What's Your Best Bargain Find?

Al Kaplan said:
... getting them to send pix of my granddaughter is like pulling teeth...LOL
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Leica M6 - $500

Oly 35 RC $5

B&J Press $10 w/ Schneider lens


Al:
Had the same issue with my granddaughters. The key is to teach your grandchildren photography. Both my granddaughters develop B&W, although their grandmother almost strangled me for exposing her darling grandbabies to those deadly photochemicals! In any case, I have a deal with them that each takes pictures of the other and emails me the results. Works great and I don't have to pester my son and daughter-in-law any more.

Jeff
 
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wow I feel bad after reading all those...I will keep searching the antique shops nearby me. The old guy says he has some unopened boxes full of cameras! I am so excited...I hope like you guys a leica may come out of the box!!
 
Olympus XA w/flash for $25. Leitz 13.5cm f/4.5 Hektor for $35. Leitz Valoy complete enlarger w/Leitz 50/4.5 enlarging lens for $7.

Of those, I got the most use--several years worth--from the Leitz enlarger/lens combo.
 
I've had a few really great finds. One of the best was a Leica M2 (1960) near mint with a case full of lenses. In all there were 8 Leica M lenses, 1 Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 (early coated but damaged glass). 2 visoflexes, bellows, ton of adapters, filters, 2 ball heads and a mini Leitz tripod. also in the deal was a like new (absolute mint new) condition with 50mm summicron IIIG. All for just under $1500.

The second best find was a like new 4x5 baby Deardorff with 210mm Zeiss Tessar in an Ilex shutter, case and five new Graflex wooden holders in the original wrapping. I don't think the camera had been used as there was no evidence any holder had ever been inserted in the back. Got this package for $800.

Both came from little antique stores.
 
The best find I've bought was a Canon IVsb + 50/f1.8 + 85/f2 with cases and the finder for the 85 for $120. Foolishly, I decided against the needed CLA and sold it as it was for a small profit. Now I get the "joy" of finding another IV and probably paying just about what I would have spent before.
I was given a Kodak Retina IIIC with its case and manual along with a non functioning Bantam Special.
Rob
 
Thought I almost had a good find on eBay, but I can see that no matter how poorly labeled something is, people will find it and bid on it.

A 3-day listing on a very poorly labeled Nikkor 35/1.8 in LSM with M adapter went from $15 to $380 in the last 10 minutes. Due to the risk that it could really be crap shape, I didn't rebid after another guy outbid me, but then someone else outbid him in the closing seconds.

I'm not sure of the value of this lens. The notoriously overpriced goKevincameras tries to sell one for $1450, so I figure if it is in nice shape it'll sell for at least $800.
 
I found this Canon Telephoto in a second hand store today:

cantel1.jpg


I won't say what I paid, but it was below market value I'm sure.
 
A certain well-known local LA area camera store here liquidated a few weeks ago and there were patrons walking out with Leica M3's and such purchased for $25 (I saw one too - beautiful it was - sadly I was not among the buyers!) With management like that it's no wonder they went out of business.
 
I had to really think on this one. It was my 1st camera...a Voigtlander Prominent with a Nokton 50mm f/1.5, not sure what model (Ver I, II), But in 1968 my Dad & I went to downtown Miami, Fl to a used camera store...it was $50.00 and I was 14. That started me in the long winded hobby of photography.
 
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