value of a lens

[bruce_erickson1]

<p>I have a macro-elmar-m 1:4/90 lens s/n 3971xxx in what appears to me to be excellent condition--not a mark of any kind on the glass at either end. The lens is coated. I bought it used but don't use it much anymore. (I never used it for close-ups.) Any idea as to the $ value of this lens ? </p>

[glen_h]

<p>Do you mean like this one?</p>

<p>http://collectiblend.com/Lenses/Leitz/90mm-f4-Macro-Elmar-M-(BM).html</p>

[SCL]

<p>Go to Ebay completed sales to see what people have paid. Asking proces aren't a reliable indicator of value.</p>

[Dave16]

<p>It's worth what someone is prepared to pay. Having heard about someone winning a good 3.5/5cm Elmar for £25 recently I conclude that Ebay prices fluctuate with the wind.<br>

I would check some (reputable) dealer prices. If you sell to a dealer expect to get about half what they will sell it for. If selling on an auction or web site a fair price would be around 2/3rds.</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>In case of the 90mm Macro there is a huge price difference between just the lens or the entire kit with goggled RF coupling extension tube and angle finder. Being unfamiliar with the US market and a pessimist I'd say $750 +x. <- The kit used to be around 3000 Euro, new.</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>I conclude that Ebay prices fluctuate with the wind</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It's outrageous to say this. eBay prices fluctuate randomly like Brownian movement. Winds are too stable to be a factor. :)<br /> What can really throw prices for a loop is when two bidders each set very high maximums to "make sure they get it". Most of the time, consideration of a run of sales is necessary to be pretty sure of "purchase value".</p>

<blockquote>

<p>For fairly rare items,<br /> one or two sales may not mean a whole lot<br /> beyond who was lucky and who was not.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>(poem by Egbert Sousè)</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Some things fluctuate more than others. </p>

<p>I get some things through auctions by my local Goodwill store. That avoids the shipping charge, (though it adds sales tax). </p>

<p>I bid low, and sometimes get things that would otherwise be much more. <br>

Most recent is an F2 for $125 (body only). The camera seems to work, and the shutter looks close. I haven't tested the meter yet. It seems to be the AI version, which I like. </p>

<p>I suspect that Leica and Elmar are well enough known that it isn't so easy to get them for really low prices, but many other cameras and lenses do go pretty low. Bid low, and sometimes you win. </p>

[Dave16]

<p>JDM - you are right. I did wind a disfavour! :D</p>

[steve_mareno1]

<p>I wouldn't trust collectiblend for accurate prices. They're just a "sampler" website, and the prices are just that. Samples. Go to eBait and look at the completed sold listings and that's about as accurate as you will find. If you look at the BIN prices it will eliminate the auctions where you might have had hot bidding, but in the end, as someone else said, it is worth what someone is willing to pay.</p>

<p>I find that it's helpful to end my auctions when people are at home and not at work or at 3AM. Football season can be a problem if the ad ends on a Sunday, and generally, people have money on the first of the month, so that's a good time to run an ad. It's also important to have excellent photos and well worded copy that isn't too wordy. People are lazy and don't like to read a lot. Just the facts, mam, as officer Friday said..</p>

<p>According to eBait, if yours is an M mount, it is going to generally sell for around $1400-$2000. I would go w/ a BIN price rather than an auction because I am not sure what the demand on this particular lens is. It's sort of a specialty lens. Most people, like you, don't use a macro lens on a rangefinder camera.</p>

[glen_h]

<blockquote>

<p>I wouldn't trust collectiblend for accurate prices.<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, I try not to trust them too much, but for many cameras and lenses it isn't so easy to find them on auction sites. If CB says $10, then I suspect it isn't so far off. If it says $1000, then I probably won't afford one. Somewhere in between, then I look more carefully.</p>