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Post by Gumshoe on Jul 15, 2013 17:45:29 GMT -5
Well, almost. I live close to Llanrwst in North Wales, and I'm a prolific author of Westerns and crime novels. I've been taking photographs since buying a Voigtlander Vito B while in the army in Germany in 1954 - which tells you something about my age! Began collecting recently, because I suddenly realised I could replace that long sold Vito B by looking on eBay. Fatal, as most of you will know. That was a few months ago, and at the last count I had twenty-four cameras. Now I'm selling as well as buying to keep the bank account in the black! I began with Voigtlanders, added a few Yashica rangefinders because I used and liked them when I was a freelance newspaper feature writer, then moved on to folders because one of my Voigtlanders was a Perkeo 1. So now I've got Zeiss Ikon Nettars, Rollei 35Bs - German and Singapore versions - and goodness knows where it will end. Along the way I've started doing some repairs - for example, the little arrow in the Perkeo's top telling when you can fire had disappeared (disconnected spring) - and this keeps me up late because, once begun, the fascination grows. But I'm a widower, so there's nobody shouting from the bedroom asking me if I plan on staying up all night!
And that's enough from me. I look forward with great interest to being a part of the Camera Collector. Thanks for reading my rambling - if anybody did!
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mickeyobe
Lifetime Member
Resident President
Posts: 7,280
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Post by mickeyobe on Jul 15, 2013 20:05:06 GMT -5
Welcome gumshoe.
On reading your short bio it is clear that you have been corrupted by the same virus and in much the same manner that most of us poor collector were unwittingly entrapped.
Enjoy. It's lots of fun and a great challenge.
There are several writers in this ward.
Mickey
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Post by julio1fer on Jul 15, 2013 20:56:29 GMT -5
Welcome, and you are in the right forum:
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casualcollector
Lifetime Member
In Search of "R" Serial Soligors
Posts: 619
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Post by casualcollector on Jul 15, 2013 21:55:03 GMT -5
Greetings and welcome. Vito... I think I may have had an uncle by that name when I was a boy in New Jersey. May have been a figure in one of your novels.
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Post by Gumshoe on Jul 16, 2013 3:31:02 GMT -5
That really is an interesting thought. Camera names for crime figures or Western heroes...mmm. I've also just bought a couple of Vito lls from, of all people, Ivor Matanle, so now there's son of Vito...
Seems many people use first names here. Mine is John, and I'll sign future posts in that way.
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Post by Peltigera on Jul 16, 2013 5:01:46 GMT -5
Welcome, John. A Vito B was the second old camera I bought - the first was a Franka Solida - and it was the Vito B that really got me addicted. I am currently trying not to buy Zeiss Ikon and Ihagee cameras but not very successfully. Trouble is there are just too many interesting cameras out there.
John
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Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
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Post by Stephen on Jul 16, 2013 5:42:23 GMT -5
North Wales, great area for grand Landscapes, Narrow gauge Railways, very good place for photography in general. Apart from collecting cameras, I also collect classic detective stories, anything but Sherlock Holmes,(of course in doing so I ended up with all the original Doyle!).
Welcome,
Stephen.
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Post by Gumshoe on Jul 16, 2013 6:21:13 GMT -5
Too true, Stephen, even the view from my kitchen window is on Dreamstime, and has sold several times. And, John, yes, a while back I was looking at an Exacta something-or-other that was on eBay, going for a song (the song was probably 'Crazy'), and because I couldn't make my mind up, I lost it. What is it, I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure...?
John
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matty
Lifetime Member
Posts: 126
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Post by matty on Jul 16, 2013 9:00:46 GMT -5
Hello John,
We're in the same neck of the woods, I'm over on Anglesey. Haven't got such a great view from our kitchen but the bedroom looks out over Prince William's "office", our days are punctuated by the Hawks taking off from Valley and we can always tell when someone has fallen off a mountain by the route the Sea King takes.
I don't bother too much with ebay but seem to find a lot of good stuff in charity shops and junk shops, Rhos on Sea seems to be a good hunting ground (very nice Pentax ME Super the other week) and Rhyl (for some reason, got a lovely Yashica Electro 35CC not long back.)
Regards
Matty
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Post by Gumshoe on Jul 16, 2013 9:42:45 GMT -5
Hi Matty, never really considered charity shops for cameras. Never seen any in Barnardos, Llanrwst, but I'm down Rhos-on-Sea quite often so must browse there. The Hawks come very low up the Conwy Valley, and tend to fly circles over my area, which is high up and in the Llangernyw direction.
Closest I've got to the Electro is an MG-1. Bought on ebay, very cheap because damaged, but brilliant once I'd fixed it. But eBay can be quite risky.
Best wishes,
John
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daveh
Lifetime Member
Posts: 4,696
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Post by daveh on Sept 23, 2013 10:41:45 GMT -5
Croeso John. I can almost see you from here - west side of the Wirral peninsula. I was at school in Colwyn Bay so I know the Conwy valley well.
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