Field notes & object lessons
How to judge a piece, what we look for, and the occasional story behind an arrival.
The dial that needs the light
Some dials are built to be read in moving light. Why a photograph never quite catches one, and how to judge a dial in the hand.
Read the StoryThe warm-up: vintage audio
Don’t plug in a forty-year-old amplifier and turn it up. How vintage audio comes back to life on the bench, and why...
Living with a fountain pen
A vintage nib adapts to your hand in a way no new pen will. How to ink it, flush it, store it,...
Shutter speeds, by ear
You can learn a lot about a mechanical shutter without a tester if you know how to listen. What we check before...
Your first vintage lens
Adapters, haze, fungus, and aperture feel: a plain guide to buying your first vintage lens.
How to read brassing
Brassing is the wear on a camera that was carried and used. Where it shows, what it means, and the line between...
Why we name the faults
If we noticed a fault, you will read about it before you buy. Why honest grading is how a small resale shop...
Sourced in Japan
Why Japan is the best place in the world to find what we sell, and what happens to a piece once it...
The Standard, in plain words
How we grade, what the grades mean, and what you can expect when the box arrives.