I Bought 19 Cameras on eBay for $20: Was the Mystery Box Worth It?
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The quick answer
The working cameras alone made this $20 mystery haul worth the small investment. It was also fun to discover each camera’s quirks, even though many were broken or impractical to repair.
Buying bulk untested listings is risky, and vintage cameras can need specialty equipment to test. Interesting finds and the resale value of broken cameras as parts can still make a haul worthwhile.
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What I bought and what was promised
I took a chance on an eBay auction for 19 random cameras for $20. That worked out to $1.78 per camera after taxes and shipping.
The listing described untested cameras: some possibly broken, some working, some with batteries, and some without. It was a gamble, which was part of the fun.
Camcorders and vintage finds
- JVC GR DVL367 Camcorder: An early-2000s DV camcorder with a tiny 8MB card. I initially could not test it because of the outdated media. Update: I found the correct DC adapter, and it is fully functional; I still need to order a battery.
- Sony CCD TR61: A vintage camcorder using DV tapes. It has a broken battery and is likely useful only for parts.
- Sharp VL-AH50U High-8 Camera: A quirky 1990s camcorder with a distinctive rotating screen, but no battery or charger.
- JVC DA30U: A blocky vintage camcorder with a sliding screen and a very cool design, but no battery.
Digital cameras: the hits and misses
- Nikon Coolpix L26: It powers on, but the lens is jammed, so it is probably a lost cause.
- Kodak EasyShare Z812 IS: It works perfectly after replacing the batteries, making it a nice find.
- Kodak EasyShare DX7440: It works only with external power. The battery is shot, but the camera is otherwise in good shape.
- Kodak EasyShare M1033: Fully functional on external power, including its zoom and controls.
- Kodak EasyShare DX7440: It powers perfectly with external power, but the dead battery needs replacing.
- GE 10 Megapixel M1033 and Unknown Waterproof Camera: Both were non-functional because of battery or internal problems.
- Generic Waterproof Camera: It showed a persistent “card error,” likely indicating a deeper internal problem.
Untested film cameras and a damaged DSLR
- Canon Sure Shot: Battery-compartment corrosion makes it likely unusable.
- Fuji Discovery 1000 Zoom and Sharp Film Camera: Both were in decent cosmetic condition, but I could not test them without film.
- Canon DSLR (Rebel): An exciting discovery became a disappointment when I found broken and bent memory-card pins. It is a lost cause unless used for parts.
The reported results
| Feature | eBay camera haul |
|---|---|
| Fully working | 6 cameras |
| Broken or untested | 14 cameras |
Was the mystery box worth it?
For $20, the deal was surprisingly good. Many cameras were broken or impractical to repair, but the working models alone made it worth the small investment, and finding each camera’s quirks was fun.
- Bulk untested listings are risky, but can produce interesting finds.
- Vintage cameras can be challenging to test without specialty equipment.
- Even apparently broken cameras can retain resale value as parts.