ukcanuck
Vendor (Skylight Telescopes)
Reged: 11/07/06
Posts: 738
Loc: London, UK
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Not for the sore of back, nor weak of arm:
http://tinyurl.com/3nab6b
Is there a big magnet in California that draws all these scopes there?
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Richard
A few nice telescopes.
...but most importantly, a beautiful son who fills my days with sunshine, and my nights with stars.
THE SKYLIGHT F15
Skylight Gallery
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fxxm747
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/26/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Milwaukie, Oregon
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Never seen one like it, BUT I want it!
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* Jim *
80mm f15 Refractor
Meade Research Grade 8" Newt
Meade Starfinder 10" EQ
Homemade 12.5" Fork Mount Newt
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fxxm747
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/26/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Milwaukie, Oregon
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You know come to think of it isn't the tube a Brandon color? Did they produce any reflectors?
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* Jim *
80mm f15 Refractor
Meade Research Grade 8" Newt
Meade Starfinder 10" EQ
Homemade 12.5" Fork Mount Newt
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CHASLX200
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/29/07
Posts: 1808
Loc: Tampa area Florida
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That guy is in dream land asking that high price!
Chas
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guyinthesky
sage
Reged: 04/13/07
Posts: 330
Loc: western ma.
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about the scope magnet, i think its because of the concentration of wealthy people living out there, movie stars, ect. in my other quests for high quality stuff ive noticed the same thing. for instance, a jbl paragon speaker (if you can find one) goes between 14-26 grand depending on condition. 8 out of 10 seem to pop up in california. same thing with super expensive vintage tube stereo eqpt. there are rare scagel knives that go for 16-20 grand, the guy who made em lived in michigan and used to sell them for 15-25 dollars. people still find them at tag sales in michigan for a few bucks, put them on ebay and end up with a new car. i guess california and michigan would be a good place to go hunt tag sales  every state may have a 'hot subject' to collect. for all you know a famous painter or somthing grew up in your town ect, and his works may still be found dirt cheap.location,location,location. clark and soms telescopes were made about an hour and a half from my house,hmmm. guyinthesky
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Zhumell 12" dob
celestron c100ed-r gt cg-5
meade 5" telestar reflector
just enuf naglers
astro-tech 66ed
celestron C9 1/4
oberwerk 100-45
ALVAN CLARK and SONS 3 inch refractor
canon 350d
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doublestar
member
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 40
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Looks like an older schaefer mount with probably a 7" gear.
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clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 2427
Loc: ValVerde CA(SoEasyaCavemanCanD...
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Looks to be a 8" F8 Its an odd ball, I would guess from the focuser and the finder its home constructed by an air craft worker. The maker might have got a cave mirror for it!! Also due to the eyepieces and the mount I dont think his price is to bad.
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Clint&Debbie Whitman (aveman
1960s 6"F15 Jaegers-Unipons by John Pons on a Byers 812, 1947 4" F15 TINSLEY, 1965 10" F8 CAVE, 1950 5CM & 6.5CM Nippon Kogakus (the twins), 1960s UNITRONS a 152 restored a 160 numbered green lens original mint a 114 original 50s mint, 1950s UNITRON M100 100mm F15 OTA, WO 80mm Florite, ASTROPHYSICS 155 EDFS on LOSMANDY G11, a bunch of Tascos,Sears Mayflowers The list goes on Add infinitum.
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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That's an interesting scope. The equatorial head definitely looks like a Schaeffer, but did he make mounts during the 60's (looks like the vintage of that scope, possibly even a bit older)?
The legs are Cave. Probably the rotating rings, too, though they're not pictured at much resolution.
I agree that the buy it now price is a bit high, though. Unless the provenance can be established and the maker/owner is known.
At RTMC a few years ago, somone had an observatory model Cave 8" f/7, with cast iron pier. They were asking only $700 for it. I have too many scopes as it is, but I really should have bought that one.
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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I should add that Bill Schaeffer was an OCA member. That scope is in Garden Grove, where the OCA still meets. I don't remember where Bill lived, though.
I may post a question to the seller, just to see if he knows more.
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Littlegreenman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/05
Posts: 1362
Loc: Southern California
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Quote:
about the scope magnet, i think its because of the concentration of wealthy people living out there, movie stars, ect. in my other quests for high quality stuff ive noticed the same thing. for instance, a jbl paragon speaker (if you can find one) goes between 14-26 grand depending on condition. 8 out of 10 seem to pop up in california. same thing with super expensive vintage tube stereo eqpt. there are rare scagel knives that go for 16-20 grand, the guy who made em lived in michigan and used to sell them for 15-25 dollars. people still find them at tag sales in michigan for a few bucks, put them on ebay and end up with a new car. i guess california and michigan would be a good place to go hunt tag sales every state may have a 'hot subject' to collect. for all you know a famous painter or somthing grew up in your town ect, and his works may still be found dirt cheap.location,location,location. clark and soms telescopes were made about an hour and a half from my house,hmmm. guyinthesky
Add in a couple of other factors: a lot of these items were made in California. Although, now you've tweaked my interest in Scagel Knives. I never heard of them before. Something else to suffer the sin of acquisitiveness over? 
Also, the JBL Paragons were made here. I grew up in the "wonderful San Fernano Valley": there was song by that name post WWII, which helped that mold called suburbia spread over the valley from 1950 to 1960. JBL eventually landed about 15 miles west of where I grew up. I have had the pleasure of hearing a Paragon (or one of the family members) at a music store several time. Very nice.
Oh, maybe the nice weather and observing conditions, like still air, helped concentrate scopes around here.
And hot rods. They were invented hear, partially. I saw a history of the hot rod on the history channel a few years ago. One of the cars they showcased was an early, historical hot rod that had recently been found, restored, and sold for something in the high 6 figures. A few weeks later, I saw that very car being driven around the block next to my office....
