[Leica] Re: [rollei_list] Re: : Camera show decline

[glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer)]

Marc usw,

I have been hearing some bad-mouthing about camera shows on several 
groups lately, I disagree.

Let me tell you what I did last Sunday as a walk-thru customer in 1 
hours time at the San Diego Camera Show

Bought:
    Gitzo monopod-like new-$25

    Hasselblad Pistol grip mint-$10

    28-85 mm Nikkor AIS-mint

    Zeiss Softar filter for Hasselblad $10 (NIB)

    T-adapter for Leica Reflex- NIB $5

    Rollei Bay 1 adapter to hold  small  flash unit  $5

I also sold a Rolleiflex ERC for a 2.8C, to a dealer, for $30

All this in one hours time, with no haggling. (well, almost no haggling)


Jerry Lehrer


Marc James Small wrote:
> 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@aya.yale.edu
> Cha robh b=E0s fir gun ghr=E0s fir!
>
> ---
> R