Month: September 2021

Have you ever shopped for a camera on DealDash.com? If not, why not?

Hopefully, you got a bid in on time for the really nice 18 to 135 mm interchangeable-lens camera now up for auction. It has a BIN price of $1,298.00. Many people could not afford to go out and pay full price for a high-quality camera like that. However, some DealDash shoppers have been able to win a camera like this at a bargain price, including me.

Over the last several years, I won many different cameras on DealDash – a Canon, a Polaroid Instant Digital Camera and a small Nikon to name a few. I love them all.

Since it is now so popular for people to simply rely on their cell phones to take pictures, you might not think about shopping for a camera. As good as cell phone photos are, however, they cannot replace a real camera. We can take much better photos with a camera – especially one with interchangeable-lens.

Keep in mind that it’s not too early to go Christmas shopping and nothing could make an avid photographer happier than to receive a new camera.

Recent Camera History

Advancements in camera technology have come a long way since I was young. I grew up taking photos with cameras that used rolls of film. In fact, I recently found 25 rolls of film that were never developed that I took with my Pentax K1000. At first, I thought I should throw them out because I did not believe any good images would be left since the pictures were taken 20 years ago. I was wrong. To my surprise, many of the photos still came out sharp and clear, so I’m glad I did not throw the undeveloped film away.

According to information I researched online it was not until nearly 10 years after I had already graduated from high school that the first ever digital camera was invented in 1975 by Steven Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak. It was an 8 pound camera and it recorded 0.01 megapixel black and white photos to a cassette tape. The first photograph took 23 seconds to create. To play back images, data was read from the tape and then displayed on a television set.

However, it was not until 1990 that the first digital camera went on sale in the United States. It was the Dycam Model 1. Also marketed as the Logitech Fotoman, this camera used a CCD image sensor, stored pictures digitally and connected directly to a PC for download.

In 1991, Kodak created the first-ever digital SLR. The Kodak Digital Camera System (DCS) was essentially a modified Nikon F3 whose film chamber and winder were modified to make room for sensors. The camera had a built-in 1.3 megapixel Kodak CCD to capture images.

The 1991 Kodak DCS 100 digital camera came with a price tag of $20,000.00. The Kodak DCS 100’s hard drive and batteries were stored in a separate Digital Storage Unit (tethered to the camera by cable) that also included a monochrome LCD for viewing images. The combined unit was so large that a nylon hip pack and huge hard case were included in the price.

Youth that belong to Generation Z (age 6 to 26) may be surprised to know the first camera phone was sold only 22 years ago. Samsung takes credit for selling the first camera phone, but there are multiple other claims for this milestone.

Because I saw the evolution of cameras practically go from the stone-age to what we have now in my lifetime I appreciate today’s amazing digital camera technology all the more. They are now faster and easier to use than I could have ever imagined.

For Camera Auction Details

For a full description and more camera details check the auction listing on DealDash. If you missed out on this camera auction, don’t worry. DealDash has more camera auctions coming up, including a waterproof camera and an amazing home security camera starter kit.

I hope to see all of you camera lovers in the DealDash auctions.

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

Who would have ever imagined that we would be able to shop for a brand new speed boat on DealDash.com? When we shop on a penny-auction site like DealDash where the owner of the company thinks big, then big things such as this can and do happen.

Remember how exciting it was when DealDash launched its first brand new boat auction on May 17? That was a smaller boat with a smaller HP motor intended more for fishing.

Of course, some folks prefer boats for fishing while other folks prefer boats more for the thrill of speed and/or simply relaxing on the water and getting a nice suntan.

Well hold on to your britches because now DealDash.com is launching its second brand new boat auction and this one is even bigger and better than the last one.

This 17 ½ -foot leisure boat, with a BIN of $20,000.00 comes with a 40 HP motor with a 12-gallon fuel capacity, and a custom-matched boat trailer for ease of transfer. This boat has a maximum person weight of 700 pounds.

For more detailed information about this awesome speed boat check the description on the auction page.

Boat Safety

Boating is a very enjoyable sport, but we all must follow boating safety rules to keep it that way.

For example, two basic rules of boating are:

1. If another vessel is approaching you from the port – or left – side of your boat, you have the right of way and should maintain your speed and direction.
2. If a vessel is aiming to cross your path and they’re on your starboard – or right – side, they have the right of way.

Some states have specific boating rules so it is a good idea to take a boating course to ensure that you know what they are. Some of the boating safety guidelines are:

• Conduct a vessel safety check and follow a pre-departure checklist.
• Always check the weather before taking your boat out.
• Make sure you have a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for every person on board; Children under 12 must wear a lifejacket at all times. About 78 percent of boating deaths are caused from failure to wear personal flotation devices or lifejackets. Level 100 Plus lifejackets provide a high level of buoyancy and are designed to turn the wearer onto their back and keep them in a safe floating position.
• Do not exceed the approved weight limit of people on board according to the specifications of the boat.
• Always travel at a safe speed so you can take avoiding action whatever the circumstances.
• Never operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol. About 40 percent of boating-related accidents and deaths in Canada involve boating under the influence of alcohol.
• Never allow passengers to board or exit your boat from the water when engines are on or idling.
• Take extra precautions near boats towing skiers or tubers.
• A boat safety kit should be kept on board no matter the size of your boat. It should include a flashlight, duct tape, bucket, First aid kit, whistle, ropes, mirror, garbage bags, and fire extinguisher.

