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Ways to Find Your Own Prices
I receive a lot of requests for camera price estimates. Some of them are not even for Mamiya cameras. Unfortunately, I don't offer this service. Short of stopping what I am doing to look something up, the best I can ever do is give the average auction rates for Mamiya 35mm cameras, which are the only numbers I track. But both of those efforts take time, and I'm one of those old fogies who thinks my time should not come free. So, rather than take up a lot of my time, I refer people to my Auction Price Table, where they can look up an average of what others have been paying for similar Mamiya equipment. Some people actually seem bothered by that response, as if I actually owed them something. But the truth is, even if I really saw their camera -- which I usually don't -- and actually held it in my hand, I could still only tell them what it would be worth to me. There are a great many buyers out there, and each one will have a different idea about the value of a given camera. That's because some are individuals buying them for small collections. Some are major collectors, with a much larger agenda. Still others are locating cameras for resale to special customers they know will pay a premium for specific models in good condition. To most it doesn't matter what the price guides say. They already know how much they are willing to pay. The question becomes, how do you -- as an occasional buyer -- value a camera you have for sale, or evaluate how much to pay for one you're interested in buying? I think it makes sense to show you the average sale prices others have paid for a specific item - and help you understand the factors that should go into an evaluation. Use My Price Guide The first thing you can do, at least for Mamiya camera information, is use my Auction Price Table. It can't get much simpler than that. I've already done years of legwork, and keep the info updated on a relatively frequent basis. Buy a Price Guide If you don't find me trustworthy for some reason, or need an answer about some other type of camera, there are many publications providing guidance on how much a camera is worth. Most of us who collect cameras have several of them. However, the operative word to remember here is "guidance." Obviously, anyone can look up numbers, but there are a lot of other factors to consider...the reliability history of the guide itself, its most recent publicaton date, the true condition of the item being researched, its relative scarcity, the mood of the market and a litany of other factors are mandatory in order to establish value, even when when using a price guide. I heartily recommend that people consider more than one source. However, if you are only going to use one guide, McKeown's Price Guide to Antique & Classic Cameras is considered the camera collectors bible, and is a staple item on the bookshelf of most knowledgable collectors. It's a huge, well-researched volume that lists just about any camera you can imagine (and maybe a few you can't). And while it isn't cheap, it's worth it. On-Line Camera Price Guides Online guides can be great resources, but again, don't expect them to be free. You'll find a few people will post a bit of information, like I do, for the love of the art. But when you're researching and maintaining a database of auction values it gets to be expensive (don't I know!), and you'll find that you will generally need to pay for access to it. These services are well worth what you pay for them. I know that's hard to understand when all you want to know is the value of one camera. It's even harder to justify paying $30-or-more for a service when they advise your "find" is only worth $25. That's why these services may be for the more serious collector, not the merely curious. If you are serious about some aspect of camera collecting, subscribe to an auction price subscription service like Camprice.com, which offers evaluation and identification advice, or one of these other good sites: Dan Colucci's Antique & Classic Cameras, which deals strictly with cameras, or What's It Worth to You? who provide value estimates for many items, including cameras. Both services charge a nominal per-estimate fee. On-Line Auction Services I often recommend people search on eBay to discover prices. I often get flack for that comment but, truth is, the eBay auction site is far-and-away the market leader, has a great search tool, and unless you really have a very rare item (which, I'm sorry to say, you probably don't), you're going to find an auction for something similar. Some people tell me you can't get the true value of an item watching eBay, but I disagree. I don't think you can get a much more accurate value than an actual sale. Of course, all pricing data is admittedly shakey if based on only one auction. So, I also recommend you get the average of several before you make any decisions about value. Consider, for instance, that my pricing tables have been derived from more than seven years of auction watching. That is literally thousands of auctions! The prices I list are averages, with some items selling for considerably more than the listed price, while some (same item) went for considerably less. Certified Antique Appraisal Services These services are not free. Nor should they be. Good information on monetary matters should be paid for. The best of these people have put a lot of research into their expertise and have gone to the effort of proving, or certifying, their credibility. Those who have taken the time to be credible (and that's up to you to research) deserve to be paid for their services. However, some are not so credible. Don't be fooled into thinking your camera is an "antique" (and valuable) just because it's old. More than likely, it's not. Likewise, don't be tricked by people who try to convince you they know what they're doing by saying things like, "Of course I know. I've been in this business more than thirty years." Just admitting to personally being an antique doesn't make anyone an expert in them! Camera Dealers Remember, a dealer's whole business philosophy is to buy low and sell high. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just don't anticipate that a dealer is going to be your best buddy, and provide you with a rock-bottom price for that camera you want to buy! Likewise, you won't get a high-end offer from a camera dealer to buy the camera you want to sell, either...so don't expect one. Camera Collectors This is probably the least credible source of valuation. I know, because I am a collector. Expect a collector to tell you what price range they have "seen" cameras being sold for (isn't that, after all, what my pricing table is all about?) We generally know what we can expect to pay for a specific camera, but we also know the actual selling price may not really represent its value and, just like we are always looking for that "one special camera" we are also always looking for a deal! Oh yes, one other thing - something a great many people forget. In order for anything, not just cameras, to have value at all you have to find a buyer. Believe me, it does not matter what a thousand price guides say...an old camera is only worth the amount you can find someone willing to pay you for it. I've turned down magnificent items with reasonable prices that I just could not get excited about. On the other hand, serious collectors may spend months or years looking the world over for one specific item. When they find it, if it is in reasonable condition (and sometimes even when it's not), they are going to buy it. Period. Cost is often a non-issue at that point! If, by chance, there are several people interested in it, it may quickly become absurdly high-priced. While we are certainly going to try to avoid paying more than we should, if this is the one camera needed to finish a collection, and you know you will wait weeks, or months, or even years to see it again - if ever - a little voice will suddenly whisper in a true collector's ear "you have to have it" and I guarantee you the price, at that moment in time, will rise. So, What's the True Value? Please don't ever think the price tag on the vintage camera in a display case is the real value. The price tag only reflects the price at which it's for sale. It's true value, at any given time, is the price for which it is sold! So, if you're told your camera is only worth $40 and you still decide that $150 is the least you will take for it, then by all means, hold out for the buyer who will pay you that much. No matter how long it takes (just don't be surprised if it takes a long, long time)! On the other hand, if you found it for a few bucks in a yard sale and you're just trying to get rid of it, then take the $40 offer, consider yourself lucky, and go on to the next camera! |
