Have graphic prices gone up?

I bought a fairly nice crown graphic about 18 months ago for $100.

(ebay) As I recall, it took me about 4 tries to get one at that

price. The others I watched went for only a little more.

 

It seems to me that they are going for more these days. Is it my

imagination? Or are people suddenly really after these? I've been

looking for a second, but there aren't any I can afford.

"18 months ago" is an era in todays camera market.

 

Notice that Fuji 6x9s were a give-away 18 months ago, and now even a beat up will bring $500; with most approaching $1000. This is for a film camera.

 

I think we are beginning to see the beginning of "cult" status for superb film cameras capable of taking extraordinary images. The graphic has a rightful place in that stratus.

 

--- JDR

They went 'way down for a few months, about the time that you got yours. Now they're back up where they were before. Apparently an article in VC raised the interest.

Although most things trend up and down on Ebay,like any other market,

I have a theory why the larger format classic cameras have recently become more popular.

 

 

Scanning---

 

I think many people were buying these (for a song) because they can get buy without the expense and room for an enlarger the size of a refridgerator--

 

pearls of wisdom from the market-

 

"the trend is your friend"

 

"buy low,sell high"

Many people seem to be getting into black and white home processing these days, or least that's what it looks like based on forum posts. They are likely getting advise on what equipment is worth getting and what is not, so the good stuff is going up in price.

 

- Randy

Yes, as fewer film cameras are made, and people see digital has limitations, film cameras,

particularly large and medium format, are going back up.

This paralells what happened in the movie camera market. Ten years ago I sold my Bolex Rex

16mm, with a full compliment of lenses (including the desirable 10mm) for a paltry $175 US.

Now I'd be lucky to buy it back at twice that.

So what lens did you get on your Graphic?

I think it really is just a matter of fashion and shifting market preferences. There seems to be no logical explanation. A year ago, Japanese rangefinders from the 70s were fetching the big bucks. Now prices for them have dropped considerably (just when I had some to sell. Stupid fashion!!). Now virtually any MF roll film camera seems to bring in the, uh, high rollers!

I noticed a similar trend with the Moskva 5 -- when I originally bought one a few years back I got it for the going price around $50. When I sold it, they were all going close to $100, so I actually turned a small profit. Just the other week, I recommended to my friend to get one because she wanted a compact MF camera, and we noticed that the prices seem to be back down into the $40-50 range again.

I got the standard 127mm ektar on mine. It has a really nice look to it, actually. I've since picked up a 200mm, which is why I was looking for a second body. I never use the 200 because my rangefinder is set up for the 127.

 

I have 2 canonets too, and that market is strange. Seems to be all over the place, and the chances of getting a dead one are so high. I would love to find an Olympus RD, but I'm sure I'll never find a cheap one.

 

I'm also currently looking for a medium format folder with coupled rangefinder, and I'm clearly not the only one looking. I'm surprised that they would be so desireable, but prices seem quite high. The Moskva is reasonable, but others aren't. Not even the Iskra.

 

I must confess, though, I almost always shoot digital. Most of my shooting is for work/school, which is digital, and I never seem to have time to shoot and develop film.

The 127 Ektar was the better lens for the Graphics. I have the 135 Wollensak Raptar, which is not bad at all. If you can find a 90mm Schneider Angulon in press shutter, get it. That's my fave lens. The Canonet market IS very bizarre. The QL19, goes for very little money. But the only slightly different QL17 goes for a lot.

I don't know how anyone can think prices of film cameras are going up. They are dropping like a stone. Just look at the completed auctions on Ebay, lots of them don't even get a bid and those that get bids get nothing like the prices they did 2-3 years ago. Prices will always vary to a certain extent based on the condition of the camera and how many competing bidders there are, but prices on the whole are dropping considerably.

Most of the Zorki's with F2 Jupiter-8 and case I got prior to 9/11 only cost 15 to 18 dollars, WITH yak hair string and AIRMAIL to the USA. via EBAY. My Moscova 5 was 45 bucks from the Ukrain with shipping. My Orion-15 was about 55 dollars before 9/11. The Kodak Ektra with 50mm F1.9 I got was about 400 bucks several years back. <BR><BR>With alot of my speed graphic stuff; I just buy a larger offering. I bought for about 390 bucks a case; flash, dozen + filters, two 127mm Ektars, a 3x4 and 4x5 camera, and a 12cm F6.8 angulon and an exposure meter; air release, 4 cables; mess of cable releases and some FP bulbs about 5 years ago. <BR><BR>Cameras and stocks go thru cycles. Buy value at the lows; IF you really think the "tool" is going to serve you well.