Best deal?????

[BillESC]

What the best lighting gear deal (purchase) you've ever made.

I'll post mine later.

[DigitalDJ21]

(4) MAC 250 Entours / Martin Light Jockey II

Purchased them for Battle of the Bands, they look and work amazing. I have now used them for 20 shows/events since this past September and I have yet to find a complaint about them.

[SteveB]

The Ion system recently purchased.

Ion 1024, 3 - 2x20 fader wings, an RFR and 2 LCD touchscreens. All for less then $15,000.

A HUGE improvement over the Express with Emphasis for control of the 5 Studio Spots I own. A great console to operate in general. The RFR is a big time saver. The ability to add or remove wings for capacity, plus the LCD screens on the wings that allow easy labeling. Touchscreens with Groups, Palettes and Presets at the touch of a virtual button. All for about what an Expression III cost 15 years ago. A far better console then I though it would be.

Steve B.

[Les]

EDI Bijou 48

500 cues
10 pages of 12 submasters
2 sets of crossfaders
Monitor output
96 faders
Ethernet port

In working condition

$100.

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4 Altman 65Q fresnels and 2 ETA 4ch. dimmer packs $0.00

12 "newish" Altman 360Q's needing lamp caps $0.00

4 Strand SL Fixed Focus and 2 SL 15/32 zooms $0.00

All acquired honestly and legitimately! (thought I'd better throw that in there, haha)

[metti]

12x 1 year old Source 4 juniors for $400 total (incl lamps, clamps, etc)

[Corbettlight]

ETC Element 40/250 - $3800

[ship]

Few lights in exchange for labor I would do anyway in rewiring others for a local non-profit. That or a few lights I was just plain given by way of "hey you collect old lights don't you" or in asking a boss how much for these... and just given them. Believe it was $25.00 for my first resale/antiques shop found Box spot.. that was probably a fair price though.

[Spader]

12 "newish" Altman 360Q's needing lamp caps $0.00

How did you do this?

[BillESC]

I've come across two "Best Deals" in the last 37 years.

First one was in the late 70's, a company called Electra Display that I was doing business with was moving from NYC to Long Island. To save moving costs, they asked me if I'd be interested in buying their inventory of 11S14 light bulbs. They said they had approximately 60,000 in assorted colors and finishes. At the time, you would pay around one dollar for this type of lamp. I offered them $ .10 each and they took the deal. The thing was, I didn't have the 6k to buy them, so I called Bob Hilzen (my old employer) at Times Square Stage Lighting as asked him if he was interested in 11S14's at $ .30 each. He ordered 30,000 on the spot.

The next day I took my van into NYC and filled it at Electra Display on 36th street and drove to TSSL on 48th street. Had to do this twice. This was followed by two more trips back to NJ loaded with 11S14's. I still have a hundred or so left which are currently selling for $ 1.98 each.

The second "Best Deal" happened in the 90's when Brad, the head electrician at Radio City Music Hall asked me if I was interested in their inventory of Altman lekos. They had just replaced all of them with ETC Source 4's. If I didn't buy them, they'd have to send them to their warehouse in Brooklyn which would involve both a Stage Hand and Teamsters labor call. I offered them $ 5.00 each and they said sold. Spent the next couple days driving van loads from the city to my shop in NJ. 366 fixtures takes up a lot of space. I put them on eBay as memorabilia from Radio City and sold them all over the next couple of weeks for $ 80.00 each plus shipping.

Boy, how I'd like to find just one more "deal" before I retire.

[MNBallet]

I've gotten a Shakespeare zoom for only $46 on e-bay. works fine after a cleaning.