Just back from the Annual PSPCS Camera Swap Meet in Kent, WA

[photo5]

<p>This morning I went to the Puget Sound Photographica Collectors Society 31st Annual Camera Swap Meet in Kent, WA. I got in there early at 8am and watched all the professional Asian dealers swamp people's tables buying up Leica camera bodies and lenses in a furious pace. One IIIf black dial body in Exc+ cosmetic condition but with a sluggish shutter, priced at $150, and the offer was made for $100, and the sale completed. Amazing. Lenses were hot, and soon the wide and normal Leica lenses were gone leaving just the bodies. I overheard one seller say he had $300 in gas into this trip. There were a lot of tables swamped with classic cameras. I bought a Nikon EM body for $5 that was in near mint condition but had a dead battery. It has a nice Nikon body cap on it. It works with batteries but the slow speeds don't time out correctly. What can you expect for $5! In the same box was a Pentax Spotmatic F and other Pentax bodies, all $5 each, but I didn't buy any of them. <br>

Saw a very nice looking Rolleiflex T with case, two mirror caps, filters, meter-shade, and manual sell for $550. The meter-shade is worth nearly $200 by itself. <br>

One seller was setting up (big mistake, set up on Friday night with everyone else) and caused a buzz and a Rolleicord with box, Rolleiflex in the case, and other misc. Leica M mount lenses sold quickly. <br>

Sadly there was some theft too. One seller had a nice Leica 90mm lens with front and rear caps, and someone stole the caps, a $35 loss. Another seller had some small items stolen and he was very upset, yelling out into the room and cursing. I've been attending this show nearly every year since 1988 and never heard of theft, though I am sure it always happens. Very sad.<br>

I also bought a nice Kodak Reflex twin lens camera with the case for $20, and a small box of glass plate negative film that the seller, a 90 year old man, bought in 1945 in Paris. He said when he bought them, they had expired in 1932! I will keep them in the box as a keepsake from this year's show. He also had a Kodak Verichrome film in 116 size, still sealed in the box, but I didn't buy it. <br>

Got a couple cameras from the free box on my way out the door. One, a Polaroid Propack camera, in working condition, that used to sell new for $155 in the late 1980s. The other a small Mamiya U camera in non-working condition (missing the shutter release button). <br>

All in all a great show, close to Seattle in Kent. Will go back again next year if I can. I took some photos and will post them later today.</p>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>I hope it was you that made the $100.00 offer for the IIIf.</p>

[photo5]

<p>Rob, no, sadly it was not me. I saw the camera before the guy who bought it, but I am not a grabbing kind of buyer. This seller had the camera bodies in a nice wood presentation box, with price stickers on each one. I was not there to buy any Leica cameras, but I was interested to look at them. And it being the very beginning of the day, I wasn't thinking to make low 30% off offers on anything. I guess if you don't ask the answer is always no! I have a IIIf already, though not in as good of cosmetic condition, it does work at all speeds and the rangefinder is in good alignment. But even it is for sale currently on ebay as I have another Leica IIIc that needs a shutter overhaul that my friend can do for me for not too much money. </p>

[Troll]

<p>Glad to hear that all is well (although strange) out west. Last month's big annual show in St. Petersburg was really disappointing.</p>

[franklin_polk]

<p>I was there as well, this was my fourth year, I believe. I managed to score a Nikor 4x5 tank and reel (no more Combiplan!) plus a bunch of random <em>stuff</em>, my favorite. The free 'wall' was a lot smaller than the last few years, and I didn't get as much stuff from it, but as I understand there were issues with people dumping crap and leaving it to the organizers to clean up. I did notice that people wanted to hold onto stuff more, I found more trouble trying to haggle, and there were less half off tables at the end of the show than there have been. It was still worth it and I'll be there next year.</p>

[john_robison3]

