Kriegsmarine binoculars with unusual marking

[Sgt Bilko]

Am I missing something here?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zeiss-D-F-...0AAOSw-CpYBz~A

[coastaldefence]

I am missing unusual markings and a realistic price

[MOLEHUNTER]

The seller's well known on ebay UK - he offers to Buy It Now on desirable binoculars for pennies from unsuspecting sellers who don't know what they have and cancel the auction, then relists them the next week. If you bid on a binocular on ebayUK and later find your bid cancelled - he's got it. Still - at least he's stopped polishing them - Gawd knows how many were ruined though...

From a local paper;

Rod is asking people to look around their homes for old binoculars and opera glasses that they want to sell, especially large naval military pairs. The condition is irrelevant.

[Sgt Bilko]

I'd like people to look around their homes for binoculars they want to sell, especially large naval military pairs too.

[Mikedenmark]

http://www.essexlive.news/rod-s-focu...ail/story.html


I think, I will call some local newspapers too....

Not for the money, of course. I just like to give old binoculars a new home, preferably one with wealthy owners.
Oups. I didn´t say that last piece, did I ?? , and I certainly didn´t mean it.... to come out loud.

Actually we had a radio program here: Do you have something you miss ??
My Top Scorer was this nice old retired gentleman, who happened to collect 78 records. (some years ago, not so hot today) But as a retiree, money was scarce... sob sob.
2 weeks later, as the program did a follow up, he was still busy driving out and picking up lots. 2 weeks had yielded, as far as I recall it, more than 30.000 records, and he was still at it.
Poor slob.
Repeat 30.000 !!!

Never underestimate going public.
Only, do it when you are on holiday, you may not have time to go to work.

Update. Just for fun, I checked. The program still exist. Different name. To think I have been on ebay looking all these years, while that option was only a phone call away. Gotta get me some onions. So I can make the Trump sniffing, when I tell how hard it is, not getting binoculars every day.
If I can get just 3000 binoculars some of them are bound to be good german models.

[nickn]

So are you saying it's wrong to run adverts for collectables???

[behblc]

B.I.N. price has been reduced by £1000 , had been previously set at £2500. rainguard is wrong type for a set of this date, I have never see one with the anchor point at the front of the binocular, definately an add on.

[RodA]

I have joined the forum to post my response to the rather venomous and misleading comments in this thread to perhaps reflect wider and less insular opinions. It might also be prudent for you to read the rules of this website regarding such comments.

Bilko is fully entitled to his query regarding my ebay listing but is unaware of the circumstances leading up to the high buying price. The previous auction listing was removed due to the symbols so my alternative was to re-list it requesting offers whilst I dealt privately with offers emanating from the first listing.

However, it is Molehunter’s misguided and offensive comment about me that I take issue with. Firstly, although your comment about buying early off ebay is based on fact, your interpretation is far from the truth. Like many people, I do make early offers and in some instances, I buy early. Old sayings like pot & kettle, glasshouses, and sour grapes come to mind here but I will not dwell on that. Sellers don’t have their arms twisted and don’t sell unless they are happy. Most are dealers who have picked the items up much cheaper anyway. Your comment ‘desirable binoculars for pennies from unsuspecting sellers’ is made from a position of total ignorance. You have no idea what I pay nor the state of mind of the seller. Like all of us, I have picked up an absolute bargain here and there but for the most part I pay a decent price which affords the seller a profit as well. It is also worth enlightening you that most items are subsequently fully cleaned and serviced before selling them on, and not always at a profit. That’s the way the world goes round. I also spend many hours in auction houses and fairs looking for items and don’t just sit at home buying off ebay. The local newspaper comment you posted out of context was printed about 7 years ago so its nice to see that you keep up to date! Its also a pity that Mikedenmark chose to play school bully as well by making immature inferences.

As for your inflammatory inference that I have ruined numerous items, this is a very insular and ill-informed opinion. I have no objection to you having this opinion but as you have no idea of the condition of the items when I receive them, I fail to see how you can form a valid opinion of the final result. Had you have asked me personally as one or two others have, I could have shown you before and after photographs of items that I have saved from extinction due to issues like 6mm of aluminium oxide build up under torn leather with holes in the prism housings. Items like these would otherwise not have escaped the melting pot. So why criticise an action that has saved items albeit not in their original form? You also need to respect other collectors who perhaps prefer items displayed in this manner. I have even had specific requests to deal with items in this way. As far as I know, I have never polished a pair of binoculars that may have had significant historical interest. If you want to collect mud covered and corroded war relics, then do so and be respected for your desires, but you also need to be respectful of other collectors who have different preferences and desires.

