Is this a joke??

[colyn]

Seller is somewhat proud of this camera..

http://cgi.ebay.com/MINOLTA-HI-MATI...ryZ15234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[kuzano]

It could happen....

It could happen....

Extreme interest in this camera, PLUS the biggie... It's black!!! I would not be surprised if it sold.

However, he made one huge mistake. His using the start price high puts off bidders. So there will be little activity before the end of the auction. He could have screwed himself on this alone. He should have used a $1 starting price and set the reserve at what he wanted to sell.

There is a ton of data, and I have done my own research on auctions, on how using a high start price to avoid using a reserve really damages the prospects of getting your money.

Otherwise, he could get there on this one. Desirable camera in black. Good auction, with simple plain english definition. A whole bunch of quality pictures.

Don't be surprise on this one. I'd say if he had not messed up using the high start price, I'd give odds he'll get the money.

 

[zuikologist]

Seems high, even for a desirable black 7SII. It will be interesting to see if it sells (especially to an RFF member!)

 

[ChrisN]

Are you allowed to set a reserve price on cameras on the ebay USA site? You're lucky. On the Australian ebay site I can only set a reserve price if I'm selling a car (or similar, in the Motor category, see http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/reserve.html).

If I don't want to risk selling an item below its fair value my only options are to set a high starting price or a "Buy It Now" price.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Seller is somewhat proud of this camera..

http://cgi.ebay.com/MINOLTA-HI-MATI...ryZ15234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Only if you buy it.
Or it might be very rare.
See if it sells.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema

 

[Cale Arthur]

I missed one of these recently on Craigslist that was sold for $30.. oops!

--c--

 

[giovatony]

Here`s another he sold last week for $479
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310008501271

 

[daaris]

I do not have a lot of experience with this camera. My friend has one, a silver and black model. I have seen his results and they are great. Is there something I am missing? The capabilities of this camera over a Cannonet, or Rollei 35 shouldn't command such a price difference.

..........or should it?

 

[peterc]

I have a Hi-Matic C I'll let go for half of that!!

 

[colyn]

Here`s another he sold last week for $479
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310008501271

Like ole PT once said "there's a sucker born every minute"

 

[kuzano]

Canonet you say... less money you say.????

Canonet you say... less money you say.????

I do not have a lot of experience with this camera. My friend has one, a silver and black model. I have seen his results and they are great. Is there something I am missing? The capabilities of this camera over a Cannonet, or Rollei 35 shouldn't command such a price difference...........or should it?

Well, don't hold your breath but the black Canonets are right up there as well. See here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Canonet-Q...ryZ30027QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And there is another black canonet currently at $103.50

So, the value all seems to be in the desire for the magical black units. Frankly the black 7sII is probably more rare than the Canonet in black.

 

[kuzano]

BTW... I have had

BTW... I have had

Two black GIII's, A black Petri Color35, A black Minolta 7S and a black 7sII. I never noticed any appreciable improvement in my photography, but I sure sold all of them for a lot of money.

My favorite black camera, and it only comes in black is the Canon EF "Black Beauty". What a pretty 70's classic. The only known camera with circuitry to compensate for the NLA 1.35v batteries. You can use 1.5 contemporary batteries and the camera automatically adjusts to 1.35V... no adjustment by a camera technician needed.

 

[colyn]

My favorite black camera, and it only comes in black is the Canon EF "Black Beauty". What a pretty 70's classic. The only known camera with circuitry to compensate for the NLA 1.35v batteries. You can use 1.5 contemporary batteries and the camera automatically adjusts to 1.35V... no adjustment by a camera technician needed.

The Pentax Spotmatic cameras use a bridge circuit which compensates for voltage higher than 1.35v. You can use a silver 1.55v battery and it will compensate..

 

[jlw]

It's not quite the same camera as the Konica Auto S3, even though the chassis are very similar. One significant difference is that the Minolta offers full manual exposure (although the meter doesn't work in manual mode.) Also, the Minolta's lens really is as good as he says (at least it was on the example I used to own), the meter works fine on readily-available 1.5v batteries, and the shutter is unbelievably quiet, one of the quietest leaf shutters I've ever used.

Still, the price seems steep, even for a black one. But oh, well -- if you don't ask, you don't get!

Incidentally, the item location he lists (Lombard, Ill.) doesn't correspond to the Zip code he lists (68102, which is Omaha, Nebraska) but maybe that's a typo.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I fully agree with you. The near mint ones attract a lot of money. However, the nicely brassed one I had only realised about 50% more than the standards ones. It's a collector's niche and most will be shelf queens.

As to battery issue, don't forget Pentax. All their meter circuits were balanced bridge which means they can use silver with no adjustment. (BTW, The meter doesn't adjust the voltage, it just uses 1.5v or anything close accurately. A small point but important tecnically. 😉 )

Kim

Two black GIII's, A black Petri Color35, A black Minolta 7S and a black 7sII. I never noticed any appreciable improvement in my photography, but I sure sold all of them for a lot of money.

My favorite black camera, and it only comes in black is the Canon EF "Black Beauty". What a pretty 70's classic. The only known camera with circuitry to compensate for the NLA 1.35v batteries. You can use 1.5 contemporary batteries and the camera automatically adjusts to 1.35V... no adjustment by a camera technician needed.

 

[Kim Coxon]

One way round it, is to list on the US site. Just log on there and any listing will appear in US $ but will also automatically show up on the Aus site as that is the location of the sale. Several EU dealers do the same thing to get round VAT rules. 😉

Kim

Are you allowed to set a reserve price on cameras on the ebay USA site? You're lucky. On the Australian ebay site I can only set a reserve price if I'm selling a car (or similar, in the Motor category, see http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/reserve.html).

If I don't want to risk selling an item below its fair value my only options are to set a high starting price or a "Buy It Now" price.

 

[dmr]

Well, don't hold your breath but the black Canonets are right up there as well. See here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-Canonet-Q...ryZ30027QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

OMG! That's US$600.00!

I might even consider selling mine (black GIII) for that amount if somebody will pay it! Holy {expletive}!

 

[Al Patterson]

OMG! That's US$600.00!

I might even consider selling mine (black GIII) for that amount if somebody will pay it! Holy {expletive}!

I recently saw a Black GIII get to $273 or so, but that one didn't hit the reserve. I wouldn't even go to $200 for one, but if I had one I'd sell it for $273 in a heartbeat. Should we all make a friendly wager on how long that seller waits before lowering their BIN price?

 

[erikhaugsby]

Somebody Bought-it-Now. 😱

 

[agi]

That's insane...I'm selling a black one that was CLA'd by Mark Hama and getting no buyers for $185..then again I haven't really been advertising it (other than my own photoblog) and it does have a few scratches on the rewind knob.