TheSkySearchers

I ran across the Parks Optical website the other day and saw that they were still selling their Gold and Silver Series eyepieces. I have been intrigued with the idea of having a set of the Masuyama Clones in the older 50 ish degree format. I am wondering if what they are selling now is still coming from Japan and maybe even the same factory that they were years ago. I have some of that type that I have picked up second hand, but lack 15 through 20mm. The 15mm is currently being sold at a "sale price of $100 while the MSRP is $140 and the 20mm is "on sale" for $106 with an MRSP of $150. I am wondering if those prices are really a sale or simply what they are selling them for.

Anyone know?

From the advertisement they may be updated glass for the extended eye relief.
All the Masuyama and clones are only 5 element eyepieces, 2-1-2 design.

Well, that's an intriguing bit of news. I thought Parks had ceased operations. Perhaps it was just a pause?

As for the manufacture, It was interrupted in Japan by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Orion Ultrascopics were made in the same plant as Parks. Many of the Takahashi LE series are the same design and run around $280. IIRC the current "sale" price is about what I paid back in the day.

I may have to order one and see what happens, or take the cheap way out and try to give them a call.

So far, I have picked up 7.5, 12.5 and 30mm in Celestron Ultra, 10mm in Parks Gold, and 26 mm in Meade 4000 5 element. The Parks and Meade items will arrive this next Monday and Tuesday. The Celestrons are in hand. The 15 and 20mm will have to be something other than Celestron, but it would be nice to get the 18mm Celestron if one shows up for sale.

They also show a number of reflectors for sale at relatively high prices compared to what we normally see. The descriptions suggest real hand crafted instruments.

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:47 am I may have to order one and see what happens, or take the cheap way out and try to give them a call.

They also show a number of reflectors for sale at relatively high prices compared to what we normally see. The descriptions suggest real hand crafted instruments.

If you call, I'd be curious if this is a new owner of the Parks brand.

A few unique items and high prices!
http://www.parksoptical.com/product_inf ... +HIT+O.T.A.

notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:52 am

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:47 am I may have to order one and see what happens, or take the cheap way out and try to give them a call.

They also show a number of reflectors for sale at relatively high prices compared to what we normally see. The descriptions suggest real hand crafted instruments.

If you call, I'd be curious if this is a new owner of the Parks brand.

I will try, but am not sure what day next week. I will let you know what I find out or that I was not able to talk to anyone.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:56 am A few unique items and high prices!
http://www.parksoptical.com/product_inf ... +HIT+O.T.A.

Yes, that one is a bit outside my range. More normal ones are still a bit pricey, but may be worth it for a real quality product.

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:09 am

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:56 am A few unique items and high prices!
http://www.parksoptical.com/product_inf ... +HIT+O.T.A.

Yes, that one is a bit outside my range. More normal ones are still a bit pricey, but may be worth it for a real quality product.

I've always liked the idea of being able to switch between a Newtonian and Cassegrain focus.....

Parks closed their doors in 2012 and none of the products you see on the site are available.
In fact, all their products were sold or destroyed.
The website is still up due to a quirk in a very old architecture for the site.
There are several websites that still do business that use the same obsolete website architecture and the server farm can't shut down that one server without shutting down those businesses.
There is no one left who remembers how to shut down just one site in the server, so the Scope City and Parks websites are still up (though you cannot place an order).
I'm afraid the information you see is a bit of a time machine and you are traveling back in time a decade or more.

Every year, I see a new post like this from someone who doesn't know that Parks and Scope City are long gone.

That fits better with my recollection of the current state of Parks. Thanks, Don.

There are a few EU sites that are the same, lost relics of unfortunately no longer available kit.

Don Pensack wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:26 pm Parks closed their doors in 2012 and none of the products you see on the site are available.
In fact, all their products were sold or destroyed.
The website is still up due to a quirk in a very old architecture for the site.
There are several websites that still do business that use the same obsolete website architecture and the server farm can't shut down that one server without shutting down those businesses.
There is no one left who remembers how to shut down just one site in the server, so the Scope City and Parks websites are still up (though you cannot place an order).
I'm afraid the information you see is a bit of a time machine and you are traveling back in time a decade or more.

Every year, I see a new post like this from someone who doesn't know that Parks and Scope City are long gone

Thanks, Don! I was wondering if that were the case. It looked a bit too good to be true and why I asked here.
I will keep watching for used ones. It is a fun game.
I have stopped buying the Explore Scientific eyepieces since they raised their prices. I do consider it their right in a free market, but I also have the right to shift my purchases elsewhere. Though my effect on the supply and demand is small, I can still apply what leverage as I can. Therefore, I am shifting to the used market. An eyepiece that is honorably worn through use, but has undamaged glass, is plenty good for me.

