blackwiggle
25th October 2014, 07:50 AM
Ok, this is a long post, but I think you'll enjoy this, so grab a drink and read through how I basically fluked my way into one of the greatest Ebay buys in history.
As in my outlay, compared to items actual value.
As some of you know I've recently got into macro / micro photography, and have become a member of the Photomacrography forum, where I ask for advise.
I've gotten to know a few of these folks quite well, which today paid off in Gold.
I came home from work last night and decided to browse though Ebay's Scientific Instrument section, looking for a secondhand microscope objective [lens], usually I don't bother looking at the Australian based Ebay section of this, as there is seldom anything of interest, plenty at the USA Ebay site though.
Anyway, I checked the Aus site first, and saw a recent addition of a Olympus Universal Research Microscope, which was described as in great condition, complete with manual a accessories, plus around 8 pictures of a lot of boxes with labels on them, some of the microscope, and of various electronic control boxes for it, a photo showing a total of 4 lens turrets, with a total of 13 different microscope objectives attached.
[Depending on what these objectives are, even just one of them could be worth secondhand at least 5x the price I paid for the whole package]
Keep reading...it get better, a LOT BETTER.
The labelled boxes had on them , Dark Field Condenser, Polarizing attachment, Phase Contrast Set and Met.Normaski, which are all very expensive attachments that allow a microscope to view biological and mineral subjects in different ways and different light wavelengths that can't be done with reflected light.
It had starting bid Aus $500 or buy it now price of Aus $2000, buyer pick up only, from a place around 20km from me.
I took a closer look of what was on offer, and when reading the labels on the boxes I suddenly realized that even at the buy it now price, this was looking like a considerable bargain, a almost too god to be true bargain..... so I thought I would ask on of my forum friends who has taught me a lot [he's a scientific reporter ] what he though of it, and gave him a link to the sale.
He replied that he didn't really know enough about this particular model to give judgement, but based on the photos of what is included in those boxes, I would have to say 'Holy SH1T'!!!
He then suggested I contact two other people quickly, Alan Woods in the UK who is a Olympus microscope specialist, and Charles Krebs, who in a multi times winner, and now occasional Judge of the Nikon Small World micro photography award [he also is a leader in, and inventor of, many microscopic techniques].
Basically they both replied within two hours of each other, both giving me advise on what I should ask the seller, and both recommending that I ask to be able to check out the microscope to see if the moving parts were still working well, which was their major concern,a to try to find out about the previous owner /history to workout if it's been looked after, none of this would of occurred to me to ask without their input.
The biggest shock, and one I had totally missed was pointed out to me by Alan in the UK.
The seller has zero feedback, so beware.
This is when things started to snowball.
I had in fact contacted the seller before this regarding what I thought was a anti vibration bench the microscope was pictured sitting on, and if it was included in the sale, and did they have the case for the microscope?
The reply came back that the 'Bench' was actually a concrete slab in situ, but they had other tables I could purchase, and get this, he had attached 3 more new photos to his response, two of the case and one of ..... this was the first of two huge OMG!! moments, 'We just found all this stuff in this cupboard you can have as well'.
It the picture, among God knows what else, you can see 4 more lens turret's with approximately another 12-15 microscope objectives attached to them.
All this time I've been keeping my initial contact forum friend up to date on what's happening.
When I give him the news he couldn't believe it.
I then contacted the seller again, explaining that I had been in contact with some experts and they advised that I should check the unit out prior to bidding, and if that was OK with him.
I also inquired why he had zero feedback as subtlety as possible, was it sourced from a deceased estate? and he was selling it on behalf of somebody else?
This is the second and most powerful OMG!!! moment happened.
The reply came back.
Quote:
I would have no idea where to look for those things that you have mentioned so it would be best if you come down and have a look yourself.
I have just set up the account on behalf of the company I work for - Liberty Industrial. We are demolishing the Shell Refinery at Rosehill and there is a lab with lots of equipment left behind.
I completely understand your concerns. We are on-site from 7-4 pm Monday - Saturday so let me know when you would like to come down and have a look. My mobile number is 123 456 789 if it is more convenient to call.
The implications of that reply were enormous, especially when I passed it on to the others.
1] It explained why the zero feedback, and that the sale was legit.
2] It gave Providence to the microscope and all the equipment, and the very strong likelihood that is was well looked after.
3] A well financed company like Shell Oil is NOT going to skimp on the quality of it's researchers microscope objectives, so a VERY strong likelihood that at worse, half of those nearly 30 objectives are going to be worth at least $300-500 each secondhand, some I've been informed could easily be worth $5k-$6k each, if not more.
4] The person who put the items for sale and set the price, and I had talked to on the phone, had absolutely no idea of their worth.
After passing this info on, I was strongly urged to buy the whole lot at the $2000 buy it now price as soon as possible, which I did.
I'm sure if any of the other 10 watchers of that Ebay auction had known what was really on offer, I would of been surely beaten to it.
My friends at the forum are in shock.
They have jokingly likened it to Howard Carter finding King Tut's Tomb.
Current low ball park estimate worth of this Aus $2000 Ebay purchase from my forum friends.
