KEH prices INSANE now

The 50% sudden jump in Mamiya 6 bodies mentioned earlier as an example is kinda drastic. It wasn't a gradual climb and seemed to just go vertical. I find this alarming.
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Or you could consider yourself lucky. The prices of some Pentax 645 lenses have doubled, or more, since the 645D was introduced.
 
With all these economic terms used here and there and talk of insanity, we should not forget that after all we're talking about pawnshop-grade used cameras of an out-dated technological made.

We're not talking of wheat prices, or crude oil and we should not forget that... The 'demand' for used cameras are completely elastic and at no point someone is forced to purchase them, unless due to some pathological collector OCD... the prices in my local pawnshop can rise as much as they want I don't care.


On a completely different note and more relevant to current photography trends:

"Rollei 8x zoom lens for iPhone

Building on the brand's illustrious heritage in the medium format sector, RCP-Technik has applied the Rollei name to a clip-on 8x F1.1 telephoto zoom lens for the iPhone 4. Priced at €34.95, the manual focus lens will be available by the end of this month including a hard case, a mini tripod and tripod mount."

RTEmagicC_Rollei_8x_Tele_mit_Stativ.jpg.jpg


http://www.dpreview.com/news/1104/11041405rolleilensiphone4.asp
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Cal,

Fair enough: 50% is not trivial. But might it not be the case that the price before was ridiculously low, and is now more realistic? Not knowing about Mamiya 6 cameras, I can't really judge. What percentage of the new price are they selling for?

Perhaps we have been used, for too long, to the aftermath of the Gadarene rush to digital. People bought and sold good cameras because they were dirt cheap and it was almost a pocket money hobby. Now they're no longer dirt cheap, and a few digi-converts are buying back into film, they look expensive.

I don't know. But I am reasonably confident that compared with what second-hand top-flight cameras cost 20 or 30 years ago, there is a much smaller price difference between interesting but non-pro gear (Retinas and Olympus OMs, for example) and top-flight cameras such as Hasselblads and Nikons. They tend to be lumped together now as 'film cameras' for 'enthusiasts' or 'collectors' ('collectors' in this case including people who put a few rolls of film through their cameras per year). Formerly cheap cameras cost proportionately more; formerly 'professional' cameras cost proportionately less.

Cheers,

R.
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Roger,

Your point on great pro cameras that suffered severe price drops that presented themselves as real bargains is well taken. I own three Nikon F3's, and the glut of F3's due to digital converts abandoning film made owning a Nikon Pro camera easily affordable to almost anyone. The durability of the F3 body exacerbated the glut to the point that the market was flooded so badly that user F3's could be readily had for under $100.00. At one point within the last year you could of literally loaded up with Nikon F'3's as throw away cameras they were so plentiful.

But today at Adorama, I see only the dreggs that are leftover for parts, missing VF'ers, and non working cameras. Also this kinda happened suddenly within the past month or so. Surely such a sudden change is drastic and alarming.

Next came the huge price increase on the Mamiya 6 to provoke me.

Perhaps the Mamiya 6 is not representional, nor the best example for this discussion, but it is a fine camera and is held in high regard. I bought my body for $900.00 at KEH which had a long stable price history at that price, even though I bought mine over a year ago. Since I was a regular customer, regularly I also get advertisements mailed to me from KEH, and as a matter of habit I would always check the current pricing of gear I own. The new price is now $1365.00, more than a 50% increase. The increase was that sudden-a vertical jump.

To be fair though I don't see them selling at these prices, and they remain available. Very rude and WTF? To me things somehow are not right.

BTW I am lucky to be like you: I don't really need anymore gear, and have no need to buy or sell.

Cal
 
kevin m said:
Or you could consider yourself lucky. The prices of some Pentax 645 lenses have doubled, or more, since the 645D was introduced.
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I do consider myself lucky. I bought at a time when I could cull for quatity and cleanliness. I also got good deals at great prices, but today I'm kinda priced out of the market.

I'm glad and greatfull that I own and have all the gear I need. Like Roger I have no need to buy or sell.

Cal
 
jsrockit said:
Somehow, I don't believe you... 😀
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I know you have heard it before from me, but as you know I only really buy. I rarely ever sell, but I'm at the point now where I generally shoot with two cameras to regularly use all my gear. I realized that I'm kinda at a saturation point.

Cameras are like watches in that they need regular use or else they become maintenance liabilities. I really need to shoot even more to exercise my cameras and use what I have.

Put an inch on my chest since last summer and gained 5 pounds of muscle, partially from carrying gear. LOL.

Cal
 
dovi said:
Its getting Sunny and warm. I expect prices to be high right about now.
Ill check back on these prices later in the year after the vacation season...
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I think this may have something to do with it 🙂

when days are getting shorter I fell poorer....

in spite of this I began a big lens binge last september..good timing I guess.

Now even the stuff I overpaid for seems fair.

I better stop buying and start shooting.
 
So prices for 35mm gear at KEH seems rather high these days which means you can either whine about it like a little girlie man or you can go over the medium format section and order yourself a complete bargain condition RB67 kit for under $300 🙂 *Other MF gear also seems nicely priced*
So if you're currently suffering from a sever case of GAS and already have a 35mm film camera(s) maybe its time to cure it with a nice does of MF 🙂
 
I've been a KEH customer for 20 years.

Prices on BGN condition F2a and others with meter heads look to be at a low.

F3HP BGN price bodies are not at bottom, but not far from it. $149 gets you an F3HP with MD-4. That is less than 10% of the price that it was when new. I bought two new ones almost 10 years ago.

Price for EX and better is high as it represents a rapidly vanishing stock. If you are a shooter, the $109 BGN grade F3HP works as well as my Mint F3HP. The latter is going to cost about 60% of what I paid.
 
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