cheap scopes
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cheap scopes
I'm amazed that Leitz scopes, and many others makes, can be bought on ebay for such low prices. Scopes with a few objectives can be bought for $200 to 400. Are they all obsolete? Why are they so low priced? I've got an almost mint AO Spencer series 15 that I might be able to get $100 if I'm lucky. I might as well toss it in the trash.
henryr,
Before you toss that Spencer, find a teacher or a kid and give it to them. They won't find it obsolete. Or send it to me
!
And obsolete is in the eye of the user.
If parts become difficult to get, that's a different story and schools, hospitals and the like will replace them rather than deal with the problems. Hospitals in particular can't afford the down time.
If parts aren't a problem, or repairs are rare, nothing is obsolete if it does the job it needs to do. The last hospital lab I worked at is still using two AO 10's. One in Blood Bank and one in Histology. They work just fine so they're still there. When they break for some reason, they're gone. There is a beater Nikon Labophot 1 in urinalysis too. There's also two new BX-43's in Hematology where things are a little more demanding and they get more use. Two Labophots were pulled due to lack of parts availability, and will now support the one remaining.
Remember, Ebay is essentially minimal-to-no-warranty wholesale, and is a world-wide market. The economy isn't doing all that well, so toys - things that have little commercial use - don't fetch a lot of money. No warranty, and sellers who have absolutely no idea what they have, or whether or not it works, doesn't help. That also means you can buy nicer toys than before for the same money! It goes both ways.
And if I remember right, the Spencer to refer to is from the 1950's. How much should a 60 year old microscope be worth?
Tom
Before you toss that Spencer, find a teacher or a kid and give it to them. They won't find it obsolete. Or send it to me
!And obsolete is in the eye of the user.
If parts become difficult to get, that's a different story and schools, hospitals and the like will replace them rather than deal with the problems. Hospitals in particular can't afford the down time.
If parts aren't a problem, or repairs are rare, nothing is obsolete if it does the job it needs to do. The last hospital lab I worked at is still using two AO 10's. One in Blood Bank and one in Histology. They work just fine so they're still there. When they break for some reason, they're gone. There is a beater Nikon Labophot 1 in urinalysis too. There's also two new BX-43's in Hematology where things are a little more demanding and they get more use. Two Labophots were pulled due to lack of parts availability, and will now support the one remaining.
Remember, Ebay is essentially minimal-to-no-warranty wholesale, and is a world-wide market. The economy isn't doing all that well, so toys - things that have little commercial use - don't fetch a lot of money. No warranty, and sellers who have absolutely no idea what they have, or whether or not it works, doesn't help. That also means you can buy nicer toys than before for the same money! It goes both ways.
And if I remember right, the Spencer to refer to is from the 1950's. How much should a 60 year old microscope be worth?
Tom
Good points. My series 15 is very nice, works like new and doesn't seem to have been in a smoking or outgassing environment. I really would never toss it in the trash.Tom Jones wrote:henryr,
Before you toss that Spencer, find a teacher or a kid and give it to them. They won't find it obsolete. Or send it to me
And obsolete is in the eye of the user.
If parts become difficult to get, that's a different story and schools, hospitals and the like will replace them rather than deal with the problems. Hospitals in particular can't afford the down time.
If parts aren't a problem, or repairs are rare, nothing is obsolete if it does the job it needs to do. The last hospital lab I worked at is still using two AO 10's. One in Blood Bank and one in Histology. They work just fine so they're still there. When they break for some reason, they're gone. There is a beater Nikon Labophot 1 in urinalysis too. There's also two new BX-43's in Hematology where things are a little more demanding and they get more use. Two Labophots were pulled due to lack of parts availability, and will now support the one remaining.
Remember, Ebay is essentially minimal-to-no-warranty wholesale, and is a world-wide market. The economy isn't doing all that well, so toys - things that have little commercial use - don't fetch a lot of money. No warranty, and sellers who have absolutely no idea what they have, or whether or not it works, doesn't help. That also means you can buy nicer toys than before for the same money! It goes both ways.
And if I remember right, the Spencer to refer to is from the 1950's. How much should a 60 year old microscope be worth?
Tom
I just thought it is worth more than $100...but it is probably 70 years old. However with the like new Zeiss oculars, objectives, AO graduated stage, condenser and like new 735 light in a like new wood case I thought it would be desirable and usable and have a much higher value than those sold on ebay. Oh well.
cheap scopes
Thanks for the suggestion. I've already had offers for the Zeiss optics but I want to sell everything as a package. I thought the AO scope would be more desirable with the Zeiss optics. I'll give it some time before I separate. My goal is to reduce stuff in my home.75RR wrote:If you separate the Zeiss components you will find buyers for them.
Thanks,
henryr