Holmes Viewers

[P3D <koganlee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Aversa says,
"Why would anyone want to pay $75 to $150 for a reproduction stereo viewer
when the antique ones sell for around the same price or less.  I currently
have several for sale in the $75.00 range with metal or wood hoods, all
having glass lenses."

	I assume this comment is a response to my comment that modern Holmes 
viewers were available in that price range. There are several reasons one 
might pay $75 to $150 for a Holmes viewer. First of all, I must say that a 
modern Holmes viewer is no more a "reproduction" than a modern stereo card 
is a "reproduction" of an antique card. A viewer is simply a tool for 
viewing a stereo card. Ideally it should have excellent lenses, it should 
have no hood (or one which is sufficiently large to accomodate eyeglasses), 
and the slide should hold the card in the right place with no slop or 
flimsiness and slide smoothly. I have yet to see an antique viewer which 
meets these specifications. There was a wooden viewer called the Redwing 
Viewer which did all these things and was beautiful in addition, but it is 
no longer available. I'm sure there are some other handcrafted viewers 
available, but I'm not sure what they are. For simple functionality there 
are several metal Keystone viewers and at least one viewer from the Stereo 
Optical Company (called the Bioptor), all having glass lenses. The Keystone 
models range from the most simple hand held model to pedestal mounted models 
(especially good for exhibitions (I have 10 of them for this purpose)). Both 
Keystone and the Stereo Optical Company also make eye testing viewers in the 
$1000 range. My question for Mike would be, why would anyone want to pay $75 
for an old viewer when you can get a new (and better) one for the same 
price?
					David Lee


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