How to assess acquried Rollies

Hello everyone,

 

A couple of years ago we had to put my, camera collecting, uncle into a home

due to Alzheimers. I ended up with all of his cameras, lenses, manuals and

accessories. Quite frankly I am overwhelmed by all this equipment. There are

over 60 cameras alone. I have been doing research using some of the camera

guides from my uncle?s and on the internet. But there are many lenses and

accessories that I can not figure out what they are for. I would like to sell

most of this collection, keeping a few of the better pieces. There are several

Rollei cameras and I was wondering how I can give an accurate description of

these cameras for selling descriptions. I can not afford to have a CLA done on

each of these and I am not familiar enough with using them to take pictures.

Some of them have his receipts from KEH, B&H and other well known shops where he

purchased them, mostly in the 1980s.

 

They all look almost new on the outside but I?m not sure about mechanics, lenses

and screens. Some of the lenses and/or screens appear to be dusty. Is there a

safe way to clean them or must this be done professionally? How can I tell the

difference between a dirty lens and fungus? Bear in mind that I am not familiar

with their operation but I would like to learn when I have more time.

 

Which of the following cameras and accessories do you think are worth keeping

and how can I evaluate these for their condition? This is some of what I have:

 

Grey Baby #2048245 with hard body case

 

Rolleifle MX ? Tessar 3.5/75 (forgot to record #)

 

Rolleicord III (Type 2) # 11082251 with case and a set of lenses attached to

strap: 2) Rolleinar 2-28,5 & 1) Rolleiparkeil 2-28,5

 

Rolleiflex MX (type 2)#1279491 (has a Heidomat f/2.8 75 mm finder lens)

 

Rollei A26

 

Rollei SL35ME ? Planar 1.8/50

 

Binocular leather magnifying focusing hood (like new, in box)

 

Panoram head

 

 

Rollei SL 2000F with all of the following:

 

Rollienar-MC 1:2.8 f=105 w/leather case (Japan)

 

Rolleinar-MC 1:3.5 F=200mm w/leather case (Japan)

 

Rolleinar-MC f=14mm w/leather case (Japan)

 

Rollei-HFT Planar 1.4/50 (Germany)

 

Heidosmat 2.8/85mm

 

Macro lens adapter

 

Planar 1:1.4/50mm HFT (West Germany)

 

Planar 1:1.8/50mm HFT (Singapore)

 

Rolleinar 1.28/135 w/ lens shade

 

Close up lenses E 49 & 4

 

M42 automatic intermediate adapter

 

Focusing screen-clear spot w/reticle

 

Focusing screen-microprism

 

Focusing screen-horizontal split w/RF & microgrid

 

Distagon 2.8/35

 

Soft camera case

 

Universal hand grip

 

3 film magazines

 

Remote power pack connection

 

Handbook ? Rolliflex SL 2000F-Practical Hints

 

Extension set for side assembly

 

Rapid charger

 

Regular battery charger

 

100XLC flash

 

Beta 6 flash unit w/ flash extension

 

Reflector kit for Beta 6

 

Strobo-eye ER and remote sensor

 

Strobonar cable

 

2 right angle flash adapters

 

10m remote release

 

Thanks.

 

Sharon

Hello again.

 

I just read the post How to buy on eBay, on this forum. Wow! That is where I was planning on selling this stuff. I REALLY do not know that much about cameras! This stuff is really from my uncle, John Schauer, and I have some of his receipts to prove it. If I don't do my homework I am afraid that anything I write about these cameras and stuff will sound deceptive. What can I do to assure folks that everything is legit? Money back guarantee? What if I don't get the same camera back? I wish I knew someone in my area that could do evaluations without a lot of cost.

 

Sharon

Hi Sharon,

 

I'm thinking out loud:

 

to get well-acquainted with the collection you got there you will need 10 years of intensive

study. So that's out, imo.

 

If you want sell it all piece-by-piece you will need... well, YEARS, as well. So that's out too,

imo.

Plus you'll prolly get ripped on 85% of 'm because you don't really know the value of what

you're selling.

 

I would make a series of photos of each individual item, plus one of the whole shebang,

then post that latter one, complete with a detailed listing, on Ebay. Then wait for bids for

the whole collection. And subsequently take the best offer.

 

That way you don't have to actually KNOW what you're selling, but you can let the punters

worry about that and let them bid against eachother.

 

Perhaps this method may get this problem out of the way and solved inside a couple

months, instead of years and years...

 

Good luck.

Sharon, I think W. Smith's advice is very bad. He's right to suggest that you sell on eBay, wrong to suggest that you sell the whole collection as a bundle.

