I have had two examples in the past week I am a terrible collector. I don’t mean I don’t collect well, I mean I have not paid attention to those I collect from. In the process I have started to feel bad about myself because I am accidentally hurting people.
The first occasion was the most damaging. A women I was sharing a table with at a “celebration of life” said, “Do you remember us?” Her husband looked a bit familiar, but she wasn’t somebody I remembered. Her next words really stung. She said, “You cheated me out of my father’s camera.” That shocked me—as I try not to cheat anyone. I did start to remember the occasion of our meeting.
I had been over at my neighbours for some occasion of his when the subject of my collecting cameras came up. She had mentioned she had her father’s camera and would I be interested in collecting it. I had replied yes and we made a date for me to go to their place around the corner to see it.
It was a Canon AE-1 in a bag with a flash or something. I offered her $20 for it AND SHE ACCEPTED THAT. Later in the week—when I was away—she stopped by my house and left a Canon 100-200mm zoom lens that had been her father’s too. She didn’t say anything then about wanting more money so I assumed she wanted to keep her father’s camera stuff together in the same hands. That was probably ten years ago.
Needless to say I didn’t feel much like exploring her low opinion of me at the time—it was a celebration of life after all, so we had speakers to pay attention to. Then at the end of the event she said it was good to see us again and we parted. What to think of all that?
I suspect I made the assumption that what I had offered her was exactly that—what I chose to offer for the camera to buy it. I wasn’t being asked to value the camera for what it could sell for, I was being asked what I would buy it for. Her assumption was I would value the AE-1 at the maximum it could sell for and offer her something close to that.
Which brings us to the subject of what cameras would be worth. Ten years ago would be at the tail end of those who still shot film wanting a camera. It just so happens that the extremely popular Canon AE-1 means there are probably a million of them out there which means—
So looking back and for the future I expect I should have made it clear I was making an offer—a low offer—and there would be other ways she could handle the sale. I just assume that, as I have had many offers turned down and that was that. Everything from taking the item to a camera or pawn shop to saving it for a garage sale or using the internet would have taken care of the items without me upsetting people.
If I was a far better person I could do several things. I could try to find her father’s camera and take it back to her. Besides the impossibility of that—that was a long time ago and there have been many, many cameras collected since then—there is the underlying point that would simply prove I had cheated her. I could try to drop by and explain I wasn’t trying to cheat anyone—but that could end poorly too. So I guess I can face the fact somebody out there thinks I am a cheater.
But then today things got worse.
The first occasion was the most damaging. A women I was sharing a table with at a “celebration of life” said, “Do you remember us?” Her husband looked a bit familiar, but she wasn’t somebody I remembered. Her next words really stung. She said, “You cheated me out of my father’s camera.” That shocked me—as I try not to cheat anyone. I did start to remember the occasion of our meeting.
I had been over at my neighbours for some occasion of his when the subject of my collecting cameras came up. She had mentioned she had her father’s camera and would I be interested in collecting it. I had replied yes and we made a date for me to go to their place around the corner to see it.
It was a Canon AE-1 in a bag with a flash or something. I offered her $20 for it AND SHE ACCEPTED THAT. Later in the week—when I was away—she stopped by my house and left a Canon 100-200mm zoom lens that had been her father’s too. She didn’t say anything then about wanting more money so I assumed she wanted to keep her father’s camera stuff together in the same hands. That was probably ten years ago.
Needless to say I didn’t feel much like exploring her low opinion of me at the time—it was a celebration of life after all, so we had speakers to pay attention to. Then at the end of the event she said it was good to see us again and we parted. What to think of all that?
I suspect I made the assumption that what I had offered her was exactly that—what I chose to offer for the camera to buy it. I wasn’t being asked to value the camera for what it could sell for, I was being asked what I would buy it for. Her assumption was I would value the AE-1 at the maximum it could sell for and offer her something close to that.
Which brings us to the subject of what cameras would be worth. Ten years ago would be at the tail end of those who still shot film wanting a camera. It just so happens that the extremely popular Canon AE-1 means there are probably a million of them out there which means—
- they aren’t rare
- they aren’t particularly special
- they require a reasonably expensive and increasingly rare battery
So looking back and for the future I expect I should have made it clear I was making an offer—a low offer—and there would be other ways she could handle the sale. I just assume that, as I have had many offers turned down and that was that. Everything from taking the item to a camera or pawn shop to saving it for a garage sale or using the internet would have taken care of the items without me upsetting people.
If I was a far better person I could do several things. I could try to find her father’s camera and take it back to her. Besides the impossibility of that—that was a long time ago and there have been many, many cameras collected since then—there is the underlying point that would simply prove I had cheated her. I could try to drop by and explain I wasn’t trying to cheat anyone—but that could end poorly too. So I guess I can face the fact somebody out there thinks I am a cheater.
But then today things got worse.
I have a lady I have known for probably thirty years through her starting our local thrift store. She has been a good friend over the years and I in turn have tried to always help her when I could. That help has occasionally involved being given huge enlargers the thrift store had no room to display or sell. Or waiting for over-valued items to come down in price until they accepted what I offered.
Anyway I have developed a nemesis at that thrift store. I used to go early to their first day of sales so I could snap up any cameras on display. Then a couple started to be there when I arrived. So I came earlier, and found them there even so. I mentioned this to this long term friend and she said she had several cameras she was intending to bring in she would simply give to me.
This same friend firmly believes all cameras should sell for $2, as they have no way to test them to see if they work.
So today I ran into the thrift lady in the bank and she said, “I have some cameras for you in the car, I’ll go get them!” She brought in a plastic bag with two digital camera in it. She was showing me the bits and pieces and then thrust it into my hands. I said, “Thanks!” and went off to take my turn with the teller. I was leaving and that friend—who was sitting waiting her turn—said, “I guess I’ll just give them to you.” She was laughing, but I was again stunned I hadn’t thrust an offer of money at her. Bless her heart, she would have slipped it into the thrift store’s till the next time she worked, but I am beginning to see I am the problem.
I like to think I am a bottom feeder of a collector. I take delight in anything photographic. Some times I have lucked out and sometimes I have paid a lot for what turns out to be a broken camera. I always assumed it was part of the thrill of collecting. Unfortunately offending your neighbours and friends is also part of the process.
Anyway I have developed a nemesis at that thrift store. I used to go early to their first day of sales so I could snap up any cameras on display. Then a couple started to be there when I arrived. So I came earlier, and found them there even so. I mentioned this to this long term friend and she said she had several cameras she was intending to bring in she would simply give to me.
This same friend firmly believes all cameras should sell for $2, as they have no way to test them to see if they work.
So today I ran into the thrift lady in the bank and she said, “I have some cameras for you in the car, I’ll go get them!” She brought in a plastic bag with two digital camera in it. She was showing me the bits and pieces and then thrust it into my hands. I said, “Thanks!” and went off to take my turn with the teller. I was leaving and that friend—who was sitting waiting her turn—said, “I guess I’ll just give them to you.” She was laughing, but I was again stunned I hadn’t thrust an offer of money at her. Bless her heart, she would have slipped it into the thrift store’s till the next time she worked, but I am beginning to see I am the problem.
I like to think I am a bottom feeder of a collector. I take delight in anything photographic. Some times I have lucked out and sometimes I have paid a lot for what turns out to be a broken camera. I always assumed it was part of the thrill of collecting. Unfortunately offending your neighbours and friends is also part of the process.
That makes me like myself less.
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