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Used Hassie prices skyrocketing?


victor4

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Just wanted to share this with someone. It's just too weird. On the

big auction site there was a "rear cover multi control" which sold

for US$33.00. ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?

ViewItem&category=3351&item=3870394553&rd=1 )

 

Just happened to spot the item at $15 and followed it just to see

what would happen. B&H has the same thing brand new for $14.00. Or am

I missing something? Is the auctioned one special somehow, maybe

scratches in all the right places?

 

kinda makes one wonder... vic :)

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It is more the case that people freak out in the auction when they could be better off just

looking at B&H or KEH to find the same thing at a much better price. Times like that it is

good to be a seller as you watch those who are quickly separated from their money stomp

on each other in an effort to throw it at you.

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<< Subject: Used Hassie prices skyrocketing? >>

 

Not if you are trying to sell! I just got an internet quote from KEH to buy two of my Hassy bodies. They offered $50 for my 500ELX in good mech. condition and $500 for my 2000FCW in excellent condition. Not worth selling at those prices. I might as well keep them as backups, which I already have anyway. 4 bodies is too many for anyone!

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I've seen that "phenomenon" happening many times at eBay, where some people end up paying a lot more for a used item than what the new one sells for. I agree, it must be the excitement of winning the auction.

 

Regarding KEH, out of simple curiosity, a couple of years ago I asked them how much they would pay me for my Rollei SL66 kit (camera, lens, back and WL finder)in excellent cosmetic and mechanic condition. They offered me about $100.00. I just laughed at them...

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An interesting question. I'm no market pundit, but I do keep my eyes open and buy things from time to time.

 

What I have noticed is a firming up of some Hasselblad prices (V series) especially from mid 2004 'til now. Mid last year I picked up some of the best Hassey/Zeiss glass secondhand used from dealers and privately (mint gear) for ridiculous prices that seem to have started to climb by 25-30% since. Maybe waht we have seen in the past few years was the floor.

 

But, for the overall MF market I doubt much has changed.

 

A large secondhand dealer I know feels the same. Other pro dealers feel there is some bite back against digi - pros renting gear they once owned; clients requiring trannies; publishers starting to order shoots with LF film gear.

 

Of course though, the sale of MF gear to dealers is still likely to be quite depressing for vendors. The margin gap is still wide and maybe some vendors are being opportunistic.

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I am a user/collector of Hassy, Linhof, Leica, Zeiss and Graflex. I watch Ebay daily. In the past three months I have noticed a price increase on the high end stuff such as 350mm Superachromats, Biogons, and certain Leica lenses. For instance: In 2004, three-four auctions for 350mm Superachromats were conducted. The highest priced for a used mint condition was $3400. Another mint lens was listed three times at $3200 and finally sold. Recently....there has been four which have sold for over $5000, with several bidders on each lens.

 

It does pay to do your homework before rushing into bidding as prices do seem to go in waves.

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In these apparently overpriced auction items where the buyers and sellers live can have a big bearing on the real economics of the matter.

 

I live in the UK but I am well aware of the prices B&H or KEH offer however the price to me would be very greatly increased once shipping cost and customs/VAT is added. If I buy from within the EU in most cases I will pay no customs/VAT and the shipping will be half the cost.

 

So buying used at about the same price of new can sometimes make sense.

 

Roger

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as if this thread needed another example - i was looking for a film scanner - i saw an auction for a slightly used dimage iv. the auction when i saw it was 252 + 15s/h. i just bought a brand new one (with a years limited warranty) from b&h for 264 + 12s/h. as others have said, i think people assume they'll get a lower price at auction so they don't bother with retail.

chris

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There was the olive-green Domke F2 bag on eBay that was the topic of a previous discussion. New, an F2 goes for about $89. This used bag sold for $159.49 + $10 shipping. There were 42 bids.

 

The color appears to be uncommon, but not $80 uncommon. After all, it's still just an F2.

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QGdB - two quick notes to your response. first, the auction had not ended yet. second, you could perhaps read into my post that the difference at the time (i think it was about $12 after shipping, so less than a 5% difference in price), was hardly worth the risk of buying a used item from an auction and losing the warranty.

chris

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