How difficult is it to find a vintage parts for props

Yeah, they're not usually hard to find. Especially a Graflex. MPPs can be. At least accurate ones. The biggest obstacle is the price. Now, vintage parts for an Obi ANH saber? Thats a different story. Glad I've got that one all squared away.
 
IMO.
it all boils down to your tenaciousness and how much time you are willing to put into it.

those that do find the rare props, TYPICALLY put allot of time, research, and searching into the item they are looking for and to find the best deals. I recommend searching out side ebay as well AS ebay. chances are likely you can find it cheaper out side ebay.
I wouldn't waist to much time searching for "graflex" if your looking for a great deal, hundreds of people are doing that very thing and are beating each other up over prices. the absolute best deals I have found are off craigslist, local adds on FB or online stores, spend some time searching google. ive found very nice flashes on online camera shops in the last couple years. I found a kobold flash on a very large camera shop online for $17 lol
hope this helps
 
Seth nailed it. Really the Graflex is easy to find. The stuff that you will pay out for would be the ANH Obi Wan parts, Sterling (Stormtrooper blaster), MG34/42, MG15, Webley flare gun, Bossk riot gun, etc.
 
You might look into getting a replica Graflex or MPP from Roman. He does some amazing work and it would only set you back around $200 instead of starting price of around $600 for a Graflex or $1200 for an incorrect shroud MPP.
 
How about flashes like the Yoda saber, how likely is it to find a flash in a thrift store?

There's no definitive answer to that.

Some people have been combing estate sales and vintage malls for literally years in search and found nothing. Others have walked up to a garage sale and found a Graflex for $10. There's infinite factors that go into it-- where you live, how hard you look, how much money you have, and just how lucky you are. Some flashes, like the MPP, are super rare. Others, like the Graflex, are pretty ubiquitous, but their worth as Star Wars items makes them not cheap.

If you are specifically interested in Yoda's, there's two different flashes that can do the trick, but they both need other parts that can be hard to come by (like a lamborgini model's wheel well from a kit made in the late 80s).

If you want to be a prop nerd and really craft it yourself from legit parts, it takes time, patience, and money. If you just want to HAVE a lightsaber, there are a lot of replicas out there. The fan ones tend to be better than the official ones, but you can get pretty much anything if you're willing to drop the cash.
 
Some people have been combing estate sales and vintage malls for literally years in search and found nothing.

I can attest to this. Estate saleing is a hobby of mine, I probably hit north of 250 a year, and I've been doing this for 6 years. I've yet to find a Graflex in the wild. I've seen exactly one attached to the camera at an antique store, for more than I wanted to pay. I do need to make a cheat sheet for the other flashes, I just google it when I find a random flash to check but cell service can be spotty.
 
Me too.

I actually just entered the searrch for parts for a new project and it's daunting. (DL-18) I still have some replica parts I'd like to replace in the future. That just extends how long I can really enjoy this hobby :)
 
I think there are lots of factors to this. Money can be a big factor but it's not the only one. That said it helps to have money to drop when the opportunity comes along so that's a simple way to quantify how important a particular item is to you.

You're also unlikely to be successful if you restrict yourself solely to the internet. You need to get out there if you're going to find stuff. You also need to be prepared to spend time researching stuff so you can understand how best to narrow your search. You need to understand the thing for what it actually is and not the star wars prop part you want it to be. If that means you have to read up on torches sold in Britain from 1975 to 1982 then that's what you have to do. This is an important point because some people won't sell some of this stuff to star wars geeks or if they do they're going to make you pay through the nose. If, however, they're dealing with a well informed enthusiast e.g. on large format photography then doors start opening up that otherwise will remain closed.

When I'm looking for an item I tend to research it to death and concentrate on it making sure I have what I'm prepared to spend ready to go immediately. You also might need to buy a load of stuff you don't want to get the thing you do. Had that plenty of times.

Whoever said patience is important is also right. It took me seven years to find and complete two lightsabers to my satisfaction.

It's no coincidence that it seems to be the same people finding and using those perceived rare items in their builds or that it's those same people that always seem to have that same rare stuff for sale.
 
I can understand the appeal of real parts but with my budget and my desire to finish pieces in a shorter time frame I tend to go the replica route.

I admire the dedication many on the forums have to source actual used parts for their props. As dedicated as I am to prop and costume replication, finding all vintage parts is on a whole other level beyond me.
 
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