After 7 years on the RPF..... I finally get to tell a story like this.
My wife took me to a huge indoor/outdoor flea market yesterday. It was a huge place, the kind with home decorations, Christmas decorations, furniture, and arts and crafts in the front buildings, and all the 'junk' outdoors in the back flea-market style.
My wife and I started looking at all the 'junk' and then my wife left me to meet up with her mom, her moms friend, and 2 girls my wife is friends with and the 5 of them headed for all the nice stuff and left me with the junk.
After an hour of looking, I was disappointed. At best, I was hoping for a TI19 or TI20 calculator or something. I bought a National Semiconductor LED calculator for $5 with a 9 bubble display for a custom saber ( and after taking apart the ISO chip was made by TI ).
I was looking at cameras, because I collect old cameras and stuff, and I was looking for old Kenner SW toys.
So, I come up to a table where I can see some camera stuff. There were 2 older couples already there looking around. I hear one of the ladies say to her husband. "Hey, I found you a new camera !" and I look over and see her holding a 4X5 Crown Graphic camera.
She puts the camera back into a big camera case. I go over and look, and the 4X5 camera is in next to about a dozen film holders, a 2773 slave flash unit, and the guy wants $90 for the whole lot (which is a steal).
Up in the top of the case, in the holder, I see this:
My heart stopped. I have never, never, ever seen a real Graflex at a garage sale, an antique sale, or a flea market. 7 years of looking and there it is. I felt like I had just accidentally found the Holy Grail at a flea market.
The owner of this table is an old timer in his 50's or 60's, a real good-old-boy with overalls on and a John Deer hat and everything.
I go over to him and say, "Hey, that camera over in the corner ? The 4X5? I already have one but I need a flash. Would you consider selling me just the flash?".
He looks at me and says, ".....Well......I'd need at least $25 for it."
It took every muscle in my body to keep from smiling. I was keeping back a grin that was wanting to spread from ear to ear.
So I say, "Sure, sold, I've got cash. Let's go get it....".
Score ! Honestly in the condition it's in, I'm not sure it's worth $25. The top and bottom need a good cleaning and polishing. There are no dents or dings, nothing major and no corrosion. The clamp has lots of pitting, perfect for an ANH Obi-Wan. I'll need a new original clamp for a Luke saber.
The glass eye was different, it was a corded plug instead of a lens. I had never seen one like this before.
My wife took me to a huge indoor/outdoor flea market yesterday. It was a huge place, the kind with home decorations, Christmas decorations, furniture, and arts and crafts in the front buildings, and all the 'junk' outdoors in the back flea-market style.
My wife and I started looking at all the 'junk' and then my wife left me to meet up with her mom, her moms friend, and 2 girls my wife is friends with and the 5 of them headed for all the nice stuff and left me with the junk.
After an hour of looking, I was disappointed. At best, I was hoping for a TI19 or TI20 calculator or something. I bought a National Semiconductor LED calculator for $5 with a 9 bubble display for a custom saber ( and after taking apart the ISO chip was made by TI ).
I was looking at cameras, because I collect old cameras and stuff, and I was looking for old Kenner SW toys.
So, I come up to a table where I can see some camera stuff. There were 2 older couples already there looking around. I hear one of the ladies say to her husband. "Hey, I found you a new camera !" and I look over and see her holding a 4X5 Crown Graphic camera.
She puts the camera back into a big camera case. I go over and look, and the 4X5 camera is in next to about a dozen film holders, a 2773 slave flash unit, and the guy wants $90 for the whole lot (which is a steal).
Up in the top of the case, in the holder, I see this:
My heart stopped. I have never, never, ever seen a real Graflex at a garage sale, an antique sale, or a flea market. 7 years of looking and there it is. I felt like I had just accidentally found the Holy Grail at a flea market.
The owner of this table is an old timer in his 50's or 60's, a real good-old-boy with overalls on and a John Deer hat and everything.
I go over to him and say, "Hey, that camera over in the corner ? The 4X5? I already have one but I need a flash. Would you consider selling me just the flash?".
He looks at me and says, ".....Well......I'd need at least $25 for it."
It took every muscle in my body to keep from smiling. I was keeping back a grin that was wanting to spread from ear to ear.
So I say, "Sure, sold, I've got cash. Let's go get it....".
Score ! Honestly in the condition it's in, I'm not sure it's worth $25. The top and bottom need a good cleaning and polishing. There are no dents or dings, nothing major and no corrosion. The clamp has lots of pitting, perfect for an ANH Obi-Wan. I'll need a new original clamp for a Luke saber.
The glass eye was different, it was a corded plug instead of a lens. I had never seen one like this before.
Last edited:
cry
