New life for old cameras at Cash for Cameras event

Many years ago, there was a humble camera that was loved by its family in Kingston. The camera loved its family back, as it shared in their precious moments: birthdays, holidays, milestones, and everyday glimpses of life itself.

It was getting older though, and newer models were introduced. The family bought a new camera and continued to take photographs, but without the older camera on hand. Nevertheless, it was faithful, hoping it would see these life moments once again, just like the good old days.

That old camera’s days are not over! Camera Kingston, together with its partner KEH, will buy used camera gear to give new life to this and other cameras. Other photographers can then use them for their precious moments, and these cameras can be appreciated once again.  This popular event, which first came to Kingston in 2017 as a one-day event, will now, due to popular demand, run for three days.

“It’s amazing,” said Don Sleeth, one of the local owners of Camera Kingston. “Last fall we collected about 17 large shipping boxes full of gear, ready to make other photographers happy. We provide either cash or store credit to continue their love of photography, and this equipment stays out of landfills, which is especially important for our sustainability efforts. Everybody wins.”

Both Camera Kingston and KEH have been in business for over 40 years. In fact, KEH is the world’s largest used camera dealer. Both businesses are staffed by photography enthusiasts, and they want gear to keep taking pictures, whether it is with an older film SLR ,or a newer digital camera.

“Our goal is to give each camera a new life with someone who will love it as much as the original owner,” said Brent McAlister, purchasing manager at KEH. “Photography equipment is generally long-lasting, so it’s not hard to think of cameras as having personalities over time.”

Cash for Cameras runs from Thursday, Apr. 25 to Saturday, Apr. 27 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Camera Kingston’s store at 114 Princess Street. See Camera Kingston’s Facebook event for more details.

This article was written by David Chang and paid for by Camera Kingston as promotional content.