Ever felt guilty?

Mr G · Joined: 27 Jan 2014 Posts: 187 Location: London & Essex

Hi guys, bit of a moral dillema, yesterday afternoon the girlfriend texted me about a camera and lenses on Facebook Sales, I arranged to go and see the items after work and 20mins later having parted with £50GBP, I owned the items, didn't even haggle.
I now have a Canon AE1 fitted with the Canon 28-50 f3.5 SSC lens complete with original deep lens cap. a Canon 35-105 f3.5 macro and the Vivitar 135 f2.3, which if anything like my old 200mm version, will be stellar in perfomance. All items are immaculate!
I left feeling elated but with a sense of guilt that I didn't pay the lovely gentleman more. Is this normal?
I haven't shot 35mm film since I went digital, keeping only my medium format gear for film, but I am am going to keep the camera as well, such a lovely thing needs to be used.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

I don't know the value of the goodies you had bought, but I guess it really was a very good bargain.
Now if you feel bad about having payed too little I'd give the person 'some' more, that is as much as you need to feel good and happy Smile

- I'd think not as much as if you had bought it via ebay, it should remain a very good deal. it will come as a very nice surprise for him and most importantly, instead of guilt that will come around again and again when using the gear, you will feel all the more happy!
it's simple, be good, be happy Smile

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Guilty ? that's the going rate,
I've been trying to sell a perfect Canon A1, with new light seals and no squeal, a couple of lenses and flash for £50 for about 6 months, and I haven't had one enquiry. For some reason the A1 just doesn't seem to sell, the AE1 and AE1P however seem to be way more popular, the lenses are what sell old cameras. No, you and the seller did OK.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

as said I didn't know the going rates. If the price paid was just a good deal and not 'robbing' then sure no need to feel guilty.

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Don't feel guilty. Everybody can check prices on the world-wide-web if they want to sell at top-price, just like anybody can put something on ebay if they like.

If they don't do that and they ask a fair price which you are willing to pay, all is okay imho, you are happy, and he is happy! Very Happy

Happy shooting, i started to shoot film again about 2 years ago, and i absolutely love it!!

Mr G · Joined: 27 Jan 2014 Posts: 187 Location: London & Essex

Cheers guys, I can only find one Vivitar 135mm f2.3 on eBay and they want $249 US dollars, haven't checked prices of other 2 lenses yet.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Don't worry about it, over pay on some, under pay on others, it all works out.

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

If you did not threat the seller to force him to sell or reverse, the deal is "perfect".
If you feel guilty, spend the money you "won" with your girl friend. You should feel better then.

Layer-cake · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 560 Location: Cape Town

I still feel guilty sometimes but as OneTruelove said everyone can check what equipment is valued at and if they don't they are only short changing themselves.

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

barryreid · Expire: 2015-11-04

Stick that lot on eBay and you'd be lucky to get £100 for it. Then there would be ebay fees, Paypal fees and there are quite a lot of crappy buyers out there too. Sometimes it's worth accepting a bit less money for an easier life.

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Nah don't feel guilty as if the seller had lost interest in photography it was probably unwanted stuff to him and was glad to get rid of it. I see this at boot sales with e.g.:- Zenit EM, Helios 44-2 and 135mm lens for £1 and the person is pleased when you buy it.

Drack · Joined: 27 Feb 2011 Posts: 735 Location: Lithuania

I never feel guilty when I buy an item that is under priced, even if I know the real price of the item. However I never barter on an item that i already priced a reasonable price. Everyone has a chance to look up the real value of their item, even older people who say that they do not know how to use the net, but find a way to add their listing on a local auction site Smile

. I often buy thing in local flea markets and many cameras/lenses there usually require CLA. With that said, I often end up paying a reasonable price to a person, who might not know the real price of the item, due to the defect that it has. I take the item home fix it up and yes, then it is worth way more than I`ve paid, but I`ve put some work into it myself, so I did not rip of the guy.

invisible · Joined: 06 Jun 2013 Posts: 344

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Guilt will pass. Some folks here are undervaluing the Vivitar you got. That alone is worth more than the others combined. Superb lens.

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 595

Feel guilt over a good snag? Never. Why should I?

I've never taken advantage of a widow or an orphan. I've sometimes told widows and orphans how valuable the trinkets they thought worthless really are.

I have, however, bid low on eBay and won; bought treasures offered far below market on web sites; and bought treasures priced very low at flea markets, including camera shows.

Mr G · Joined: 27 Jan 2014 Posts: 187 Location: London & Essex

Thanks everyone, I think my conscience has eased with the general view being that's life, sometimes we pay top dollar, other times we get a bargain.

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4745 Location: Cheshire, England

The price looks a bargain but not that much of one. As others here say it looks like the going rate. £15 would be a bargain.

Some old guys dont mind how much they get as long as the camera isn't going in the skip. If they see its going to be loved and used thats all they are worried about. You did him a favour. Relax.

Basilisk · Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 356 Location: UK

The seller may not have wanted the hassle involved with maximising the value. Different markets have different rates - these days small ads won't get you a good price for your stuff, but if someone turns up and gives you a few notes and you get rid of some clutter, it might be a lot easier than dealing with an auction and having to package and dispatch and hope for good feedback.

Not entirely related but I was talking to someone in a charity shop about buying lenses. She said they put something up for £20, and someone spotted it and said they would put it on ebay for them, and raised £800. I would like to know what it was!

ckrook · Joined: 02 Oct 2012 Posts: 79 Location: Oslo, Norway

I´ve got a A1 after my AE1 shutter broke. Love it! Except for that it doesnt have full manual controls, but who cares? It always expose correctly. Just remember to turn the camera off when youre not using it! Mine is draining battery while its not in use.

beomagi · Joined: 14 May 2010 Posts: 46

The guilt I'd feel about buying nice lenses is more related to me spending money on my hobby instead of my family. Granted, photography really is a nice hobby the family enjoys so when the wife gets happy about some pictures, I end up feeling pretty good Very Happy

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

I apply the Karmic Rule. If I find something for peanuts and I later realise the value on the open market is far and beyond what I paid for it (but only if I actually sell it) I feel the karmic need to find the seller and bung him a few extra quid.
For something like old camera gear, most of my bargain-priced stuff was bought when the real market prices were quite low anyway, and I feel no compunction about keeping any profits I make if and when I ever cash in on them, as it's now years on from when I bought them.
The primary instance of Karmic Compensation is, for example, you find an Old Master at a boot sale for 50cents and put it into Sotheby's where it sells for millions. I would feel utterly driven to find the little old lady who sold me it and give her something extra.
Now, some dirty greedy utterly conscience-less sods disagree with that, but in my view it's a windfall and to part with some of the windfall is no skin off my nose and it brings some little joy into someone's life.