Seller's Remorse - Ever Have It?

[Laurence]

It's a curious thing, I go to sell equipment to finance other equipment. No problem, right? Well...actually YES, more times than not.

I tend to regret some sales, and then I start looking for that same camera again. Not even to actually buy another one (although that happens too). No, it's more to just take a nostalgic look at the equipment I sold. A form of self-torture.

Case in point: I just let go of a beautiful Vito IIa. It went to a good home, I'm sure. But now...I find myself thinking "Gosh, but that was a little jewel. Did I do the right thing?"

So...that was probably one of the more "intense" remorseful sale I've made. The camera was compact, clean, fit my hands, and the lens was sharp as can be. Now I have it on my mind. 🙄

So tell us -- what camera comes to the forefront of your mind, that have you sold and felt this bit of remorse, like you let a really good one get away?

And then...what did you do? Buy another one, or just simply let the grief sort of work its way out of your system?

 

[lushd]

Hi - sold a Bessa R, regretted it, bought another! Am now very happy, if somewhat poorer.

 

[JimG]

I'm sorry I sold my Bessa L. A good camera for wide angle and fun to use. Jim

 

[Kragmeister]

The one I continually kick myself over was my Century Graphic 23. It was sweet looking, grey leatherette on the body and a red bellows. The lens was even sweeter, an 80mm f2.8 Xenotar. I used to use it with a 6x7 back, often handheld with the rangefinder, other times on a tripod and focus on the ground glass. I sold that one while raising a house down payment. My wife at the time is now an ex and I sold the house at a loss too. I've been trying to find another of these Century Graphic specials for a couple of years....<sigh>....

Later,
Greg

 

[physiognomy]

Never sold any of my cameras... I know I'd even regret it with the ones I use rarely... Before my trip home last year my parents sold my 1st car... It was so sad not seeing that ugly blue thing in the driveway...

Peter

 

[jcee]

I can't believe I sold my perfectly good CV Ultron 35/1.7 lens!
I thought I'd be happy with 50 and 25, but 50 is a tad too tele and 25 is a tad too wide. I also regret selling my Digilux 1 digicam.

 

[dmr]

I sold my very first rangefinder years ago. I wasn't really using it. I've been kicking myself for it ever since. 🙁

 

[back alley]

mostly no regrets save for 2 minolta cle's i had and sold them both.
i miss them the most of everything i have sold.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Is this "Sellers' Remorse", the the closely related "Buyers' Remorse", more common since the internet became a popular place to buy and sell?

 

[Laurence]

The one I continually kick myself over was my Century Graphic 23. It was sweet looking, grey leatherette on the body and a red bellows. The lens was even sweeter, an 80mm f2.8 Xenotar. I used to use it with a 6x7 back, often handheld with the rangefinder, other times on a tripod and focus on the ground glass. I sold that one while raising a house down payment. My wife at the time is now an ex and I sold the house at a loss too. I've been trying to find another of these Century Graphic specials for a couple of years....<sigh>....

Later,
Greg

Greg, I sense your pain...the Century Graphic 23 is TRULY a sweet piece of work. My grandfather had one, though I don't know what happened to it. I remember him setting it up on the gravel bars in the rivers on the Olympic peninsula, to photograph the resident elk herds. It paints a neat picture in my mind. The prints that he developed from the camera were truly nice, even in my young mind at the time.

Greg, was this a camera with the Graflok back? Sweet for backpacking!

 

[Flinor]

I mourn my Hexar AF and two Fuji GS645 folders. Bought a Fuji, sold it after a year, immediately bought another, kept that one five years and still wish I'd never sold it. Now I'm praying for someone to do a digital Hexar equivalent.

 

[flashover]

Sellers' Remorse, every time I sell a camera. Well almost every time.

 

[atelier7]

yup... miss my bessa r, himatic 7s, fed 2, kiev 4, zorki 3m...
but not the petri 7 (feels very flimsy) or the faulty hexar af (it was faulty from the start and too complicated).
what to do? budget constrains... i can't buy if i dont sell something.
meanwhile, been thinking if i should trade the IIIC for a bessa r...
but i know i will miss it once i sell it so am hanging on for now....

 

[pvdhaar]

I have all four kinds of remorse..

1. buyers remorse, because everything falls short of being the ultimate this or that is some way or other..

2. keepers remorse, because it's lying in the cupboard unused, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it..

3. sellers remorse, because as soon as I sold something, I realize that I actually needed it..

4. refrainers remorse, because I force myself to not buy everything I'm craving for, which in the end doesn't work so I'll be back at square 1...

Pretty hopeless I guess..

 

[David Murphy]

Sold my W.Acall 35/f3.5 -- miss it dearly

 

[wlewisiii]

I've bought and sold a heck of alot of cameras over the last couple of years. The only ones I regret selling are the Yashica 124G & the Iskra. Especially the Iskra... :bang: I know I'll end up getting another one someday.

William

 

[pesphoto]

Not a rangefinder, but I once sold my Nikon F3hp to help pay rent.
Back 15 years ago you could get a pretty penny for one of these.

 

[dcsang]

Yep..
at least twice.

Both my M6's.. and I guess.. my Pentax LX too.. all very nice cameras 🙂

Dave

 

[FrankS]

About 20 years ago I briefly had a Leica M4-2 with a '70's 50mm Summicron. I just didn't connect with it. I guess I wasn't ready. I traded it for a new Nikon 801s and 35f2. Now I wish I had just kept it and waited until I matured.

 

[dreamsandart]

I can't count how many times its happened to me. Usually its a piece of equipment that is a 'collector's' item, and I know I'll never see another I can have for the price I paid.

Only thing that helps is putting it away and not using or looking at it for awhile before I sell it. I start to detach and the money helps too.