A hard decision.

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm between a rock and a hard place here. I have to do something to get some money for a down payment on a car as soon as possible because I've found one that I really love and I don't really want to let it go even though I don't have my license yet. It's a '95 Honda Civic EX coupe. I need the car and the license because it will allow me to go out of town to find a job...which gives me many more options than I have now. The biggest problem is that the only higher ticket items that I have happen to be my beloved cameras and my PSP.

So...I have to make a decision regarding the Canon P. I've got a decent little kit for it now that includes a J3 from Brian, a J9 and a J12, a hood that fits the J3 and J12 that includes a series 6 filter holder, and some series 6 black and white filters. The problem is that the camera means so much to me that I'm having trouble with the idea of giving it up. I tell myself that at tax time next year I should be able to buy a new Bessa R2M, but it isn't the P.

So I have this very hard decision to make. Sell the P and be without an interchangable lens rangefinder until next year, sell the P and go Russian for a half a year, or keep the P and lose the car.

Also note that I haven't asked my dad if he'd be willing to help me with the down payment yet. I hate asking my parents for money, but in this case I may have to break down and do so. I'll feel better, though, if I can come up with all of it on my own.

So yeah...thanks for lending a sympathetic ear and such. Advice is always appreciated.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

That's a tough one. I'm very bad at these sorts of decisions. This is the sort of thing that only a few glasses, friends and face-to-face can help bring out the dialog. This is something that requires a dialog, you know?

If I've read you right before, you'll do something I tend to do: overthink it, rationalize it from every angle, and in the end doing the first thing you thought of doing.

Coming to the Bastion of GAS is also probably the last place to ask about letting go of a nice setup as yours!

If you have time, I say let it simmer for a week (a week!)

Best.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

I'd keep the P and save up for the car.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I think the only thing that's making me hesitate on this is that the camera has major emotional value for me. I will cry when I sell it, whether that time is now or sometime in the future. But the car would afford me a better job in another town and that job would afford me more money to spend on camera equipment...and when I think about it that way, I could get my Canon P back eventually. But it wouldn't be MY Canon P, you know?

I'm going to take it with me tonight and shoot some photos. Most likely just with the J12. The camera is an extension of you as a photographer, you know? It's kind of like giving up a part of me. I just hope that if I do sell it that the person who gets it will appreciate it as much as I did.

 

[back alley]

sell the camera and the psp and anything else that isn't bolted down and is salable.
leave town for a better job, save money and buy something that will take the pics you want.

food on the table and Independence is worth more than a hobby in the short term and the long term.
there will always be cameras for sale. a better job with a decent income is key to the future.
this is not a time for sentimentality.

 

[Socke]

Sell the PSP and the fixed lens cameras, keep the Canon.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

I would have thought that a car such as that model is easier to find later on, once you have your licence - your camera kit it seems is much more valuable to you.
I'd get the licence first and in the meantime hold onto the camera kit.
GAS affects us all and in my case is usually a compulsive and swift decision and more often than not involves a sale or trade of equipment i will regret later on.

To be able to step back and give yourself a bit more time to consider more options can make this current situation fell less immediate and frustrating - if that makes any sense ?

Good luck with it Stephanie 🙂

 

[Kin Lau]

Sell it here to another RFF'r with the condition that if they sell it later, you get 1st dibs on a buyback.

 

[FrankS]

Don't get so attached to that car. Cars just rust and cost you money. There's nothing special about the car you have in mind. There is something special about your camera gear. You don't have your licence yet, you don't NEED THAT car. You'll easily find another used car to buy once you''re ready. financially and licence-wise.

 

[wlewisiii]

Keep the camera and save towards a downpayment. A car is useless until you can legally/safely drive it; the camera works for you now.

William

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

sell the camera and the psp and anything else that isn't bolted down and is salable.
leave town for a better job, save money and buy something that will take the pics you want.

food on the table and Independence is worth more than a hobby in the short term and the long term.
there will always be cameras for sale. a better job with a decent income is key to the future.
this is not a time for sentimentality.

He's right. Sell anything to get the car to get a better life.

 

[FrankS]

He's right. Sell anything to get the car to get a better life.

Sell everything except that Canon P and your favourite lens.

 

[bob cole]

A Hard Decision

A Hard Decision

Stephanie, if you have a good credit rating, you might talk to the loan officer at a commercial bank or a credit union [ not a finance company] and see whether you can get a small loan for a down payment...

If you have a credit card with an available balance you can borrow, that might help until you get a job...You may find that it's easier to borrow money than you believe but don't get in over your head...put your cards on the table and, just possibly, you will be able to manage without selling anything...

[keep in mind that in addition to the down payment, you'll need money for the car plates, license, registration, insurance, etc.]

Car dealers will be happy to help but always charge more than a bank or credit union...happy landing!!\



One additional option: If you get a co-signer --someone who will pay your debt if you don't -- that would also help...

 

[kmack]

"All you really own is whatever you can carry in two hands at a dead run" —Robert A Heinlein

Don't get too attached to your stuff, not a good idea.

 

[rover]

Tough love is some times the best kind. My gut reaction is to agree with Joe. That said, get your license first, until then, the car is useless and as Frank said, you will find another.

 

[FrankS]

There's nothing special about a used car, especially if you don't have your licence yet. Let that car go. Finding a used car to buy (when that time comes) is not going to be a problem.

(I know EXACTLY how you feel, though! Sometimes you get it into your head that THAT IS THE CAR I MUST HAVE, but it's simply a mindset, nothing more. With me it was a particular motorcycle, but it was a bit special.)

 

[Fred]

I'm sure that you've already thoughht of the following but ask yourself again:

Are there any alternatives to the car, can you get a bus for instance?
If you get the car can you afford to run it, gas, tyres, service, insurance etc.
Will a car get you a better job?
Consider moving to the area nearer the better jobs
The camera however special is just a piece of hardware, it can be replaced
Will a car make you happy like the Canon P does

And finally, remember that you will make the right decision either way, do not dwell on decisions already made.

Good luck and take care. Oh and I second comments from gabrielma

 

[xabi]

Sell the PSP, and use the time you spend on the PSP to take pictures.

 

[Rey]

Stephanie,

I have had alot of different cars in my life. I can remember times when a great, new car meant the world to me. But, Stephanie, cars are only a means of transportation, and they eventually break down, and another one comes around. In the long run, which car you have is not very important. You obviously love your camera and if you sell it, you will regret it. So, skip the Honda and look for a good, cheap (maybe slightly ugly) but reliable used car and hold on to your camera by all means.

 

[Chaser]

Keep the canonet and sell everything else...
A lot of shooting can be done with a canonet....