Originally posted by pkokity a good percentage of the harder to find K mount lenses that are available on ebay seem to have haze and/or fungus problems, which is probably why those are still listed.
You can probably find lenses without those problems. Leave the broken and damaged and infected lenses for those who know what to do with them. Better spend a little more and get a decent lens in working order. Keep in mind, these lenses might be 20, 30, 40 years old. They might need maintenance even if they appear to be in good condition. Really depends on how they were kept throughout the years.
eBay is one source, keh.com is another, then you have the marketplace on these forums, and some other sites as well. Also look at local listings, flea markets and yard sales and other stores that sell older, used things. Sometimes you can find real gems like that, but often you won't find anything lol that's how the hunt is
Cleaning and adjusting would be around $40-60, but you might have to add shipping costs, and extra fees if it is a more difficult job. Fungus infections probably cost more than glass that is nice and pristine. And you should notify them in advance.
Most of these stores will give you some sort of estimate on the final price, at least ballpark.
Yes, apparently US has a problem with good Pentax repair centres (cris, precision), but Erik has a good reputation. For cleaning old glass you don't need an official dealer, and there are many other shops that do this kind of stuff. Just have to ask around locally. Maybe call a local photo club or a specialized photography store?