My "Best Buy" of the Year!

Dewman · 07-20-2015, 07:18 PM

In what must be one of my best ever Craig's List buys was this collection of items I bought last night. The seller told me on the phone that the Pentax Kr was "defective." He said he had taken it to a local camera shop and they couldn't seem to get it to function and he didn't want to spend the money to have it fixed. So, he wanted to sell the entire lot to raise some money to buy a new Canon DSLR. He mentioned on the phone that he was an avid gun enthusiast and .22 shooter, so.... I asked if he'd be interested in trading for some "very-hard-to-find-at-a-reasonable-price" .22 ammo. Long story short, I got everything you see in the photo for 2 "bricks" of Blazer .22 ammo (1,000 rds) and $20.00.

I figured that even it the camera was a total bust, the lenses alone were a steal. When I got home, I noticed that the AF/M focus switch on the Kr was positioned halfway between settings. I moved it to AF, put in a fresh battery..... and BINGO! The camera worked like a charm! Same in manual focus mode. Less than 2,000 shutter actuations!

Also included was:

1. DA L 50-300mm lens (Absolutely pristine! Bought with the camera)
2. Two batteries w/ charger.
3. Three 8 GB SD cards.
4. A Tamron 28-200mm lens (Looks new)
5. A Promaster 28-80mm lens (Looks new)
6. A Promaster 100mm 1:1 macro lens (Pristine!)

I bought the ammo several years ago, back when the going price was about $12 -$15 a brick..... so, I'd guestimate that my cost for the entire lot of photo gear was around $50.00 total.

Over the past couple of years, I've done well as far as Craig's List offerings go, but this has to be the best so far.

Last edited by Dewman; 02-11-2016 at 02:16 AM.

Aaron28 · 07-20-2015, 07:25 PM

that is sweet!!! I got a K-r earlier this year for under 40 since it was considered defective.....not a thing wrong with it and I use it more than my K-50.......too bad I didn't all those lenses as well! super deal dewman!

mee · 07-20-2015, 07:26 PM

More importantly, you should have received the name of that repair facility to which this guy took his camera.... they know squat about cameras or were attempting to bilk him for unnecessary repair costs. yikes.

alamo5000 · 07-20-2015, 07:50 PM

The going rate for 500 round bricks right now is about $25 bucks (total including tax) around here. That said, I think you came out way ahead

jimr-pdx · 07-20-2015, 08:01 PM

Great deal, and I see the 1:1 matched lens is atop the 100mm macro. You definitely got a fine setup.

Dewman · 07-20-2015, 08:16 PM

Originally posted by mee

More importantly, you should have received the name of that repair facility to which this guy took his camera.... they know squat about cameras or were attempting to bilk him for unnecessary repair costs. yikes.

Oh, believe me, after I got the camera to working, I was totally shocked when he told me where he took it.... and their response. It's the most well-known, highly thought-of camera shop in the entire Boise area! Idaho Camera.

RAART · 07-20-2015, 08:37 PM

That Promaster lens is nice... LR will identify as smc PENTAX-FA MACRO 100mm ƒ3.5
I am having the same one just Vivitar branded but without adapter. It is one of those plastic fantastic lenses...

I am looking for matching adapter for longer time but you got it included. For sure the best buy!

Have fun!

naldopr · 07-20-2015, 09:09 PM

Nice buy

K57XR · 07-20-2015, 09:15 PM

Originally posted by Dewman

I'd guestimate that my cost for the entire lot of photo gear was around $50.00 total.

That DA-L 55-300 alone is worth more than that. Good find, Congratulations!

forensicscientist · 07-21-2015, 03:37 AM

You should buy a lottery ticket.....you're on a lucky streak!!

Great deal!
Enjoy.....

**TER-OR** · 07-21-2015, 05:28 AM

I've had the AF switch half-way between settings before, it does stop the camera from working correctly but really is simple to spot.
You never know what you'll find on CL, it's worth looking every so often.

**boriscleto** · 07-21-2015, 05:51 AM

Originally posted by TER-OR

You never know what you'll find on CL, it's worth looking every so often.

All I ever see is stuff like this...

Name: Screen Shot 2015-07-21 at 8.42.45 AM.png
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Size: 95.6 KB

A bit further afield...

Name: Screen Shot 2015-07-21 at 8.45.45 AM.png
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Size: 155.2 KB

The Spotmatic is a good deal. It has a Super Tak 50/1.4 attached (serial in 142xxxx range). "Also : telescopic lense, yellow lense, accordion lense"

The 6x7 looks like a very nice outfit, but I hate when they are afraid to say how much they want...

**TER-OR** · 07-21-2015, 06:06 AM

Yeah, mostly it's the same here in Chicago, but every so often there's something interesting. You have to stay on top of it, I think, or else it's plain luck. Overpriced K5 and Kx cameras seem pretty common.

K57XR · 07-21-2015, 11:15 AM

Originally posted by boriscleto

All I ever see is stuff like this...

This one on my neck of the woods...he wouldn't separate the lenses. I have a DA*55 so I really don't need that 50. Looks too good to be true, though. The fact he still has the ad up for almost a month.

**luftfluss** · 07-21-2015, 11:19 AM

Damn, Dewman, that's a heckuva deal. I'm envious.

