David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
I thought I'd share this as I've not seen a box full of old cameras on the floor in a charity shop for ages and ages. And this was just this week...
Regards, David
I thought I'd share this as I've not seen a box full of old cameras on the floor in a charity shop for ages and ages. And this was just this week...
Regards, David
citizen99
Well-known
I always keep an eye open for something interesting or useful.
'Toy' plastic cameras can be a source of tiny springs and wide-angle viewfinder lenses. Unused 'disposables' can, in addition, yield an expired but usable 35mm film
'Toy' plastic cameras can be a source of tiny springs and wide-angle viewfinder lenses. Unused 'disposables' can, in addition, yield an expired but usable 35mm film
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Yes, and you can find some interesting bits and pieces at the bottom of the boxes. Alas the days when every shop had them have gone but I don't miss the rude comments as I sit there going through the muddle.
Regards, David
Yes, and you can find some interesting bits and pieces at the bottom of the boxes. Alas the days when every shop had them have gone but I don't miss the rude comments as I sit there going through the muddle.
Regards, David
grouchos_tash
Well-known
This would make my weekend. You're right though, this is a very rare sight now!
Tony Whitney
Well-known
I was digging into a box like that in a local charity store and dug out a Minolta XG-M with 50 mm f2 lens. I can only describe it as mint - JCII sticker in place and plastic on the baseplate. It cost me $2 and I took it home and put a battery in it and it functions flawlessly. I've found other stuff too, but nothing quite as clean and as satisfying as the Minolta. Cheers...Tony
grouchos_tash
Well-known
The best I've found was an Olympus XA2, slim pickings for pretty much anything interesting in the North East of England.
MikeMGB
Well-known
My wife found me a Mamiya Sekkor with standard lens in a box like that a few weeks ago, she paid $3.50 for it.
I do the rounds of the charity shops here just looking for cameras, I've found some gems over the years, buried in among the plastic 35mm compacts.
I do the rounds of the charity shops here just looking for cameras, I've found some gems over the years, buried in among the plastic 35mm compacts.
lxmike
M2 fan.
slim pickings indeed, a few year back in Newcastle I picked up an OM10 and a bit later a K1000, these days most shops I visit have little to no photography kit present
johnf04
Well-known
A few weeks ago, I bought a Pentax Spotmatic F and a preset Takumar 200mm lens at the local Presbyterian op shop. They had been put in their window display just a few minutes before, with various other cameras. The next day, all the cameras had gone.
lxmike
M2 fan.
I once was in a charity shop where a gentleman was hummimg and harring about buying a camera ticketed at £15, I willed him to put it down, sadly he did not and walked out of the shop with the Rolleiflex TLR under his arm....close but sadly not close enough
Pioneer
Veteran
Sadly I never find anything like that. One time I did find an old Agfa 6x9 art deco camera that some little boy had poked holes in the bellows with a pencil. They wanted $5 for it. I would have paid 50 cents but when I pointed out the holes they told me that no one made film for it anyway and they were only selling it for a decoration.
Justin Smith
Established
My best recent score was an Olympus OM-2n with a 50/1.4 lens for $7.50 USD. It was setting behind the counter and hadn't been priced yet because the UV filter on it had a dented ring. Put new batteries in it and it seems to meter properly!
lxmike
M2 fan.
BillBingham2
Registered User
I need to get out more.......
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
Every Sunday morning is 'Car-Boot Sale' morning for me. I've got some fantastic bargains over the last few years - most of them on my blog.
michaelwj
----------------
I wonder if they aren't around anymore because people are no longer donating them (either selling them themselves or just binning them), people are no longer buying them so they're just binned or recycled by the charity shop, or is it a case of the early bird gets the worm?
grouchos_tash
Well-known
That's painful! I saw a Minolta Dynax a few weeks ago but they wanted £80 hahaha!
A lot of charities put them on eBay now. The problem with that is, they are always listed as untested yet the same price as tested ones.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Those charity shops that put everything on ebay are a pita but there are still some proper charity shops about. You can tell them by the chaos and muddle...
A few weeks ago* I was there when a huge carrier bag filled with cameras (all wrapped in plastic with manuals etc) was emptied and went through it on the counter. I got a couple of P&S's for a pound each.
Also one or two shops now keep the cameras until I (or someone else) visits and asks our opinion. I guess it pays to keep looking.
Regards, David
* Just checked, it was 5th May and there were 3 or 4 of them left this Thursday.
Those charity shops that put everything on ebay are a pita but there are still some proper charity shops about. You can tell them by the chaos and muddle...
A few weeks ago* I was there when a huge carrier bag filled with cameras (all wrapped in plastic with manuals etc) was emptied and went through it on the counter. I got a couple of P&S's for a pound each.
Also one or two shops now keep the cameras until I (or someone else) visits and asks our opinion. I guess it pays to keep looking.
Regards, David
* Just checked, it was 5th May and there were 3 or 4 of them left this Thursday.
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
I found a Kodak Z710 digital camera in pretty much mint condition at a local thrift store...even had a 2GB SD card...(the biggest card it will accept)...the battery almost cost as much as the camera...$15 camera...$12 battery...
I bought it to take when cycling...
I bought it to take when cycling...
grouchos_tash
Well-known
Some great images from a pretty 'elderly' digital camera
After commenting on the lack of finds in charity chops, I went and found a Canon AF35MII yesterday haha