Thrift store amusement...

[johnf04]

We have "Hospice Shops" and "Opportunity Shops" and they occasionally have cameras, normally P&S. A local Prebyterian op shop currently has a Praktica IV, with E. Ludwig Meritar 50mm lens, and a couple of other Japanese preset lenses. I might have bought it, if I didn't have two Praktica IVs already.

 

[xayraa33]

I think Goodwill takes all of the "good" cameras that are donated and sells them on line. The cameras that I've seen there all fall into the junk-junk category, fixed focus Instamatic clones and the like.

However, at a smaller independent thrift shop, a couple of weeks ago a co-worker found a black MX with a Vivitar telephoto. It's the one on the left below. Fortunately she phoned me and asked if I was interested. When I realized what it was, I told her "Don't let it out of your hand until I get there!"

You are most probably very correct, I have yet to see a decent camera for sale at Goodwill, even for way beyond above market price.

 

[wjlapier]

Our local goodwill has raised prices on some stuff and sells other stuff dirt cheap. LPs for $1.99--we always find something--once found a bunch of jazz LPs and bought them all. Cameras used to be plentiful but lately there has been a shortage. About a month ago I found a Canon AE-1 with 50mm lens in very nice condition for $15. I bought it. Needs light seals but everything else works.

 

[Huss]

Cameras used to be plentiful but lately there has been a shortage. About a month ago I found a Canon AE-1 with 50mm lens in very nice condition for $15. I bought it. Needs light seals but everything else works.

Pretty much all old cameras need light seals. Funny thing is for some of them, the light seals cost me more than the camera!

 

[dmr]

Pretty much all old cameras need light seals. Funny thing is for some of them, the light seals cost me more than the camera!

Installing the light seals is cheap and easy. 🙂

Getting the old ones out and cleaning up all of the grode left behind is messy tedious work!

 

[rbiemer]

I was back at the same Thrifty Shopper this afternoon and no cameras but I did buy--$10 each--two lenses. Both Tamron, both Adaptall-2 lenses. One is a 85-210 "macro zoom" with a Contax/Yashica mount, the other is a 28mm f/2.5 with Canon FD mount. Glass on both is pretty good, the adaptall mount on the 28mm doesn't seem to be mounted correctly--I'm not getting full aperture ring movement.

 

[nikon_sam]

I found this today at a favorite Thrift Store...it had a Red Price Tag of $7.95 and today Red Tags were 50% off...$4.32 out the door...
I have a similar one but it doesn't have the spiked feet...

 

[rfaspen]

Dats a "cute little tripod" there. Most of the tripods I see in our thrift stores are either beat to oblivion or super cheap-o.

Now, I did go back and visit my "good" local thrift store and found myself a lens. A Nikkor 28-80 AF kit lens of some kind. VERY plastic and lightweight, but for $5 I sprung for it. Images are pretty good! I expected lesser performance. A lot less.

The other good thrift store in town had a very unusual item. It was a large filter-holder ring for the Canon 19mm FL lens. Such an unusual thing that I thought someone here on RFF might be interested in. I went back yesterday and it was gone. Sold. I wonder to whom?

I did find some darkroom graduated cylinders that match my current set. I bought em even though I don't really need them.

I think I'll cruise through the thrift shops a little more often now.

 

[Contarama]

Antique stores in small suburbs and small towns are my hunting grounds. Most recent find Star D Conquest tripod ex $5. Best past find a 50/2 S Nikkor perfect mint flawless $10. Another good find a couple years ago Canon F1 w/motor drive and 50/1.8 mint local camera store service sticker new seals $100.

Right now a bunch of ancient folders, a couple AE1 units, a couple newer Pentax film rigs. Nothing special.

Years ago I told the lady who owns the placr get all cameras you can tell all booth rentals to do the same. She still delivers!

 

[madNbad]

Had a choice between this Oly and a Nikon Lite Touch 35-150 both were ten bucks at a local Goodwill. It's not a 35 2.8 Mju II but there's no LCD bleed and everything seems to work.

[/url]_1MD0211 by Michael DeLuca, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[David Hughes]

I was worried by this thread and went and checked; this was taken this afternoon and in other shops I saw about half a dozen cameras.

