NOTE: I have a series of film camera collector’s books and other books on offer, through Blurb (print on demand). There are ‘Compendia’ (reference books) on the Prism SLR, TLR and Half Frame/24 square formats. In each case, they list and describe EVERY camera in that category that I could find (and I'm good at research so that's probably all of them). Search Blurb/afildes to find the books.

Important!

I KNOW – IT’S EVERSO BORING BUT – PLEASE READ!

If you want to check me out, put three 'w's in front of - soultheft - and add the usual dot and com after it. I've been in business for over ten years, much longer online and I stand behind my stuff - if I say it works I've checked it as best I can and I'll make good any reasonable problems. I deal in gear up to 150 years old so I have to be philosophic about such things. In over twenty years of trading on ebay I've had just one negative feedback response - from an irritable French buyer who did not even contact me first. I would have given him a refund, quite happily, but... So any problem, contact me so we can sort it. So I try to describe fairly and honestly and I do distinguish between collectible examples in good cosmetic condition, ‘users’ and…a useable beater! I have missed a tiny fungus spot or a mark in a lens before now and apologised/refunded where appropriate but every old lens has a few dust motes inside – that’s unavoidable. Please do not expect something that looks perfect unless I say it is! This is mostly quite old gear.

Condition claims?

Be aware that ‘Mint’ strictly means ‘new in the box and never used’. Yes really – it comes from collectible coins where a coin is mint only if it came directly from the mint and was never even touched except with cotton gloves. Anything else is ‘used’ whatever the Tokyo sellers think.

For all listings I have described the condition here as best as I can. If it does not measure up, then contact me immediately so that we can discuss it and I can make it good.

Stock Clearance – Closing Down

Bargains online!

I’ve closed down my store after many years and I’m selling off most of the stock– the better items online. The good stuff and some items perhaps I’d only get an interested customer every few months - so online makes more sense anyway.

I also tend to buy odd and special interest stuff myself sometimes to resell or out of curiosity, and then pass it on. These items are bargains in two senses – either they are really good items offered at a regular, everyday price or they are unusual items at a reduced price on the usual listings I see. Some are things like rather special lenses and cameras that I bought to play with myself for a while. Others are my own personal collectibles or gear that I used myself. Either way, it’s tested, checked, guaranteed.

I will post cheerfully to anywhere in Australia - but only with appropriate insurance cover and tracking for high value items. The ebay postage indicator above only shows basic postage cost - insurance is extra and I make no charge for handling/packing of course. I use recycled packaging where possible and I’m known to pack very well. Discuss it all with me if you have special requirements. 

Special items, collectibles and so on I'll post overseas but again, tracked postage and insured for high value items to protect us both - so these days it won't be cheap! For very valuable items, I will insist on courier/EMS unless you specifically agree to accept the risk of loss. You are responsible of all import duties, fees and taxes of course and you will have to discuss that with your own national customs agency - they should notify you when an item is ready for clearance but...not always! If you want to reduce GST/VAT import tax exposure, please ask. Sometimes it’s possible, sometimes not.

A little true story to keep you going...

“Hi Ginger…”

I met Ginger Baker once, briefly, although ‘meeting’ might be a grandiose caption for such a brief encounter. Back stairs inside the Leicester College of the Arts, one mid-sixties night.

I was ascending the stairs with friends, All of us a bit drunk and stoned and serious in that 1960’s sort of way. He was out on the landing – having slipped out for a crafty toke himself perhaps and the honour of his own company for a change. It was a surprise, for the greater gods did not often present themselves closely and unguarded before such grubby, star-stuck minions. But Cream used to do solo ‘bits’ to give each other a break – Ginger was notorious for drum breaks lasting up to thirty minutes and not a dull moment in it. He was also notorious for a difficult and ‘in-yer-face’ personality.

“Hey,” I exclaimed, astonished. “Hi Ginger”, timidly.

“F**k off.”, he replied, with a well seasoned scowl and well within that character.

I’ve always treasured the familiar insult fondly and felt a strange kinship. A friendly response would have been unremarkable.

These were the beginning times of Cream, playing out the cheap and early midweek gigs and we could afford to follow them, those of us clever enough to spot the rising greats. Me and Bazza and Plug and Swillpig and others from the Advertising Department of Shoe Machinery Megacorp; not yet brave enough to piss off to London and live the life I did later, leaving the lads behind.

It was a good and regular venue. The Who played it. Even Hendrix once I saw in Hey Joe times, working up the girls in the front row of a ‘crowd’ of 700 and me side stage next to the stack of Marshalls tagging along with a mate, the College’s official gig photographer. And with a neatly photo-forged ticket – and muffled hearing for three days afterwards. So then later I could snarl in turn at whey-faced juveniles that ‘I done things you can never ever do’, and get some shocked respect when I told them just what.

Three times in three months we got to see Cream – Hinkley Community Centre, Leicester College of the Arts and in far hills at Maldon Town Hall where a fight broke out in the stalls between the students of several colleges  and the resentful townies. Slowhand watched down from the stage in bored amusement, riffing along until the fuss died down a bit and far too cool to intervene or show emotion. Yeah, Maldon – that was a bit further out than normal and I had no wheels and so I slept mildly stoned in the shrubbery afterwards and stuck out a thumb to get home. Simpler times when ‘social media’ meant talking over a beer, in person, what was in the really, really alternative press this week. Changing the world we were, we thought, on a daily basis but as usual the kids studying accounting, economics and commerce got in before us in their shiny suits and stuffed it all up again. 

Bugger.