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Craigslist,ebay and other vintage scope ads,

Started by Rich (RLTYS) , Mar 05 2013 06:10 AM

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520 replies to this topic

#226 Terra Nova

ISS

Posts: 30,888
Joined: 29 May 2012

Posted 21 March 2013 - 03:56 PM

Zeiss Asiola Spotting Scope on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/...ear-Perfect-...

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#227 albert1

Mercury-Atlas

Posts: 2,662
Joined: 01 Jan 2007

Posted 21 March 2013 - 04:12 PM

Hey, it just occurred to me that the 60mm Unitron scope and mount that was supposedly for sale here a couple of days ago may have been bogus from the outset. Here are ten reasons that I have come up with to conclude that the ad may well have been a farce.

Consider:
(1) the prices were ridiculously low, even the one for the ota with the cracked lens considering that the solar projection kit, 4 Unitron eyepieces and the deluxe cell were included, not to mention a very nice cabinet.
(2) the scope looked so good! How could someone have kept it in such good condition and broken the objective.
(3) a photo of the broken objective was never shown.
(4) the eq mount was listed at 1/3 to 1/4 of its value.
(5) the listings were made in the middle of the night, good time for pranksters assuming it was listed here in the USA and the add gave every indication that it was.
(6) several of us emailed him right away and got no reply. I for one emailed him around 8 or 9 AM withing 4 or 5 hrs of the listing- no reply.
(7) the seller registered here the day of the sale (march 19).
(8) no one on here bought the stuff.
(9) this occurred the same week that we have had several debates about newbies, drive-bys, price gouging, rising prices, etc.
AND
(10) my daddy always said "if its too good to be true, it probably isn't."

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Just happen to be on CN classifieds when the seller posted that listing in the early AM. I thought for sure I got lucky and nailed this one when I responded while the listing had only 4 hits :bigshock:

.

The seller responded the following day apologetically informing me it had been sold. He told me another CNer beat me to it by minutes :smashpc:

. So, I guess it seems legit. :shrug:

I guess we won't know for sure until someone reveals themselves :tonofbricks:

.

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#228 starman876

Nihon Seiko

Posts: 25,614
Joined: 28 Apr 2008

Posted 21 March 2013 - 04:40 PM

Unless someone is pulling our leg. It is almost April 1st

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#229 apfever

Cosmos

Posts: 8,233
Joined: 13 May 2008

Posted 21 March 2013 - 05:18 PM

Dubious perhaps, but intriguing nonetheless

http://austin.craigs...3694729543.html

Woo Hoo,

Llano is where my ranch is! Little bitty town of about 3,000. Big ranch country, home of the largest private hardware store in the whole state of Texas. That is where I found my original complete blue tube DS-16 hernia maker. I made a vacation trip down to pick up the 16.
I don't doubt the ad, and I'll contact the seller. My brother lives on the ranch and he could get it but I have absolutely no need for this one. If any one is intested in getting it on hold, I can swing the deal (your money) and keep it stored. I'll post any info from the seller.

EDIT: talked to the seller. Charles will put everything for the telescope in one place at his store in Llano and talk to me at 10:00 tomorrow morning. Here is the post of just some of the other stuff, and there is more that he didn't list.
http://austin.craigs...3694730910.html
Charles doesn't know squat about any of it. He don't know diddly. He opens his second hand store a couple of times a week, he has had this contraption for about 2 years. Ironically, he got it here in Colorado and took it to Texas.
It all belonged to the father of a family friend, the father passed away about 4 or so years ago and no one in the family had any interest in any of it. The father apparently did some photography with it, and how he did it with that mount contraption I have no idea.
I find it interesting how astronomy can come out of the woodwork sometimes in strange ways. Charles and I know some of the same people and it was a rather heartfelt conversation even though I was just there for 2 weeks last Dec. The Bluebonnets are up and they are pretty things. My brother is going to swing by his store tomorrow and take a visual of the scope contraption crude looking thingy.

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#230 starman876

Nihon Seiko

Posts: 25,614
Joined: 28 Apr 2008

Posted 21 March 2013 - 06:28 PM

very nice gesture. We need more folks like you :waytogo:

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#231 Dave M

In Memoriam

Posts: 8,649
Joined: 03 Aug 2004

Posted 21 March 2013 - 06:37 PM

That Tuthill Steroocular is pretty cool!

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#232 gelkin

Surveyor 1

Posts: 1,675
Joined: 22 Sep 2010

Posted 21 March 2013 - 08:08 PM

Parts for your Unitron on ebay again. I may have to try for these 30mm finder rings. My poor 3" is running on only 5 thumb screws. Probably the only way i'll ever get a replacement. :lol:

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#233 starman876

Nihon Seiko

Posts: 25,614
Joined: 28 Apr 2008

Posted 21 March 2013 - 09:07 PM

Just PM me Gerald :grin:

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#234 starman876

Nihon Seiko

Posts: 25,614
Joined: 28 Apr 2008

Posted 21 March 2013 - 09:13 PM

http://www.astromart...ified_id=814996

this mount might interest some of you

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#235 bremms

Fly Me to the Moon

Posts: 5,351
Joined: 31 Aug 2012

Posted 21 March 2013 - 10:13 PM

That would be a nice mount for my 6" D&G that will be done god knows when. Price is right on a very sturdy mount.

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#236 Steve_M_M

Soyuz

Posts: 3,642
Joined: 09 Jun 2004

Posted 22 March 2013 - 12:33 AM

http://offer.ebay.co...675.l2565&am...
hard to believe it went that cheap. The OTA should have gone for twice that. Anyone here get this?

