Hasselblad Resale

[ray .]

Before I get into a used Hassy system (probably 500 CM), I'm curious what the situation is

for resale. On ebay I see a few dealers glutting the market, and a few private sellers that seem to

have some difficulty getting what they ask for their equipment. I notice that it's also

difficult to

find a private seller who mentions specific CLA's their cam has had, or who did it. Are

potential buyers therefore locked into KEH, David Odess, or other dealers offering warranty for

their used product? Do those that sell most typically dump their gear to a dealer? I know that with

my

Leica

stuff- at any given time since I've had it- I could

recover my investment if I chose to put it on auction. Is this not the case with Hasselblad?

[simon_platt1]

Ray

 

The headlong rush to digital has affected all film camera prices. Hasselblads are still expensive cameras it is just that the used prices have dropped from the extremly high values that they were once at. You need to hunt around in order to get a good deal.

 

Any assurances from a private seller about servicing etc don't really mean that much as you have no comeback if they go wrong after purchase. Any repair guarrantee does not transfer when an item is sold on.

 

So basically if you want a gurrantee you will have to buy from a dealer and thus pay extra for it.

 

However because good digital is so expensive many people are selling off their MF kit in order to finance a new purchase. In this case you can get a near mint camera for a lot less than a new.

 

On you last point I think you will find that unless you have specific highly collectable items of Leica gear they are not worth as much now as you paid for them.

 

You should not think of a camera as something to make money on, it is a tool and the loss in value of time is the price you have to pay to own the tool.

[j_m32]

I assume the reason for the (more or less) sudden price drop in Hasselblad gear is that it used to be the camera that most professionals used. After every pro switched to digital the market was flooded with used Hasselblad gear which made the price go down.

There's not much danger of the same thing happening with Leica gear since it was never (or at least not for a long time) known as a tool pros use for paid work. But we'll see what the M8 will bring :).

 

Buying Hasselblad gear from a dealer may be more expensive but it's much safer. It's always best to factor in the cost of a CLA when buying used Hassy gear from a private seller.

[gary_ferguson1]

Ray, I recently sold my Leica screw thread collection, which included rare items like a Thambar and a black Leica II in near mint condition, believe me prices are well down on where they were five and even ten years ago! I'm sure M equipment is holding up better, but with the announcement of the M8 I guess prices for M film bodies and earlier M lenses will also start to slide.

 

Regarding Hasselblad equipment, personally I think there's fantastic bargains out there. On a 500CM I'd rather see a clean body and a replacemnt Acute Matte focusing screen than a claimed CLA which is probably little more than five minute dust off rather than a thorough job by a reputable engineer.

[bob_the_builder1]

Ray,

 

Prices are constantly going down for SH camera gear, including Hasselblad gear. This is

great if you are a buyer but not so great if you are selling. If you already have your eye on

the resale value of your gear perhaps you should not be buying in the fist place. Unless

you are buying a limited edition highly sought after rare collectors item then should always

factor in a loss on resale the way things have been going for the past several years. There

is a lot of Hasselblad gear for sale on the market and that trend is on the increase. Prices

can only go down for the foreseable future.

[jamespjones]

<p>I agree with the opinions posted here; I am using a 500 C/M and if I were in the

market to buy this would be a great time. To sell - I don't know that the price is going

to go up any time soon, or even maintain current levels. The lenses still have some value;

and to some extent they may be undervalued depending where you look, but the body

prices are falling even as we speak

(or so it seems). I think the lenses will hold their value better than the bodies in the long

run.</p>

 

<p>That being said; it is a great camera. There are lots of local deals to be had; check

with local and regional camera shops and perhaps they can tell you the back story of the

camera. As I once read; you probably want to get the camera that Dentist owned rather

than the one from the pro studio.</p>

 

<p>As a general concept; the cost of the 500 C/M system camera has dropped

dramatically,

without a change in the fundamental quality of the product - it will still produce world

class commercial photographs in the right hands - the digital revolution has not made

cameras fundamentally different ("yet" - i.e. they don't take holographic pictures), but they

have changed the value equation a great deal (the film vs. memory factor + speed

difference).</p>

 

<p>The experience of using the Hasselblad with waist level finder was a fundamental shift

for me and it opened up a whole new world. So, as a resale question; I would assume that

you will lose money on the system whole -> but as a value question; if you enjoy the

camera, you will be getting

your money's worth. It's a great camera.</p><br>

my 2 cents.<br>

<br>

James<br>

<a href="http://www.photographyri.com">Photography RI</a>

[BrianS1664879711]

My comments to you, Ray:

 

1. Buying/selling camera equipment isn't generally considered a good investment plan.

2. Hassy prices are at an all-time low. They may go lower, but not many of us have a crystal ball that knows how low they may go.

