When is the perfect time to sell film cameras?

[pachuco]

I have decided that the only film gear I will sell are Leica's unless I resign myself to basically giving away my gear. I have Canon FD bodies and lenses, Minolta bodies and lenses, and Yashica gear that will get me next to nothing compared to what I purchased them for. My advice is to find money in other ways if you need it. This way hurts too much.

 

[Roger Hicks]

When?

When you stop using them, or stop enjoying using them.

You might as well ask, "When do you sell your daughter?"

Easy answer: When the money is worth more to you than she is.

Tashi delek,

Roger

 

[JohnTF]

FYI-->


Just came from the Photorama show, KEH, as estimated by several people, bought up perhaps $70K worth of equipment.

Some stuff has a market, some not.

I had to force myself to keep from buying a mint OM 1 with lens, caps and case for $50.

Some folks would not part with stuff because they wanted retail at a wholesale buyer.

Particular SLR lenses, very nice shape, were being bought for $100, a Pentax AF with lens, $110, the owner threw in the flash, case and book.

Minolta SRT and a Canon AE1-- $20 for both.

Three Vintage Voigtlanders, probably in need of a cla, $60, -- buyer was writing checks for 7 hrs straight, there was a huge line of folks with airline carry-ons full of equipment.

Leica equipment, some was in need of a lot of TLC, still brought good coin.

Mamiya C220, C330f, 55mm, two 80mm, 150mm, and some odds and ends brought a bit over $200.

Some folks were happy, others not. A Mamiya 1000s, no offer.

Roger's RF book, a gift from a friend, thanks.

Regards, John

 

[Al Patterson]

When?

When you stop using them, or stop enjoying using them.

You might as well ask, "When do you sell your daughter?"

Easy answer: When the money is worth more to you than she is.

Tashi delek,

Roger

Well, I don't have a daugther, but even if I did I'd never sell one. Kind of like my cameras...

 

[aizan]

i'll start worrying when the big pro labs downtown stop developing color film.

 

[marke]

FYI-->Just came from the Photorama show, KEH, as estimated by several people, bought up perhaps $70K worth of equipment.

Did you end up buying anything?

I was at the Chicago Photorama a couple weeks ago. Two years ago I bought a working Zorki 1e (not from KEH) with a couple of clean Industar lenses for $70. This year I got three Hewes ss developing reels (two 35mm and one MF) with two ss tanks for $7.

 

[Merkin]

For most film equipment, the best time to sell is ten to twenty years ago, so get to work on that time machine

Today, if you are trying to sell SLR equipment, the best time is at the beginning of each college semester, when art students are looking to buy cameras and lenses. That is about the only consistent time when demand is higher than it is the rest of the year.

 

[BillBingham2]

When you need to in order to put food on the table or keep folks from knocking on the door.

B2 (;->

 

[pesphoto]

When you need to in order to put food on the table or keep folks from knocking on the door.

B2 (;->

best answer yet.

 

[raid]

When you need to in order to put food on the table or keep folks from knocking on the door.

B2 (;->

This is an absolute must, of course.
It is interesting to read what some RFF fellows are thinking of when seeing such a thread. The responses range from "no sale" to "should have sold" ... etc. to "what a crazy thread"....:angel:

 

[johnastovall]

If you weren't using them, it would make sense to sell. What wouldn't make any sense would be to hold onto a camera that isn't being used, when someone else could be making pictures with it.

John, what kind of 8x10 are you considering? I picked up a 97 year-old Conley 4x5 that still has a semi-operating shutter. That will probably be something I start using when I have my darkroom completed.

People have cameras they don't use? Funny concept.

A Deardorff or Wister 8x10.

 

[dap]

For newcomers top quality darkroom hardware is going to be very hard or expensive to get : A lot of good stuff has already been trashed and the companies that used to make it (with the economies of scale) don't anymore.

I agree with you on this one. I took advantage of the big darkroom sell-off that has been happening the last couple of years (picking up gear that I always wanted for pennies on the dollar). I have definately noticed that there seems to be less top notch gear offered as of late. It makes me sick to think about how much irreplaceable darkroom gear has hit the curbside in the last 5 years. I would imagine that what hasn't been thrown out is being mothballed (instead of taking a monumental loss on their gear guys store it and forget about it).

 

[JohnTF]

Did you end up buying anything?