My first husband and father of my two sons lost his life to drowning in a boating incident, so boating safety is very personal to me. He practically grew up on the water in the Puget Sound area and owned a fishing boat, speed boat and even built and raced his own hydroplane. In spite of being an experienced boater and strong swimmer, he ignored several safety rules when he agreed to test drive a used boat for his brother. Based on lessons learned from his drowning, I would add the following safety rules:

• If you ever test drive a used boat, it’s a good idea to have another boater follow in case you run into trouble, especially if you see no other boats on the water.
• Stay with your boat and never try to swim to shore, especially if you are in the middle of a lake. His brother stayed with the boat and survived.
• If the water is extremely cold (like it is in fall and winter months) it might be a good idea to have some skin diving suits to wear in case your boat takes on water and starts sinking.

Bottom Line

I’m sure many DealDash shoppers are very excited to participate in the speed boat auction.

If any of you are planning to purchase a speed boat in the near future, anyway, why not try to win this one instead?

As long as we follow boating safety rules, our family and friends can enjoy many years of sunshine and fun on our favorite lakes, bays and rivers.

Happy shopping everyone!

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

Wow! Who would ever have thought when DealDash.com first started in 2009 that only 12 years later this penny auction site would be auctioning off new cars, trucks, boats and now an all-terrain vehicle?

Well that goes to show just how far DealDash has come because all customers, rich and poor, now have the opportunity to shop for a brand new ATV. How exciting is that?

Simply by clicking on the ATV auction, you can read detailed information about the features and capability including the durable automatic transmission, terrain ability, compact chassis, roomy ergonomics and just how tough it is. This ATV has 9.6-inches of ground clearance, a compact chassis, smooth fuel-injected engine, an ultramatic transmission and an exclusive on-command 4WD.

Brief History of ATVs

Did you know the very first ATV was developed in 1961 in Toronto, Canada and it was called the Jiger?

The Jiger was invented by a Canadian named John Gower who was tired of trudging through the snow in frozen Alberta while cutting his firewood. He wanted to create a machine to travel through the outdoors, whatever the terrain might be. The first ATV that had 5 ½ horsepower, weighed 200 pounds and was a 6-wheeled amphibious ATV, which means it could travel on land and water.

In the later 1960s the Amphicat and the Terra Tiger were manufactured. The first 3-wheeler, the Sperry-Rand Tricart, was manufactured in 1968. However, it was the Honda ATC that made 3-wheelers a household name. In 1970, Honda introduced the ATC90 (All Terrain Cycle).

Interestingly enough the movie “Diamonds Are Forever,” and the TV shows “Magnum P.I.” and “Hart to Hart” helped to increase the popularity of the ATVs.

It was not until 1982, however, that the first ATV was sold. It was a QuadRunner LT125 and it was a recreational machine for beginners. In 1985, the first high-performance 4-wheel ATV, the Suzuki LT250R QuadRacer was introduced.

That led to the ATVs of today.

Watch for More New Items

We never know what other new products we will see on DealDash.com. That’s why we should make it a part of our routine to check in on a daily basis.

Will you be the winner of the first brand new ATV?     

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

DealDash will celebrate Labor Day in a very generous way with a charity event and we can all play a big part in it.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that DealDash will donate the final sum of all auction wins paid on Labor Day (excluding car auctions) to help firefighters in their work. That means by shopping on Sept. 6 we not only have the opportunity to win more awesome items on DealDash but we will be helping our firefighters at the same time. How awesome is that?

Firefighter Statistics

As of Oct. 24, 2019, there were 29,705 fire departments in the United States. Of these only 3,009 (10 percent) departments are comprised solely of career firefighters, and 19,122 (a whopping 64 percent) of these departments are comprised of all volunteer firefighters.

In addition to fighting fires, today’s firefighters also respond to medical emergencies and other types of calls. They stay busy throughout the day checking equipment, doing vehicle maintenance, housework/cleaning, writing reports, training and education, working on staying physically fit, and conducting public safety demonstrations and station tours.

Most firefighters are obviously not in it for the money. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics dated Feb. 13, 2017, the average firefighter makes about $50,850 annually or $24.45 per hour; and the top five states listed for hiring firefighters were Texas, California, Florida, Washington and Arizona.

According to statistics listed on the internet, the worst wildfire in US history was a blaze that started in 1871 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It burned about 1.2 million acres and killed at least 1,152 people.

The first volunteer Union Fire Company in America was created by Benjamin Franklin in 1736 in Philadelphia, but there were no full-time firefighters at that time.

It was not until April 1, 1853, however, that the first professional and fully paid fire department in the United States was established in Cincinnati, Ohio. Miles Greenwood, co-inventor of the first practical steam fire engine, served as the department’s first chief.

A 2017 National Run Survey in Firehouse Magazine listed the Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Station 9 (FS9) as the busiest fire station in the country.

Bottom Line

There could not be a more fitting time for DealDash to make a charity donation to our firefighters than now, especially since Sept. 11 marks the 20^th anniversary of the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center. Of the 2,977 lives lost, 343 were brave heroes from the New York City Fire Department who died while rescuing civilians who were trapped.

In special recognition of firefighters like these let’s all shop on Sept. 6 so we can help DealDash contribute a large sum of money to a most deserving group of people — our firefighters.

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.