| I
1st got involved with eBay when I sold more than $50,000.00 worth of
Elvis Presley Memorabilia for a man who worked as one of Presley's producers at
RCA. The producer was retiring and wanted to simplify things so some
incredible stuff went on the auction block. It was while I was selling these
items I realized the importance of allowing bidders to get a real good look
at what exactly I was selling. A picture speaks a thousand words and all
that kind of stuff. With that in mind I found that by taking the extra time
to provide decent photos of the item up for bid, buyers are much more apt to
feel comfortable submitting a higher bid.
After selling all the
Elvis stuff I turned my attention toward cameras. Unlike an Elvis Double
Platinum Album that hangs on the wall and looks pretty, a camera, no matter
how good it looks, has to function properly. So in addition to nice photos
OF the camera up for sale, I figured it would make sense to show photos
taken WITH the Camera. I had an X700 and a Canon AE1 for sale. Unlike a lot
of the cameras for sale on eBay that DON'T work (and I've purchase a lot of
them) I wanted to make sure bidders knew these cameras DID work. So I took
pictures WITH them and posted the pictures as a testament to the camera's
functionality. It's not all that complicated. Just show the bidder the thing
works... let them see up close photos that reveal the cosmetic condition of
the item... and provide a money back guarantee. And with many of my camera
auctions I add free Priority Shipping and insurance. As a result, I usually
get a pretty good price for my cameras.
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One of they many X-700s I've sold on
eBay.
This particular photo has often been
"borrowed" by other sellers. |
There are a lot of
sellers who either don't have the means to... or don't want to even
bother with... taking photos of the cameras they sell. Incredibly
enough, some of these sellers will actually use photos of other cameras
in their auction description. I often times find photos that I took of
my cameras being used in other sellers' item descriptions.
I see a lot of cameras
for sale on eBay where the seller says... "I don't know if it works or not.
I'm selling as-is." You'll also find camera auctions in which the "battery
is not included." These phrases should be red
flags. It really shouldn't cost much to buy a battery and take some pictures
to see if the item in question DOES work. If it works you can tell everybody it
works. If it doesn't work you can be honest and tell everybody it doesn't
work. If the seller is not willing to buy a battery, this may also be a
clue that the battery or batteries for that particular camera are rare, hard to find
and/or expensive. I also find it strange that some folks say a camera works
perfectly, but they do not include a battery. If there's no battery, how do
they know it works perfectly? If there is a battery, why are they not
including it in the auction? Selling a camera without a battery is like
selling a car without gas. I know a lot of people don't have the
time to find batteries and take photos with the camera they're selling and that's understandable. But they
often don't get very good
prices for these questionable items. I sometimes take a chance and bid on
such items. Some times I get lucky and get a great camera that works
perfectly for a low price. Many times, however, I get a camera that doesn't
work. If it can be fixed, I pay to have it repaired. Sometimes it's junk and
I sell it for parts. Sometimes it just needs a good professional cleaning,
service and adjustment. (I am not a camera expert so I send out to have this
work done professionally).
Then comes the fun
part. I enjoy "test driving" the camera. Here in Southern California there
are lots of beautiful things to capture on film and I have a lot of fun
shooting a role of film on just about each camera I sell. If I'm traveling I
always take at least 1 camera with me, sometimes more. It's really the best
way to be sure a camera is working properly. Many times a camera will
appear to work just fine. The flash works, the shutter fires, the
film advance is smooth, the seals look good, the light meter works and the LEDs
light up... but you really can't be sure it works until you take a
picture and get it developed.
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BAD CAMERAS = BAD
PHOTOGRAPHS |
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This picture shows a sluggish shutter curtain.
Notice the left side of the photo
is lighter than the right side
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This picture shows light leaks caused by
bad light seals.
Notice the hazy white splotch from light leaking
into the body.
This camera needed new light seals.
