Parts only slrs

[subman60]

Our local camera store has just been bought for the 2nd time in 2 years. The new owner is getting rid of any thing related to film cameras. She has several boxes of parts cameras that she wants rid of. Is there any reason for me to try and rescue these? I'm afraid they are going to end up in the dumpster, from the way her employe talks I think that's what happened to th case of lenses. It's a mix of your normal 70s and 80s cameras. There is an OM3 and OM4 that I may keep for display purposes, the 3 shutter works at all speeds I haven't checked its meter yet.

 

[KoNickon]

I am someone who regards it as a sin to throw out cameras, even if inoperable. I'd rescue them all, and let folks know here what you've got -- you never know who might be looking for a specific parts camera (and be willing to pay you a modest amount for it!).

 

[subman60]

That's kind of how I feel. If I can get them for free or a small investment I'll take them. There are somewhere between 50 and 100 cameras total plus a few lenses and several flash units. Wish I'd have known about this before she got rid of the lenses.

 

[burancap]

Definitely grab everything! I'd like an OM3 myself.

The annual RFf Christmas Thread should be starting up in a few weeks -you could make a lot of people happy!

 

[tunalegs]

That's kind of how I feel. If I can get them for free or a small investment I'll take them. There are somewhere between 50 and 100 cameras total plus a few lenses and several flash units. Wish I'd have known about this before she got rid of the lenses.

Only the world's biggest idiot would have gotten rid of the lenses before getting rid of the camera bodies. Even the shop around here has a case of old lenses but only a couple film bodies for sale.

I would say most of the bodies are more than likely next to worthless. The common consumer grade SLR from the 1970s or 80s is only worth about $5-$25.

 

[subman60]

Yes getting rid of the lenses wasn't very smart. There were two minolta beer can lenses, the short and long, which somene probably could have used. There is a university here that has a photography class which use to do a lot of business with the store.

 

[DNG]

if you make a list of what you have bought, and what you would like for each item. My local repair guy should be interested in parts cameras, and lenses....

Hope you get them cheap !!!!!

 

[KoNickon]

Well, as far as the lenses are concerned, I bet most of them were the cheap Japanese aftermarket "brand X" variety ones, which the last time I checked no one is looking for, even for parts. The bodies do at least have parts value (if they're not "plastic fantastic" point and shoot types).

 

[Bille]

That's kind of how I feel. If I can get them for free or a small investment I'll take them. There are somewhere between 50 and 100 cameras total plus a few lenses and several flash units. Wish I'd have known about this before she got rid of the lenses.

Are you telling us there is someone trying to run a business and first thing he does is throwing away inventory?

 

[citizen99]

Are you telling us there is someone trying to run a business and first thing he does is throwing away inventory?

Perhaps they were indoctrinated in the 'Kaizen' philosophy, which includes throwing away anything deemed superfluous to the task in hand, at least as interpreted by 'new broom' managements. The danger can be the destruction of 'corporate memory' (as well as lenses 😉 ). The fashion hit my workplace in the mid-90s - at least I got a clean desk out of it 😀. For a while.

 

[Addy101]

Space is money, it is as simple as that. It is a sound business decision imho to clear out the shop - even if I disagree about throwing it al away.

 

[subman60]

Here is what I've found out after talking to the owner. She hasn't made her mind up what to do with the parts cameras yet. Her husband wants her to list them on eBay she sees that as to time consuming. I've given her my phone # and asked her to call if it looks like there going to pitched and I would see about saving them. The lenses she pitched were all items that showed to be in inventory for over 2 years. Shelf space is shelf space I guess. I did pick up a box of items for less than the cost to take my family out to eat at IHOP. Yes it included the OM3 and 4 plus a zuiko 85-250 zoom, a Canon F1 and Pellix and some other misc OM stuff. Hope the two OMs work.

 

[wblynch]

The OM-3, with its mechanical shutter, should work or at least is repairable.

OM-3 and OM-4 meter electronics may be next to impossible to have repaired anymore. I know of one person that could give a definitive answer on that. www.zuiko.com

 

[subman60]

So far the OM 3&4 are both working. The F1 battery is exhausted so I don't know about it yet, same with the Pellix. The owner keeps asking me to shoot her a price for the stuff. I'm not sure what to offer, don't want to give much for it though.

 

[subman60]

I guess the store owner has decided that there is value in her boxes of cameras. Someone she knows found a working Canon AE-1 in them. I gave her a price I was willing to pay for the lot, I guess it wasn't enough because yesterday I went by and she wants 4x what I offered and this is after she has now gone through them and pulled anything that might work out of them. Plus she has thrown more items away, at least one full trash bag.

 

[burancap]

Ah, just walk away. Someone will be bagging up her stuff within the year.

 

[subman60]

I bought the best items that were in the boxes so I'm ok with it. I'm just sure that most of it's going to end up in the dumpster and there are usable parts in those boxes. When I was there yesterday her husband was throwing away a large trash bag full of bodies and lenses. It's her stuff so she can do what she wants with it. She now sees more value than there is in it to me.

 

[wblynch]

Hang out by the dumpster...

 

[Rob-F]

Hang out by the dumpster...

+1. Sounds like you already made out pretty well. Maybe you don't really need any more of it. Hope she knows what she's doing, so that her new store doesn't end up in the dumpster along with all she's getting rid of.