Regards, David

 

[johnf04]

I was worried by this thread and went and checked; this was taken this afternoon and in other shops I saw about half a dozen cameras.

Regards, David

That looks like the box in the local "St John Ambulance" shop. I did once find a Miranda Sensomat RE there, though.

 

[rbiemer]

The store near me had a whole bunch of nothing this past Saturday--but it was at least different stuff. Two P&S cameras in their original boxes and with the paper work, etc. Looked really good until I popped the battery doors off. Corrosion of the batteries to the extent that I couldn't pull the batteries out.
It was also the first big yard sale week end here and the single biggest one is a neighborhood sale in one of the nicer areas--7 or 8 blocks and 40 or 50 different sales. I found two cameras at two different sales, both were those give away 35mm cameras you used to get with a magazine subscription. Though, one woman who was helping out at her parents sale told me she "had a bunch of film cameras at home." And she could text me pictures of them if I'd like.
So, today I got about 9 phone pics of two Polaroid cameras--not any of the nicer ones, a Kodak instant camera, a Revere 8mm movie camera, and a Minolta X370. I've got an X570 already and don't need any more indifferent zoom lenses.
I did buy two Parker fountain pens, a "51" Special and a 21. They both are going off for some repair/restoration. Paid a whopping 50 cents each for them. 🙂

Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Back at the Thrifty Shopper yesterday. Only photo stuff was a box of Kodak BW paper.
It was on top of a stack of store brand inkjet photo paper.
And open.
And the black plastic envelope was unfolded--somebody must've wanted to see what was in there. 🙁
And it was marked $15.00
8x10 Polycontrast.
Maybe 1/2 of a 50 sheet box left.
I suggested to the manager that if they ever got another box of actual photo paper, maybe tape it shut and keep it behind the register where the other expensive stuff is. And had to explain the difference between that paper and (her words) "regular photo paper".

I am becoming tempted to volunteer there just to help 'em with the photo gear...

Rob

 

[johnf04]

At the local Hospice Shop this morning, I picked up a nice Fujica ST605, complete with a wide "hippy style" strap, for $20.

 

[Daryl J.]

I picked up a Minolta X-700 with a 35-70 zoom in it for $14.99, a Series 1 Vivitar 70-210 (28xxxxx serial) for $14.99 and some other accessories for $7.99 one night at a local thrift store. All are in near-mint condition and function perfectly.

But ever since that local lady found the Mt St Helens eruption pix in a camera and the story went around the world, Goodwill shopping is hopeless.

 

[farlymac]

Our local Goodwill stores now put the photo gear online, so gone are the days when I would make the rounds of all seven stores. Maybe it's a good thing, because I've got way more cameras now then I'll ever need.

Except the Nikons. Still looking for a few good buys there. A couple weeks ago I was in an antique/newtique place (I utterly detest the so-called "primitive" stuff) where I picked up a Nikon F2AS for $22.00. It's got a busted finder release lever, but I have a dead finder that can donate the part. Other than that, and the need of new seals, the camera works fine.

PF

 

[Timmyjoe]

I was worried by this thread and went and checked; this was taken this afternoon and in other shops I saw about half a dozen cameras.

Regards, David

David,

That is what I've seen the different times I've looked for photo equipment at a few different Goodwill stores. Never anything I would value.

Best,
-Tim

 

[lynnb]

Thrift store prices in Sydney have inflated to silly amounts in recent years. Mostly I only see overpriced junk. Before that there was the occasional treasure like a pristine Nikon F, a Topcon RE Super and some XAs.

 

[David Hughes]

David,

That is what I've seen the different times I've looked for photo equipment at a few different Goodwill stores. Never anything I would value.

Best,
-Tim

Hi,

Perhaps I should have added that there were a few in the box there and elsewhere that I would have bought but I already had them. Several were in really good condition and the Konica box in the picture had the camera and papers, as new.

Threads like this turn up from time to time and so I've kept a list of stuff I bought. At present, this year, a dozen cameras (average a little over UKP 4) and 3 lenses (average 2). The cameras ranged from a Pentax K1000 or Minolta X-700 down to some cult P&S's and an antique Kodak VPK.

Having said that, I'll add that it seems to be luck more than judgement because I know of some I've missed when talking to people in the shops.

Regards, David