I'm always popping into my local charity shops in search of a bargain and as long as I have the spare cash I am happy to fill my shelves with anything from F1 Scalextric cars to antique sewing machines. I even have a beautiful Bandolina somewhere in my collection of things.

Recently I have found myself searching high and low for vintage cameras and these places are seemingly over-stocked, so much so that I have begun asking if they have any old cameras stored away in the back of the shop. Most of the time I get a strange look after which the cashier scuttles away and returns with a carrier bag covered in dust... Now to the untrained eye, this discarded collection of unsellable items is worthless but I have been playing this game long enough now to know that beauty is most certainly in the eye of the beholder...

Usually, I find one or two cameras that are worth a punt and make an offer that both I and the cashier are happy with, but one day last week I came across a collection that required my best poker-face. You see, I'm not the richest guy in the world and on this day I only had a limited amount to spend. Also, my budget normally only ever stretches to around £10, so when I opened the dusty bag I knew I was going to have to work some magic in order to secure a bargain.

As the lady reached into the bag and pulled out the first camera my heart-rate almost tripled... A black leather case with the words "PENTAX" on the front... This turned out to be a Pentax P30, a camera I had drooled over while window-shopping on eBay. How I managed to contain my excitement is beyond me, but then she pulled out a second camera with the words "OLYMPUS" written on the front and I very nearly lost my shit completely. Each camera presented itself with a lens attached and I soon realised I had struck gold! Delving deeper into the bag the cashier then pulled out 3 more lenses, a box of filter screens and to finish off with, two detachable hoods. All I had to do was to keep my cool and pray that nobody behind the desk knew how valuable this collection really was...

"So how much would you accept for all of this?", I asked in my most nonchalant voice. The cashier then replied, "Well I really don't know what it's all worth, I'll just have a look on eBay"...

At this point, my heart began to sink and I thought my chance had gone, but after seeing the confused look on the cashier's face I then realised how many of these cameras get listed for parts, or without any lenses attached. Plus(and I should have mentioned this earlier) the cameras appeared to be broken, but, unlike the cashier, I knew that this was only due to a lack of batteries. All these variables meant that the ball was now firmly in my court and the only battle left to fight was one with my own conscience(This was a charity shop after all). After checking my wallet and debating with the devil on my left shoulder and the angel on my right, I decided to offer her all I had to give, which was £30... Surprisingly, the cashier nearly snapped my fingers off when I pulled the 3 tenners from my wallet. Then she quickly threw the money into the till while giving me a look as if to assume I was some kind of philanthropist ready to squander my millions on some nostalgic urge.

So, it seems both parties left feeling very happy with the deal and, most importantly, my conscience is still intact.

All that's left to do now is show you my new toys...

Hope you all enjoyed this post and for those of you who are new to photography, like me, you might want to check out @beautifulbullies blog. She has recently enrolled in a photography course and has kindly decided to share this experience on steemit. Her first post, explaining how aperture affects your shots, is a great read and I am looking forward to being schooled some more.

Peace to you and yours