Would Bessaflex TM make a good investment?

[Hlass]

A shop locally to me in Sydney has a Sliver Bessaflex TM body for $449AUS and a 40mm lens for the same at $399AUS.

Given the small production run do you think this Camera will appeciate at all in worth?

Would it be a good investment for sale in say five to ten years?

 

[FrankS]

Have you noticed the prices of used 35mm SLR cameras during this past year? Simply...no.
IMO

 

[Nando]

I'd recommend looking for a nice Pentax MX instead. I almost got the Bessaflex but then friend of mine dumped his unusable Pentax MX (bad focusing screen) and a bunch of really good PK lenses on me after going all digital. In looking for a replacement screen on eBay, I scored a really nice MX body for just over $100 that was recently CLA'd. It has a bright finder with 97% coverage and it can take a ton of lenses including the m42 lenses with an adapter. Plus its very compact being just slightly a bit thicker than a typical rangefinder because of the mirror box. I find that the meter is pretty good. The camera is all mechanical so you can still use it when the batteries run out. I've handled a bunch of manual SLR's since but I don't think I would ever give up the MX unless it is to upgrade to a Pentax LX.

 

[Hlass]

I'd recommend looking for a nice Pentax MX instead. .

You misunderstand. I was interested in the Bessaflex as a possible investment. I thought it may go up in worth given the name and the comparativly small production run. Oddly I already have a MX, a lovely little camera which i never use.

 

[Mazurka]

Cameras make poor investments -- unless they are collectible items like the Leica M6J, KE-7, etc bought years ago.

The silver Bessaflex would not be collectible without the matching 58/1.4 "Topcor" lens. Even as a set, they'll probably have good resale value rather than an actual ROI.

 

[Nando]

Sorry, I did not give your original post the attention it deserved. I just went by the title of the thread.

However, I noticed that Pentax MX prices have gone up recently. 😀

 

[Pablito]

You misunderstand. I was interested in the Bessaflex as a possible investment. I thought it may go up in worth given the name and the comparativly small production run. Oddly I already have a MX, a lovely little camera which i never use.

Cameras make just about the worst possible investment.

 

[Graham Line]

The cash you would spend would make a better investment. Forecasting collectibles is pretty difficult. Ask all the people with sealed boxes of baseball cards. Previously, Cosina products haven't shown any growth as collectibles.

 

[Doug]

Seems to me the best collectibles are those which were very desirable when new, and generated a good reputation over time. They may increase in value, but they have to be in excellent condition, and even then the increase may not keep pace with inflation.

I bought a 1958-made button rewind Leica M2 body in 1967 for $150. Considering current selling price, did I make a good investment? I don't know about its value vs inflation, but it was a good deal if only because I've had 40 years use of it. 🙂

 

[pvdhaar]

They may increase in value, but they have to be in excellent condition

Unless they've been owned by someone who'se status determines its value.. in that case, the worse shape it's in, the better.

Winogrand's M4, Warhol's Minox, etc..