I was at the Chicago Photorama a couple weeks ago. Two years ago I bought a working Zorki 1e (not from KEH) with a couple of clean Industar lenses for $70. This year I got three Hewes ss developing reels (two 35mm and one MF) with two ss tanks for $7.

I may still buy a few things I held in my hand, a 25mm CV, and I am looking for a good RF set up for my colleague Zuzana. I did pick up a Leitz viewfinder, the books, and a Baby Graflex with a 6x9 roll film back, and breakfast. A woman had an M4 with 35mm, dual range, and 90mm F2? I took the roll of film out for her, it had been in about 12 years.

I think some attics are relaxing more tonight.

KEH does not sell at shows AFAIK, though I suppose some friendly swapping goes on between dealers.

I would have bought an FM 10 half frame had I known the price had dropped by half, though what I would have done with it, I am not sure. I know he had held it for about a year.

For some reason, light tables were in abundance, with a friend offering one that was about 4' long to a good home. There was some darkroom equipment, and little film, no paper.

The room was small, and the crowd larger than expected, I think 300 or so showed up.

There were some Zorki's at the last show that went very low.

I should have posted the event in RFF, but I have not been on line much lately. They are switching over to email notification, so anyone who wants a heads up should visit the www.photorama.com site, or I could wake up and post it here.

My friend Igor bought and sold some RF equipment, he has a couple Bessa L's now, sold an R2, bought and sold some Leica. I know there is a collector's annual show in Sept. at the same location in Richfield, a few different faces.

Regards, John

 

[palec]

I have bought film cameras to die with me, although I've already sold some (because of duplicity). Never considered their resale value at first, but their serviceability.

 

[Lilserenity]

My immediate thought was "How long is a piece of string"

But thought that would sound sarcastic.

But seriously, it depends on so many factors. Selling anything depends on many factors. Most crucial is who is in the market at the time because they could pay a price that you wouldn't usually get.

There's never a surefire right time to sell something, sometime you'll win, sometime you'll lose. E.g. I bought an eMac 1.25 (pretty decent one) 2 years ago off that auction site for £56! It was sheer luck of the draw, because the others around it went for over £250! But I also sold my old PC which the eMac at the time replaced for £38, it was worth at least £80.

Personally I'd keep hold of the camera unless you are absolutely desperate for money or space.

 

[notturtle]

sell when you dont want it any more and the price is right.

I use my film kit and would not be mortified if my kits was worth pennies in 20 years. What the kit will allow me to do between now and then is priceless.

Film has long legs... even if there are only a handful of manufacturers left. If anyone would give up shooting if TriX or FP4+ or whatever became unavailable they are shooting for the wrong reason. So there will be film aplenty for those who are flexible for some time. Come on, be realistic; Ilford Harman just released two new new Kentmere films! Colour is a diff matter tho.

 

[notturtle]

the cheap darkroom giveaway is great news, but the issue is repair and availability in the future. It is possible that once the throw outs are over, the kit will circulate among film users and prices will rise due to availability issues....

Selling my Devere 10x8 enlarger is going to be interesting....

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Darkroom stuff is tough. I ended up having to just throw everything away several years after I closed my darkroom down. Couldn't give it away. Three enlargers, including an 45MCRX with colorhead, lots of electronic stuff, stainless sinks, well, everything that makes a darkroom. Nobody would buy it. No public school within 100 miles of me has a darkroom anymore. The University that is about 60 miles away said they would take it but only if I delivered it all to them (and then they were just going to store it). Sad, really.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Darkroom stuff is tough. I ended up having to just throw everything away several years after I closed my darkroom down. Couldn't give it away. Three enlargers, including an 45MCRX with colorhead, lots of electronic stuff, stainless sinks, well, everything that makes a darkroom. Nobody would buy it. No public school within 100 miles of me has a darkroom anymore. The University that is about 60 miles away said they would take it but only if I delivered it all to them (and then they were just going to store it). Sad, really.

Yes...sad - I remember feeling the same when they were breaking up row after row of steam locomotives, after electrification and diesel power was introduced!

 

[notturtle]

Thousands of Spitfires met the same unceremonious end. What a national crime that was I heard something to the effect of it being voted the most beautiful machine ever made and would be inclined to agree.

I can't see Leicas or any modern RFs really losing much value to be honest as the market is moderately stable now; small, but stable.