[rollei_list] Re: : Camera show decline
- From: Marc James Small <marcsmall@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:06:44 -0500
At 01:48 PM 2/27/2008, Austin Franklin wrote:
>Well, for me, I used to go to the camera shows, but for the past probably
>four or five years, the items have been way overpriced and there is not=
much
>of interest. I typically get a better condition item from eBay for a much
>better price. Not all the time, but most of the time. It's not really
>blind either, if the pictures are decent enough, and you know what=
questions
>to ask, and the seller has decent feedback.
I worked a number of camera shows for more than a=20
decade, back in the 1990's -- for that matter, I=20
met a number of you at these venues and I have=20
worked a table with Jerry Laderberg as recently=20
as last year. But eBay effectively ended my=20
interest for the simple reason that it both=20
coughed up a huge morass of collectibles and cut=20
prices dramatically, and I was able to sell off=20
my better stuff at shows and buy at a great=20
savings on eBay. Take, for example, those Carl=20
Zeiss 8x,30mm monoculars which could be used as=20
an auxiliary telephoto on Zeiss Ikon Contaflex,=20
Contarex, and Icarex cameras. There were three=20
versions of these (two Porro prism and one=20
roof-prsm design) and two adapters (Contarex and=20
Icarex: these mount directly to Contaflex=20
cameras). Until eBay, these guys were rare and=20
hard to find and, when they surfaced, the=20
monoculars generally went for between $400 and=20
$500 and the adapters for around $100. In the=20
later 1990's, I got all three of the monoculars=20
for less than $150 each in E+ condition and the=20
Icarex adapter for $25, while I picked up the=20
Contafex adapter for $5 from a guy who couldn't=20
figure out just what it was. Carl Zeiss Jena=20
Mikrotars and Carl Zeiss Luminars and Leitz=20
Milars and Micro-Summars and Photars are another=20
example: I even scored an oddball Leitz 26mm=20
Photar (find that one in the catalogues!) for=20
$25. I picked up a nice Werra III from Yuri=20
Boguslavsky for $75 and the Cardinar telephoto=20
for $35. I scored a slew of Contaflex and Retina=20
stuff, including both Cntaflex stereo rigs and=20
the stereo viewer. It was a time for hot pickin's at fire-sale prices.
eBay is not as much fun now. For one thing, I=20
have most of what I was seeking. For another, us=20
bottom-feeders have pretty much picked the market=20
bare of oddball collectibles. For a third,=20
prices have been going up since 1999 and seem to=20
have plateaued for the past several years at=20
about 3/4 of what they were in pre-eBay days. Am=20
I still looking for some stuff? You damnbetcha=20
-- a Werra and Retina stereo rig would be nice,=20
there are Retina and Contaflex lenses I am=20
lacking, und so weiter. I am still seeking a=20
number of accessories for my Swift 731 3"=20
refractor (try doing an eBay search for "Swift=20
telescope" for an exercise in grand=20
futility!). But none of these are urgent and I=20
really must concentrate on setting up my library=20
and getting all of my camera references together=20
again, and then on re-establishing my dark-room.
Would I work a camera show=20
again? Absolutely. We are contemplating a jont=20
meeting of the Zeiss Historica Society and the=20
Binocular Historical Society here in Chester,=20
Virginia, this autumn, if I can get off my can=20
and organize it. If so, I will probably try to=20
get someone to host a camera show here, as it has=20
been a decade since Richmond had such.
I do miss the old King of Prussia shows. THOSE were magnificent.
Marc
msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cha robh b=E0s fir gun ghr=E0s fir!
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