3. Since you are talking 500CM you are buying used, and will be selling used... a much better situation than buying new an dselling used.

4. Most camera equipment loses some value through aging and use. It's considered the cost of ownership/cost of use. It's a fact of life.

5. Cutting cost on used equipment might be off-set by the cost of servicing/repair since much of this equipment has had prior professional usage.

[derek_stanton2]

I think the situation is better for the more current Hassy stuff. I have bought and sold a 203FE, 503CW, and two CFE lenses, and haven't lost ANY money. The pieces were used sparingly and sold in the same condition as bought.

 

I do recommend KEH. David Odess seems to be a fantastic fellow, but i haven't purchased from him (yet).

 

I would not count on private sellers and CLAs. CLAs tend to be favored by only heavy commercial users of medium format gear, not like Leica-land, where everyone who buys anything older than an M7 seems to fancy boasting about getting CLAs on everything.... Odd, isn't it? Leica is supposed to be such a robust/built-for-life system, yet the CLA is a routine part of ownership. Most Canon and Nikon people have never heard of such a thing.

 

Anyway, looking at it the other way, it might even be a better idea to avoid CLAd goods, since you have to believe there had been a reason for 'repairs.' Buy from KEH and use the return period to test the gear, or buy from a little old lady in Pasadena who only shot one roll of film. And, buy a more contemporary body. If you really believe you're going to stick with Hassy, get a model with a Gliding Mirror System. You'll appreciate it with lenses longer than 150mm, it'll be easier to sell later, and it'll be less likely to be in need of a CLA.

 

Incidentally, you should also check out the Hasselblad Check to Spec program. $99, for a body, back and lens, i think. I did that, but only because i bought a 203FE with electronics, and the seller wasn't sure of the camera's history.

[lauren_macintosh]

In my limited knowledge of hassey,I started with all the forums I could find ,the best I found was Fred Miranda site helpfull for many things!! But I also used E-bay with extreame caution,I found the following site for hassey with some type of warranty if for some reason you get the hassey and Its not what you expeted you can return it then, Of Course your out the mailing fee?? Lets start with [ david Odess, his equipment is price properly and he warranties that he has daone a CLA on all his equipment] , then there is Shutterbug site on ebay,also tmrproductions on ebay, adorama has a action site,and then the is B&H web site, Also Calumet site, also KEH site and other major camera sellers that will give you some type of warranty,so if its not the way they say it is ,then you can return it for refund or another one???

 

There are plenty of choices out there its just a matter of how much time you wish to spend finding what you want and the price you wish to pay!!!!

 

Now buying for the purpose of making sure you get your value back when you sell it later I would say stay with the 200series or the h-1 or H-2 cameras

 

Just my thoughts::

Mack

[db1]

My ebay purchases:

 

503Cw kit with 80mm CFE lens and A12 back - boxes & manuals - $1000

 

Xpan II kit - with boxes - $1300

 

Hasselblad 40mm CFE FLE with box and leather bag - $1000

 

The list keeps going.

 

Ask the questions. If you like the answers, buy it.

[leicaglow]

I watch the Hasselblad listings constantly. Last week, many items were getting bid way up for some reason, but they've been pretty cheap. I wish I could get the deal I want on a SWC though. I'm always amazed to see decent "looking" 500 C/Ms for $199. I wish the dealers wouldn't part them out though: WLF, winding crank, etc. don't come with it. I only buy from private parties with a reasonable story and starting price. I was burned by a couple of the bigger, well-known dealers who sold me junk.

 

Years ago I owned an M4-2 and f/1 Noctilux. I had to sell it to go back to college. I've been trying to find a deal on a Leica setup, but it seems their prices are still pretty firm.

[h._p.]

" not like Leica-land, where everyone who buys anything older than an M7 seems to fancy boasting about getting CLAs on everything"

 

I think the word "boasting" is the operative term there. In my experience, Leicas are pretty reliable pieces of kit. Mind you, I was once told by a schools photographer, someone who exposed twenty rolls of film on five days every week, that a Nikon F would last about 6 months, a Leica M a year and a Canon FT indefinitely, under that form of treatment. As he ran a team of forty operators, I was inclined to assume he knew what he was talking about.

[wayne_crider4]

Don't expect to get out of it what you put into it, and although bodies/ older kits are cheap, glass can still be expensive for certain focal lengths. 50mm, 100mm, 180mm still command higher prices which sometimes precludes having one for the occasional shots. Investment wise I don't believe Hasselblad is going to go anywhere but down after watching them for 2 years. My 2 year old investment is now worth approxmately 1/3rd less on E'boink. In MF I still believe a good Rollei TLR the best value holding camera if you can deal with a fixed lens.