Yes, ES got hit with a 25% punitive tariff on Chinese goods, a dramatic increase in ocean and inland freight fees, brokerage charges, materials costs, etc. all at once.
Prices in the EU and UK remain lower because they aren't experiencing the tariff.
Ironically, TeleVue has no Chinese products, so has been unaffected.

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:32 pm

Don Pensack wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:26 pm Parks closed their doors in 2012 and none of the products you see on the site are available.
In fact, all their products were sold or destroyed.
The website is still up due to a quirk in a very old architecture for the site.
There are several websites that still do business that use the same obsolete website architecture and the server farm can't shut down that one server without shutting down those businesses.
There is no one left who remembers how to shut down just one site in the server, so the Scope City and Parks websites are still up (though you cannot place an order).
I'm afraid the information you see is a bit of a time machine and you are traveling back in time a decade or more.

Every year, I see a new post like this from someone who doesn't know that Parks and Scope City are long gone

Thanks, Don! I was wondering if that were the case. It looked a bit too good to be true and why I asked here.
I will keep watching for used ones. It is a fun game.
I have stopped buying the Explore Scientific eyepieces since they raised their prices. I do consider it their right in a free market, but I also have the right to shift my purchases elsewhere. Though my effect on the supply and demand is small, I can still apply what leverage as I can. Therefore, I am shifting to the used market. An eyepiece that is honorably worn through use, but has undamaged glass, is plenty good for me.

Watching EP ads on CN/Astromart is certainly fun. I try to limit this activity because it is hard to resist a good price on an interesting EP. If you looking for a particular model it helps to post a wanted ad. I picked quite few even relatively rare EPs this way.

Don Pensack wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 8:52 pm Yes, ES got hit with a 25% punitive tariff on Chinese goods, a dramatic increase in ocean and inland freight fees, brokerage charges, materials costs, etc. all at once.
Prices in the EU and UK remain lower because they aren't experiencing the tariff.
Ironically, TeleVue has no Chinese products, so has been unaffected.

I did a little quick checking and even eyepieces like Baader Classic Orthos are made in China, as stated on Agena Astro's information. If tariff charges, transportation, and other charges hit ES and drove up their costs, causing the large price increases (which I can certainly see happening), it should affect other companies as well when current stocks run out. If not, then ES is being picked on somehow. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 10:31 pm

MistrBadgr wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:32 pm

Don Pensack wrote: ↑Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:26 pm Parks closed their doors in 2012 and none of the products you see on the site are available.
In fact, all their products were sold or destroyed.
The website is still up due to a quirk in a very old architecture for the site.
There are several websites that still do business that use the same obsolete website architecture and the server farm can't shut down that one server without shutting down those businesses.
There is no one left who remembers how to shut down just one site in the server, so the Scope City and Parks websites are still up (though you cannot place an order).
I'm afraid the information you see is a bit of a time machine and you are traveling back in time a decade or more.

Every year, I see a new post like this from someone who doesn't know that Parks and Scope City are long gone

Thanks, Don! I was wondering if that were the case. It looked a bit too good to be true and why I asked here.
I will keep watching for used ones. It is a fun game.
I have stopped buying the Explore Scientific eyepieces since they raised their prices. I do consider it their right in a free market, but I also have the right to shift my purchases elsewhere. Though my effect on the supply and demand is small, I can still apply what leverage as I can. Therefore, I am shifting to the used market. An eyepiece that is honorably worn through use, but has undamaged glass, is plenty good for me.

Watching EP ads on CN/Astromart is certainly fun. I try to limit this activity because it is hard to resist a good price on an interesting EP. If you looking for a particular model it helps to post a wanted ad. I picked quite few even relatively rare EPs this way.

Hi Big Z! I think I have both ends of the line covered. I lack a 15, 18, and 20mm from a pretty much a full set that cannot be made up from one brand alone. With this set, I plan on making sort of a walk through history with them. I am a bit hesitant to post a wanted ad for eyepieces since I put a big limitation on myself, through price limits, to stop exactly what you mentioned....buying way too much stuff. The problem I have with the want ad is that I am asking someone to go to a lot of trouble packaging and sending me an eyepiece...doing me a big favor...and then paying them a cheap price for it. Better to wait until someone decides to sell their eyepiece on their own, then buy it if the price is within my range. If the price is too much for me, then I simply back away and nobody knows I was there. I hope that makes sense.

Alpine Astronomical was the distributor for Baader equipment in the USA though I am not sure if that is still the same.
If equipment comes from Germany first that may be how they get around the extra tariffs?

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:27 am Alpine Astronomical was the distributor for Baader equipment in the USA though I am not sure if that is still the same.
If equipment comes from Germany first that may be how they get around the extra tariffs?

Yes, the detour through Germany avoids the extra tariffs.

Yes, I had noticed they were dead years ago, so I was surprised that they might be back. Anyway, here's the most recent Google "street view."
Looks like "still dead" to me.