But most of all, please don’t post inflammatory and ill-informed comments about anybody on a website unless you want to leave your self open to liable actions. So lets move out of the immature playground and end this thread now.

[Sgt Bilko]

Bilko is fully entitled to his query regarding my ebay listing but is unaware of the circumstances leading up to the high buying price.

I didn't query the price but the stated unusual markings - I have a near identical binocular with a slightly earlier serial and merely sought illumination from forum members.

The fact that you significantly lowered the price suggests you found some illumination from this forum too.

[MOLEHUNTER]

Dear Rod - welcome to the forum! i didn't think I'd written any" misguided and offensive" comments;

your comment about buying early off ebay is based on fact, that's what I said

You have no idea what I pay Items bought and sold on ebay are visible - including prices. Items bought off an Ebay cancelled listing can still be discussed with the seller using Ebay messages

The local newspaper comment you posted out of context you no longer want old binoculars and opera glasses that they want to sell, especially large naval military pairs?

inflammatory inference that I have ruined numerous items a commonly held opinion by vintage binocular collectors who hate to see items polished

I have never polished a pair of binoculars that may have had significant historical interest some vintage binocular collectors consider all early Zeiss to have significant historical interest

don’t post inflammatory and ill-informed comments see above

unless you want to leave your self open to liable actions the correct expression is libel - but free speech is protected so best not to join a forum with the sole intention of threatening.

Sorry if I've hurt your feelings....

[Sgt Bilko]

I'm usually on the horns of a dilemma over polished binoculars. I know that some people like a big shiny binocular for their seaview apartment - and that's their prerogative.

And I know that some people see polishing as the work of the devil. Personally, I like shiny things and have no problem with polished binoculars where the vet who brought them back from WW1 had decided to tidy them up. They may well have been the only binocular in his family's history until that point - so who can blame him?

But I don't like the idea of polishing binoculars today. Brass shining through where it's been held adds to the character for me. But I don't lose sleep over it - it wouldn't do if we were all the same!

[behblc]

When you see someone selling a flak 10x80 for £2400 it is a piss take , it really is.
You would never polish a bronze, never , yet polish a binocular and ask an insane price for it , sorry it drives me up the walls. good sets ruined.
I have a transit case for a Ross 10x80 , was looking at a polished 10x80 Ross on the internet and considered how would this look in that box. Awful.

[Mikedenmark]

As a seller on online auctions, I frequently receive requests for a buy it now price or early ending of my auctions. Especially for items I start out with a lower price than what I expect they will sell for.
To comply with such a request is, at best, not in my interest. It is my experience, that bids ends higher than even my fantasy can reach.

This is an experience we seem to share !
Why else would you offer to buy anything before the scheduled end of an auction ??

Especially people not familiar with the price levels of some binoculars, or with little experience with online auctions, will be easy targets for a friendly offer here and now.

You will note, I have not named the record individual I mentioned, nor rightout blamed you. Ridiculed perhaps, and for that, I like to apologise.

I do not judge anyone publicly, but I have an opinion of those asking for the early ending of an online auction.

I think online auction companies should issue dire warnings against accepting that kind of offers. Not so much because the auction company looses revenue, but because their sellers stands to loose up to 9 times more than the company.

From a personal perspective, I admit, I hate it, when an auction I follow, suddenly folds 2 days before the scheduled end.
I assume that, in many cases, someone made an offer.
Is that fair to everyone else? Just asking?

Don´t worry. I will not be competing with offers of my own.


As for being a bully. If anyone advertise, as you also did, they should expect reactions.

When I advertised after old german WWII stuff in local newspapers here, many years ago, I got reactions. People did call, on occassion, only to tell me, and my family, we were nazi´s, if we were interested in buying german stuff. I didn´t see a point in arguing with them.


I won´t go into polishing and refinishing. If someone own something, they are entitled to do with it as they please.
Often, by doing anything, they end up diminishing the value. I have seen that happen so many times over the years, I don´t really mind much anymore.

[behblc]

I used to feel sorry for someone who chucked away £2000 plus or perhaps more again on a polished binocular.........