Lex,
If it is convenient, give me a call at (817) 429-6758 (home) or at my
in-laws (817) 419-9088. I'll be over there much of today installing grab
bars in the bathroom for my father-in-law. Not sure what I need but I might
be interested in this adventure.
Gary Edwards
----- Original Message -----
From: Lex Jenkins <lexjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 12:00 AM
Subject: [OM] Small cache of NIB OM items found
> Greetings, list,
>
> Don't know whether this qualifies as cause celbre or ho-hum, but today I
> found a small cache of new in the box - not LNIB - gin-yoo-wine OM lens
> hoods. Most, perhaps a dozen or so, are the 51mm slip-on clamp type for
the
> 35mm f/2.8, 50/1.8 and 50/1.4. There also was *one* each for two
different
> model f/2 wide angle lenses. Naturally, relying on my razor sharp
> former-journalist's memory, I took no notes and promptly forgot exactly
> which wide angles these were for. However, I'm fairly certain one was for
> the 35/2. The other was for either the 21/2 or 24/2. The reason I'm not
> certain is because I could have sworn the box read "20/2" but as I check
the
> list, apparently there ain't no such creature.
>
> There also is a small number of OM brand filters (I didn't take
inventory),
> a couple of flash accessories (ditto) and a couple of photomicrography
group
> adaptors (sigh... SAA). Also a number of eyepiece diopters. A macro-ring
> doodad that lets two flash units be clipped to the front of a lens. And
two
> NIB teleconverters for the iS/1/2 (49mm thread) series. Sorry I didn't
take
> better notes, but I was in a hurry to meet an appointment elsewhere. Oh,
> yeah, a couple of Olympus AF lenses for the OM-77/88, also NIB.
>
> PLEASE READ THIS PART CAREFULLY: Some of you, particularly those in
Texas,
> may already have surmised which store I'm referring to here. It was once
a
> pro-quality store. Many of these items have been slashed to half of *this
> store's* original retail price. (That should not be interpretted to mean
> the same as a B&H price. When it was a going concern this was a full
retail
> store.) It is quite likely they can be further discounted.
>
> Whether this equates to a good deal for you I can't say because I know
very
> little of the history of typical prices for Olympus items. But I can
offer
> two specific examples. I bought from this store a NIB hood (the slip-on
> 51mm type) for $8.95 and a NIB IS/L A-Macro HQ Converter f:40cm for $25.
>
> I don't regard the hood purchase as a particularly good deal because I
could
> buy a generic lens hood for a buck at one of my favorite pawn shops. But
I
> know the close up lens for the iS/1/2 was a very good deal, considering
that
> single element close up sets usually sell for at least $20.
>
> Here's the tricky bit, and *please regard this carefully too.*
>
> The store where I found these items is essentially defunct. I can't say
> anymore because I really know very little. Suffice it to say the group
> responsible for disposing of the store's assets haven't taken the logical
> and most profitable route, which would be to auction the most desirable
> items on eBay. I've discussed it and apparently it simply is not a
workable
> solution due to disagreements over how the assets should be disposed.
>
> So the stock is being sold piecemeal and rather haphazardly. I'd be
content
> to let things run this course, buy what I need and ignore the rest. But
> there's a problem. Two, actually.
>
> One, the building is badly damaged and suffering leaks from the roof and
air
> conditioning system. While none of the OM items has been directly
impacted
> by water, the humidity, mildew, etc., cannot be good for the long term
> storage of these items. There are white spots, easily rubbed off, on the
> rubber lens hoods. There also were tiny spots on the iS-close up lens I
> bought which wiped away as easily as dust, leaving no residue. There was
no
> evidence of fungus on it or on a Kowa 135mm lens I examined. But it's
just
> a matter of time under these conditions.
>
> Two, the building is about to be closed. Access to these items will
> probably become unavailable indefinitely within two weeks.
>
> Here's the even trickier bit...
>
> The store's owners have been approached by individuals proposing to buy
the
> entire stock. These offers have been rejected. Apparently any attempts
to
> engage in anything resembling inventory-dumping raises a caution flag.
> However, buying the relative handful of remaining Olympus items should
pose
> no problem.
>
> Personally, I don't have the money to buy it all up. I'd love to do so,
> spread some good stuff and cheer around the list and put the rest on eBay
to
> make a small profit. But I ain't even got the few hundred bucks I'm
> guesstimating it would take to acquire these goodies.
>
> So, first I'd appreciate hearing from folks who might be interested, which
> items they're interested in, so I can determine a course of action. I
> *might* be able to raise the money to buy these items and resell them if I
> know there's a market. I'm *not* looking to make a big pile of cash, but
I
> definitely do not want to get stuck with a bunch of unwanted lens hoods
and
> filters, however cheaply I may have purchased them. As you might have
> speculated (pardon my pun), I'm not much of a businessman.
>
> If there's only marginal interest it might be better to figure out a way
to
> buy only the specific items wanted and mail 'em to those who want 'em.
>
> Finally, if any among you *does* have the capital and is willing to buy
the
> lot, I'd be happy to do what I can to arrange the purchase. The main
thing
> is that these items should not go to waste or be damaged by neglect.
>
> One last final finally: There were *no*, *zero*, *zippo* OM Zuiko lenses
of
> any kind, other than the AF types for the OM-77/88 and a couple of
> teleconverters for the iS-1/2 (49mm) series. Okay? I wish there were,
it'd
> save me a lot of hunting of my own. ;-)
>
> Please e-mail me *off-list* for details. I'm not trying to hide anything,
> just to be discrete. If anything turns up regarding this matter that
> everyone on the list should know I'll certainly share it. And if any of
> this seems unfair or arbitrary please do let me know. I want to handle
this
> the best possible way. And if this message seems unnecessarily like
> theological apologetics or too touchy-feely, please bear with me. I'm
> merely in mourning over the demise of a once respectable establishment.
> Boo-hoo.
>
> Did I mention I'm not much of a businessman? ;-)
>
> Lex
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