Upwardly mobile ($) equipment - buy keep or sell?

Upwardly mobile ($) equipment - buy keep or sell?

  • Sell it - quick!

    Votes: 10 28.6%

  • Buy it - quick!

    Votes: 1 2.9%

  • Speculate - buy to sell higher!

    Votes: 3 8.6%

  • Don’t care - Just shoot!

    Votes: 21 60.0%
  • Total voters
    35
jmilkins

jmilkins

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So RFF,
I love old “high end” film kit, because in the early 90s when I worked in camera stores, it was unaffordable, but generally, now (excepting Leica) it has come down in price.

E.g. Contax G, Hexar, Nikon FM2Ts, F4s, Minolta 9s etc etc etc.

However in some cases, I’ve noticed priced climbing again. Current example is Konica Hexar AF galloping back up towards $800+ from a low of say $350.

(Yes, I know, bargain hunters and patient people will find the gems still.)

Long preamble, but short question - With gear that is appreciating in value what do you do?

1. Sell at a profit
2. Buy as quick as possible to avoid price rises
3. Buy to (hopefully) sell at a profit
4. Don’t care about the $ side - just shoot!
 
It seems film camera prices are going up. But can you make money this way? I doubt it. If you want a film camera, maybe now is the time to buy. To stock up on them, risk buying a dud, finding the market goes left of where you pitch your buying etc: no point. Better to invest in stocks, certainly in Australia with dividend income and imputation tax credits. There's always Bitcoin if you dare. Cameras are for using.
 
Hi,

Prices go up and then seem to hesitate and then start coming down again.

Buying to sell involves a bit of luck, a bit of testing and that can cost and then more luck selling. Look at ebay's "completed" sales to see the wide range of prices things get. You'll find it under the advanced search opinions.

There's probably more fun buying cameras to play with and enjoy by taking photo's. And the most enjoyable ones often can be the cheapest...

Regards, David


PS (Edit) It will pay you to look at battery prices and, perhaps, decide which ones you'll never touch. It also pays to look at prices of things like lens caps and so on. These can wipe out profits...
 
I have actually sold Summicron 35mm v4 because prices are now crazy for those chrome made in Germany versions and I was happy enough with my Nokton 35/1.4, but in general I keep those hyped lenses/cameras that I bought many years ago and now can sell for a considerable profit (e.g. Hexar AF, Contax T2, Mju IIm Zuiko 50/1.2 lens and most of my Leica lenses). I just love them and keep on shooting.
 
jmilkins said:
With gear that is appreciating in value what do you do?

1. Sell at a profit
2. Buy as quick as possible to avoid price rises
3. Buy to (hopefully) sell at a profit
Click to expand...

I am confused. Are we talking about gear you already have, or stuff you might buy just to flip?
 
css9450 said:
I am confused. Are we talking about gear you already have, or stuff you might buy just to flip?
Click to expand...


Having one does not restrict you from buying more if you find a nice deal 🙂 I will always buy Yashica T4 or Mju II (even if I have already several) if it sells for less than 20 EUR...
 
Buying to invest takes all the fun out of owning anything. I would have to be so careful, I probably won't use it as intended.
I've never been able to pick a winner anyway, even with something as sure to rise in value as old film cameras.
 
Film camera prices do seem to be going up. I was toying with the idea of re-purchasing another 120mm Makro-Planar, having sold mine some time ago. They are running $150 or $200 higher than I remember seeing a year or so ago.

Still, I think the best policy is to buy what we need, sell what we don't.
 
Interesting and varied views thanks - there is no correct answer in my view. My answer is in fact not even in the poll - Procrastinate!

It most closely matches Option 4. What I find happens is that I hang on to gear I think I should probably sell that I might not be able to buy again at the higher prices - anticipatory sellers remorse I guess.

But the Just shoot component of Option 4 can be hampered by that issue of decision paralysis - which bit of gear to take out!

The solution is probably to grit one’s teeth and sell, though I’ll never be in the 1 camera 1 lens club...
 
If lenses going up in prices, most likely they are trendy lenses and on demand for digital.

If film cameras going up in price, sometimes it is because Kardashain #z has mentioned what this camera was purchased by her. Or it was at some other trendy thread. Like hunt for cameras dot com.

With any of cameras listed in OP here is the common problem. If you buy or keep them for use, they will fail due to electronics. And then it is paper weight. This is common trend for film now. More and more advanced cameras made in the past are aging to the time of failure and here is no service, parts. Hexar is one particular example.
Is here warranty for profitable sale if camera is not in use? I'm not so sure about it...
 
It kind of depends on whether you are actually using the cameras and lenses to make images, doesn't it? If not, it is pretty simple: if you think they will depreciate, sell them; if you think they will appreciate, keep them.
 
On he other hand, do you sell it while it has some value to someone else, or leave it to get mouldy or rot in a drawer leaving you without the camera or the money and the buyer without the joy of using the product?

I think if it's not being used for a while pass it on and let someone else enjoy it. The profit aspect is neither here nor there, on some items you win, on others you lose. I believe on the whole you'll win.

But you already know what I think...
 
michaelwj said:
On he other hand, do you sell it while it has some value to someone else, or leave it to get mouldy or rot in a drawer leaving you without the camera or the money and the buyer without the joy of using the product?

I think if it's not being used for a while pass it on and let someone else enjoy it. The profit aspect is neither here nor there, on some items you win, on others you lose. I believe on the whole you'll win.

But you already know what I think...
Click to expand...


The motivation for this thread is not a “what should I do?”, but more a general interest in what others do amongst those who may have a camera or two more than they are actively using at home.

I ‘d certainly rather see wonderful cameras of the past be used rather than sit on a shelf- all those potentially great images they could be making!

That said though, I don’t disagree with the pleasure of bringing them out and reminiscing...

And anyway, if I sold my small surplus, how would I be able to lend them to my “one cam one lens” friend....😀
 
If they are worth anything significant and you don't use them, don't plan on using them, don't have some reasonable contingency in mind for when you would use or need them, aren't emotionally attached to them, don't regard them as decorative or fondle items in their own right, aren't a collector, and don't see them as an investment, then sell them. Can be difficult to work out where particular cameras sit in all that of course. Personally i try to avoid the decorative/fondle, collector and investment causes as major reasons for retaining this kind of stuff.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
My vote was for, "Sell it - quick!"

I once owned two Nikon F2 titanium bodies that became my favorite cameras. However, they were rapidly appreciating in value due to collectors buying them. Since I am a user and not a collector, I sold them for a profit because I feared they would depreciate in value due to wear and tear if I kept using them.

I used the money to purchase two Nikon F4 bodies that I could use without depreciation worries.
 
If you think it's getting too hot to hold in your hands, then by all means sell it. You'll never be happy thinking about all the depreciation every time you use it.

PF
 
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