How is your luck with lending?

It's possible. I lent a friend of mine going on an extended trip my 45mmGN Nikkor decades ago. It ended up going around the world over a period of nearly three years, and came back looking and working like new. My luck with loaned stuff isn't good, either.

I don't lend things. I give them away and hope that they'll come back to me. Most of them eventually do.

Don't get asked a lot, but my record of stuff coming back - and in decent condition - is good.

Don't think I've been asked to loan anything much, which is good because I'm not overly interested in lending, especially my "good" things. Can't imagine lending one of my cameras except to one of our adult sons - because I know where they live and they have their own. I have loaned my slide copier to a friend numerous times, he keeps on finding old slides in various places. Its one that screws onto the front of a lens, copies are made with a DSLR. He's given me things in the past, so he has a "credit" with me.

In the past I've loaned out a few small non photographic items to select friends, and I keep a list of when the items go out and when they come back. I lost a few minor items before I started keeping the list, as I've forgotten about the loans. Just keeping friends honest!

I like the phrase "The best way to lose friends is to loan them money".

I'm too anal to lend things out. Especially my books. I have books that are 30-50 years old that still look brand new. I never break the bindings, even on soft cover books. I never dog ear pages or write in my books. Even my technical manuals are in great shape. Now I got an iPad and all my books are on there. Didn't think I'd enjoy reading a tablet so much, but it really makes a difference. And I can take my whole collection with me wherever I go.
As far as my camera, I don't even let my wife use it without specific instructions. Drives her crazy. LP's. Never. Too valuable. Although I'm thinking about selling some stuff. Like my original copy of Abbey Road by the Beatles.
The only thing I might lend is a DVD. Don't even use CD's any more, so that point is moot now.

I don't like to lend things either because my experience has pretty much been the same as Ian's. No uplifting support from me.

The problem with book lending is not that they come back in bad shape, but that they don't come back at all.

In repair of Surveying levels, transits and repair of cameras; "I lent it to a friend; is the majority cause of a total loss or major repair; ie the friend dropped it".

Folks not familar with the item often push; force; strip out "things" that still have decades worth of usage left.

Since the item does not belong to them; there is a greater "tear it up; its paid for stance"

I lent out a precision torque wrench ; the "friend" used it as a cheater/breaker bar and yielded the wrench.

An ex girlfriend would go thru P&S cameras in a month. The used Nikon FG I got her broke usually after a few rolls. It was constantly being fixed. The wind knob fell off several times; the shutter jammed many times. It was a mix of a poor user and a lemon camera; ie a mean time to failure of a few rolls. The camera body was finally thrown off a cliff at the cross in Ventura; to stop the repair costs.

In repairs I have done for folks; "leftys" tend to tear up stuff. Many items are designed more for right handers and lefties often force things. That ex girlfriend was a lefty; she broke the teapot's whisle/latch; the iron's temp knob; the VCR's remote battery cover; broke the Nikon FG, broke the wheels on the dishwashers trolley/tray; broke the toaster; a walking "tear it up" person.

I lent out a cars coil spring compressor to a friend; who then lent it out to another and I got it back 3 years later.

I lent out a custom military HF antenna to a friend 20 years ago and still cannot get it back.

A neighbor always wants to borrows tools; which I do not anymore. Anything he borrows he leaves outside in the rain and elements

I'm with Mike on this one. If I lend something I automatically assume it won't come back. If it does, great, if not, I don't feel put upon. That is unless it's photo equipment. These things are my tools, I simply don't lend them out.

I still have the over 1200 albums from the 60's & 70's. Since I had a much better collection than any of my friends everybody always wanted to borrow them. I made them sign a receipt when the records were returned they got the receipt. The receipt also stated that the record/cover/liner was in mint shape. If not returned in the some condition you paid for a new replacement and kept the damaged one.

Word got out that I WAS serious. Only had one album replaced.

Cameras never ever even considered loaning to anyone. Tools to a very few close firends with same terms a records. When I would write-out the receipt the usual response was "I wish that I did that.". Nobody ever balked at signing one.