stet
lurker.
This morning I got an e-mail that my Favorite Local Camera Store was having its bankruptcy auction. It was a little sad, but thankfully most of the items seemed to go to patrons and employees who would use the items, and not just professional auction raiders.
I went with only a flash in mind, and purposefully milled about outside the store with a co-worker once I'd gotten a Sunpak 622 system with zoom head, so I wouldn't bid more. There were two 622s NIB, and a professional portrait photographer and I were bidding them up until we figured out to stop and that we'd both be in the running, as the bids were for one flash of choice in a set. We finally got them for $110 apiece, about a third of retail. I also had my eyes on a Sunpak Softlite 1600a, but the bids were for a whole shelf of items. The winner of that didn't even know anything about photography. I offered $25 for it, but I don't think he's going to call me.
Aside from back office business equipment, there were a few outrageous deals in the front. A woman from my arts center ended up with a Bronica 6x4.5 kit (body, 105 mm lens and back) for $575. If I weren't moving, I would've jumped on the LPL 6700 enlargers; they had five brand-new that ended up going for $50 each, with baseboard and Nikon lens. I believe that there's three left, so if anyone's interested, they can call Wooley Auctioneers at (501) 868-4877 to see.
At least one other camera store was there, as well as some freelancers. One ex-employee picked up a whole stereophone mounting kit for $100, and apparently she'll be the only business in a 10-state radius, and the new E6 freelancer picked up some items, ensuring that the local chain stores will have at least some competition.
No, no RF gear there. The closest relevance to RFF'ers taste I could see was a Seagull TLR. I dropped out at $75, and the final bid was $115.
That was my first time at a live auction, and it was a little odd, but at least this experience was preferable to eBay. I guess finding these things is like lucking out on a flea market sale, but when they happen, there's some deals to be had.
I went with only a flash in mind, and purposefully milled about outside the store with a co-worker once I'd gotten a Sunpak 622 system with zoom head, so I wouldn't bid more. There were two 622s NIB, and a professional portrait photographer and I were bidding them up until we figured out to stop and that we'd both be in the running, as the bids were for one flash of choice in a set. We finally got them for $110 apiece, about a third of retail. I also had my eyes on a Sunpak Softlite 1600a, but the bids were for a whole shelf of items. The winner of that didn't even know anything about photography. I offered $25 for it, but I don't think he's going to call me.
Aside from back office business equipment, there were a few outrageous deals in the front. A woman from my arts center ended up with a Bronica 6x4.5 kit (body, 105 mm lens and back) for $575. If I weren't moving, I would've jumped on the LPL 6700 enlargers; they had five brand-new that ended up going for $50 each, with baseboard and Nikon lens. I believe that there's three left, so if anyone's interested, they can call Wooley Auctioneers at (501) 868-4877 to see.
At least one other camera store was there, as well as some freelancers. One ex-employee picked up a whole stereophone mounting kit for $100, and apparently she'll be the only business in a 10-state radius, and the new E6 freelancer picked up some items, ensuring that the local chain stores will have at least some competition.
No, no RF gear there. The closest relevance to RFF'ers taste I could see was a Seagull TLR. I dropped out at $75, and the final bid was $115.
That was my first time at a live auction, and it was a little odd, but at least this experience was preferable to eBay. I guess finding these things is like lucking out on a flea market sale, but when they happen, there's some deals to be had.