Stuff like that is just normal around here. 
Littlegreenman
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Littlegreenman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/05
Posts: 1362
Loc: Southern California
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$1,750 !?! Odds it will die without a bid.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Post deleted by Clive Gibbons
Edited by nuorv (04/21/08 09:11 PM)
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clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 2427
Loc: ValVerde CA(SoEasyaCavemanCanD...
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6" isnt that large Loron!! I have a 6" F15 John built, one of these days we will have to set em up and have a viewing session. Caveman
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Clint&Debbie Whitman (aveman
1960s 6"F15 Jaegers-Unipons by John Pons on a Byers 812, 1947 4" F15 TINSLEY, 1965 10" F8 CAVE, 1950 5CM & 6.5CM Nippon Kogakus (the twins), 1960s UNITRONS a 152 restored a 160 numbered green lens original mint a 114 original 50s mint, 1950s UNITRON M100 100mm F15 OTA, WO 80mm Florite, ASTROPHYSICS 155 EDFS on LOSMANDY G11, a bunch of Tascos,Sears Mayflowers The list goes on Add infinitum.
Edited by clintwhitman (04/22/08 09:07 AM)
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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I asked the seller if he knew the history of the scope. He said he just bought it last weekend at a garage sale in West Covina, so no.
It would seem that the builder must have been a machinist who purchased castings from Bill Schaeffer.
I would think that if it had been one of Bill's personal scopes, or if the owner had at least been known and was someone known to the amateur community, then it might be worth more than the "average" 8" Newt. As it is, it's interesting, but I certainly wouldn't think it's worth near what the seller is asking for it.
-Tim.
P.S. I have 3 6" Jaegers refractors:
A 6" f/10 that I built a birdseye maple tube for
A 6" f/5 that Dick Zanteson built 10 or 15 years ago.
A 6" f/15 lens and cell that I still need to put in a tube.
The f/5 is stunning under a dark sky with a Nagler 31mm eyepiece!
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Clive Gibbons
Mostly Harmless
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 13421
Loc: Oort Cloud
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The vendor mentions it's definitely a Bill schaefer scope.
Here's a picture or Mr. schaefer with some of his scopes.
The one on the left looks like the eBay item.
link.
There's a couple more pics of it further down the linked page.
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A few telescopes of dubious value.
Understanding wife, two curious cats and one sadly departed.
"Semper ubi sub ubi"
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Holy cow!
I didn't know Bill made mounts (or scopes) that far back!
Very cool. Question is, what might it really be worth, then?
I wonder who had it?
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Lew Chilton
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/20/05
Posts: 1021
Loc: SoCal
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Yes, I do believe that's an original unadulterated early Bill Schaeffer scope. It was state-of-the-art in its day and commanded a premium price at a time when I could barely afford a used Edmund Palomar Jr. The Brandon eyepieces that come with this Schaeffer scope are definitely from the 1950s-1960s.
I saw Bill Schaeffer a few times at LAAS meetings or at an occasional star party in the early 1960s but never actually talked to him. He was thee telescope making guru. I was in total awe of him. I'm sure he knew Tom Cave, Alika Herring, George Carroll, Dick Nelson, Leland Barnes and other highly respected telescope makers of the day.
I don't think the BIN price on this scope is too far out of line. I'll bet the guy would take $1500 if the buyer were to pick it up locally. That's always a bargaining chip.
And, by the way, Parks did sell colorized fiberglass tubes. The Treckerscope Galaxy series, introduced by Coast Instrument in January 1960, came standard with a sky blue tube which made it very attractive. Unfortunately, the only pictures I've seen of it are in black & white in old Sky & Tel ads, but I did see one in person on the Coast Instrument showroom floor in 1960 - another telescope waaaay out of my reach! 
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I don't get no respect, but my scopes do! 
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1961 Swift 60mm model 839 (2); 2003 TV-102/GM-8; 1959 8" f/6 Treckerscope; 1959 8" f/7.4 Murray Scope; 1959 Fecker Celestar-4; 1978 4" Edmund Astroscan; c. 1986 4-inch Celestron-Vixen SP-C102; c. 1950 20X60 Saturn spotting scope; 1963 7X50 Nippon Kogaku binoculars; Unitron #114 alt-az mount (Swifty-tron)
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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I knew Bill, though we only interacted occasionally from about 1980. I remember drooling over a 12.5" Cassegrain he brought to one of the OCA star parties when they used to meet on Main Divide Road above Lake Elsinore (before moving near Wrightwood and then to the current site near Anza). I wanted him to make one like it for me, but it was way too rich for my blood!
My 8" Springfield still has the mirror and cell from an Optical Craftsmen 8" Discoverer I picked up from Dick Nelson personally about the time he went out of business in 1972. I remember being angry at him at the time, because he'd promised a 7-week delivery time when I ordered it, and it took over 7 months to get it. It was a windy day in Chatsworth, so we didn't think I'd get a good view with it for a while, but a miracle occurred and by that night at home (Fountain Valley, CA), the seeing was so good that the view of Saturn was one of the best I've ever had.
I live in LA, so I am sorta "local" for Garden Grove. I've contemplated placing a bid, but it wouldn't be near the seller's asking price. I'd like something like that, but I don't need another scope!   
There was a Treckerscope 10" on astromart recently. In color, too. You might be able to search for the ad, though I think the scope has sold.
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1438
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Oops.
That particular Treckerscope had a beige mount and white tube, it appears.
-Tim
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Peter Glus
super member
Reged: 05/08/06
Posts: 137
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Would the optics for a scope this old be any good?
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Very Urban Astronomer in NYC
C14, Vixen 140NA, and a LXD750
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