For those into collecting vintage gear, shopgoodwill.com can be a good source. The condition can be spoty, but if you can work on old photo gear it can be a good source for vintage cameras and lenses. They also sporadically have modernish to current lenses and bodies that the under funded photographer can get on the cheap.
The problem (and sometimes benefit) is that the workers for the most part know nothing about gear and how to assess condition. They also have a tendency to bundle unrelated gear together.
This is what happened when a lot went up for bid that includes what appears to be a possibly 1950's - early 60's era Agfa fixed lens 35mm film camera and four lenses. One lens is a projector lens. Then two vintage slr lenses and......... a big white Canon 70-200 f2.8L.
Cue the heavenly light and choir of angles.
Right off the bat to initiates of the Fraternal (and don't forget the sista's) Order of Gear-O-Philes (Go Gamma Omicron Phi!!!), the top point of the holy trinity looks a little off. "Is that one of those stupid coffee mugs?" And yes I have been tempted to fall victim to a novelty targeted to the gear obsessed.
So you look at the item description,
"
Agfa Camera w/ 4 Lenses
ITEM DESCRIPTION: Agfa Camera w/ 4 Lenses Lenses include: Automatic 1:28 f=28mm SMC Pentax-A 1:2 50mm Zoom Projection Lens f' to 6' F3.5 Canon Zoom Lens cup EF 70-200mm 1:2.8
Brand: Canon, Agfa
Model: No Model
ITEM CONDITION: Used
Cosmetic Condition: Good
Condition Note: Appears to be in good condition, but camera has not been tested if working properly.
"
Did you see it? One little "cup" in the description.
So you role your eye's, think, "yeah this should be good" and move on. Yet a few days later, when you forgot about the offending novelty, you check to see if there is anything good to bid on......
and see the post......
with 6 minutes left.........
and it's at over $400!!!..............
"What? WHAT? WHAAAAT!!!!!!!!! ?"
"No, no, no, people can't be that stupid." And then the time runs out and the winning (if you can call it that) bid is over $500.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!........"
And then you try not to burst into such hysterical laughter that it would wake up your 2 year old that you just got to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, I truly feel heartbreak for the poor person that is in for big shock and huge disappointment when opening that long awaited package and instead of finding a big, beautiful, white lens...... a cup? What the @#$%?
I just hope they are not married. Imagine having to explain to a spouse that you bought a $500 Coffee mug.
There is little compensation in the other items also. The Agfa is not worth much, I have a few. One being in pieces on the drafting table. Damn, I need to put that back together. The beat up Pentax 50 f2 and off brand 28mm are a dime a dozen.
I'm hoping that Goodwill finds that $500 is a little odd, figures it out and cancels it before shipping. Or takes it back seeing they screwed up, either not realized that it is not a lens or not labeling it clear enough.
If not they are not showing very good will.
