Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

What equipment do you use? Post pictures and descriptions of your microscope(s) here!
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Enviable
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Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#1 Post by Enviable » Wed Oct 23, 2019 12:30 pm

Hello, I have recently received a Bausch and Lomb, model GGBET microscope. I have done some research and have found no answers to what something like this might be worth. Please share any information with me you can, thank you. Here are some picture links...

[easyzoom]https://www.easyzoom.com/imageaccess/be ... 526229adaa [/easyzoom]

[easyzoom]https://www.easyzoom.com/imageaccess/be ... 526229adaa[/easyzoom]

[easyzoom]https://www.easyzoom.com/imageaccess/d2 ... a54faf172d[/easyzoom]

[easyzoom]https://www.easyzoom.com/imageaccess/1e ... 0424d96def[/easyzoom]

[easyzoom]https://www.easyzoom.com/imageaccess/1e ... 0424d96def[/easyzoom]
Last edited by Enviable on Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

apochronaut
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#2 Post by apochronaut » Wed Oct 23, 2019 1:45 pm

None of your links are in a usable form, at least not that I can figure out how to use them.
However, I am familiar with the microscope model you are referencing but unfortunately, without seeing it in it's present form or condition , it is impossible to hazard a guess as to it's value.

The GGBET was an off the shelf model offered by Bausch & Lomb but it could be ordered in many different permutations, with a specific sub code and cat. #. for the finished products . Most were made pre-W.W. II but some might have been made shortly after and additional features or accessories, even some uncatalogued could be tailored to a customer's preference affecting it's value or uniqueness. A differing optical or stage complement could easily change the value of such a microscope by 2 or 3 times.

Enviable
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#3 Post by Enviable » Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:02 pm

Sorry about that, I fixed the links. Hope it works. I just wanted to add some backround information, this microscope was used in John's Hopkins Hospital, I'm guessing, sometime in the 1940s-1960s.

apochronaut
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#4 Post by apochronaut » Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:44 pm

It's been well used. This is an example of the more basic version of the model, with 3 achromat objectives. It may have come with a plain springclip stage too, because at some point a Spencer mechanical slide carrier has been added. It doesn't have original eyepieces either; they are 10X huygens from some other maker.

It would be a good starter scope for someone, optically as good as a basic 3 or 400.00 new microscope, if a good illuminator was used and the optics were clean and properly adjusted but as an unknown quantity itself, it is worth somewhere less than 100.00; probably around 75.00 in it's current state.

Enviable
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#5 Post by Enviable » Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:46 pm

Really? This miscroscope was bought for around 300 in a pawn shop, back in the 70s

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75RR
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#6 Post by 75RR » Wed Oct 23, 2019 5:14 pm

Really? This miscroscope was bought for around 300 in a pawn shop, back in the 70s
That is almost $2000 in today's money

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $1,940.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $300 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1970 to 2018.

Perhaps it would be best to keep it as a memento
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

apochronaut
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#7 Post by apochronaut » Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:20 pm

I guess the moral is; be careful what you buy in a pawn shop.

Here is a recently listed Spencer # 3 small research microscope, on ebay. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Spencer-Lens-AO ... _cvip=true
A well equipped GGBET, is roughly equivalent in it's usefulness to the Spencer # 3 but well equipped means with 4 apochromats, an achromat aplanat condenser, compensating eyepieces and an original research stage. The two models were contemporary and were used in the same applications. This Spencer, is in excellent shape with fairly rare 12X compensating eyepieces and 4 apochromat objectives, including a 1.4 N.A. apochromat. The listing does say that the owner cannot get a clear image with that objective but I actually know for sure that it works. He is just using coverslips that are too thick. ( I have had the objective in my possession to determine it's function, previously). Everything is clean and functional, except for the proviso about the objective and it has a left, right coaxial research stage and an achromat aplanat condenser. It was listed at 350.00 in todays $ and received zero bids.
Your GGBET on the other hand is very well used and very dirty, definitely needing a lot of T.L.C. It only has 3 achromat objectives, incorrect eyepieces and an add on, average grade slide carrier. It isn't in the research microscope category, that the Spencer resides in and has about 1/4 the value of the Spencer, which did not receive any interest on ebay.

Enviable
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Re: Help with appraisal of Bausch and Lomb GGBET

#8 Post by Enviable » Fri Oct 25, 2019 11:06 am

Thank you for all your help, I was'nt looking to sell, but I am always intrested in the value of items. I will keep this as a momento and I thank you for going through the trouble to help me.

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