Thrift Shop Finds

[Dinobe]

Not sure if it is a good find or not, but anyway Canon Digital Rebel XT with EF-S 17-85 was found at Vallue Village for $14.99.

My first DSLR I still have it somewhere and it still works. Had a good time with this camera. The rubber grip has completely gone sticky...

 

[barry]

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(Pinkie & Blue Boy)

 

[djtaylor7]

Out of interest, are the thrift shops still open in the USA? Here in NZ they are classed as non-essential and had to close.

 

[Brownie]

Out of interest, are the thrift shops still open in the USA? Here in NZ they are classed as non-essential and had to close.

Our stay-at-home orders are issued state-by-state. Here in Michigan they are closed. The link takes you to a list, but not sure how accurate or updated it is.

https://kesq.com/news/national-worl...at-home-orders-heres-what-that-means-for-you/

 

[barry]

Out of interest, are the thrift shops still open in the USA? Here in NZ they are classed as non-essential and had to close.

I saw one open as I was driving on Wednesday. In Orange County, in which only essential businesses are allowed to remain open.
But my pic is a few months old.

 

[ex machina]

Out of interest, are the thrift shops still open in the USA? Here in NZ they are classed as non-essential and had to close.

Same in my area of the world, though I haven't gone out to confirm it. Maybe that means when things finally open up again there will be tons of deals from all those stuck at home finally cleaning out that closet and garage?

Guess we won't be worrying just about mould anymore?

 

[ektar]

Closed in NC.

 

[Boy777]

Hi Guys, haven't been for a while. It is harder and harder to find interesting photo stuff for cheap. My last find is $11.49 for Minolta X700 with two lenses Seikanon 28/2.8 MC Macro and Seikanon 55-225 MC Zoom Macro, power winder, flash, teleconverter, some extra stuff like filters, manuals, etc. Everything was in photo bag. I think pretty good find nowadays. Thank you and have a great weekend!

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[PhotoCal]

Last week, in CA, I went to a thrift store.
There was a short line to get in as they are limiting capacity, in addition to requiring masks and other protocols. It was very pleasant, and I thanked the staff for all theu are doing to keep people safe.
Any employee who deals with the public face-to-face is taking a risk just coming to work.

I didn't buy any cameras but I did see a Canon A95 and about a dozen various other cameras. No ILC.

I don't know if thrift stores are open now as, has been mentioned, the restrictions have tightened. I think the donation express centers (where items are accepted but not sold) have been closed for months.

 

[djtaylor7]

We received what I can only describe as a Polaroid brick at the Op shop (New Zealand version of a thrift store) where I volunteer.

Pull hard enough though and it unfolds by magic to become a camera. A Polaroid SLR 680.

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[ex machina]

We received what I can only describe as a Polaroid brick at the Op shop (New Zealand version of a thrift store) where I volunteer.

Pull hard enough though and it unfolds by magic to become a camera. A Polaroid SLR 680.

View attachment 863917
View attachment 863916

Great find, the pinnacle of Polaroid cameras. You can pick up laser-cut recovering kits online if you're looking to restore it, but be careful, some covers are a lot thinner than the original and not anywhere near as satisfactory. Also, make sure it works before expending the effort to re-cover -- don't ask me how I know.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Dear Board,

I've never found anything of value camera wise in a Thrift store here in Pennsylvania.

That said, I've bought a good bit from online auctions run by Goodwill here in the USA. My best "finds" have been a Canon EOS Elan with an EOS 50mm f1.8 original version with the DOF scale and a Canon EX430 flash in the Tamron sling bag with manuals and paperwork for all along with some quality Hoya filters in cases for $ 75.00.

But my best finds were an almost perfect Kodak Retina 111c and a similar Kodak Retina 11a. Each one came in a case and I got each for less than $ 30.00 each.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

 

[PakkyT]

A Polaroid SLR 680.

As an interesting aside, the ultrasonic range finder on that camera (gold colored circle with the grill on it), those were spun off to another company when Polaroid failed and you can still buy them today. My company uses them in our instruments.

 

[ex machina]

As an interesting aside, the ultrasonic range finder on that camera (gold colored circle with the grill on it), those were spun off to another company when Polaroid failed and you can still buy them today. My company uses them in our instruments.

Fascinating -- what are your company's instruments used for?

 

[Besperus]

Canon 55 to 300 ef, Olympus 810 tough camera ($15), Sony 20meg Cybershot, Zuiko 28mm and 150mm (film lenses $20 ea) Goodwill in Portland Oregon.

 

[PakkyT]

Fascinating -- what are your company's instruments used for?

