawn on a US bank. EBay rules prohibit me from offering you the option to pay using cash, even if it is your preferred payment method. EBay (the owner of PayPal), also prohibits me from offering you the option to pay using a Western Union (a competitor of PayPal) electronic payment, even though Western Union is fast, easy, reliable and safe. And thirdly, eBay prevents me from offering you the safest payment method, a bank-to-bank wire transfer - if I require you to pay the $40.00 fee the bank charges me to accept your payment. I would like to offer you these payment options so that you can decide how "you" would like to pay for your item, but eBay would instead like to steer you to "their" service (PayPal), by prohibiting me from offering the services of their competitors.
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David Goldfarb
Well-known
Yeah, a whole case of projection bulbs. Of course the one you need is priceless, but who will buy the lot?
Morca007
Matt
Easy to say, hard to do!raid said:
raid
Dad Photographer
Morca007 said:Easy to say, hard to do!
Matt,
I quickly changed threads. It's simple as that.
mhv
Registered User
I don't want to say this guy isn't a little loopy, but there is probably a wide margin between him (an ex-camera store owner who was left with tons of unsold stock) and the loopies who hoard stuff on and on because they have mental disabilities.
Which reminds me of a case my police chief uncle told me about once, about a couple who had fled WWII to Canada. When they died, and they had to clean the house, the police had to go in and they just threw piles upon piles of garbage bags in the street. At some point they realised that these actual bags were full of unspent money bills...
Or my own neighbour, for instance, who had tons and tons of crap, animals, and god knows what until the police had to come in because of the fire alarm. They cleared the flat recently and there was no end to the crap they could extract from that place.
Which reminds me of a case my police chief uncle told me about once, about a couple who had fled WWII to Canada. When they died, and they had to clean the house, the police had to go in and they just threw piles upon piles of garbage bags in the street. At some point they realised that these actual bags were full of unspent money bills...
Or my own neighbour, for instance, who had tons and tons of crap, animals, and god knows what until the police had to come in because of the fire alarm. They cleared the flat recently and there was no end to the crap they could extract from that place.
mhv
Registered User
Zathras
Member
alternatve said:
Gawd! I hope they do get to be used. It sickens me to think that a large amount of it'll probabably die unused in some wanker's display case.
Mike Sullivan
hans voralberg
Veteran
Oh god those Nikon worth a fortun
LuckyKarma
Member
raid said:
Wise words