A TUTOR, MICROSCOPES AND ACCESSORIES WANTED, FOR SALE, AND TO TRADE

[Bemoc]

Loquacious and over-active newbie here with a veritable tome, again and hopefully for the last time. Though I thought I had time this year to finally learn how to really use the microscopes I have collected with great enthusiasm, my 5-year plan just got scrunched into two or three months. For two years starting at the end of December, I have a gig that has me living in a van and touring the country, interviewing folks living in cars and drawing them, etc.

ERGO, I need to try to find new homes for everything stat. For me, it’s not about the money though I don’t plan to give it away either. I cannot use a single one of them in a van, there is no room and there is no power.

WHAT I HAVE TO TRADE or SELL: maybe a dozen nice complete classic working microscopes, fewer leftover parts than one might imagine. I have already shown the 1937 B&L HSEAT binoc (pics at https://imgur.com/a/GxoVebY; today I am posting a mint AO Series 10 Microstar, 1964, with everything it originally came with, in the original case. See post in 'my microscope' section for specs, here are the pics: https://imgur.com/a/Z3oNu7e

The next one I plan to try to list here is a nice early pre-Nikon, pre-S, Nikon S. Its head is a miracle to me. It might be my current favorite, but I cannot use it where I am going.
Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. Another Nikon is a fair/decent Nikon Alphaphot YS; I have a 1950 B&L binoc w/ the pigeon breast but it’s not primo like most of the others.

I have some Spenser monoculars from the 50’s that are huge and easy to get along with, and a quirky squat classic smaller one in a case, somehow with two identical illuminators, and some attachment I don’t know much about…At least one Spencer Buffalo binoc in case, etc., um… a nicely cased Leitz Wetzlar, a weird and wonderful B&L trichinae (sp., I know) scope, perfect, including the glass palates/slide they laid the meat strips on. Quite beautiful; I don’t suppose anyone wants to take on my beloved Denticator Plakascope, after the scalding it got…um….

A couple of 19th century small brass in box, or maybe they are fakes…. An Amscope M500, a few little boxed old Monolux scopes for the kids I encounter, … speaking of which I have six Cal.. they are a special handheld digital, nice with color filters, Caliphone maybe? They only work with up to XP though. They are great for kids. A nice Celestron 5 MP MicroCapture Pro which I like quite a bit, it has a great camera, but won’t be useable really for me for the next couple of years… and more.

I have between 30 and 50 random but quality objectives (Reichert Plan and Neoplan, AO plan achros across the older catalogs, couple of AO Dark Ls, Spencer Lens Co., B&L, Officine Galileo, Swift Japan… more);

A few vintage illuminators like the AO “bumble bee” in great like new shape; also, a small Leitz, several early Spencer illuminators. Several mighty fine mirrors; it blows my mind that they stay so perfect.…more).

Blank slides and covers, parts, filters, all old but unopened, and maybe 100 prepared slides from corny places like Crest, Perfect and so on. A serious supply of lens cleaner, and a corny but oh-so-useful microscope repair kit and manual, …more.

Three large (21”) Wacom Cintiq pen monitors which I like feeding my ‘scope images to edit with a pen, to layer the images, etc.

Assorted other optics, like miniature binoculars, if that is ok to list here. One pair is supercool, they are of course Japanese and they come with an adorable leather case, but what I especially like is that they were bought across the street from the Ascot Racecourse in England, to use at the race that day, and the ticket is still attached to the binocular strap. Ascot Racecourse, 1968, Tuesday June 18th, etc. More like a stiff cardboard ticket, a badge…

And a bunch of Thinkpads, plus several Fujitsu Lifebooks w/ Wacom tablet, which pair nicely with digital scopes. I hope it is OK to mention them here; I consider computers and monitors to be a part of my microscopy anyway.


