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02-22-2015, 03:13 PM - 1 Like   #1
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Pentax lens cache!

On a whim, I checked the Craig's List in my home town where I grew up in California before I moved to Idaho almost 20 years ago. I saw an ad that said, "Lenses for Pentax. $50.00" I called and the owner told me that they used to belong to his recently deceased father and all were in factory hard leather cases. He knew nothing about lenses and cameras, so I had him read off the info on the front of the lenses. They were: Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm ser. # 28xxxxx, a SMC Pentax-A 50mm, f: 1.2 and a SMC Pentax-A 28mm, f:2. I said, "So, you're asking $50.00 for all of them?" He said, "Just make me an offer, I'm moving Tuesday and I need to get rid of them." I offered him $35.00 and he said, "Sold!"


My friend who lives about 15 miles from him is going over at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow and picking them up and shipping them to me.


I'm speechless!

02-22-2015, 03:14 PM - 7 Likes   #2
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Me too - you should have given him the $50
02-22-2015, 03:15 PM   #3
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You may be Speechless........Im Jealous !........Congrats on the find......smoking deal.
Heyyy....You said a 1.2 ??? If it is....... then YOU are a thief !......lol.
02-22-2015, 03:23 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Dlanor Sekao Quote
You said a 1.2 ??? If it is....... then YOU are a thief !
Considering the other two lenses in the group, his "recently deceased father" had discerning taste in K-mounts... so it's quite probably an -A 1.2. (If it is, Dewman, let me know if you feel like selling it at a tremendous profit, whenever you get around to picking it up!)

02-22-2015, 03:34 PM   #5
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Yeah. I agree with Dianor. Pretty good chance someone read 1:2 as 1.2, but even so that's still a pretty good deal. The 28mm 2.0 is as hard to find. But if you end up with both a 28mm 2.8 and 50 1.2 those 2 show as $800 alone, without the 3rd.

Note as well that you should never post stuff like this before you pick it up. Everyone in California who read your post just searched their local Craigslist. Many won't feel guilty as you are comfortable with buying $1000 worth of lenses for $35. Hard to feel guilty screwing you over...... Just my 2 cents.
02-22-2015, 03:40 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mistlefoot Quote
Yeah. I agree with Dianor. Pretty good chance someone read 1:2 as 1.2, but even so that's still a pretty good deal. The 28mm 2.0 is as hard to find. But if you end up with both a 28mm 2.8 and 50 1.2 those 2 show as $800 alone, without the 3rd.

Note as well that you should never post stuff like this before you pick it up. Everyone in California who read your post just searched their local Craigslist. Many won't feel guilty as you are comfortable with buying $1000 worth of lenses for $35. Hard to feel guilty screwing you over...... Just my 2 cents.

I specifically asked him to "carefully" read the numbers on the 50mm lens to make sure that it did NOT say f:2.0. He assured me that it did, indeed, say f: 1.2..... as in f (colon) 1 period 2. As far as me worrying about someone in "California" screwing me over.... the laugh would be on me! It WASN'T in California, but a mid-western town.... and I WASN'T born yesterday! I learned long ago to CYA!
02-22-2015, 03:45 PM   #7
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I hope he read it right also because on my A 50mm it reads, f1:2 meaning it's f2. It wouldn't read f2.


Last edited by photolady95; 02-22-2015 at 06:38 PM. Reason: fixed typo
02-22-2015, 03:45 PM   #8
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On the other hand a lot people mistakenly read/list 1:2 as 1.2, I've seen a lot of Pentax-A 50mm 1:2 listed on eBay for several hundred dollars when it's only worth $30 or so. Hope it works out for you and it's actually a 1.2. My best find on Craigslist was someone selling a Pentax film body with a Pentax-F 50mm 1.4 in excellent condition that I snagged for $50. At the time I was able to re-sell the lens for $350, which is a lot more than what they are currently selling for.
02-22-2015, 03:54 PM - 1 Like   #9
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Hey ! I just found the listing ! I offered him $100 bucks and am driving there now ! Thanks !
02-22-2015, 03:57 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mistlefoot Quote
Many won't feel guilty as you are comfortable with buying $1000 worth of lenses for $35. Hard to feel guilty screwing you over...... Just my 2 cents.
I'm a bit torn on this sort of thing. I do feel it is up to the seller to name his price when individuals are dealing with each other. There's nothing stopping him from going online, looking up prices, and trying to get maximum market value for it. If he just wants to be rid of it, then that's his decision. I don't think it should be up to the buyer to do all the work for the seller. I think the exception is when the seller is a kid selling his own stuff (and not sent in as a "cute representative" for some adult). It's really up to the adult to be the responsible party then.

