In a message dated 1/29/2010 3:32:41 A.M. Central Standard Time,
sandyinchina@xxxxxxxxx writes:
I live in China. I just bought a camera in Shanghai and I'd compared prices
with various things elsewhere, so it seems worth posting some details here
for others.
Brings backs memories of the late 60's and on into the 70's. Camera
shopping at a Navy base in the Philippines, in the retail markets of Japan and
in Hong Kong. Prices were great and variety exceptional. Bought my first OM
kit as a civilian in Hong Kong in the late 70's. When I got out of the
Navy in 1968 and back to the States and was in college, I ordered a number
of items including a 4 X 5 camera from a mail order place in Hong Kong. It
was always interesting to see how well they packaged things. No little
packaging peanuts, but rather wooden boxes and little stringy wood shavings,
cardboard boxes and well sealed paper wrappings. I never had any damage and
things were always as expected. I did send some money to a soldier who
was a friend of my cousin to buy me a couple of Mamiya TLR cameras from the
exchange in Viet Nam. Yes, it was not exactly legal, but I'd done my time
in Viet Nam and was still in the active reserves, so I rationalized the
relatively slight venture outside the rules. He sent one, as that was what
was
available and ordered another. Shortly after that he was taken prisoner
by the North Vietnamese. When the prisoners were released a couple of years
later, I watched with a special interest, being one who had served
in-country during this conflict and because there was a personal connection
with
one of the those released. A few weeks later and rather unexpected, I
received a check in the mail for the other camera that had not been delivered.
I clearly felt I was not owed anything. Memories . . .
<{B^) Bill Barber
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|