Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

By Azriel Knight

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About The Author

By Azriel Knight
Alberta based photographer and former Youtuber Azriel Knight has been shooting everything in sight for twenty years.
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Andrew on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

You are spot on regarding the influence of “influencers” and celebrities on prices. Some are now frankly ridiculous.
In my experience, the only real value left if you want a good photo from a fully functioning piece of equipment is a used digital SLR. So far, they seem to have escaped the trend. And the other bonus of a DSLR is that you can always request the shutter count which gives you a good indication of how much life is potentially left.
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Ellis on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

great article, very thorough - I just wanted to politely ask that you add some information about the AI generated images you've used. I'm fairly certain every image in this article is AI generated, but you've not mentioned it? I really think it's important, especially as this is a photography website, as unmarked AI images are our kryptonite as photographers
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Azriel Knight replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I mean, you seemed to figure it out just fine ;)

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Nathan Sherwood replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I also thought it a little disingenuous to use AI images on 35mmc. I think you should be at least mention why you chose to use them instead of genuine photographs.

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Azriel Knight replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I mean, I searched high and low for a hipster on a mountain of cameras but I couldn't find the hipster. I also could only find a ruby encrusted rangefinder, unfortunately.

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Khürt Williams replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

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James E. Langmesser on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

There is yet another approach to buying at these sales that adds a bit of surprise to the buying process. Ask someone else who goes to these sales to "buy it if it is German, and metal" for you. I had this arrangement with a friend for years, and he not only came up with some interesting things, but, as noted in the post, developed some of Arziel's negotiating skills. Sadly he passed away.
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Azriel Knight replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Good advice!

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fleetwoodler on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I really enjoyed reading your article—thanks so much for sharing it! It’s wild to think about how influencers and YouTubers can drive up camera prices. Just last year, I bought a Chinon Auto 3001, an underrated gem for street photography, for just 20€. That was the average price back then. But after it featured in a popular street photography YouTube series, the price shot up to 100-200€. What a crazy market shift!
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Ivan Baptista Jr on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Great read, thank you for your guidance.
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Azriel Knight replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

You're very welcome!

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Keith Drysdale on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

That's a great article but it makes me sad to hear you've stopped doing the videos which I very much enjoyed. Thanks for the ones I got to watch.
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Dan M on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I would add small town, rural pawn shops. As long as it's not Leica, Nikon or Canon, old film cameras are just that, old cameras. I've scored in small town pawn shops many time.

Two things I would mention when visiting pawn shops:
1. Bring cash. Cash talks, BS walks
2. The tagged price is never the sale price. ALWAYS negotiate!
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Jay Dann Walker replied:

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Well said! Here in Australia, the biggest problem with garage/yard sales is there will always be some superannuated duffer (don't criticize me for using this term, I'm a duffer too, and I know it when I see one!) who is convinced that his non-working 1980 Shitflex is worth a few hundred dollars, and won't budge on the price. But then as I've always thought, who wants the damn thing anyway? Even for a few bucks... I do like your comment 1. Bring cash. Cash talks. BS walks. A brilliant line, and it will be mine in the morning! Elsewhere in the comments here, when I have more time up my sleeve (a few garage sales to go to today, and I want to plan and polish my attack strategy for those) I will be posting my own thoughts about this article, which I consider one of the best, and most direct if at times brutal, I've read in a long time on 35mmc. My ongratulations on it to both the author and the publisher. Best from DANN

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Eric N on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Great tips, but I would add a couple more:

1) Estate sales in my area (Northern California) have become a much better place to find cameras. At an estate sale, typically everything in the house from hammers to household cleaners are for sale, as opposed to garage sales, where people are putting out just a portion of what they own.

2) If you go to an estate sale, look for the "man cave"--the place where the man of the house kept his gadgety stuff. Bypass the kitchen and living room and the room chockfull of Christmas decorations. If you can't find a man cave, it's likely that the last resident was a woman, who would have been much less likely to own camera gear.

3) Garage sales typically take place on Saturdays or Saturday/Sunday. Go on Saturday--in my area, they're pretty picked-over by Sunday. Estate sales, on the other hand, generally start on Friday and I some cases start on Thursday. Go on opening day to snag the good camera gear.