Things change when one party is a dealer. I do think dealers are obligated to pay their normal offering price even when the seller doesn't know what he's got. The dealer's sole purpose is to make money and he is in a definite position of power in the transaction. When an individual buys an item in one of these submarket transactions, it will likely be for personal use or sold for funds which will buy something similar for personal use, so money isn't really made. Often times, the transaction enables the buyer to have something he may not be able to afford at market value, so the seller is getting one of the things he wants: the item to find a home (directly or indirectly) where it will be put to good use.

I'm also excluding straight dishonesty; someone has an item which is worth $100 and wants $80 for it. You convince him it is not really worth $100 and somehow convince him to sell it for $20. That's not ok.
02-22-2015, 03:59 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Dlanor Sekao Quote
Hey ! I just found the listing ! I offered him $100 bucks and am driving there now ! Thanks !
Lol if that really just happened I would laugh so hard. My honest opinion is that yes, this would be a tempting deal and I would be tempted to take it, but I would feel bad ripping the guy off, but at the same time he could have done his research. Hmm... what would I have done... I'm not sure.
02-22-2015, 04:07 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Zephos Quote
Lol if that really just happened I would laugh so hard. My honest opinion is that yes, this would be a tempting deal and I would be tempted to take it, but I would feel bad ripping the guy off, but at the same time he could have done his research. Hmm... what would I have done... I'm not sure.
One thing for sure....I wouldn't be having my buddy wait around till hours later. I would have him go get it NOW ! He wanted $50 and accepted $35.....his choice. I only feel sorry for the OP if I get them first....lol.
02-22-2015, 04:15 PM - 3 Likes   #13
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I'm not being critical (I know the US is a very competitive and individualistic society), but personally I wouldn't feel comfortable about taking advantage of someone like that. I would have more sympathy for the seller who recently lost his father.

How far would I take this? The real ethical question would not be whether to pay $50 or offer $35, but whether to tell the seller what they were really worth. I'd hope I'd have the fibre to do that. From a purely selfish point of view, I would get more satisfaction from the good karma than from snagging a bargain.

(I'm only talking about a private sale here of course. If someone is selling way under the odds on ebay or somewhere the suspicion would be that there might be something wrong with the item or its provenance.)

Last edited by Des; 02-22-2015 at 04:30 PM.
02-22-2015, 04:18 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Zephos Quote
Lol if that really just happened I would laugh so hard. My honest opinion is that yes, this would be a tempting deal and I would be tempted to take it, but I would feel bad ripping the guy off, but at the same time he could have done his research. Hmm... what would I have done... I'm not sure.
Actually, I think the person who does that is worse than the original person. The second guy has only himself in mind--he's not doing the seller a favor by offering incrementally more--and is merely jealous that the first guy found the deal. If someone were to swoop in and offer mostly market value, that would be different because one would only do so in the interest of the seller, but the second guy is just doing it so that the finder doesn't get it. He let everyone else do the work for him and is being more dishonest by also pretending to be "the good guy."

As a seller, if someone offered me substantially more than I was asking for, I'd probably reinvestigate the value of what I'm selling.
02-22-2015, 04:35 PM   #15
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I hope its a f1.2 for the OP sake. Karma merely exists in ones mind. A 50mm 1.2 for $35 , $50 , or even $100 is good. Im very happy for the OP and hope its the smokinest deal he ever had in his life for all three lenses.
I do yard and estate sales in Sun City Az all the time. Have learned that Death has nothing to do with anything for sale's anywhere. For all you know the guy is very wealthy and could care less what its worth and just wants to dump it before he goes back home? Maybe he wants to make someones day and knows what its worth ? Ive seen that many times.
Some people always assume the worse rather than just accept a good deal. Too much assuming going on here for someone that found a great deal.
Kudos to the OP on what hopefully works out for HIS benefit.

Last edited by Ash; 02-22-2015 at 06:27 PM.
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