Graflex.org

clnfrd · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2004 1:57 am Post subject:

There has always been a strict no "fer sail" policy on this forum. Yet, there is a new Forum...things "fer sail" by Graflex.org...to which I'm not allowed to post. I know this isn't a democracy here...the good old boys who invented this site have total control...but shucks...why can't we list things fer sail to other members without going to that "we pay" site where nobody knows nuthin' about cameras. I'd love to be able to trade...barter...buy and sell...or whatever.....amongst guys who know an f stop from a distance scale. Fred.

[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2004-01-19 17:58 ]

alecj · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 853 Location: Alabama

As unfair as it may seem to you, Fred, the fact is this is Leigh's baby - lock, stock and barrel. He is the ONLY "good old boy" that makes decisions here. Just ask Les. There's got to be costs involved with this endeavor, and, if you know the history here, without Leigh, this forum would have folded long ago.

If he wants to market some items here, its his choice. For a time, he offered services on the main page. I'm content to accept it the way it is, since there are other places besides ebay to offer items. Nobody should be under any illusion that life is fair - far from it.

[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2004-01-19 18:37 ]

clnfrd · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2004 1:12 pm Post subject:

I didn't mean to imply it is unfair. I was merely wondering if there may not be a way whereby the registered users of this site could engage in trading, etc., without it clogging the forum with every Tom, Dick, and Harry with something to sell. For example, users who have been registered for at least six months...genuine Graflex owners and users... could post items they're willing to trade...and items they're seeking...in a special forum. Guess the screening, etc., would be complicated. Just a thought. Fred.

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2144 Location: New Jersey

t.r.sanford · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2004 4:39 pm Post subject:

I concur about the desirability of a "wanted" bulletin board. If necessary, you could forbid "wants" invoving 3-cell flashguns (or whatever). But I'm sure that most of us who have been scrounging Graflex stuff out of corrugated cartons in now-defunct camera stores for years and years now have more of something and less of something else than we'd like. Some swapping or buying would even things out.

I also agree that this is not an attractive marketplace for sellers, which is a very good thing too!

45PSS · Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 3:44 am Post subject:

I purchased the View II that I traded for a Sinar F1 and the side RF Pacemaker that got me to this board at the same store that Koltz got his stuff. Maybe I'll see him there one day and say HI and Thanks for the site.
Most members who need or have items that they cannot find or dispose of via the regular trade venues are capable of carefull wording that does not offend and the exchange can be handled via private communications. And, yes, all of my Graflex equipement is available for the right $$$$ but I'm not looking to par fail it here. If someone were to donate another machine, programming and pay the power bill to run it then maybe it could be interconnected to provide a trade bored.

_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

t.r.sanford · Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 5:31 pm Post subject:

The point is very well taken. The retailers who continue to deal in used Graflex gear deserve our support, and the Internet does provide some remedy to the market forces that are steadily eliminating traditional full-service "brick-and-mortar" camera stores.

At the same time, there are many small accessories and gadgets that it is worth no one's while to list. One of the lost pleasures of getting to know a long-established photographic retailer was that he would show you the contents of the shallow drawers behind the counter, in the hope that you would offer him money for something unsalable for the past fifteen years: mechanical synchronizers, odd-size adapter rings, "Graphic" viewfinder masks and "Focuscopes" and small enigmatic fixtures and fittings, and so on and on.

This is the sort of clutter I think could be publicized to advantage by some kind of swap-or-buy BBS. If it were text-only, it wouldn't hog a lot of bandwidth, and I think it would be educational too.

disemjg · Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 474 Location: Washington, DC

I for one would like to see some sort of mechanism for the exchange of Graflex/LF related items; I do support my local dealers (I have picked them clean of Graflex stuff as fast as it appears) but cannot find everything I would like. Dealing with the people at this site would allow us to deal with counterparts that probably understand what they are dealing with better than most of the mail order outfits, especially if we are looking for some odd widgit.

I also appreciate that this sort of thing can get out of hand, and may be a significant maintenance problem for the site operators. The first priority is to allow them to continue to provide the great support we enjoy on this site, without adding a swap forum that causes problems. Thus any proposal needs to be kept as simple as possible.

So, with an eye to keeping it simple, how about a swap forum that only registered users could post to after having been registered for at least six months, with the content restricted to Graflex or large format items. The response traffic would be by private messages or direct email to the poster, and the messages would be automatically deleted after a set number of days to clean out the old traffic. Hopefully the system could be set up to enforce these rules, and eliminate as much of the maintenance as possible.

clnfrd · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2004 3:13 am Post subject:

disemjg....Well said. Fred.

bgood · Joined: 29 Apr 2004 Posts: 9 Location: Oklahoma

http://groups.msn.com/graflexusers
This is a group on MSN I started just to have a place to post camera pics. It could be used for this purpose as well. It's free to join, and then you could post your stuff under messages.

Bruce

Rangemaster · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 10:28 pm Post subject:

I would be happy to donate the time, the effort and I have the server space and software already for a barter, trade and even if we needed the dreaded ******* stuff, if this is of interest, I can get it set up and already for anyone to use, as I am in the web design and hosting business with my own servers, I have the capibilities to do it with no problems at all, it would just be a suplement to this site for those looking for a venue, the one condition would be that it would have to be used, I don't want to go to the trouble to set it all up, only to not be used.

Just let me know, by a personal message or a show of hands on the board here.

Dave

Rangemaster · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject:

Forgot to add, it would have the ability to post pictures as well, and anybody who registed would be able to post want ad's plus. I would be happy to do as I am a pure 100% camera and photography freak, just ask my wife!

Dave

clnfrd · Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 12:42 pm Post subject:

Dave...

I, for one, appreciate that offer. Sorry so slow to respond...computer problems.

Fred

Mikrozen · Joined: 19 May 2004 Posts: 1 Location: Los Angeles

I'll be glad to see "looking for" and "want-to-sell" items. Nice of you to offer. I admit to buying clamps and other odd bits out of "shallow drawers behind counters" too.

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