Less and less gear on the market...?

[HuubL]

I'm regularly checking websites like the Dutch Marktplaats and Ebay to find interesting RFF gear for sale. It's my impression that recently there has been a sharp decline in the amount of interesting gear being offered. Where a year ago, you could find nice gear offered on a daily basis on Marktplaats, in the last months or two this has dried up to a trickle of a piece a week at best.

Do you share that experience with other international sites also?

If so, what would this indicate? Are we all sitting on our gear like house owners in the Netherlands on their houses, or individuals on their savings? Is this a result of the crisis? When would this stop? I'm in for new deals, if there were any...

 

[ferider]

For M/LTM lenses, it's true. KEH, Adorama, Igor, all have less, and typically more expensive than it used to be a year ago.

Difficult to find nice LTM Nikkor lenses, for example. Classic Summicrons and Summarons are through the roof.

For M/LTM film bodies, they feel similar or cheaper than a year ago.

Reasons: I am guessing a combo of u4/3, M9/M8, and a generally growing RF user community.

 

[varjag]

Uh folks, it's summertime. Markets plummet like this every damn year.

 

[swoop]

Seriously. I noticed this trend when the M8 was released. Prices soared for even old Canon lenses. And with the M9, and as others have stated, micro 4/3rds cameras, people are buying up old lenses and prices are getting even higher. I'm glad I built my collection years ago.

It's currently a sellers market in terms of used lenses. Everyone is buying them up.

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

lets not forget the downturn the last year or two or three that had people cleaning out their closets to raise some extra funds.

 

[WalterM]

I think we're past the peak though; I've seen a decline in prices, though I wonder when or if they'll go down to reasonable prices. I'm specifically looking to purchase a 50mm summilux asph and possibly a 35mm summicron asph or pre asph to finish up my lens kit. Unfortunately, the former has been in very low supply. Hopefully Leica can meet demand quotas for the 50 'lux asph.

 

[Rob-F]

Looks like a sign that film is not dying after all. A lot of gear has changed hands, and is now in the hands of the people that want it (like me, for instance). So I think film is here to stay, doomsday sayers not withstanding to the contrary.

 

[johannielscom]

There's a big exposition on Leica coming up in Beijing in September. The Chinese are warming up to catch up on all those classical quality goods they never owned. In one of the Leica LTM threads, fellow member DigitalIntrigue showed shots of a kugellager IIIc with 'Luftwaffen eigentum' engraving that was converted to a IIIf and on auction it went to China for USD 12.000. 😱
Not too long ago, a converted camera would fetch less than the original, now there's a market for those 'best of both worlds' cameras.

That, and the M8/M9 and Micro4/3s.

 

[Steve M.]

One possible reason is that in a down economy you're only going to get low prices for your gear. There's also less people in the buying market. Both issues will tend to keep the pool of stuff that's for sale smaller. When the economies pick up there will be more gear for sale. Everyone's just laying low now. And of course film is here to stay. What else you gonna do if you shoot B&W? It's film or, well, film.

 

[Krosya]

Not sure about 35mm, but Hasselblads that recently dropped so low in price, it was hard to believe, - are very much back now. At least based on what people are asking for them. Some other MF brands sort of the same as they were - come-n-go.
Some RF lenses are harder to find - some Leicas, Hexanons, etc. Even older CV LTMs are up - $500 for a CV Nokton ASPH 50/1.5 at CQ!. Yet newer CVs are dropping in price - CV 50/1.1 can be had for less than $800 in new or near new cond. go figure.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Hassies,, Hah! Look at the Bronica-SQ's or the Mamiya RB's. cheeep. But, shhhh, don't tell anyone. It is my chance to get one each of cameras I could only dream of as a boy.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Market churn. The idea of shooting with a Hassie is much better than the actual experience. Not that I'm knocking them, I love 'em. But a lot of folks are as drawn to the lure of the Hassie as much as the camera itself.

 

[monochromejrnl]

everyone must be 'done' ;P

 

[dfoo]

Difficult to find nice LTM Nikkor lenses, for example. Classic Summicrons and Summarons are through the roof.
...

I have an advertisement in the classifies that has a M4-p, a Elmar M, and a Nikkor LTM 105/2.5 and didn't get a single offer on any of the above...

 

[wblanchard]

I just hate the hard decisions....like should i buy that used X-pan that i've always lusted after or that minty and new M7 someone is selling, that i always wanted as well. the damn prices are so close, its hard to choose things. 😀

 

[Bill Harrison]

Guys & Gals, It's not just the market of equipment but the market of ideas and interest.... at least on this site. A year - year and a half ago there was all kinds of interesting things being shared and studied here.... lens testing galore thanks to people like Raid.... a 'hole bunch of movie film testing and actual, physical sharing of xx & plus x... people sending rolls to each other at cost, (which wasn't much) saying "here try THIS" and "so and so has kodak gold at such and such a price".... The bokeh thread started at the end of that burst of energy. I couldn't wait to boot up in the morning to see what was happening..... how do we get the juices flowing?

 

[ferider]

I have an advertisement in the classifies that has a M4-p, a Elmar M, and a Nikkor LTM 105/2.5 and didn't get a single offer on any of the above...

I saw that. Ebay is your friend. For some reason, RFF sales still work with old prices ....

 

[dfoo]

^ I'm open to offers on the equipment too. The 28/1.9 and the Hasselblad sold quickly. The prices cannot be that much off... I just don't there is much interest on that stuff.

 

[splitimageview]

Roland, you could help the market if you sold that 35/2.5 Nikkor LTM back to me. 😉

 

[Keith]

I've noticed a lot of classified ads lately from zero post recently signed up sellers ... more than I can ever remember seeing here in fact!

Seems like some people want our often very busy classified facilities but aren't really interested in becoming active members ... see post 17 for possible reasons! 😀