<p>I arrived at about 10:30, a bit late. Picked up only a few items. A Zeiss Nettar in good shape for $30. Planning to load it up this morning and take a stroll down to the farmers market. Also bought a Gossen Pilot in LN condition for $12.50. Other than that just a bracket and wrist strap out of a $1 bin. Helped out a couple of sellers with information about items on their tables. Overall I'd guess about 1/2 of all the classic cameras on tables were not working. Some were priced accordingly but several sellers seemed clueless that you won't get the same price for broken cameras as you do for working samples. I don't haggle with them, just move on. Compared to a few years ago the whole show seemed a little sad.</p>

[photo5]

<p>John, this year I heard the word 'ebay' more than any other time. And it's always "buyer beware" when buying a used camera at a swap meet. I bought a nice Rolleiflex 3.5E at this same swap meet in the same location back in 1988, for a nice price at the time, or so I thought, $135. It had a Schneider Xenotar lens and I was quite proud of myself for getting such a good deal. When I loaded film in it the next day, I found it did not stop after each exposure, and I could keep winding the film on. Turns out it had a cracked gear, which my friend was able to epoxy for me. <br /> I saw that Zeiss Nettar that you bought. I bought one back in 1989 in Bellingham from a camera store for $30 too, but no longer have it. <br /> Since I got in at 8am and had plans in the afternoon, I left around 11am. I could have stayed longer, but then I'd have spent more money, and I didn't see any cameras that I couldn't live without. Except for one old camera from the 1930s, which a seller had purchased from another table and wanted to re-sell to me. But it wasn't a camera I would want to use, so I told him no thanks. <br /> There were few Nikon lenses of interest at the show this year. Mostly standard lenses and 28mm f3.5 examples. Some old telephotos too, but few wide angles beyond 28mm. Then you have the sellers with digital equipment, thinking they are worth far more than they really are. <br /> I found most of the sellers were busy talking and buying from other sellers, and many were not manning their tables at all. And there were some empty tables, but not so many. <br>

I didn't find the sale sad at all, I've been to much worse swap meets, much much worse. This one had a good amount of people, though I didn't stick around past 11am to see how it went. Perhaps next year I'll come in at 10am instead of 8am and see how things go. The only stuff that sold at 8am was a lot of Leica and Rollei stuff, which is usually the most desirable equipment for Asian buyers and sellers anyway.</p>

[photo5]

<p>And here are <a href="http://hull534.smugmug.com/Photography/Kent-Commons-Camera-Swap-Meet/16579439_GcNVq">some photos from the show</a>.</p>

[miles_s.]

<p>From the photos it seems less well attended that I would have expected. Thanks for sharing your description and photos.</p>

[photo5]

<p>Miles, those photos were taken before 10am, when the $5 General Admission entry began. I was there from 8-11am. Next year I may rent a table to get in on the Friday show, tables rent for $30.<br /> I love camera shows. If anything just for the entertainment. It's neat to be able to meet different buyers and sellers and see and handle cameras that you otherwise may never have a chance to see. And safer to buy when you can inspect the merchandise vs. ebay hoping you get something that matches the sellers description! I had to return a Nikon F FTn the other day that arrived broken when the seller described it as being in good working order. A shame as it was less than $100.</p>

[michael_immel]

<p>When you check out Dave's pictures.... the third one has me in it. The Guy with the photo vest and all those buttons. I'm the President of the Puget Sound Photographic Collector Society (PSPCS) and the chairman of the Show. You can find more about our society and our annual show at www.PSPCS.org. Thanks for the great comments and if you have any concerns drop us a note (see our website)</p>

[photo5]

<p>Michael, I knew you were one of the organizers and you probably smile for all the photos people take in your direction! Thanks for a great show. I'll probably rent a table next year so I can unload some of my stuff and get in on the Friday night show! Cheers!</p>

[fastglass]

<p>Dave, If you are interested in attending next year's PSPCS show at Kent, WA, please check at the following URL in January, 2012. All of the information you will require will be posted there in Adobe Acrobat format. There are also links on that wiki page for photos from the last 5 year's shows. <a href="http://fastglass.wikispaces.com/PSPCS+Camera+Show">http://fastglass.wikispaces.com/PSPCS+Camera+Show</a> I am glad that you had the opportunity to attend the show this year in our new (and old) location.</p>