 

On eBay, bundles almost always sell for less than the sum of their parts will. The bigger the bundle, the greater the difference.

 

If your goal is to raise as much money as possible, sell the items individually. Describe them as well as you can, include the best digitized images you can make of them in the listings. And then sit back and accept what they sell for.

 

If you sell to a dealer, well, dealers buy for resale and therefore have to offer much less than they expect to get when they resell. But selling to a dealer, for example www.keh.com is much easier than writing listings for eBay and posting them and then collecting payment and delivering.

 

You may be able to form an idea of how much the twin lens reflexes will bring by looking a completed auctions on eBay. The SL2000 and its lenses are another matter, they're not at all common.

 

Which should you keep? If you're not going to use the piece of equipment yourself, there's no reason to hang on to it.

 

Good luck, have fun,

 

Dan

There are firms that will advertise and sell whatever you have on EBay for a percentage. Maybe you can get a recommendation for one near where you live and turn the problem over to them.

Sharon: your real lucky to handle-ing such beautifull cameras,some would give their eye teeth for some of that equipment, My suggestion is slow down and relax remember those who rush will always lose out in the end: Thats my suggestion unless you really need to unload this equipment,for monitary reason? If you look thru the threads here on this forum you will find a party that does appresals on older equipment which is not a bad Idea since you have no knowledge of this equipment, Lets say you invest 20.00dollars per piece

,With what you have They might give you a lot price, I do not know but thats open for discussion between you and the other party, and look at it this way if you invest in the appresals then you have a better Idea what you should get for the equipment: Good luck, and yes I am envious!|||lauren Oh look in the classic camera section of this site you will find that info fast!

Here are some short answers:

 

1. The bundle or package idea is very bad; there could be a sleeper camera in there that

would be worth more than the rest of the entire lot and only the collectors will know and

recognize it.

 

2. Hiring an experienced, reputable company (or find someone through a friend who

regularly deals on ebay and has an account with more than 100 positive responses.) This

is imperative.

 

3. List the cameras separately, one at a time, using the information you have. List the

maker's name, the camera body serial number and the TAKING lens information and serial

number (everything that is written around the lens face.) Also make a condition estimate

ranging from "damaged, not working, too "fair' "good" "exellent" and "excellent +" or

"Looks like new to me."

 

Note that the camera was "inherited from uncle and that you know very little

about cameras but will respond to questions." ALSO, always note any obvious defects,

dents, scratches, etc. Forget about fungus and stuff. Mention "dusty" which is better than

trying to clean a lens without experience.

 

4. ALWAYS say, "Full money back (less shipping) if not satisfied after 3-day inspection."

This is very important to bidders and shows you are not trying to rip people off, as does

prompt response to questions.

 

5. Small accessories can be grouped in no more than five similar items that go with the

same camera. If you can't tell, sell them separately.

 

A little Rollei TLR lens hood with a II or a III on the bottom, in excellent shape, will bring

$65 to $100. With the box, in new shape it might bring $125, and to you it would seem

like just another small accessory worth perhaps a couple of dollars. That's why listing

things separately on ebay is important. A 1960s Rollei brochure that came with the

camera and consists of 4 folded pages will bring as much as $20---yes, for a printed

piece of folded paper!

 

6. Get someone who KNOWS how to take and post good photos on ebay, with uncluttered

backgrounds and good exposures. Go to their site and look at what they are selling now.

You can tell immediately who knows how to photograph stuff for sale and put the photos

up on the site.

 

ALSO make sure the person who you select to sell the stuff uses the small extra cost

option called SuperSizer for the photos so that people can click on the photo and blow it

up larger to see details.

 

7. Hopefully, whoever sells this for you on ebay will know something about selling

cameras and has done it before. The maximum INCLUDING the ebay charges, should be

no more than 20% commission for the person photgraphing the object and listing them on

ebay under their own selling name.

 

NEVER assume that some small item "can't be worth much" because right now I'd pay a

strong price for a Rollienar polarizing filter that fits an Rolleiflex F with 2.8 lens. And all it

looks like is a piece of somebody's sunglasses with an aluminum ring around it that will

turn while the mount remains fixed.

 

GOOD LUCK and pay attention to the above. ALSO, search Ebay for similar cameras and

items to just "scan" them to get an impression of what you have and are selling.

Hi Sharon...

 

My two cents:

 

- Don't bother with a company to sell the collection on EBay for you...they don't know anything about cameras either.

 

- If you decide to sell on EBay, consider selling one or a couple of the cameras first. No need to feel obligated to have the whole lot up for sale at once. That will get you more comfortable with the process. Before you list it, do an "advanced search" for recently completed auctions of identical cameras to get an idea what they are going for.

