Gotta Love Those Russian Packages...

[vladhed]

I've got a large box in the closet full of Zorki, Kiev and FED neverready cases.

For the case my Zorki 4 came in, I drilled out the rivets that hold the two parts together and replace them with poppers, took me about 10 minutes.

And they all have a distinctive smell -- musty? Old? -- I don't know quite how to describe it, either.

Yeah, reminds me of my grandpa's Leica's case - but I'd be a little worried to breath too deaply 🙂

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

yes...craft lessons in kindergarten, elemantary school, etc. My hubby still can't get over my gift-wrapping skills🙂)))

I wish I had the same craft lessons! I hope you share the skills with hubby and kids. They will thank you later.

 

[RML]

Just this sunday I through away 5 or 6 of them musty, old, dirty FEd/Zorki 👎ever-ready cases. I never use them. No-one ever wants them. So, out they went. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. 😛

The cameras have a nice shelf to themselves now, BTW. 🙂

 

[Pherdinand]

Back in my years of studentship, in Romania there was a rule (still might be!) that you HAD to wrap the shipment box into uncoloured unprinted paper, probably blue or brown, AND tie it well with a rope on the outside. Otherwise it was not accepted for shipping.

 

[pangkievrange]

You should never dismiss old never-ready cases. After cleaning up with isopropanol (91%, drugstore like CVS) inside and out, the case for my kiev 2 (51) is reborn. I wear dishwash gloeves to do this kind of job. I soaked the inside with a huge dose of alcohol and use paper towel as medium.

pangkievrange

 

[doubs43]

I received a package from Slovakia about 15 minutes ago....... tied up in blue cord. It came from Dr. Dunay, perhaps better known as "Cupog" and the packing was superb. Everything is perfect. Now if only my package from Grizzly33Bear would arrive........ (It's on the way and should be here no later than early next week.)

Walker

 

[kiev4a]

Oleg says wrapping with paper and trying with twine discourages theft. He recommends doing that with cameras shipped to him for repair.

 

[pangkievrange]

I received a package from Slovakia about 15 minutes ago....... tied up in blue cord. It came from Dr. Dunay, perhaps better known as "Cupog" and the packing was superb. Everything is perfect. Now if only my package from Grizzly33Bear would arrive........ (It's on the way and should be here no later than early next week.)

Walker

Although I received my Kiev 5 won later on, I'm still waiting for jupiter 3 for kiev from her. The package she sends out is always registered. Almost 30 days have passed!!!

pangkievrange

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I never expected this thread to have such a long life. 🙂

I am saving up just so i can get another package from the Ukraine or moscow. Maybe Tallin.

BTW- has anyone seen the latest issue of Wired? There is an article on space artifacts being sold off from Russia.

I wonder what kind of paper and string they use to wrap a Buran shuttle? 🙂

 

[dll927]

Postal people probably wonder what all those Russian or East European packages are. I once ordered an Exakta VX1000 from the Czech Republic (it looks nearly new). When the mail carrier brought it to the door, he wanted to know if I was expecting a package from Czechslovakia. As it happened, I was. Since then , he has kidded me more than once after I explained they were 'classic' Russian cameras. (Not including the Exakta, of course.) He even asked me about an old twin-lens reflex he has.

At the moment, I'm awaiting a second Zorki-3 ordered from those parts. I recently bought a Zorki-6 and a Kiev 4a from Yuri of Fedka fame in NYC. Both look good. But they didn't arouse any suspicion coming from NYC.

 

[kiev4a]

Over the past several years I have received so many brown paper, yak-hair twine packages that I suspect when they see one at the PO they just throw it into the bin with my mail without even looking at the address. In other words, I'm a recognized odd ball.

 

[doubs43]

I've gotten two this week......... so far. One from Cupog in Slovakia and another from Oleg in the Russian Federation. I'm expecting another from Grizzly33Bear either tomorrow or the first of next week. My mail carriers haven't really expressed an interest in the packages' contents but I've made it known that they usually contain photographic items.

Besides, after the first 25 or 30 string-wrapped packages I'm sure they have gotten used to seeing them. 🙂

Walker