Approx $35K- $45k.
Who said there's still not bargains to be had.:D
As in my outlay, compared to items actual value.
As some of you know I've recently got into macro / micro photography, and have become a member of the Photomacrography forum, where I ask for advise.
I've gotten to know a few of these folks quite well, which today paid off in Gold.
I came home from work last night and decided to browse though Ebay's Scientific Instrument section, looking for a secondhand microscope objective [lens], usually I don't bother looking at the Australian based Ebay section of this, as there is seldom anything of interest, plenty at the USA Ebay site though.
Anyway, I checked the Aus site first, and saw a recent addition of a Olympus Universal Research Microscope, which was described as in great condition, complete with manual a accessories, plus around 8 pictures of a lot of boxes with labels on them, some of the microscope, and of various electronic control boxes for it, a photo showing a total of 4 lens turrets, with a total of 13 different microscope objectives attached.
[Depending on what these objectives are, even just one of them could be worth secondhand at least 5x the price I paid for the whole package]
Keep reading...it get better, a LOT BETTER.
The labelled boxes had on them , Dark Field Condenser, Polarizing attachment, Phase Contrast Set and Met.Normaski, which are all very expensive attachments that allow a microscope to view biological and mineral subjects in different ways and different light wavelengths that can't be done with reflected light.
It had starting bid Aus $500 or buy it now price of Aus $2000, buyer pick up only, from a place around 20km from me.
I took a closer look of what was on offer, and when reading the labels on the boxes I suddenly realized that even at the buy it now price, this was looking like a considerable bargain, a almost too god to be true bargain..... so I thought I would ask on of my forum friends who has taught me a lot [he's a scientific reporter ] what he though of it, and gave him a link to the sale.
He replied that he didn't really know enough about this particular model to give judgement, but based on the photos of what is included in those boxes, I would have to say 'Holy SH1T'!!!
He then suggested I contact two other people quickly, Alan Woods in the UK who is a Olympus microscope specialist, and Charles Krebs, who in a multi times winner, and now occasional Judge of the Nikon Small World micro photography award [he also is a leader in, and inventor of, many microscopic techniques].
Basically they both replied within two hours of each other, both giving me advise on what I should ask the seller, and both recommending that I ask to be able to check out the microscope to see if the moving parts were still working well, which was their major concern,a to try to find out about the previous owner /history to workout if it's been looked after, none of this would of occurred to me to ask without their input.
The biggest shock, and one I had totally missed was pointed out to me by Alan in the UK.
The seller has zero feedback, so beware.
This is when things started to snowball.
I had in fact contacted the seller before this regarding what I thought was a anti vibration bench the microscope was pictured sitting on, and if it was included in the sale, and did they have the case for the microscope?
The reply came back that the 'Bench' was actually a concrete slab in situ, but they had other tables I could purchase, and get this, he had attached 3 more new photos to his response, two of the case and one of ..... this was the first of two huge OMG!! moments, 'We just found all this stuff in this cupboard you can have as well'.
It the picture, among God knows what else, you can see 4 more lens turret's with approximately another 12-15 microscope objectives attached to them.
All this time I've been keeping my initial contact forum friend up to date on what's happening.
When I give him the news he couldn't believe it.
I then contacted the seller again, explaining that I had been in contact with some experts and they advised that I should check the unit out prior to bidding, and if that was OK with him.
I also inquired why he had zero feedback as subtlety as possible, was it sourced from a deceased estate? and he was selling it on behalf of somebody else?
This is the second and most powerful OMG!!! moment happened.
The reply came back.
Quote:
I would have no idea where to look for those things that you have mentioned so it would be best if you come down and have a look yourself.
I have just set up the account on behalf of the company I work for - Liberty Industrial. We are demolishing the Shell Refinery at Rosehill and there is a lab with lots of equipment left behind.
I completely understand your concerns. We are on-site from 7-4 pm Monday - Saturday so let me know when you would like to come down and have a look. My mobile number is 123 456 789 if it is more convenient to call.
The implications of that reply were enormous, especially when I passed it on to the others.
1] It explained why the zero feedback, and that the sale was legit.
2] It gave Providence to the microscope and all the equipment, and the very strong likelihood that is was well looked after.
3] A well financed company like Shell Oil is NOT going to skimp on the quality of it's researchers microscope objectives, so a VERY strong likelihood that at worse, half of those nearly 30 objectives are going to be worth at least $300-500 each secondhand, some I've been informed could easily be worth $5k-$6k each, if not more.
4] The person who put the items for sale and set the price, and I had talked to on the phone, had absolutely no idea of their worth.
After passing this info on, I was strongly urged to buy the whole lot at the $2000 buy it now price as soon as possible, which I did.
I'm sure if any of the other 10 watchers of that Ebay auction had known what was really on offer, I would of been surely beaten to it.
My friends at the forum are in shock.
They have jokingly likened it to Howard Carter finding King Tut's Tomb.
Current low ball park estimate worth of this Aus $2000 Ebay purchase from my forum friends.
Approx $35K- $45k.
Who said there's still not bargains to be had.:D