4) Many garage sales are run by commercial enterprises who operate the sale and take a cut of the proceeds. As a result, prices are generally higher than at sales run by the family. If you can, head for family-run sales.

5) Finally, check online for local listings. Estatesales.net has nationwide listings with photographs of everything at every sale and a searchable listing of items as listed. Look for "camera" and tell it where to look, and the site will bring up a listing of all of the local sales with cameras. You can then look at the photos and decide if it's worthwhile going to the sale. It's a huge time-saver for me.

Finally, your tip about asking for cameras is spot on. Some of my best finds have resulted from asking. A few weeks ago, I did just that, and the homeowner brought out a box that included a near-perfect Yashica T4 Super D. I bought it and sold it a few days later for a very nice profit.

Happ[y hunting!
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Gary Smith on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Long ago I used these techniques looking for the proverbial 1956 Stratocaster that was only played in church on Sundays. I have to say that I'm happy that I don't have any room for old cameras or I'd likely be on the hunt. Last week I "found" a "parts only" Leica 1e in good enough shape that it would probably clean up but then I looked at eBay and decided that the price wasn't really >that< good.
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Christopher Welch on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

I didn't see you mention another aspect of price hikes- Sheer availability of reliable, mechanical cameras. Old cameras that work are getting parted out to make other cameras work. And due to the reputation of certain reliable brands- Pentax K1000 for instance, that drives up prices too. I absolutely resent paying inflated prices because a celebrity or hiptser suddenly thinks film photography is cool. Thank goodness Kylie Jenner didn't discover Polaroid One Steps or we'd all be paying $1,000 for used ones.
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CP93 on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 23/08/2024

Amazing content, thanks so much for writing this!
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Marcus Gunaratnam on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 24/08/2024

word of mouth seeking is another way of making sure that what you are looking for is not missed,I happen to have an avid 'garage sale' nut among my acquaintences and he was told that I was on the hunt for a Bosch router and that he should be on the look out for one, sure enough he after a a few weeks of search came across one in good nick with all accesories for what I considered was a reasonable price and managed to hold sale for a nomnal deposit, while I 'googled'the model(POF50) for details it was worth the trouble and I bought it for song.It came with a wide selection of router bits I had already boned up on use of routers via "Routers methods of work", so I got ample use of it.So the lesson is make your friends do some searching.
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Paul Trantow on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 25/08/2024

Hello. Please disclose when using AI-generated images. These obviously are, but you gotta say so.
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Daniel Castelli on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 25/08/2024

This happened to me today (8/24). I was with my wife and we stopped in a small antique shop/thrift shop in a small town in Connecticut. Nothing. On the way out I spotted a Nikon F3. It was bolted onto a ginormous tripod with a beater zoom lens. “How much?” The clerk said $65 dollars. “The camera is busted, but the tripod is good. We can’t get the camera off the tripod.” I talked her down to $50.00. “I’ve got tools at home…cash?” The deal was done. The F3 needed new batteries. The tripod needed a screwdriver to release the quick mount plate. $50 for a working F3. I’m a Leica guy, but I just bought a Ai 50mm Nikkor off eBay. I’ll film test it. Never made a deal like this ever. I don’t know if I’ll keep it or sell it. It needs a CLA & light seals replaced, but hey…
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Marco Giai-Coletti on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 25/08/2024

Good info, thanks. I agree with you about the disposable. After many years of digital, I got myself a Reto Ultra Wide and Slim (not disposable but along the same lines) and it was such fun and produced some really cool pics.
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Jeffery Luhn on Maximizing Garage Sale And Thrift Store Finds

Comment posted: 25/08/2024

I have visited all the thrift stores in my area and left a card with my phone number stating "Cameras or musical instruments? Call me for a free evaluation." This has helped the operators of the store. In many cases I just ask questions over the phone, but in five instances in the last year I've gotten great deals: A great playing Epiphone archtop, a Princeton tube amp, a TLR Rolleicord, a Novatron flash kit with two powerpacks and 6 heads, and last week a near mint Nikon F. All at less than half of the eBay price. I don't have to lie to store operators. They can do the online search just like me. I bring cash and they get the sale quickly. I don't need to spend days driving. If I find stuff that I don't want, but my college students can use, I'll tell them about it at my next class. Of course I've bought loads of stuff on eBay and Reverb.com, but the approach of making sure thrift stores have my card taped up in their back room has been very good.
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