ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

Over the past Pandemic year I have purchased quite a few Nikkor lenses from Ebay and a couple of Nikon DSLRS from MPB. None were the Latest and Greatest but have had no problem securing quality gear in excellent condition and at fair prices.

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

I never understood why we see so many falling down buildings in cities and in the countryside--they should have got something for them, but they never did. Cities try to force them to either fix them or be condemned and destroyed, but many local governments don't have the money to do anything with them.

Perhaps we need a new version of the old Homestead Act, where unused property is free to anybody who will make it a taxpaying home or shop for 5 years...

petrochemist Loc: UK

I find a similar situation checking e-bay but I always assumed it was (for lenses at least) a matter of yes I've got one similar. My collection has reached the point where I need to hear of something unusual before it's worth me searching the sales. When I do it's usually a case of not paying that much!

pendennis

Part of the problem is the quest for new money and property development. The architectural styles of whatever era, aren't as popular now, and very few folks want a building from the early 20th century, regardless its construction. Nostalgia just doesn't "get it" in a lot of instances.

There's also the expense of abatement costs. Paints were lead-based, asbestos was used for insulation, etc. The new developer, unless he gets some type of government cooperation, has to bear these costs, and that only adds to the cost of new construction or rehabilitation. "Going back" on the original owner is sometimes problematic, especially if a bankruptcy, or lack of title history is involved. Property taxes in cities is also an issue, even if tax abatements are part of the deal. New construction further out, is usually cheaper for all the above reasons. So, they sit...

A number of years ago, I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, and the same problems were faced in the "Old Louisville" area. There were/are hundreds of Victorian-era homes which had fallen into disrepair and/or abandoned. The then-mayor of Louisville, Dr. Harvey Sloan (of the GM Sloans), decided to lead the charge to restore and rehab those homes. Homes which couldn't be given away, are now worth millions, and it's one of the tony zip codes in the city. The rehab costs were/are staggering, but if people decide it's worth the cost "they will come". Zoning perks were abound, and bankers were arm-twisted to make those loans, something that's key to any real estate ventures in cities.