Medical device company making primarily Coagulation analyzers and blood gas analyzers. In our Coag line these are big instruments used by labs where you can load up to 120 patient blood draw tubes and perform all kind of tests. Blood is mixed with reagents in cuvettes and after the measurements are complete, the used cuvettes go into a waste bin. The former Polaroid ultra sonic sensor has the lowly task of measuring how full the waste bin is in order to flag the user when it needs to be emptied.

 

[Brownie]

Not exactly 'thrift store', but thrifty nonetheless!

I went to my local camera shop yesterday to poke around and see what they had used. My favorite sales person was there and we got to talking about Argus cameras. I asked off-hand if he had anything hiding in the back (that's how I ended up with my Kodak Vestpocket Autographic). He went in the back and brought out two cases. In one was an Argus M. While not rare, this model is not as plentiful as others. Cameras in good condition bring $100 +. This one needs some work on the body, there's a missing trim piece and logo, but everything mechanical is in very good condition. The camera uses 828 film, but unlike other 828 cameras it doesn't use the area taken up by the sprocket holes for the photo. It can also be used for full or half frame.

When I asked him how much, he gave it to me! He said the only way to sell it is eBay, and by the time he deals with packing it up, shipping, listing, etc., he'd rather see me have and enjoy it.

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The other case had a C3, 'The Brick'. I already have one but since he was so nice in giving me the Model M I decided to buy it off him. He sold it to me for $20, which is a very good deal. This camera is in top notch condition. After getting it home I looked up the serial number and entered it in the Argus Group's C Camera Survey. It turns out this camera is one of a group with a screwed up serial number. After the war when Argus resumed commercial production the serial numbers started with 5 digits and worked their way up. Sometime in late 1946 or early 1947 the serials rolled over into the 100,000's, but they forgot to add the 1 to the front of the numbers. The result was a group of cameras produced with duplicate serial numbers to the earlier run. This one is #07xxx, but it should be 107xxx ( I can't recall the last 3 numbers). The only way to tell is by comparing features between the two serial numbers. So a bit of an anomaly and will likely replace my other C3.

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[jhawk1000]

My first camera was a C-3. My dad had been in WWII fighting in Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. He came home with few skills and had a tough time finding meaningful employment for some time and we did not have a lot of money so the C-3 was bought used. It was a Christmas present to me and as a young guy, I unwrapped it, looked it over, re-wrapped it and feigned surprise on Christmas. I loved that Brick and still have it with the accessories and three other C-3s with cases. I don't use them now but they remind me of the good times I had learning, actually learning, about photography.

 

[ex machina]

Not exactly 'thrift store', but thrifty nonetheless!

I went to my local camera shop yesterday to poke around and see what they had used. My favorite sales person was there and we got to talking about Argus cameras. I asked off-hand if he had anything hiding in the back (that's how I ended up with my Kodak Vestpocket Autographic). He went in the back and brought out two cases. In one was an Argus M. While not rare, this model is not as plentiful as others. Cameras in good condition bring $100 +. This one needs some work on the body, there's a missing trim piece and logo, but everything mechanical is in very good condition. The camera uses 828 film, but unlike other 828 cameras it doesn't use the area taken up by the sprocket holes for the photo. It can also be used for full or half frame.

When I asked him how much, he gave it to me! He said the only way to sell it is eBay, and by the time he deals with packing it up, shipping, listing, etc., he'd rather see me have and enjoy it.

View attachment 875556 View attachment 875557

The other case had a C3, 'The Brick'. I already have one but since he was so nice in giving me the Model M I decided to buy it off him. He sold it to me for $20, which is a very good deal. This camera is in top notch condition. After getting it home I looked up the serial number and entered it in the Argus Group's C Camera Survey. It turns out this camera is one of a group with a screwed up serial number. After the war when Argus resumed commercial production the serial numbers started with 5 digits and worked their way up. Sometime in late 1946 or early 1947 the serials rolled over into the 100,000's, but they forgot to add the 1 to the front of the numbers. The result was a group of cameras produced with duplicate serial numbers to the earlier run. This one is #07xxx, but it should be 107xxx ( I can't recall the last 3 numbers). The only way to tell is by comparing features between the two serial numbers. So a bit of an anomaly and will likely replace my other C3.

View attachment 875558

Nice! I have never seen an Argus M. The lens off your brick adapts well to m43 and provides a more contrasty, modern look than you might expect, fwiw.

 

[Brownie]

Nice! I have never seen an Argus M. The lens off your brick adapts well to m43 and provides a more contrasty, modern look than you might expect, fwiw.

I think we talked about that when I got my first brick. Right now I'm so backed up on camera cleaning I can't see straight! It's been a great diversion through winter, but as the weather warms I need to redirect my attention, so I want to get these done. Right now waiting for cleaning and checkups are the Vestpocket I referenced earlier, a Brownie Twin-20, the two Argus in the post above, plus an Argus 21 Markfinder, an A2B, and a C4. Yikes!