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A couple
examples are seen above. On the left, I shot a roll of film with a Minolta X700 which
appeared to be working fine. It wasn't until I got the photos developed that
a problem with the camera became apparent. In the photo you can see the
uneven exposure. It's light on the left and dark on the right. This is
caused by a sluggish shutter curtain. On the right you see a photo of San
Diego's skyline. Notice the hazy splotches in the lower right
hand corner of the photos. This is caused by light leaking into the film
compartment. This is what happens when light seals deteriorate. If you are
purchasing a film camera on eBay, particularly an older classic, make sure
the seller tells you the condition of the light seals. If they don't, you should ask them. The only way to spot these problems is
to take actual photos with the camera and see how they turn out. So when
somebody is selling a camera and says "It appears to be working okay but I
have not taken any photos with it." a red flag should go up. These cameras
that took the two photos above both
required professional service before they were ready to be offered on eBay.
Something to consider before purchasing a camera. Is the seller confident
the camera is working? If so, is the seller willing to provide a refund if a
problem like the ones above are discovered after the sale?
Please check out my
feedback and email me if you have any questions. Luckily I have the
time to buy batteries, take photos, replace light seals and, when necessary, get professional
repairs and service done to the cameras I sell on eBay. I hope that by showing you exactly what you are getting and
guaranteeing the item works as promised, you'll feel comfortable bidding on
my auctions.
Some photos I've
taken with some of the Cams I've sold in eBay:
Star Trails Shot taken from Joshua Tree
National Park, California (4/29/06)
taken with a Canon AE-1, 100 speed
film, f2.8, 28mm - 30-minute exposure
LADY BUG (03/02/06)
taken with a Canon AE-1 Program, 100
speed film, 50mm 1:1.8 lens with Vivitar Macro Focusing 2X Converter
CLICK ON PHOTOS BELOW to
ENLARGE
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CLICK ON PHOTOS ABOVE to
ENLARGE
1: Minolta X-700,
400 speed film, 50mm lens and close-up filters #1,#2 & #4 -
(program mode)
(just a
flower in a garden here at my home)
2: Minolta X-700, 400 speed film, 28mm lens - (program mode)
(sunrise at Tahquitz Creek Golf Course - Palm Springs)
3: Canon AE-1 200 speed film, 24mm
lens and star-cross filter (10-sec exposure)
(pool 2 at my condo complex)
4: Minolta X-700, 400 speed film, 50mm lens (program mode)
(sunrise at Mesquite Golf Course - Palm Springs)
5: Nikon Coolpix 2100 in
"fireworks" mode (5-sec exposure)
(the world famous Golden Gate Bridge & the city by the bay)
6: Nikon Coolpix 3100
(sunrise from the McDonalds Parking Lot - Palm Springs)
7: Nikon Coolpix 3100 in
"fireworks" mode (5-sec exposure)
(San Diego's skyline from Coronado Island)
8: Nikon Coolpix 2100
(Tahquitz
Creek Golf Course - Palm Springs)
9: Canon AE-1, 200 speed film, 50mm lens
(1600
Pennsylvania Avenue)
10: Canon AE1, 200 speed film, 50mm lens with a Bower Fish-Eye
attachment
(The
Palm Springs Air Museum's B-17 Bomber)
11: Canon AE1, 200 speed film, 70-210mm zoom @ 210mm.
(The Palm Springs Air Museum's B-25 Bomber)
12: Minolta X-700, 200 speed film, Sigma 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
(1959
Corvette, Palm Springs, CA)
13: Canon AE-1 Program, 100
speed film, 50mm 1:1.8 lens with Vivitar Macro Focusing 2X Converter
(BUSY
BEE - 03/02/06, Palm Springs, CA)
14: Canon AE-1 Program, 100 speed film, 50mm 1:1.8 lens
with 20-second exposure
(Vandenberg
Missile Vapor - 09/22/05, Joshua Tree National Park, CA)
15: Canon AE-1, 100 speed film, 28mm 1:2.8 lens
(Snow
in Palm Springs - 03/13/06, Tahquitz Creek Golf Course, Palm
Springs, CA)
16: Canon AE-1, 100 speed film, 28mm 1:2.8 lens
(Windmills
of Palm Springs - 03/12/06, just off Interstate 10 near Palm
Springs, CA) |
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