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Old machinery selling?


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While, according to Measures, there is some interest in old steam engines, there seems to be very little appetite for old machinery. There are a few searches for old Ford trucks but not much else.

I just cannot resist those vintage rusty trucks, tractors, graders, utes, mining equipment, etc displayed in museums.

 

While I licensed a couple of vintage cars, I have never licensed any of these relics. What's your experience?

Edited by gvallee
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Just now, Michael Ventura said:

I think there is a market them.  I often see timelines in some publications showing a product at various times in the history of that brand.  So yes, I would keep shootin em!

 

Thank you Michael. Given that they are in museums, usually I have the full details, maker, year, use, etc., so it should help.

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Yes, I can imagine there is definitely a market for them. Buyers will probably have specialist agencies (or perhaps individuals) where they purchase from, but I'd keep searching, snapping and uploading. Perhaps you'll attract buyers here and carve yourself a little niche?

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I've sold a few old tractors, mostly for calendars. Just checked my records, 6 different tractors, calendars world, Germany & France. Plus a few other sales for various other things. All tractors still run & are outdoor shots & the owner released them, but obviously not released by the manufacturer. One had a teenager driving, it was also model released.

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38 minutes ago, cbimages said:

I've sold a few old tractors, mostly for calendars. Just checked my records, 6 different tractors, calendars world, Germany & France. Plus a few other sales for various other things. All tractors still run & are outdoor shots & the owner released them, but obviously not released by the manufacturer. One had a teenager driving, it was also model released.

 

Thank you Carol, excellent. Mine are not pretty images but rusty, old, discarded vehicles, so I guess not calendar material. Ah well, I might get a Presentation or two...

 

Edited by gvallee
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I too am drawn to rusty old bits of gear (the bigger the better) and knackered boats sitting sadly on the foreshore. There's a story to be told in most of these things. But unless they can be photographed with some sort of context, I fear they are not going to rise up the lottery of search engines. Alamy will let you upload them, but sales will be scarce. Hey, sales are scarce anyway!

Edited by Robert M Estall
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37 minutes ago, Robert M Estall said:

I too am drawn to rusty old bits of gear (the bigger the better) and knackered boats sitting sadly on the foreshore. There's a story to be told in most of these things. But unless they can be photographed with some sort of context, I fear they are not going to rise up the lottery of search engines. Alamy will let you upload them, but sales will be scarce. Hey, sales are scarce anyway!

 

You are very probably right Robert. I'm trying to think how I could shoot these in context. Not easy. Mining equipment perhaps with a bit of luck, but miners are very twitchy about anyone walking near their claims. Old trucks/utes usually come from cattle stations these days and lie abandoned in paddocks. 

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Possibly better as a POD subject, but, as has been suggested, within a suitable context. My most viewed POD shot is of an old steam locomotive, a monochrome image taken of the engine in service many years ago. Having said that, it has yet to sell ! Indeed I struggle to understand the POD market.

Edited by Bryan
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Now that I've passed QC, I can show you what I'm talking about. No context, no POD appeal. Only museum exhibits.

 

Portable Steam Engine

 

Tow Grader  Where would I see it in context, and I would have no clue what it is

 

Ford Truck with crane 

 

Chevrolet Blitz Army Truck 

 

I love these old things.

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A grader is used to level road surfaces. This one is towed by another vehicle but they do come as a full package, like bulldozer.

 

I found this out when watching "Ice road truckers" on TV.

 

Allan

 

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Just now, Allan Bell said:

A grader is used to level road surfaces. This one is towed by another vehicle but they do come as a full package, like bulldozer.

 

I found this out when watching "Ice road truckers" on TV.

 

Allan

 

 

That's right. Now that I've passed QC, I can enter all the details of those vehicles in additional info. 

Our favourite off-road sign when we travel?? 'Grader ahead'. Yippee!!

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This is one reason why image-buyers come to Alamy: for its vast inventory of niche and specialist subjects. Otherwise the entire collection would consist of businessmen shaking hands and attractive young women eating salad and laughing.   😀

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23 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

This is one reason why image-buyers come to Alamy: for its vast inventory of niche and specialist subjects. Otherwise the entire collection would consist of businessmen shaking hands and attractive young women eating salad and laughing.   😀

 

If I could give this 100 green arrows/blue hearts, I would! It truly is Alamy's USP.

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11 hours ago, Bryan said:

Possibly better as a POD subject, but, as has been suggested, within a suitable context. My most viewed POD shot is of an old steam locomotive, a monochrome image taken of the engine in service many years ago. Having said that, it has yet to sell ! Indeed I struggle to understand the POD market.

 

Trains do seem popular. I have images taken at railway museums that have licensed. I guess that counts as context.

 

I think of POD as "Peculiar On Demand". There's a lot of awful stuff to wade through on POD sites now IMO. 😬

 

 

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I don't have much machinery but do sell cars and engines.  Two Corvettes and a Camaro recently.  I try to get muscle cars and their engines such as 327, 350,409 and 427.  Good keywords and description are essential for the cars and their engines.  I do enjoy photographing old abandon vehicles also.

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On 11/10/2020 at 07:27, cbimages said:

I've sold a few old tractors, mostly for calendars. Just checked my records, 6 different tractors, calendars world, Germany & France. Plus a few other sales for various other things. All tractors still run & are outdoor shots & the owner released them, but obviously not released by the manufacturer. One had a teenager driving, it was also model released.

 

I used to sell quite a number of steam locomotive images from the 1960s, mainly for calendars, but not for some time ... ever since Network Rail played the big I am and tried to stop images from "their" property being licensed despite many of them being taken decades before they came into being. They relented slightly and now graciously allow these old images to be licensed as editorial ... which has got me thinking ... as editorial only images, can they still be used for calendars or are calendars considered as commercial use ? I ask as I had quite a few appear as zooms this morning ...

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27 minutes ago, Martyn said:

 ... which has got me thinking ... as editorial only images, can they still be used for calendars or are calendars considered as commercial use ? I ask as I had quite a few appear as zooms this morning ...

This question has been asked a few times and the answer most often given is that yes, they are editorial, but beware of the usual suspect if not taken from public land.

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11 minutes ago, Avpics said:

This question has been asked a few times and the answer most often given is that yes, they are editorial, but beware of the usual suspect if not taken from public land.

 

Thanks ! Hopefully, if the UK government do follow through on their proposals to renationalise the railways, then that will be one less usual suspect to worry about and that the editorial only restriction can then be lifted !

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