Where to post Microscopes and other equipment for buy/sell?

A forum to ask questions, post setups, and generally discuss anything having to do with photomacrography and photomicroscopy.

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mvbrooks
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Location: Coburg, Oregon
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Where to post Microscopes and other equipment for buy/sell?

Post by mvbrooks »

I have a pretty elaborate microscope and want to "sell" it...well, actually trade or sell it so I can something a lot simplier. My problem is, the only four times I have had any dealings on eBay I was burned and burned badly or "badder each time" and avoid them like the plague. Now, I don't see any "for sale/wanted/trade" forum here and because it's not allowed (?) or stuck somehwere I don't see. So...the question is - how do I go about selling a microscope? How do I figure out what it's worth? (Nothing like it currently on the web, by the way - it's a Zeiss Standard 19 with the five turret head and all phase lenses.)
Mike Brooks
mibrooks@mac.com

psneeley
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Post by psneeley »

eBay is really the best place for a quick sale.

If you can afford more time, maybe a lot more, try www.labx.com. The 'upside' of labx is that you will often get a better price there.

The very best way to 'price' your scope is to see what similar (I mean almost like -- as in Zeiss Standard 16 or 19 phase scopes) are selling on ebay. You can also search microscope dealers on the web's sites and get an idea of the high, high end.

You can also try Yahoo's Microscope forum where their may be members that will try to help.

One option you may not have thought of is asking a dealer -- http://www.microscopesfromnightingale.com/ is one -- what they would give you for your scope and maybe work out a trade.

Now I've given you all the options I know above:

Why, of why, would you want to sell what you have to buy a simpler scope? Why not learn about it (Zeiss offers the manuals for these things for free) and bring your skills up to match your instrument. You face a probably 90% of wanting to kick yourself in the pants down the road for selling this kind of scope -- don't go there. Unless you want to abandon the hobby altogether, you have a good scope right now that will be hard to replace and is not really that much harder to use than a simpler scope (I'm guessing -- I know little about Ziess scopes other than a passing familiarity with the Standard 14 and 16).

Hope this has helped,

Steve

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twebster
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Post by twebster »

Hi ya' Mike, :D

I know we have the guideline against commercial use of our forums/galleries. This is intended to prevent retail sales, scope dealers, and commercial interests from over-running the forums with advertisements. I have no problem with any member wanting to offer for sale personal items to other members. These items could be posted in the "General Discussion...Forum" or in the "Community Members and Friends Forum". Just don't turn it into a business, please. :D

I have to ask, too, why you would want to go with a "simpler" microscope? The Zeiss Standard is an excellent 'scope that will outperform anything simpler that you could currently buy. Don't be intimidated by this 'scope. It isn't all that hard to learn how to use it and you would own a superior instrument. If you have questions about using it post those questions here. We have some of the finest microscopists to be found anywhere as members and they would be more than willing to help you out. :D

Best regards, :D
Tom Webster
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Phoenix "The Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Think about this...maybe Murphy is an optimist!!!

mvbrooks
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Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:21 am
Location: Coburg, Oregon
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Zeiss

Post by mvbrooks »

Well, I am pretty frustrated and I'm whining. I don't have a phase telescope for the microscope and the only one I could find/buy flat out doesn't work. The substage that holds the phase rings keeps getting stuck, is *very* hard to turn (I'm told it's old grease and it needs to be compleelyt cleaned) , the 15 watt bulb isn't anywhere near the light needed to make this work, a camera adapter is either this slip-shod after market "thing" that simply doesn't work or, and this applies to just about everything else, is Zeiss and is simply priced right out of my range. It may sound stupid, but I am simply giving up. I've tried and really cannot get information for this microscope and there isn't any group or individual around here (meaning Coburg, Oregon...) that would help flat out beginners like me.

To just get this microscope cleaned and basically setup for use, and I still wont know how to do anything myself, will cost me around $400 or more and that doesn't include the postage to send it. To buy the phase 3 annulous (it's missing - the darkfield and everything else is there, though) will cost me another $200 plus. A new base, one with adequate lighting for phase use, is going to run me several hundred more. By the time I get this microscope setup to use, I'll be so poor I cannot afford the gas to go collect pond water to look at. The current estimate is around $1000 (I live in a little town North of Eugene, Oregon and there isn't anything like microscope expertise here except at the UofO and they don't talk to people not connected with the University.........so I will have to send the scope off for any of this.

One thing I have found out is that this is a VERY expensive microscope. The 100X phase objective alone was originally prices at $1,700 and is supposed to be worth considerably more than that now. All of the other objectives, all of the other component parts, are genuine top-of-the-line Zeiss. So, think of me as owning a fancy Porche automobile on a Volkswagon budget. It's a really nice car, but it is sitting in the garage becasue I cannot afford the cost of a tuneup.

