**** WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHICA ON THE WEB ****
I am posting this information as I found it. I have cleaned it up and removed some of the web junk and the names and email addresses of those posting. The content I have not edited. I believe that the dealers can learn a lot about what to bring and what not to bring by looking at some of this feedback.
- John Dockery
Thursday, October 04, Re: Two-day camera show this weekend: Wakefield, Mass.
>I have just three major points of disappointment with them...>> 1. They are constantly moving the location. Waltham HS was perfect for > those of us traveling 2.5 hours down from Maine. It was just off the > highway and easy to get to. Perfect. I got lost for several hours trying > to get to the Armenian Heritage Center (or whatever it was) the last time > I was able to attend.> 2. October is still Prime Wedding Weekends here in foliage heaven. I love > the show, but can't afford to give up a wedding or two to attend. > (Friday's just aren't the same.)> 3. In April, the 'season' hasn't really started and I've got no money yet! > Classic time/money problem.>
Unfortunately, these PHSNE shows are a shadow of what they once>>> were... just a handful of dealers
and slim pickins. This groups never>>> bothered to stay current and attracted young enthusiasts,
and their>>> membership is basically dying off. Some good people but lots of>>> mismanagement...>>> --
PHSNE photographica show
This weekend! This show is perhaps a shadow of the giants of yesteryear, but it's still a lot of fun and a chance to buy a lot of great gear for cheap. Finds from last fall? I got two big brass Petzvals for $20, a new/old stock Prontor shutter for $10, a Canonet GIII QL 17 for $15 and a very fine Retina IIIc for $20.
I passed up two or three things I kicked myself for later and met a bunch of wonderful people.
Come! Join PHSNE if you wish and glory in the fact that there are people out there with more photo junk in
their lives than even you have!
Unfortunately, I will be out of town this weekend (in NYC), so I won't be able to go to the Photographica.
I have always enjoyed them in the past. Here's some photos I took a few years ago.
Speaking of shadows of their former past, anynody else misses the old Hunt's annual shows in the fall at the World Trade Center, down by the water front ?
I have to agree with you, Whitey. It's the best place to pick up the stuff we need on the East coast.
I am embarassed to tell you about the great deals I have found there over the years. The Hunts show is
dead, but Hunts is there with the best deals on film you will find (look under the table for the short
dated stuff that i haven't already bought).
Hunts had a smaller show in Melrose I think..this past year and the deals were pretty good...
although most was slanted toward digital. If I can tear myself away from work around the house, I might drop over.
I have a question....since film cameras are being phased out, I wonder if newer things such as RZs
and accessories for it or even M645 lenses would be found at this show??
Drew-there is a pile of modern equipment there. The place was full of medium format stuff at the last show.
OK... Bargains spotted so far:
Chromega D enlarger - $20. That's right, $20. Seems to be in great shape
Walker Titan 4x5. Asking $900. Lots of other LF cameras and lenses scattered about. Most pretty inexpensive. Occasional silly overpricing from some guy sitting glum and lonely, but mostly good prices.
A serious table full of lenses and 35mm camera bodies and, and, and - $5 for anything there.
Hunts is selling film for cheap. Velvia 4x5 11/06 Buck a sheet
Whitey, It was nice to see you and Jim today. Did you see that huge Century camera with an even larger matching stand at the beginning of the show. It was gone when I looked 2 hours later. I think it went for $300 for both.
A banquet camera was also spotted for $650. Can't remember what size but the back was missing or damaged.
I got a Calumet shutter tester for $5 and a Calumet compendium lens shade for $20 (someone tried to buy it off me on my way to the car).
Lot of fun and nice people, I may be stopping by tomorrow.
I think I wish I'd gone. I got stuck helping with some yardwork today. I keep finding myself thinking "hmm, if I had a 4x5..." Dangerous thoughts. If I'd gone, I mighta gotten one. I just don't have the room for anything else of any kind right now.
On Sunday I picked up a Jobo CPE 2+ with 4 drums for $50. They have the older reels not the "N" series.
I also met someone at the show from the same town and he gave me a 7ft Calumet stainless steel sink, tempurature regulator and a Rotowasher print washer for free! Picked it up today...Now to get going with the darkroom construction. You never know who you will meet at these shows. I had A very nice weekend!
Friday night is a camera auction in Wakefield's Americal Civic Center. Some good stuff for sale... and you'll get it cheaper than eBay because not everybody is interested in these items at that particular location. 7 to 9 pm.
Saturday and Sunday are the Photographica 2007 show. 70 vendors selling tons of used equipment.
Last time there was a LOT of Leica stuff. 9AM Saturday and 10AM Sunday.
