Spent $80 on a fancy vintage camera and it broke after one roll of film

I got into collecting old film cameras a few months back, and I thought I scored big at a garage sale in Akron. Paid $80 for this 1970s Minolta that looked pristine in the case. The seller said it worked fine, but I didn't test it before buying. First roll of film came back completely blank because the shutter was sticking. Took it to a repair shop and they quoted me $150 to fix it. I mean, idk if it's even worth putting that much more into it. Has anyone else gotten burned buying vintage gear that looked perfect but turned out to be a dud?

3 comments

3 Comments

alexk601mo ago

Right? I dropped $60 on a "mint" Olympus from eBay and the lens was literally glued shut with old fungus. I feel your pain on that repair quote, it's like they know we're suckers for the aesthetic.

susan_wright341mo ago

Yeah but did you check the seller's return policy before buying? I always screen shot those now because some of them try to hide that they only accept returns if the item is "significantly not as described" which is a pretty loose standard. What did the listing actually say about the lens condition?

michael_jenkins391mo ago

Wait, are you saying you actually expected a $60 eBay Olympus to be truly mint? That's on you for believing that listing, not on the seller. "Mint" on eBay basically means "looks okay from 3 feet away and still turns on" - everyone knows that by now. If you want guaranteed quality, pay the premium at a real camera shop or KEH, not gamble on some random person's attic find. eBay's return policy is a joke but you knew the risk the second you clicked buy. Honestly, the whole "vintage film camera" hype is a scam anyway - those cameras are old, brittle, and full of problems.

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