So...barring a miracle (like someone reading this that lives close by and would be willing to show me how to use this), I figure I can sell this and raise enough money to buy a Lomo AL-3000-PH (phase) and get the darkfield adaptor for it at the same time. This would cost me about $3000. I think, but simply don't know, I could probably get by just selling the Zeiss I have. Then, I have a really good microscope that is set up for use by mere mortals like me. It may not be as good as the Zeiss, but what good is the Zeiss doing me when I can't use it without putting $1000 or more dollars into it and still not know how to operate it. What you people on this forum seem to miss is that most of you are experts and people like me, people who really want to learn and really admire your photo's and what you do, simply don't know where to start and there isn't anything out there to allow us to get that start unless we live in a big city or are fortunate enough to have one of you as a neighbor. Or, maybe I am being delussional here and simply cannot sell the Zeiss for enough money to buy a Lomo or the Lomo really isn't much of a microscope and I've heard wrong. So, what do I do? Any suggestions?
Mike Brooks
mibrooks@mac.com

psneeley
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Post by psneeley »

>>I don't have a phase telescope for the microscope and the only one I could find/buy flat out doesn't work<<

I out of my league here but I would have thought that this scope would have come with a built-in betrand lens -- are you sure it doesn't have one? Barring that, almost any phase telescope should work from eBay -- where did you get the one you found?

>>The substage that holds the phase rings keeps getting stuck, is *very* hard to turn (I'm told it's old grease and it needs to be compleelyt cleaned) <<

Likely. But getting this cleaned shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Post an inquiry to Yahoo's Microscope forum about a tech willing to do this for a reasonable price.

>>the 15 watt bulb isn't anywhere near the light needed to make this work<<

Hmm. How do you know? It's hard to believe the scope can underpowered and underdesigned for phase. 15 watts is plenty if the illumination train is well designed and efficient. Again, I'm out of my league perhaps here.

>>a camera adapter is either this slip-shod after market "thing" that simply doesn't work or, and this applies to just about everything else, is Zeiss and is simply priced right out of my range. <<

I am the poorest member to advise you on photography, but I doubt you need a piece of Zeiss equipment to have a top-notch set-up. There are a lot of non-Zeiss, non-slip-shod, 'things' on the market that will probably do just fine.

>>I've tried and really cannot get information for this microscope <<

Asked on Yahoo's Microscope forum? I'm pretty sure someone there will have a contact for you at Zeiss that can help with a manual.
----------------------------------------------

Anyway, just some ideas. If you are set on selling the scope there is no doubt that you can make more money parting it out (selling it piece by piece) on eBay, at least, than whole.

Steve

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Mike... is this the microscope you have?
(Fairly large PDF manual link for Zeiss universal)
http://www.zeiss.com/4125681F004E2140/E ... dlight.pdf

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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Hi Ya Mike :D

Here is another alternative for you and may be better suited to your needs. Get a Zeiss Axiostar and here is how. Contact this fellow: Jim Janoso at (406) 323-4497. He is a certified Zeiss technician in Roundup, MT (talk about small towns). Tell him what you have and what you want to do. He might take your present scope as a trade in on a new Zeiss Axiostar w/CP Achromats (Clinical Plan Achromats) and with a trinocular head for photography.

Now you want simplicity but you also want quality, however quality costs, no matter which microscope you are going to buy and in microscopes you get what you pay for. I have wasted a very great deal of money on microscopes when I should have purchased a top quality scope to start with and have been done with it.

The basic Axiostar is about $1350.00 you add the photo tube and the eyepiece adapter for it, plus the eyepiece and you are looking at a scope just under $2000.00. Now don't go into sticker shock here, :shock: remember you have your trade-in. :wink: Zeiss microscopes do have trade-in value.

Be up front and honest with Jim and he will probably bend over backwards to help you out and make you a very good deal on a nice simple scope that you can live with and not regret. I have done business with Jim for a good many years now and he is one of the best techs out there and stands behind his work and what he sells.

Tell him I sent you. :wink:

P.S. No...I do not get a kick back from sending him costomers but hes does let me try out new stuff from Zeiss every now and then. :lol:
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

mvbrooks
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Zeiss Microscope - Standard 18/19

Post by mvbrooks »

Dear Charles and Ken, Thank you for the manual but that isn't my scope. I had sent a bunch of photo's earlier to Ken and he directly me to Jim at that time. Now, Jim really is a good guy and I have been following his advice, but he is the peerson telling me about the grease Zeiss used drying out and hardening which is why I will need to have the scope cleaned and set up. Also, it was in discussions with him that I learned about the need for more light and just how valuable (and, hence, expensive to outfit) this scope is. At that time I was looking at the Axiostar (daughter has since made off with my "mad" money) because I was frustrated with using this scope to begin with. He identified it as a standard 18 or 19.
Mike Brooks
mibrooks@mac.com

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Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

Get back with Jim, Mike. If you still want the Axiostar he will work with you. I am sure you would be happy with it. I wouldn't take a gold monkey for mine. I have had it for about three years...maybe a little longer and I have not had one speck of trouble with it. :wink:
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

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