Rent Alpha Glass for your hunt?

[JWolff]

Has anyone ever rented optics? How did it work? I have a set of NL 14s and a tripod; wondering if there is a market for making these available?

Read More

 

[Knobgoblin]

How would you insure against loss or damage?

 

[osprey]

Last thing I would want is some knuckledragger fondling my high end optics cleaning the glass with paper towels, but that is just me.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Last thing I would want is some knuckledragger fondling my high end optics cleaning the glass with paper towels, but that is just me.

Spit and shirt tails was good enough for grandpappy and it's good enough for me!

 

[dplev4]

Internet lists sone sites renting high end optics. Thing is if you are going to get into hunting it's worth investing in some decent optics.

 

[gmerkt]

Spit and shirt tails was good enough for grandpappy and it's good enough for me!

Same approach to first aid in olden times. Farmers in fields didn't have time or money to go to the doctor. Fritz cuts a finger off, he just wraps a dirty snot rag around it and keeps going.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Same approach to first aid in olden times. Farmers in fields didn't have time or money to go to the doctor. Fritz cuts a finger off, he just wraps a dirty snot rag around it and keeps going.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7251619293740207403

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@hallenefarm/video/7251619293740207403

 

[JWolff]

How would you insure against loss or damage?

Have to trust your renters to some extent, but I think a deposit with a credit card hold will do the job. With proper instruction/communication, I think you could paint the picture for renters: "don't touch the glass or attempt to clean lenses. dirty is better (and cheaper) than scratched."

I own an extra tripod with a video head and have a set of NL Pure 14s ready to run; I'm debating making available for someone to use. Didn't draw my elk tag this year and my 10x is suffice for the coast range....

 

[osprey]

I don't know about you, but my hunting season is not relegated to one tag or I don't go. I usually have at least 3 hunts or lined up and many scouting trips not to mention helping hunting buddies with tags they have drawn. I do not see opportunity to be without my glass not to mention my distrust that they would take care of my Leicas like I would want. Even if you were to rent out binocs and a tripod for a month, how much could you really get? Pretty limited market I would guess. Probably better off going after the birder crowd who go year round?

 

[JWolff]

I don't know about you, but my hunting season is not relegated to one tag or I don't go. I usually have at least 3 hunts or lined up and many scouting trips not to mention helping hunting buddies with tags they have drawn. I do not see opportunity to be without my glass not to mention my distrust that they would take care of my Leicas like I would want. Even if you were to rent out binocs and a tripod for a month, how much could you really get? Pretty limited market I would guess. Probably better off going after the birder crowd who go year round?

All valid points, Osprey. You won't catch me w/o glass; I have a few different options and magnification ranges, as needs arise. That said, some of my glass is pretty situational, especially the NL Pure 14s... I prefer 10s or 12s in my bino pack while hunting in the west and the 14s really only come into play when I get a tag for eastern oregon. I bird with either 8s or 10s, so again, 14s get left behind.

Not sure how much cash folks would be willing to spend on rental, but I'm guessing they'd be more interested if they had the option to 'keep/buy' after rental...

 

[JWolff]

I don't know about you, but my hunting season is not relegated to one tag or I don't go. I usually have at least 3 hunts or lined up and many scouting trips not to mention helping hunting buddies with tags they have drawn. I do not see opportunity to be without my glass not to mention my distrust that they would take care of my Leicas like I would want. Even if you were to rent out binocs and a tripod for a month, how much could you really get? Pretty limited market I would guess. Probably better off going after the birder crowd who go year round?

All valid points, Osprey. You won't catch me w/o glass; I have a few different options and magnification ranges, as needs arise. That said, some of my glass is pretty situational, especially the NL Pure 14s... I prefer 10s or 12s in my bino pack while hunting in the west and the 14s really only come into play when I get a tag for eastern oregon. I bird with either 8s or 10s, so again, 14s get left behind.

Not sure how much cash folks would be willing to spend on rental, but I'm guessing they would spend more if they had the option to 'keep/buy' and put their rental fee towards purchase.

 

[Mark W.]

I got extremely lucky a couple years back. Stopped at a garage sale on the way to the coast one morning and after walking around seeing nothing of interest in the back corner I spot a Bind case. Walk over and it says $25.00 I open it and immediately see the bronze rainbow metallic coating of high end camera lenses. Then I see the brand PENTX I quickly purchased them. They are in near mint condition. They were Pentax top end Binos in the 80's And while more modern Binos might have some tiny advantage over these I'm sure these are all I will ever need.

And I have Camera optics (I collect or did )that are some of the finest in the 35mm film world. So I'm a pretty good judge of optics.