In a message dated 2/21/01 5:21:15 PM Pacific Standard Time,
daneskye@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> Anybody springing for new gear anymore or just going with
> "already broken in".
>
Gee Dane, I hadn't really given it much thought until you asked, but ALL of
my OLY gear was purchased used. ALL of it. From my original OM-1MD back in
the early 80's to my latest *Bay deal. I wish I could afford to plop down
$1100+ for a new OM4-Ti and even more for an OM-3Ti, but fact is, I just
can't justify it. So I'm saving towards a used OM-4Ti, which I hope to
acquire in the low $400 range. Think of what that $700 saved could be used
for!!! Another f/2 lens, AND a GOOD tripod and, and, and...
I have changed my buying habits in the last few years. I buy almost nothing
new any more, except eyeglasses, wristwatches, toothbrushes and shoes. For
clothes, I get brand names at the thrift stores. Just picked up a perfectly
good long sleeved 100 otton Eddie Bauer shirt for $2.50... I have made
shopping at thrift stores my normal modus operandi for clothes. Of course,
dress clothes, etc. still require a trip to a retail store with some serious
cash, but for every day casual wear, I am no longer a Nordstrom yuppie
(confession is good for the soul).
Ditto with camera gear. I KNOW I'm not the only one on this list who gets a
thrill getting even 10% below "going rate" for used OLY gear. I am not a
collector, so 100 osmetic condition is meaningless to me. Of COURSE I like
everything I own to look nice, but I also want to USE the things I buy,
whether they be camera gear or tools. And I know that means they will show
signs of wear sooner or later. It's not worth $700 to me (in the case of the
OM4Ti, for example) to acquire one without a scratch. And I know that
whatever problems the $400 OM4-Ti I find may have, there is still John H. and
several other places around the country to help me get it back up and running
well.
If I had to buy all my camera gear new at full retail, I wouldn't be able to
afford ANY SLR system. I'd be lugging around a thrift shop point & shoot, or
my old Kodak rangefinder. The availability of 2nd hand gear enables those of
us making working man wages to live a step up.
And there is a thrill in finding a bargain, even if it isn't a Doris Fang
class bargain. We Americans are just beginning to realize that we can barter
and bargain on the price of EVERYTHING, just like most of the rest of the
world does. I view anyone who makes a major purchase anymore without some
serious "dickering" as rather naive or snobbish. It's a cultural shift we
are making. And it's a good one, long overdue.
I wish I could "support" Olympus by walking into a local camera store and
paying retail for new gear, but I just can't at this point. So I do the next
best thing, which is to acquire it used, learn it, use it, and rave about it
far and wide, hoping to recruit legions of fans.
Rich
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