One after the next. My intention was to pick up this scope and the Sears 6345 when I am in Sacramento in 2 weeks. I don't think I will have either.

For the AP, the seller offered me a chance to purchase it after his original winner backed out for personal reasons. Not too many folks back out of a $3250 6" AP on a rare Losmandy GM-100 mount....hmmmm. So, I offered more than the auction, $3750. He wrote back and said he wanted $5,000 but that he was going to put it up on Astromart and Ebay first. So, he did. I bid $4,000 and then the auction was removed. I suspect if he put it on Astromart, it got removed quickly. Now, here it is on CN.

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#237 Steve_M_M

Soyuz

Posts: 3,642
Joined: 09 Jun 2004

Posted 22 March 2013 - 12:41 AM

The ad is Here

The original thread is Here

I do know the seller and I have owned the telescope.

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#238 Mr Magoo

Mercury-Atlas

Posts: 2,891
Joined: 05 Nov 2005

Posted 22 March 2013 - 04:52 AM

8" CRITERION DYNASCOPE DE LUXE on eBay. Doesn't get any better than this for one of these. Not my ad, because if it were mine it would not be on eBay! 8" Dynascope

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#239 Jim Curry

Mercury-Atlas

Posts: 2,916
Joined: 29 Oct 2007

Posted 22 March 2013 - 06:17 AM

Wow, this 8" looks elegant. I can't tell you how many evenings I spent under the covers late at night drooling over the Criterion catalogue. That scope was like the ultimate! After receiving a 4" equatorial I did get a tour of the factory, I didn't live too far away. This deal isn't too far from me but I'll pass....I think.

Jim

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#240 Terra Nova

ISS

Posts: 30,888
Joined: 29 May 2012

Posted 22 March 2013 - 08:02 AM

Somebody ought to get that Goto, those things are cool. I looked through a late to mid 60s 3 inch Goto refractor once and that thing was primo!

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#241 Masvingo

Apollo

Posts: 1,426
Joined: 10 Jan 2012

Posted 22 March 2013 - 09:00 AM

I wish it wasn't the other end of the country!

Carl Zeiss Telementor

Probably couldn't afford it anyway!

James

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#242 bremms

Fly Me to the Moon

Posts: 5,351
Joined: 31 Aug 2012

Posted 22 March 2013 - 09:53 AM

Heck you could offer like $900 for the lot.. You have an instant classic collection!

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#243 snork

Apollo

Posts: 1,214
Joined: 27 Jan 2012

Posted 22 March 2013 - 11:07 AM

This should look familiar :grin:

http://www.ebay.com/...-/2908826726...

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#244 trainsktg

Fly Me to the Moon

Posts: 5,045
Joined: 23 Aug 2005

Posted 22 March 2013 - 11:17 AM

Well, since Steve linked it, I'll fess up. The three refractors are mine. I'm not losing my mind, just changing the direction of my observing interests. The 2.4" and 3" refractors, which were seldom broken out for observing in favor of the larger telescopes that I have, have now been relegated to non-use by my recent acquisition of a Q3.5 (vintage, or course). Like the dozen plus antique military rifles I've sold off over the last year that never got used, as well as the garden scale train collection, these telescopes need to go to a home where they will not be packed away in perpetuity along side the bathtowels and spare linens.

Keith

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#245 apfever

Cosmos

Posts: 8,233
Joined: 13 May 2008

Posted 22 March 2013 - 11:29 AM

Dubious perhaps, but intriguing nonetheless

http://austin.craigs...3694729543.html

Here's the full list of related ads:

http://austin.craigs...3694734669.html
http://austin.craigs...3694731527.html
http://austin.craigs...3694730910.html

You have to understand this is pretty kicked back small town in big Texas ranch country. The owner is 63 and a bit difficult even getting around some focuser information with the scope in front of him. I think it's a helical. It's all more like "Here it is, come and look at it". The bino is interesting. Does anybody know anything about the Tuthill bino?
I'll be down there in about a month, for a Spring visit. I'm interested is some accessories, not the scope particularly, know nothing of the finder, the mirror has been face up uncovered for at last the last 3 years and the owner says its pretty dirty and he has no concept of coating condition. I could transport from Llano to Denver if you're along the way.
The listings may disappear as he'd just as soon not bother with it till I get there and look at it all. Maybe, maybe not. I told him to leave it all up, and I'd relay any info I get. He didn't care, his call, even stating he understands I might look at it and not want anything. It'll just be easier that way. You gotta understand, this is small town in.....

This is as far as I can get to relay.

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#246 starman876

Nihon Seiko

Posts: 25,614
Joined: 28 Apr 2008

Posted 22 March 2013 - 02:41 PM

http://www.astromart...ified_id=815077

here is your chance to be frustrated

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#247 apfever

Cosmos

Posts: 8,233
Joined: 13 May 2008

Posted 22 March 2013 - 03:13 PM

I'm not sending the seller a note, but he has a bit of disclosure issue with the substantial substitution of a vintage Celestron fork/drive assembly. The Celestron looks to be late orange tube to early black tube. I guess it doesn't matter since he says the drive doesn't work?!?!

I have the ol' precurser Criterion Dynamax 8. Cute little blue bunny hopper when sitting on a table. Nothing frustrating about it, even though the optics AND mechanics have issues. It does work. It is what it is and I don't let it bother me. It's vintage, it's classic because I think it is, and girls of all ages at public star parties find it cute, it has great cosmetics and cool aesthetics. I'll slowly mess with it when it gets it's turn, and it will get better. Lord knows I have other scopes for other aspects of viewing so no frustrations at all.