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Ebay and Lasers: Sometimes you get lucky. Real lucky.

aryntha

aryntha

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... I usually don't. I've had more failures than successes when dealing with ebay and lasers. I've got a pile of "dead soldiers" due to eBay transactions that ended up DOA and unresolved. Just a pit of money.

But, just to show everyone, if you keep looking and keep at it... and know what to look for...

I was doing my usual search on lasers on a whim. And somehow, I found this listing. It was Buy It Now for $75. Why it caught my eye?

... Melles Griot HeNe Tube *WITH LAB POWER SUPPLY*. I was like, wow. Those power supplies ALONE go for something like $150-200!

I read the listing carefully to make sure it didn't say anything like, "For parts", etc.. Nope. Okay. Only problem? The key for the power supply is missing. He can't test it. Well, I have plenty of those keys so - What the hell. $75; at least I get a probably working Melles Griot PS out of it.

It arrives.

mghene1.jpg


Ok, so far so good. No rattling glass. A plus. But uh, I take a closer look....

mghene2.jpg


Uh.. Whut? Does that say what I... ((DRAMATIC MUSIC))

mghene3.jpg


No it can't be, that's not... ((MORE DRAMATIC MUSIC))

mghene4.jpg


Well.... Welly-well-well. But, that must mean it doesn't wor-

mghene5.jpg


Oh.

Ok then.

Okay then indeed.

I'm still kind of in shock and awe and had to share this. Somehow I managed to get a yellow *lab system* soup to nuts for $75.

.... Next: Expecting a piano to fall on me to make up for it, karmically. :confused:
 





That's an awesome catch.

Flebay is a crap shoot... sometimes you win, most times I count myself lucky to break even.

Got a nice watch off of ebay for $110, brand new. In stores at the time it was $800:p

Also have two omega knock offs somewhere:undecided:
 
Yeah, it's really a numbers game. Out of maybe 15 bad attempts, this is the ONE real score I've had in years.

It CAN happen, but, you sometimes have to go into it realizing you'll just have take your losses. ESPECIALLY with lasers and other fragile things on ebay.

Generally, if someone says "UNTESTED" on a laser, you should simply translate it as "BROKEN". If this didn't come with the power supply, I wouldn't have even taken the $75 chance on it. I figured the PS was more resilient, and, that's a good price for the supply alone. I figured if I got a working laser, it'd just be a bonus. I never figured it'd be -this- much of one.
 
Trade you that for a 5mW green ebay laser pen??????????????
 
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Wow... nice catch aryntha...
I guess it makes up for some of the other not so good deals...:yh:

Jerry
 
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That one is a nice score! I still keep my eye out for the deal here and there.
I got a good one at the beginning of the summer....2 working HeNe 5+mW and lab supply for $1.75;)

Have fun with your new addition!! Beautiful!
 
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