There seems to be quite a bit of extreme bidding on a few items lately. Don't know if it's proxy bidders for the Chinese market, or just collectors going nuts. There has been some really outrageous goings on over at Goodwill too.
I've noticed that too.
Another thing I've seem - it's very odd - you'll see two auctions for the same model camera, and one's got 10 bids and is up to $30 or more - and the other one's still at one or zero bids. Odd. And what's so special about Polaroid SX-70's; they seem to be demanding a premium? Even local Craigslist/Kijiji/UsedOttawa - lots of people asking $25+ for Brownie Hawkeye flashes.
I keep an eye on our "Crown Assets" (Gov't surplus and siezed goods) sales as well - and some of the cameras there go for ridiculous money; old digital p&s's for $60 or $70 or more. In some cases I'm sure that it's just the auction mindset setting in; some folks go a little wacky if they're being bid against - so if you get two people like that one an auction, well.
And that used to be such a nice place to pick up good, inexpensive cameras and gear. But at the rate the film manufacturers keep killing off product, it won't be long before our cameras are only paperweights and doorstops anyway.
PF
I knew that it would happen but I didn't expect it to happen at the rapid pace that it has. The supermarkets that just a couple years ago had a full instore lab now no longer even sell film. I went into a nearby outlet of a major canadian photo retailer to buy some medium-format film but they didn't stock it; it was only their downtown store.
I have hope for the b&w market though; it's a niche market that I don't expect to die (hey, one can still buy oil paints and other art supplies) though I expect eventually we'll have less selection and fewer brick+mortar stores to buy it in - just like the art supply stores - and it may get expensive. We might be developing in coffee and pee - but I expect that we'll have a supply of b&w film for a years to come.
Bill
