Someone had the stupidity to satisfy my lust.

[David Lyga]

Someone who thought he was doing me a good deed told me about shopgoodwill.com. Listings after listings of cameras for (sometimes) peanuts. I bought a prepaid debit card and was, suddenly, a kid in a candy store with a $10 bill.

Yes, there are hundreds and hundreds of cameras: some SRTs going for under $10 and some other fine makes priced likewise. I bid on about ten and won about five. Still waiting for the rest to arrive. Sort of happy with the first few.

I got a Minolta SRT 100 for $14 (picked up in Berwyn, PA) and got a SRT 102 for $6. Why am I disclosing this cache of extreme happiness for others to compete with me? Because there always is a catch.

The SRT 100 was, cosmetically, excellent and the shutter worked fine. Low 'mileage' camera but...good thing I know how to fix minor things because the shutter speed scale in the VF area is floating around. I have to take the top off and fix this. It's really a crapshoot because, although Goodwill is highly reputable, the people checking these things are not of the kind that have camera knowledge. Thus, they grade them like you would grade a pillowcase or a lamp. Inner knowledge does not attach to their well-meaning verbiage.

And there is another catch. The postage is formidible. A typical camera with lens costs about $13 plus the cost of the camera and then you really don't know what you are getting. Compared to used camera shows or Craigslist.org, the 'deal' is about equal, no better. My initial euphorial is over and I might, or might not, continue at another time with Goodwill. It's pretty good if you are used to paying retail but, especially in this care, and without pejorative implications, caveat emptor.

But...before I call it quits, are there any other web sites to explore? (Almost all the cameras offered on the shopgoodwill.com site are from the West Coast and I live in Philadelphia). - David Lyga

[ChristopherCoy]

.... as everyone types in the web address!

[semi-ambivalent]

Someone who thought he was doing me a good deed told me about shopgoodwill.com. Listings after listings of cameras for (sometimes) peanuts. I bought a prepaid debit card and was, suddenly, a kid in a candy store with a $10 bill.

Yes, there are hundreds and hundreds of cameras: some SRTs going for under $10 and some other fine makes priced likewise. I bid on about ten and won about five. Still waiting for the rest to arrive. Sort of happy with the first few.

I got a Minolta SRT 100 for $14 (picked up in Berwyn, PA) and got a SRT 102 for $6. Why am I disclosing this cache of extreme happiness for others to compete with me? Because there always is a catch.

The SRT 100 was, cosmetically, excellent and the shutter worked fine. Low 'mileage' camera but...good thing I know how to fix minor things because the shutter speed scale in the VF area is floating around. I have to take the top off and fix this. It's really a crapshoot because, although Goodwill is highly reputable, the people checking these things are not of the kind that have camera knowledge. Thus, they grade them like you would grade a pillowcase or a lamp. Inner knowledge does not attach to their well-meaning verbiage.

And there is another catch. The postage is formidible. A typical camera with lens costs about $13 plus the cost of the camera and then you really don't know what you are getting. Compared to used camera shows or Craigslist.org, the 'deal' is about equal, no better. My initial euphorial is over and I might, or might not, continue at another time with Goodwill. It's pretty good if you are used to paying retail but, especially in this care, and without pejorative implications, caveat emptor.

But...before I call it quits, are there any other web sites to explore? (Almost all the cameras offered on the shopgoodwill.com site are from the West Coast and I live in Philadelphia). - David Lyga

Somebody gave an S3 to Goodwill?!

Surely, it is the end times.

s-a

[ChristopherCoy]

Starting bid was $9.99 too!

[vpwphoto]

Dang, thought this would $75 bucks..
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...s-8880507.html

[Thomas Bertilsson]

David,

Did you post this to jack up the price on that S3 so that you didn't have to purchase it?

- Thomas

[altim]

The quality varies widely from there, I picked up an MX once that had the lens mount separated from the body. Of course it was in "good" condition. I was able to return it on my own dime after some effort but buyer beware. These days the prices end up at (or greater than) ebay prices, there are enough buyers to push items to around market value.

[brucemuir]

I recently scoped some Nikon bodies there and they went at least as high as epay.

[guitstik]

I have known about the Goodwill site for a couple of years and when I first found it I did the same as you and went nuts, but the bloom quickly left and I haven't been back in quite a while.

[M.A.Longmore]

.
I was hooked on Goodwill last year.
I got lots of photographic goodies at a great price !
Unfortunately, many items are located on the west coast
so I quickly got disgusted with the $20.00 shipping charge.

Ron
.