My CL experience is similar to boriscleto's and TER-OR's.

07-20-2015, 07:18 PM	#1
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492	My "Best Buy" of the Year! In what must be one of my best ever Craig's List buys was this collection of items I bought last night. The seller told me on the phone that the Pentax Kr was "defective." He said he had taken it to a local camera shop and they couldn't seem to get it to function and he didn't want to spend the money to have it fixed. So, he wanted to sell the entire lot to raise some money to buy a new Canon DSLR. He mentioned on the phone that he was an avid gun enthusiast and .22 shooter, so.... I asked if he'd be interested in trading for some "very-hard-to-find-at-a-reasonable-price" .22 ammo. Long story short, I got everything you see in the photo for 2 "bricks" of Blazer .22 ammo (1,000 rds) and $20.00. I figured that even it the camera was a total bust, the lenses alone were a steal. When I got home, I noticed that the AF/M focus switch on the Kr was positioned halfway between settings. I moved it to AF, put in a fresh battery..... and BINGO! The camera worked like a charm! Same in manual focus mode. Less than 2,000 shutter actuations! Also included was: 1. DA L 50-300mm lens (Absolutely pristine! Bought with the camera) 2. Two batteries w/ charger. 3. Three 8 GB SD cards. 4. A Tamron 28-200mm lens (Looks new) 5. A Promaster 28-80mm lens (Looks new) 6. A Promaster 100mm 1:1 macro lens (Pristine!) I bought the ammo several years ago, back when the going price was about $12 -$15 a brick..... so, I'd guestimate that my cost for the entire lot of photo gear was around $50.00 total. Over the past couple of years, I've done well as far as Craig's List offerings go, but this has to be the best so far. Last edited by Dewman; 02-11-2016 at 02:16 AM.

07-21-2015, 05:51 AM	#12
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by TER-OR You never know what you'll find on CL, it's worth looking every so often. All I ever see is stuff like this... A bit further afield... The Spotmatic is a good deal. It has a Super Tak 50/1.4 attached (serial in 142xxxx range). "Also : telescopic lense, yellow lense, accordion lense" The 6x7 looks like a very nice outfit, but I hate when they are afraid to say how much they want...

07-21-2015, 11:15 AM	#14
K57XR Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 830	Originally posted by boriscleto All I ever see is stuff like this... This one on my neck of the woods...he wouldn't separate the lenses. I have a DA*55 so I really don't need that 50. Looks too good to be true, though. The fact he still has the ad up for almost a month. Attached Images

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07-20-2015, 07:25 PM	#2
Aaron28 Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,131	that is sweet!!! I got a K-r earlier this year for under 40 since it was considered defective.....not a thing wrong with it and I use it more than my K-50.......too bad I didn't all those lenses as well! super deal dewman!

07-20-2015, 07:26 PM	#3
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	More importantly, you should have received the name of that repair facility to which this guy took his camera.... they know squat about cameras or were attempting to bilk him for unnecessary repair costs. yikes.

07-20-2015, 07:50 PM	#4
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	The going rate for 500 round bricks right now is about $25 bucks (total including tax) around here. That said, I think you came out way ahead

07-20-2015, 08:01 PM	#5
jimr-pdx Pentaxian Join Date: May 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,897	Great deal, and I see the 1:1 matched lens is atop the 100mm macro. You definitely got a fine setup.

07-20-2015, 08:16 PM	#6
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Originally posted by mee More importantly, you should have received the name of that repair facility to which this guy took his camera.... they know squat about cameras or were attempting to bilk him for unnecessary repair costs. yikes. Oh, believe me, after I got the camera to working, I was totally shocked when he told me where he took it.... and their response. It's the most well-known, highly thought-of camera shop in the entire Boise area! Idaho Camera.

07-20-2015, 08:37 PM	#7
RAART Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Oakville, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,095	That Promaster lens is nice... LR will identify as smc PENTAX-FA MACRO 100mm ƒ3.5 I am having the same one just Vivitar branded but without adapter. It is one of those plastic fantastic lenses... I am looking for matching adapter for longer time but you got it included. For sure the best buy! Have fun!

07-20-2015, 09:09 PM	#8
naldopr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 163	Nice buy

07-20-2015, 09:15 PM	#9
K57XR Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 830	Originally posted by Dewman I'd guestimate that my cost for the entire lot of photo gear was around $50.00 total. That DA-L 55-300 alone is worth more than that. Good find, Congratulations!

07-21-2015, 03:37 AM	#10
forensicscientist Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: DFW Texas and Michigan - I commute :) Posts: 1,012	You should buy a lottery ticket.....you're on a lucky streak!! Great deal! Enjoy.....

07-21-2015, 05:28 AM	#11
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I've had the AF switch half-way between settings before, it does stop the camera from working correctly but really is simple to spot. You never know what you'll find on CL, it's worth looking every so often.

07-21-2015, 06:06 AM	#13
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Yeah, mostly it's the same here in Chicago, but every so often there's something interesting. You have to stay on top of it, I think, or else it's plain luck. Overpriced K5 and Kx cameras seem pretty common.

07-21-2015, 11:19 AM	#15
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Damn, Dewman, that's a heckuva deal. I'm envious. My CL experience is similar to boriscleto's and TER-OR's.