The Tide Has Not Yet Turned

Did goe to the Photomarkets this last Sundaye and was greatley entertained.

The day is always much the same - a crowd of sellers hanging off the door of the Leederville Town hall at 7:00 AM - and not getting to go in until 7:30. There is much vying for the front position but it is all folly - there are plenty of places to be had in the hall and no one corner has a better vantage point for selling than another. People may gravitate to a spot that they employed previously but the customers that flood in later in the morning will really scour every corner of the market place.

I had not participated for several sessions and looked to see if there were great changes in the goods being offered - a tidal replacement of old film goods with new digital items. For better or worse, I can say no - there were some digital goods of high quality on offer but the predominance was given to old film gear. Indeed there was a great deal of old cine gear there as well, with little prospect of any re-employment in the future.

I must not cavil - I was offering film equipment as well, and have to complement the passers-by for their courtesy and intelligence in examining it  - the questions asked were apposite and the enquirers seemed to know whereof they spoke. If it did not sell on the spot...well time may tell. At least people saw it.

And that may be really the only benefit for the Photomarkets in the future - unless someone is digging the roadside and strikes a main conduit of old Leicas and Rolleis, we are unlikely to see a flood of them on the Perth market. CE sees more of the good bits than the Photomarkets...and even CE doesn't take everything in.

Perhaps the markets can concentrate on more arcane bits. On previously unknown manufacturers or weird European and Oriental debris from the 50's and 60's. I don't think that people bringing in slightly aged digital software or clattering hardware from the 1990's have much of a chance of a sale - this isn't new enough to provoke desire or old enough to evoke nostalgia. Some manufacturers charged off in every direction but the right one at the time ( K....) and no-one wants to follow them. It will take a lot of time for the things that they made to gain the charm of old teacups or Matchbox toys.

One thing you can say for the Photomarkets - they have the best coffee and cake stand of any venue in Leederville. Choose your baked goods with care and you can eat very well indeed. You might not take off a photographic prize but you can get a better morning tea there than you can make at home.

Note to the custodians of the Leederville Town Hall: The next time you replace the light bulbs in the fixtures that illuminate the hall go for something that actually has a colour temperature. We don't mind which one but install something...the current globes hang over the tables like reminders of past sins.