Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Hallo! Having finally worked up enough courage to contribute a post I thought I’d introduce myself.
I’ve been using Soviet Rangefinders since 1984, when I bought a second-hand Fed 4. So began both a never-ending love and a spiralling descent into photographic madness!
I’ve been intrigued by the recent correspondence on e-bay, bad service and rising cost. At risk of sounding like a garrulous old twerp, the following tale may help put things in context. Back in 1988 I bought a second-hand Kiev 4 for £60 (now around $110) - a typical price at the time. The camera had clearly had the TOE treatment. Everything worked perfectly - even the meter. Being dazzlingly inept, I soon broke the shutter and took it for repair at a classic camera shop. Weeks passed, then finally I was told it was ready. I arrived to find the shop was shut - my camera was waiting at the jeweller next door, elaborately sealed in a gaffer-taped box. Unable to wait until I got home, I ripped off the wrapping and found a peeling Zorki!
These were the years of Gorbymania, when anything Soviet was suddenly hip. The dealer, a regular in “Amateur Photographer”, had sold my camera for £200 to a Brighton interior design shop! The trading standards people got my £60 back, but by now dealers asked £90 for Kievs. I was a student and just couldn’t spare the cash.
The moral? Scamming didn’t start with e-bay or in the FSU - and believe me, the cameras are still really cheap!
It’s a real pleasure to be part of this community; you’ve taught me much already and I hope to learn much more. Best wishes to everyone!
Jocko
I’ve been using Soviet Rangefinders since 1984, when I bought a second-hand Fed 4. So began both a never-ending love and a spiralling descent into photographic madness!
I’ve been intrigued by the recent correspondence on e-bay, bad service and rising cost. At risk of sounding like a garrulous old twerp, the following tale may help put things in context. Back in 1988 I bought a second-hand Kiev 4 for £60 (now around $110) - a typical price at the time. The camera had clearly had the TOE treatment. Everything worked perfectly - even the meter. Being dazzlingly inept, I soon broke the shutter and took it for repair at a classic camera shop. Weeks passed, then finally I was told it was ready. I arrived to find the shop was shut - my camera was waiting at the jeweller next door, elaborately sealed in a gaffer-taped box. Unable to wait until I got home, I ripped off the wrapping and found a peeling Zorki!
These were the years of Gorbymania, when anything Soviet was suddenly hip. The dealer, a regular in “Amateur Photographer”, had sold my camera for £200 to a Brighton interior design shop! The trading standards people got my £60 back, but by now dealers asked £90 for Kievs. I was a student and just couldn’t spare the cash.
The moral? Scamming didn’t start with e-bay or in the FSU - and believe me, the cameras are still really cheap!
It’s a real pleasure to be part of this community; you’ve taught me much already and I hope to learn much more. Best wishes to everyone!
Jocko
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bmattock
Veteran
That's an amazing story! Where did this happen, in England (I take it from the 'Brighton' reference)? That's pretty awful. I believe I would have had a discussion with mister shop owner and I'd bring along mister baseball bat for moral support. But that's just me.
Well done posting and welcome to the madness!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Well done posting and welcome to the madness!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
cp_ste.croix
At the beginning again.
wow...i would have been super mad! i'm not sure i'm comforted to know there have always been dishonest jerks arround though 
thankfully, this place is free of them and full of wonderful people, welcome!
thankfully, this place is free of them and full of wonderful people, welcome!
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Thank you both!
Bill - it happened in Worthing, a town on the south coast of England, a few miles west of Brighton. Happily the dealer vanished soon after - I expect he now sells those carpet-coated "Leicas"!
All the best, J.
Bill - it happened in Worthing, a town on the south coast of England, a few miles west of Brighton. Happily the dealer vanished soon after - I expect he now sells those carpet-coated "Leicas"!
All the best, J.
doubs43
Well-known
Jocko, I'm the obstinent type. I'd have been outside that joker's shop with a huge placard proclaiming him to be the crook and thief that he was until he found it in the goodness of his heart to replace my camera with the exact model in perfect condition.
BTW, I went to the Russian Shop in London in 1985 (IIRC) and purchased a new Kiev 4a for 35 quid. I still have it. I left England in October, 1987.
Walker
BTW, I went to the Russian Shop in London in 1985 (IIRC) and purchased a new Kiev 4a for 35 quid. I still have it. I left England in October, 1987.
Walker
kiev4a
Well-known
Jocko
Welcome. It's nice to meet a real veteran of FSU camera madness.
Welcome. It's nice to meet a real veteran of FSU camera madness.
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Thank you!
Walker - I wish I'd known about that Russian shop! When I bought the camera I lived in west Wales so used to depend on mail order dealers, hence my ideas on prices were probably inflated. I later used to go to the Jessops classic camera place by the British Museum - and that can't have helped my sense of proportion! I should have protested more, but at the time I had so much going on... still the Kiev left an inheritence; I'll post some pictures when I get a film scanner.
Once again, thank you all for the welcome!
Walker - I wish I'd known about that Russian shop! When I bought the camera I lived in west Wales so used to depend on mail order dealers, hence my ideas on prices were probably inflated. I later used to go to the Jessops classic camera place by the British Museum - and that can't have helped my sense of proportion! I should have protested more, but at the time I had so much going on... still the Kiev left an inheritence; I'll post some pictures when I get a film scanner.
Once again, thank you all for the welcome!
R
RML
Guest
Cool story, Jocko.
It seems we don't need to tell you anything about GAS, so: WELCOME!
It seems we don't need to tell you anything about GAS, so: WELCOME!