Hasselblad 500 Price List

Folks

 

I am interested in how the relative values of the Hasselblad system have

changed over the years. Does anyone have a price list for the classic 500C or

C/M system and accessories for the 1960s or 1970s which they would be willing

to let us share?

 

John

Your best bet is to a hold of some old photo magazines and check the prices in the back of the used dealers. Remember tho that in your comparison, Eboink changed the whole landscape when it came on the scene and provided a direct selling format for private sellers, especially as a generally lower priced auction format, and as a result price changes fluctuated according to events such as 9-11. As we know prices have tended down, especially fast when the pro's when digital. If you are interested in some old magazines I can send some to you for the cost of shipping.

John, I saw a pricelist recently. You might check out hasselbladusa.com or do a search. The thing that surprised me is how much they were going for in the 1960s. Oh, here's what I was thinking. It's hard to read though: http://www.hasselbladusa.com/about-hasselblad/history/a-new-age-camera.aspx

 

The pricing is at the bottom of the brochure image.

I do have a Hasselblad price list from February 1972. A complete 500C/M with 80mm was $880, EL/M $1130, SWC $1040. That is suggested retail though; I recall them being less in the photo magazine ads.

Wayne's may be the best!

 

Here are some prices from April 1978 in $US dollars:

 

Executive Photo: 500 C/M kit = 949

 

Barry's Cameraa: 500 C/M kit = 899

 

Cambridge Camera Exchange:

500 C/M kit = 848.50;

500 C/M body only = 347.89;

2000FC kit = 1640;

500 EL/M body only = 617.89.

 

47st. Photo:

SWC complete = 1349;

500 C/M body only = 449.19;

500 EL/M = 649.50

 

By Aug 1980, Cambridge was up to:

500 C/M kit = 1474;

2000 FC = 2261;

500 EL/M body only = 972;

500 C/M body only = 594

 

That is a really, really big increase in 2 years!! Also paid to shop around.

 

Of course, you need an inflation calculator to make sense of the numbers, but they would be high, I think, back then. Certainly compared to 2nd hand these days...

Thanks for all your replies. What I am interested in is new prices, not second-hand, and what they represented as a proportion of average income in say 1965 to what they represent now. I have figures for the value of GBP through time in terms of inflation, and also average income for the UK for the post WW2 period. What I don't have is a price list for the 500 camera system, accesories, lenses etc for the period say 1960 to 1970 ish, although obviously I have the current prices for new kit here in Britain.

 

John

The prices I quote are for new! Just the wrong country for you. But the idea of locating old British magazines is possibly the best. Or a camera shop with an historical record.

I believe Robert Monaghan's (where are you, Bob?!) megasite contains such info. Somewhere.<br>I don't have the link available right now, but maybe Google & Friends can help.

If I remember right after all these years, the SWC was always advertised in an awe-inspiring way -- as if Victor H. brought the 38mm Biogon down from the Mount -- and the SWC price was always high. I guess it still is even for the older superwides through the 905.<div></div>