WHAT I WANT: My immediate need is for a tutor, trade or pay. I hope to get a one or two hour consult this week/ early next week. Here is what I am looking for a tutor to do:

• Tell me what goes with what optimally, e.g. Which of my objectives will best work for which microscope
• Advise me of other good groups or dedicated folks like many of you seem to be; good non-eBay avenues to sell or otherwise distribute my collection, should they not sell here, and help with pricing or looking at trades.
• After discussing my plans with me, recommend which types of microscopes will best suit my upcoming lifestyle, and check out the finalists when I get that far.
• Answer the many random questions I have, ranging from slide prep and stains to actual optics systems, on to help with ID resources for me to attach names to microscopic critters I have photographed.

GEAR I WANT: As mentioned above, I need help even knowing what type of microscope I will need. Generally, I need microscopes that do not need 120v to work, so battery, rechargeable AND mirror illumination. I do like bells and whistles, so it or they should be something one can easily elaborate.

Maybe like this, maybe I need two scopes:

Seeking microscope 1: Something that is small, something that has great optics. Probably monocular. For geological materials examination, plus general flora, and fauna around the country. Should be capable of examining parasites on animals and humans. Does such a microscope exist?

Seeking microscope 2: I want a good (5MP minimum) hand-held wireless digital microscope, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, long battery life, takes good pix.

Seeking a microscope camera: To take high res pics, can work on a monocular. Quality system preferred.

Thanks for reading. I hope it is clear that I am not a commercial enterprise, never sold a microscope in my life. Rather I hope you'll see it as a benefit to your community, and a good supply of quality beginner and collector scopes at fair prices or for trade.

[75RR]

I would suggest you take several photos of each item and put them on Ebay for 2/3 of what you bought them for, that way you should recoup most of your money.

[Bemoc]

Ha, thanks 75RR. You've been kicking around here for a bit, I have read posts of yours from years ago, and I tend to go for the green mandala-ish avatar when scanning a page. What is it?

The highest price I ever paid for a microscope is about $40, usually less than $10. I would get nothing out of them, as 2/3 would total maybe $50 for the lot, but much more importantly the odds would be against my being able to talk a random eBayer into helping me learn more about microscopy, and assist me in selecting proper tools. I would have thought the chances would be better here.

And.

I don't love eBay, and I don't love money, but I do love these microscopes. I can't just go pimping them on eBay! I have ghosted here for well over three years now, and in that time witnessed maybe 150 requests for someone wanting a good beginner scope they could afford. In my mind, these scopes of mine (let's leave my Denticator out of this for now, please) would fill the bill nicely. The recipient would feel fortunate, my heart would swell with the satisfaction that can only come with the sharing of something as special as a really nice microscope, and in some intangible way I would have advanced Science-kind..

I've also heard people here talk of being broke or ill, people who seem so smart about the things I sincerely want to learn, and I imagined someone like that would raise their hand straight up and shout "Yes, I will be your tutor!!!"... Yep, in my mind we would all be so happy, we'd do a jig around out petri dishes, saying "Aren't microscopes the best?", and I could continue becoming an old lady without that burning desire to do something for science. I could probably die happy.

In light of that all, I hope you can see that I'd rather take a beating than sell my microscopes on eBay. I know they will find their way to the right people. Now THAT thought makes me smile. So does the Nikon I am about to post, well, the not-Nikon. What's your pleasure, microscope-wise?

[75RR]

It is a Desmid, Pediastrum (little star)

I am not a collector so I have just two microscopes, a compound and a stereo.

If you look on ebay under advanced search - sold listings, you can see how much an item sold for (prices appear in green), which would give you some idea of what its resale value is.

I don't think binoculars and computers would qualify as microscope accessories.

[Bemoc]

I wish I could get to the point of seeing a Little Star, never even heard of one. Nice.

75RR, it's either a language barrier, a Spock-and-Kirk kinda barrier, or my bedtime because we are not communicating. Thank you for answering me, I am not going to go on ebay beacuse I do not care how much they are worth, and I love Spain. I only get to go once every... well, maybe every decade. I'm not a collector either, I don't even know how to see in a binocular microscope; I have never gotten it to work. I cannot make a single slide, I cannot seem to retain what I do learn as well as I like, and I cannot even give my crap away tonight. it's sad really. Maybe I'll be a closet paleontologist instead, though I spent a life thinking this would do. Lol. Eat something delicious over there for me! Adios; hasta luego.