So, here you are, you found the steal of your lifetime. The auction we all dream of. A blurry photo. The seller has no idea what gem he is giving away. And you bid. And someone else does. And another one. And you again. Come on, this is the one. The mother of all cameras. The dream come true, like the Picasso for a couple of bucks on a fleamarket, or Adenauer's Mercedes found at a midwest gasoline station. OK, i'm exaggerating, but you get the point.
A week later, what you will find in our mail, is a rusty, dirty stone-dead something, that once upon a time, when we all were young, has been a fine super8 camera. The seller is glad he got rid of it, and you are torn between anger and frustration. Definetely, that was not the one. Not even the second, or the fourteenth. You were out of luck, obviously, and keep on hunting. Another auction. Yet another one. Dammit, you must be lucky one day!
Probably you'll never be lucky. And you start having a pile of more or less non-working stuff. You decide to get rid of them. You bought them on auctions, and it's likely that someone else will buy them from you, for roughly the same money. "But wait", you think, if you title your auction "non-working dirty old dead something", nobody will bid. Smart. So you have the idea to tell as little as possible about the camera, and show a photo that does not reveal more than wnat's absolute inevitable. The buyer's imagination will team up with his desire, and he will be carried away. Just like you did, remember? Heck, your'e not lying, just not telling all you know, aren't you?
And you get rid of your cameras, throwing them back to where they came from. And suddenly, you realize how it works, why auction sites are one of the few profitable .coms and that you should have invested in their stock. And why it's just very, very unlikely that you will come across the "steal of your lifetime". The lemons keep circulating, the good ones remain in use.
I know, you don't believe me. You're ready to snipe that auction, and it's the one. You can't be wrong this time. Well, just go ahead ;-)
Auction sites are a great place to buy and sell, especially for film cameras. If you keep in mind a couple of things, you will save a lot of time, money and frustration. I'll tell you some right now.
Beaulieus are old, in their thirties by now. That's pretty old, isn't it? And they are mechanical. As such, they desperately need maintenance to keep on working. They need to be lubed, cleaned and adjusted just like anything else form the mechanical era. They need to be kept away from dust and moisture. Dirt will damage the gears and moving parts, moisture attacks the gelatine filters and leads to corrosion. And the batteries, of course. They are as old as the camera, and if no one ever recelled them, they will not work.
This does not mean that the camera is lost forever. It can be serviced, and will return to be a fine, very fine camera. But this will cost you some money.
You understand why it is just so improbable that you'll find a nice, working Beaulieu? Probably most of these cameras haven't been used at least for a decade by now. A decade for corrosion, moist and dirt to do their destructive job. Even if the camera runs, do not expect it to be ready for your first film. It needs service.
If you want a Beaulieu for making films, be prepared to add 200 - 300 € to the price. Tthat's what a professional service will cost you. If you got a 4008 ZMII for 100 €, you can look forward to enjoy what is considered by many to be the best super8 camera ever for 400 €. If you buy 5 cameras for 200 € each, you have spent much more and may still have nothing you can use.
Go for the auctions with most detailed information and most pictures. The more information, the less room for assumptions. In my experience, the best documented auctions fetch the lowest price, probably because these do not leave room for fantasies. Stay away from abused and corroded cameras, they might be expensive to repair. And set yourself a limit. Remember, you have to pay for the service, too. You know what is the best deal? Look for a camera that the seller has used recently. That might be your "steal". The auction will have a lot of information, and the seller will tell you all you want to know. And it's very probable that there will be little interest from other folks, since they are all desperately searching the one, see above.
Don't be lazy when searching. Look for misspelled titles, like "beaullieu", "beauliau" and check related categories where a seller might have misplaced the auction by accident. An auction that keeps hidden to most potential bidders will end up cheaper. It's also a good idea to do an international search. Keep in mind though that overseas shipping costs are prohibitive, and payment can be a serious hassle.
Don't assume anything. What's not mentioned, will not be. What's not listed, is not included. Lens is not mentioned? Then you'll likely end up with a body without lens, and you've got yourself a cool paperweight. Same for AC adaptor and battery. If you have doubts, or do not understand something - ask. Most people chose to appear clueless to get more for their merchandise, but will not lie if someone asks a specific question. I have yet to stumble across a seller who lies.