 

- There really is no such thing as a "fair price"...the market for these cameras is alive and well on EBay, and plenty of serious buyers will get a chance to look at your listings. The final price offered is, by definition, the going rate, and chances are pretty good that your final offer will be in the same ballpark as the recent auctions you checked out. If it makes you feel better, set an opening bid of $20 or something like that, but I assure you that nobody is going to let a good camera go to another person for an "unfair" price.

 

- Consider keeping one for yourself and learning to use it!

 

Cheers, and good luck.

If you are selling several related items, one thing I have noticed on Ebay is timing your sales. I'm not sure I fully understand the sales psychology but if you space out the items they seem to go at higher prices than if listed close together. Take note of the newest listings & don't sell into a saturated market for that item.

 

The above poster is right about the "no questions asked" 3 day 100% refund of price policy(less shipping). It helps to sell the item & avoids negative feedback. If you get negative feedback it will be hard to sell future items and get good prices.

Do not sell all to gether and do not ask someone else to sell for you. Sell yourself on eBay

and just as you have done here explain each item and the circumstances behind the sale.

Start each item at $1 and you are set. It really is not hard.

p.s. none of the items you have listed are particularly valuable so dont worry.

Sell all the parts on ebay "As Is" with no returns. Explain your situation.You don't know what you are doing so people may switch parts on you.

Hello everyone!

 

Thank you for all of your input and ideas. It's been awhile since I've looked through the many boxes of cameras and stuff. There are hundreds of items (lenses, lens adapters, filters, lens hoods, film backs, cables, flash units, brochures, user manuals, repair manuals, tripods, exposure meters, light meters, straps, camera bags and more.) Some of these are in their original boxes with instructions or data sheets. Many of the cameras are in their leather cases (all of the Rolleis). I recorded all the cameras and looked them up in an old 1990-1991 McKeown's price guide a couple of years ago. In addition to Rollei, there are (22)Kodak, (5)Zeiss Icon, (1)Busch Pressman, (1)Minox B, (4)Argus, (2)Balda, (1)Ihagee Exa, (1)Seneca (3)Voigtlander, (1)Honeywell Pentax, (1)Fujica, (1)Asahi Pentax, (1)Nimslo 3D with all accessories and some movie cameras. There were others that I gave to my brother.

 

I'm going to have to really put some thought into this. It could take years to sort everything out. I'll have to sit down and take an accurate inventory of everything along with digital pictures. I'd like to get the most I can from everything but I'd also like to free up some storage space. I agree that selling a group of cameras as a lot is a bad idea. I have been looking at the closed listings on Ebay and have seen they don't bring much. I also saw one for a Rollei where the seller said he paid $200 for a CLA and he only got $160 for the camera. I've bought a few items on Ebay and they are letting new sellers list 3 items for free until Saturday. Maybe I'll try posting a cameras or an accessory that typically goes for about $50 and see how I do.

 

CPeter, I'll let you know if I find the Rollienar polarizing filter you are looking for. It could very well be in there. (I do remember seeing a Rollei lens hood in it's original box.)

 

Thanks again. You folks are great!

 

Sincerely,

 

Sharon

Sharon -

 

You've gotten some v. good advise - especially about selling in pieces on ebay. One small

addition, to expand on something above:

 

When clearing someone's estate or house for them, there is a sense of urgency to get it

done, and done right. Often the urgency (unless there is something else in the picture)

canbe relaxed if possible. Time is on your side, and taking time makes this all a bit easier.

Of course, it still lingers on the conscience, but that is another story. I'm still slowly

disposing of some of my dad's stuff some years later, in part because separating wheat

from chaff is so hard.

 

Having said that, perhaps getting some help in separating some of the big value items

from the smaller ones could be useful - and also setting a threshold helps. For example, if

you have so much to clear, $20 or $50 per item might not be worth it. Perhaps a category

of >$100, and less, and find a way (some vendor?) to take or sell the lesser items for you.

 

Geoff

Hello Sharon. I sell professional camera gear on eBay for a living. I currently have 1122 all positive feedbacks and I sometimes sell for other people too. Some here have offered some very good advice.

 

So that you know...assuming that you started the bid at $1 with no reserve and you used 6 pictures and ebay hosted them with the gallery feature while running a 7 day auction and the buyer paid with pay pal then here are the fees you would pay based on the following "sold" price:

 

$50 sold price you pay eBay $3.51 and Pay Pal $1.90 = total of $5.41 or 11%.