If you need filters, this is where to get them for $7 a pop.
Expired film galore.
Parts and pieces to get your old cameras working.
There's a vendor who sells about 100 different toy and old 120/620 film cameras.
There are several vendors who sell large format lenses and cameras.
There's a guy who sells Pentax medium format cameras. Another person sells those Fuji medium
format cameras that the photojournalists still use. GX670/680/690, etc.
There's also folks who sell newer digital stuff, lenses, etc.
They should all be there again.
Trust me, it's loads of fun. It only costs a couple bucks to get in ($5 max I think), and you'll
save tons by not using eBay and paying for shipping.
thanks for posting this jeff. i'll probably swing by.
thats a sweet rangefinder by the way. you have one?
by the way do you know how the auction works? what kind of bidding system? the website doesn't say.
Yes! Thanks Jeff, this sounds cool, I have never been, but I do believe I will be checking it out.
went to the Wakefield show. very interesting. lots of old cameras. saw some new Holgas for less than $25
out-the-door. i picked up a Hoya cross filter and a Tiffen Sky 1A, both 77mm, for $23 bucks total. i've got to go back that way tomorrow and i may swing by again. ticket s'posed to be good for both days.
***** THESE COMMENTS WERE MADE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHICA - SHOW #67 - April 07 *****
Thanks for the heads up. What kind of show is it? Lots of used gear?
I might come up and take a look.
I went to one a few years back down there somewhere- drove all over the fng place before I found it- sounds like the same one. Can't go it's my wife's weekend on.
I was speaking with one of the exhibitors last week and was advised that it will be in Wakefield this year -
not sure about the address, probably can find via Google.
I was only assuming it was in Watertown because that's where it was last year, and man did the Hunts sale put the hurt on it.. Tumbleweeds! But lots of used gear, and an entertaining fight between two vendors about whether or not the depth of field of a lens when used on an RD-1 will be less.
I thought it was going to come to blows!
I would have driven a couple of hours and been happy, I managed to snag a IIf for 85 dollars, that cleaned right up in the hands of Youxin Ye. There were a fair number of CV lens around too.
My two cents (worth even less):
The show is a good thing to support but peter_n is definitely right, there's a lot of old stuff (much of it of
little value beyond conversation/shelf pieces, and even then, questionable). I've seen a wide range of prices for the same questionable looking GSNs and very crusty looking folders. Lots of strange collectibles
(like toys that relate to cameras). One book dealer had a signed Paul Caponigro (I don't recall which text,
but a recent reprint) for $40 that I wish I had bought. I usually end up getting a few filters, lens pouches,
cases, and the aforementioned film, but deals can be found and a few dealers bring some really nice equipment. Joe Lippincott always has a load of Leica, Nikon RF, Hasselblad, and other quality gear and he's a great guy, too. The show can get a little crazy with all of the dealers and haggling, but it's fun just to go and look if you have the time.
The show has changed dramatically since the late-1990s when I first went - the place used to be packed when it was out in Waltham - wall to wall people and gear and variety to make your head spin. Now it's more of a ghost town feeling wondering who will be back for the next one. Sorry to be depressing, but like I said, just my opinion (and a biased one at that).
I went Saturday to the show.
Bought some straps from a bin for a dollar each, and what I thought was a contax g remote release, but alas, it didn't fit.. My buddy picked up a hammered looking but optically and mechanically perfect and smooth m2 for 4 bills, that was cool. Glad I missed that, i woulda nabbed that myself.
A much better venue, not hard to get to, nice and bright in there with good skylights and electric lighting (a plus if you are scrutinizing an old piece of glass). I forgot my map print despite posting it here, but still managed to find it. Seems 'Main Street' is a street that many have heard of when asked.
It was encouraging to see larger, more crowded and busy, as opposed to the grim and sparse atmosphere I saw at the previous show last fall.
I haven't been using 'old' cameras for all that long, and I don't cruise camera shops, so this was the first time I'd actually seen FH many of the things I've read about here. Now I understand the appeal of the ancient Leica's and the FSU cameras cameras based on them.
My son is into the art side of imaging much more than the gear side, and spent quite a bit of time looking at some of the antique pictures that were on display. He was looking at some of the old stuff, not to be used to take pictures or collected, but as interesting subject matter for images he could make with modern equipment.
On the whole, I'm glad we went, and I picked up the flyer for the October show.
I went yesterday ( my 15th PHSNE show attended since 1995 ). It really has dwindled down from a
MASSIVE show to a small show with many of the 'old timers selling the same stuff from the previous year,
and at prices which indicate many havent realized how much the used/collectible market has dropped.
Nonetheless, a fun show with some good people there and the ocassional bargain.
