p.1 #1 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
I have the responsibility of finding new homes for my father-in-laws camera collection. Among more than 50 cameras are medium/large format camera systems that he used. As a professional photographer and camera repairman over the years he used, owned and repaired many different cameras. He left behind cameras, lenses, finders, etc. for all these systems as well as lots of other things camera related. I'm trying to determine how best to package items for sale.
As film users, I am wondering, if you were looking to buy into one of these a camera or system to use, what would most interest you? A system with two camera bodies, multiple lens and other accessories. A single camera with or without a lens (ie individual components)?
As a seller, I tend to want to package each camera system as a single group for sale. It is simpler as a seller but it also makes for a more expensive sale or purchase.
p.1 #2 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
It depends on whether or not you want to maximize value or make things easier/smoother.
If you want to maximize value, you would probably want to list things individually and maybe just package one popular lens with each camera. You'd need a lot more patience in space to store things, but ultimately buyers come around for the specific things they need.
If you want to make things easier, sell all the RB items together, all the 4x5 items together, etc, at a discount to what they would sell for individually. Somebody out there who wants to be in a system will appreciate the ease and value.
p.1 #3 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
Kind of my thoughts as well. Still I'm interested in other peoples opinions. Thanks for your comments. I've got a lot of gear and some really nice cameras that my father-in-law collected.
p.1 #4 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
I buy individual components, or a body with 1-2 lenses at most. Included accessories (case, flash, grip, motor winder, filters, etc.) may influence my decision, but I wouldn't pay much more to get them. More often they come at no extra cost and I never use them.
Do you have any film camera shops nearby? My local shop purchases gear to sell. They only pay 50% of current eBay sold prices, but you might have to discount a system that much to sell it together anyway.
p.1 #5 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
If you don’t want to go through the effort to sell them yourself consider KEH. I’ve sold to them several times an although I could make more eventually selling my self I found it easier to sell to them. They do buying road trips all over the US so check with them to see if they coming near you. If not if you are selling enough they will pay for shipping both ways.
p.1 #7 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
sdw2225 wrote:
Kind of my thoughts as well. Still I'm interested in other peoples opinions. Thanks for your comments. I've got a lot of gear and some really nice cameras that my father-in-law collected.
I'm a good example of this - I wanted a Pentax 67 and bought one with a lens that I wanted. I want two more lenses (maybe) but I wouldn't wait for the perfect package to come along. It's very situational.
p.1 #8 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
I get that. My situation is that for each camera system there are good reasons to sell it as a group.
For the Mamiya RB67, I have two Pro S bodies, a 180 mm, 1:4.5 lens and a 90 mm, 1:3.8 lens. Plus a prism finder, a CdS finder, two single-action focusing hoods and some one-off accessories.
The Koni Omega system includes a Rapid body with a Koni-Omega 90 mm 1:3.5 lens, two backs and a grip. A Rapid Omega 100 body with Super Omega 90 mm !:3.5 lens, two back and a grip. There is also one Koni Omega 180 mm 1:4.5 lens.
The Speed and Super Graphic cameras have five different focal length lens and six shutters, 17 cut film holders and an original Speed Graphic case plus miscellaneous accessories.
As you can see the systems could be split up but there are also good reasons to keep them together. Thus my dilemma.
p.1 #9 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
You will always get the most money if you sell them yourself, individually, on eBay.
You will get the least money if you take everything to a brick and mortar store and sell the whole lot as a package.
I don't like packages because I'm always looking for a specific thing (this camera, that lens) rather than the thing I want plus some other thing I don't want.
p.1 #10 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
Both sets of medium format cameras I have bought in the past came as a set of camera with lenses and accessories. First around 2016 I bought from a friend his no longer used Mamiya RZ 67 Pro camera with lens, film and polaroid cartridges plus other accessories in excellent condition. I got it all for $500 at the time. At a photo store where I was teaching photography in the past, one of the sales clerks reached out to me if I was interested in a Hasselblad 500 C/M including two V-lenses they just got in. All was in good shape - I purchased for $1400 in 2019. Both packages were a good deal for me - I rarely use these days the RZ 67 Pro camera and prefer the Hasselblad when using medium format due to better compactness.
Risk when selling all separately what you mentioned earlier is that some might sell quickly leaving only one item behind much harder to sell. I could foresee that the Mamiya RB lenses sell quicker than the camera body itself since the lenses are compatible also with the newer RZ 67 system. I would try to sell the whole Mamiya set as a package. They normally sell reasonably well.
Same goes for the 4x5" large format system. Sell as package with all accessories bundled together. This is how I got my bellow-based 4x5" large format camera system, too - including Schneider-Kreuznach Copal lenses and film plate holders. I purchased this package plus other mint darkroom accessories in 2017 for $700 on Craigslist locally.
p.1 #12 · Buying medium format camera systems - Speed Graphic, Mamiya RB 67 Pro S, Rapid Omega 100/200
You might want to sign up at this site. https://www.photrio.com/forum/ Maybe pay for a 6 month membership, it will allow to post pictures in the classified section. People may be hesitant to deal with you because there's no history but you can post in the medium format section and ask the same question, they will probably help you since it's pretty much a all film site. You might also post pictures of cameras here, even if it's a group picture.