 

$100 sold price you pay eBay $5.31 and Pay Pal $3.34 = total of $8.35 or 8.35%.

 

$500 sold price you pay eBay $17.01 and Pay Pal $14.95 = $31.96 or 6.4%.

 

$1000 sold price and you pay eBay $32.01 and Pay Pal $29.45 = $61.46 or 6.15%.

 

These are fees based on what they're charging now in 2007. That kind of gives you an idea of what you'll pay them. Of course I set my auctions up a little differently so the costs would differ a little but not greatly. There are several ways to run an auction. You can use "buy it now" options, reserves, use a high starting bid with no reserve, yada, yada, yada.

 

If you're going to do it yourself I would just be honest in the descriptions as someone mentioned above. There is debate as to whether or not to offer a money back guarantee but I do. Of course there is that chance that you will have someone who is unscrupulous that drops the camera as he's looking at it and breaks it and then tells you that he received it damaged...but that's very rare. I have found that the whole of photographic people ( especially the professionals that know about this type of gear ) are typically honest, passionate, and fair. Most people just want to know that they're not going to get burned on a deal.

 

If you would like someone that does this for a living to sell it for you on eBay then feel free to contact me and we can discuss fees and such.

 

I would NOT carry it to one of those drop off eBay places to have them sell it for you. In my opinion they do not do a very good job in the least.

 

If you have no interest in me nor anyone else selling it for you on Ebay then I understand completely and I will still be glad to give you some ebay tips if you want to sell it yourself just email me.

 

 

many blessings,

Ken

P.S. I forgot to mention that if an International buyer uses Pay Pal to purchase your equipment then they charge 1% more for an overseas transaction. Many people don't realize this. I have, however, never ever had a problem with an overseas buyer as far as scams go but you always want to be careful. I've met very wonderful people all over the world.

 

Also, if you never have before....as soon as you start dabbling on eBay you'll most likely begin getting letters from scammers. They really prey on new users so always respond to questions and such from your "my eBay" page and not through email. They send fake emails supposedly coming from eBay all the time and they'll steal your account so be careful.

 

all the best,

Ken

Hi all,

 

Thanks again for all the useful information about using Ebay. I've been nosing around the forums there for awhile now and have read about all the scammers and how peoples accounts are being hijacked. It's too bad this kind of thing is happening.

 

Ken Wayne, (one of my best friends has the same name)I may take you up on the offer for help. I'd like to try to sell by myself because I have some other items I'd like to sell too. As Bob the Builder pointed out, there probably isn't anything too valuable in the lot. It seems a shame that my uncle paid so much for this stuff and it's depreciated so drastically since Ebay became established. Receipts show he paid a couple hundred dollars for some cameras that are only going for around $15 now.

 

I did find a Rollei outfit, that was all together in a case, I think I may keep and try to learn to use. Let me know what you think.

 

It's a Rolleiflex MX (type 1) s/n:1221739 and has my uncle's initals nicely inscribed on the back of the focusing hood. It has the release knob for the Rolleikin 2 installed. The Rolleikin 2 is in a hard black case and is in it's original box with German instructions. There are Rolleinar lenses 1 and 2, Rolleipar lenses 1 and 2, filters UV, hellgrun (light green), hellblau (light blue), H-1, and Sport all in a leather case. Other filters, each in their own case, are orange, hellrot (light red), Infra-red and gelb-mittel (medium yellow) and Duto lenses 0 and 1. There's a plate adapter set in it's original box but no instructions, a Rollei lens hood in it's bakelite case, a Rollei panoram head and a 5 1/2" cable release. A German and a English Practical Accessories booklet and a Rolleiflex Automat Instructions for Using (Instrucciones Para El Manejo) booklet. There's also a Weston Master II Model 735 Universal exposure meter (think it doesn't work) in a fitted case with instruction book an 2 different Weston film rating guides.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sharon

Sharon: I have been collecting cameras for 30+ years, both buying and selling (a little). Answers to your question can be long. If you wish, give me your phone number & I will call you. I will then give you information about me and also about how to dispose of the cameras. Daniel

You can consign them all with <a href="http://www.sellmycameras.com">Sell My Cameras .com</A>

<br>

We will sell them all and give you 60% of the profits. Our expertise and knowledge in the field will prove to be a good investment, since we will probably get much more for the cameras than you would, especially if you don't have much feedback. It will also save you lots of time and trouble. We will test and photograph each camera, and sell higher valued items individually to get top dollar. We can also perform some simple repairs and cleaning to help get the best possible prices for your items. You will be provided with links to the auctions and you can watch your cameras sell and just wait for the check! The only hard part is deciding which ones to keep!