What's Your Best Bargain Find?

jhthomasii said:
a couple of months ago, i bought a yashica t4 super in a thrift store for $2 (it was on sale for 50%off) and i sold it on ebay for $275. i wouldve used it but i prefer the xa that i already had.
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I got my T4 super for $0.39 at Salvation Army. Sold it for a similar price as well.

RF_Newbie, WHAT was in the other drawers?
 
That drawer of lenses boggles my mind. I honestly can't imagine having an assortment of options like that. I hope you find a way to pass it your fortune on or give back to her in a meaninful way - perhaps some great prints.
 
Good for you!

I think that this post shows more than a just a great find and that chivalry isn't dead and that good deeds don't go unrewarded.

So many men these days would just pass on bye. I'm always carrying prams and strollers up stairs, opening doors and carrying stuff for women.

That's just the way I was brought up.

You should keep in touch with her, give her your phone number. I don't know her circumstances and I'm only presuming, but I'd imagine just by her knowing that you & your wife are there if she's in trouble would make her feel much more secure, I'm sure.
 
jhthomasii said:
a couple of months ago, i bought a yashica t4 super in a thrift store for $2 (it was on sale for 50%off) and i sold it on ebay for $275. i wouldve used it but i prefer the xa that i already had.
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I can certainly relate to you. I found a t4 in the thrift store for $3 and sold it on ebay for $215. I ran a roll of film through it and was not impressed with the results. I am much more pleased with the Oly Stylus Epic that I picked up at a different thrift store for $2.99. :D
 
wotalegend said:
That's what I fear will happen to my collection when I'm gone. I don't have anything like a drawer full of Summicrons (I do have one only) but my entire collection of cameras, lenses, and other bits & pieces is probably about $30k worth on current values. My family has no interest, and therefore no knowledge, of photography and I fear that they will either donate the lot to the Salvation Army or sell them for a pittance to some dealer who will make 500% profit.
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Use a will? :)
 
RF_newbie said:
i was riding my bike back home from the market down the street from our house and noticed this tiny little old lady that looked to be about 80 years old fiddling with a jack next to a green 1970 GTO. I stopped and said, this a very nice car, and she said.. "but it has damn flat!"
I asked her if i could help her out and found that she had no spare tire. We talked about how she came across this fine GTO all in beautiful original condition(i think it had about 46,000 miles on it) and she told me she had seen a GTO ad in Playboy magazine back in the 60's and convinced her husband to buy one. Anyway i told her i lived a couple blocks away and would be happy to get my truck and she could hang out at my house with the wife while i went to a tire repair shop. After i got her tire fixed and back on the car she asked if i would take some money for my time, and of course i told her not to worry about it. She then told me her husband had died not to long ago and she was preparing for a yard sale and maybe there was something she had in her garage that i might want real cheap. So i followed her home and took a quick look around and told her i did not really see anything i needed, but thank you anyway. She pointed to an old cabinet with 14 drawers and said how about that? I glanced at it from the other side of the garage and said jokingly to her, how much! She thought for a minute.... and then she said "50 bucks....but you have to take everything in the drawers too" :D

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rfnewbie
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unbelievable :eek::eek::eek:
I guess her husband didn't let she know the money he spent on these lenses. :p
 
This year, a gentelman wanted to sell me his Leica M2 (late model with self-timer, in excellent plus condition) + elmar 50/2.8 for $450.
but... but... I refused. :bang:
 
A used but mint 50 Summicron (4071xxx) for $1,600 in March 2010....just before the price of Leica glass jumped to current outrageous levels.
 
RF_newbie said:
i was riding my bike back home from the market down the street from our house and noticed this tiny little old lady that looked to be about 80 years old fiddling with a jack next to a green 1970 GTO. I stopped and said, this a very nice car, and she said.. "but it has damn flat!"
I asked her if i could help her out and found that she had no spare tire. We talked about how she came across this fine GTO all in beautiful original condition(i think it had about 46,000 miles on it) and she told me she had seen a GTO ad in Playboy magazine back in the 60's and convinced her husband to buy one. Anyway i told her i lived a couple blocks away and would be happy to get my truck and she could hang out at my house with the wife while i went to a tire repair shop. After i got her tire fixed and back on the car she asked if i would take some money for my time, and of course i told her not to worry about it. She then told me her husband had died not to long ago and she was preparing for a yard sale and maybe there was something she had in her garage that i might want real cheap. So i followed her home and took a quick look around and told her i did not really see anything i needed, but thank you anyway. She pointed to an old cabinet with 14 drawers and said how about that? I glanced at it from the other side of the garage and said jokingly to her, how much! She thought for a minute.... and then she said "50 bucks....but you have to take everything in the drawers too" :D

L1050705-1.jpg

rfnewbie
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you should change your signature now :)
what did you find in the other drawers?
 
In 2003 I hit a bowl game parlay card for enough to buy a M7 and a used 35mm Summilux ASPH from a gentleman on the Leica User Group.

I'm pretty sure that I'll sell the ASPH for ~350% of what I paid when I finally do so.


(nb: I shortly thereafter dropped out of college, lost darkroom access and digital took over the world - I could never get into shooting film without a darkroom and the pair has probably seen 5 rolls/year on average)
 
I tried, there wasn't anything feasible in my area at the time.

I'm back to shooting film now, it's more doable since digital is the mainline and film can be experimentation. Next big-ticket purchases are a Plustek and a V700 or V750 for my 120 stuff.

But I'm selling the M7/'lux, I decide that going meterless (have a M3, moving over to a M4) with a CV Nokton 35/1.4 was a better fit for what I want to do these days.
 
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