Dads Darkroom Equipment?

[schent1]

I am looking for a little direction. My father sold black and white Ansel Adams type film photography for many years. He is getting to old to go out and shoot so the darkroom equipment is now collecting dust and needs to be moved.

I am trying to find out what the stuff is worth and how it could be sold. I think the stuff could be worth some money but need some direction.

Can anyone here help with the value and the best place to sell this? Not looking for top dollar, but don’t want to give it away. Or point me in the right direction?

Photos of the enlarger equipment are below. There is also a zone VI print washer and dryers, lights ect, everything a great darkroom would have. He also has a wooden camera with a large bellows that takes film that is something like 4x5 inches (or maybe larger). All of the equipment is located in southern Minnesota.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Tom

[Brian Ellis]

Nice Beseler 4x5 enlarger and timers. Unfortunately darkroom equipment sells for next to nothing these days and enlargers are particularly difficult because of the shipping cost if you can't find a local buyer. Assuming it has a good lens and negative carriers I'd guess you might get something in the $150 range if you can find a local buyer. If you have to ship it I don't know whether it can be sold for any price. There's a lot of Beseler enlargers listed on ebay that haven't sold. If your father has all the other stuff found in most darkrooms - print washer, film washer, easels, safelights, trays, etc. you might try selling them along with the enlarger in one big batch, that might help. Craig's List might be a good place to start since you'd be dealing with local prospects who wouldn't have to worry about shipping. Good luck.

[Frank Petronio]

I'd keep it all together and advertise it on this forum as a set, it is worth quite a bit to have a complete set-up of high-quality equipment all in one place. Without seeing the entire set-up, if it is all Zone VI quality gear in good shape then you should hold out for something in the thousand-dollar range, not the hundreds. It's worth a drive from Chicago or someplace 500 miles or so to get good stuff like this.

If someone only wants part of the offering, let them buy it all and they can always resell the extras.

If I were serious about redoing a darkroom I'd drive from NY!

[mikebarger]

I'll split the difference with the two above. Enlarger without head (225 to 300) and GraLab timer (25). However, the Zone VI controller and head are worth selling (I'd pay a fair amount for that part of it)....

Just 2 cents worth, the hard part about selling darkroom stuff is that you need a motivated buyer. There are a lot of darkrooms out there not being used at all. It's really a buyer's market unless you have something unusual, the Zone VI head and controller fit that bill.

Mike

[Oren Grad]

It will help to identify the specific models of any enlarging lenses that are included. I see one mounted on the enlarger, but it's not possible to tell what it is from the picture.

[jeroldharter]

The light source is a Zone VI Variable Contrast cold light which is the most valuable piece. I would say $200-300 depending on your luck. The enlarger is a Beseler 45MXT, perhaps a slightly older version because of the chrome crossbars. You could get $100-200 but by local-pickup as shipping is sometimes prohibitive. The timer is maybe $25. You also show 3 easels, Saunders 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 which are ~$25-50 each if you are lucky. These are the nicest single size easels IMO.

You should post pictures of the washer, enlarging lenses, and camera. Print washers are still relatively expensive used. If the camera is also a Zone VI in good condition, that might be the most valuable. Based on the enlarger, I would guess it is a 4x5.

[jeroldharter]

The enlarging lens on the enlarger is a Schneider Componon, I think 150mm. Nice lens but hard to get a lot of money for it.

[dng88]

I am in Hong Kong and hence shipping is a challenge for the whole setup, unless you can find a way to ship it by sea. I got an old one but the motor is a goner.

But very interest in the head, easel and the lens. Mind to sell that to overseas.

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry, I didn't notice the Zone VI v/c head and controller when I said $150 range for the enlarger. I agree with others, you should be able to get a couple hundred dollars for it if it's sold separately. You should check the lens and see if it perhaps is a Componon S rather than just a Componon, the Componon S is a later and better version and would sell for more than the older Componon.

[John Bowen]

With regards to the Zone VI VC head. Plug it in and turn it on, then adjust the controls so that the hard is at max and the soft is off. This will reveal a blue light. Take a picture of that. Next, set the controls to hard off and soft max. This will reveal a green light. Take a picture of that. Replacement bulbs for this head are next to impossible to obtain. Anyone serious about the head will want to know that it functions properly. The photos of the blue light and the green light will prove the head functions properly.

Good luck with the sale,

[nolindan]

Interests like this don't often go down generation to generation, but they often skip a generation.

Does your father have grandchildren who might be interested, and would your father be interested in teaching them?

It would be a pity to scatter such a nice set up. The people who are likely to profit the most from the sale are the shipping companies.

[dng88]

A bit worry about the head bulb availability and good to see any test result. Btw, someone said that there is a discussion on this site about a new run of aristo light bulb. Cannot find it but would it help.

[schent1]

Here are some additional photos I have of the washer (13” x 16” inside?), dryer, light plus three other holders of some kind. There are also four large trays. I assume the only thing of real value here would be the washer. He does not want to sell his camera at this point.

I am working on getting photos of the enlarger lens - Schneider Componon S 5.6 150.

It might take a few days to get the Zone VI VC head tested with photos. But I will post those when I can.

[schent1]

Interests like this don't often go down generation to generation, but they often skip a generation.

Does your father have grandchildren who might be interested, and would your father be interested in teaching them?


I do have an interest in photography and have a Canon 7d plus a few L lenses. I have mostly been shooting sports but also some landscape stuff.

I am not interested in enlarging black and white photos on my own. I have looked at some of the info on shooting large format and would possibly consider shooting the film but would want to convert to digital somehow.

[Brian Ellis]

I had a Zone VI Studios 11x14 print washer like yours and it's a nice washer (I also used it for 8x10 film and by draping paper over one of the dividers it can actually be used for 16x20 paper as well). I sold mine a few years ago on ebay, I think for about $100-$150. I'm not sure about the other things, the easels are nice, I had several like them, but they aren't adjustable so that reduces their value. I have no idea about the dryer and the safelight.

[Bill Burk]

I get that you might not be interested in Black and White printing now. My dad's an artist. If he offered me his art supplies I wouldn't know what to do with them.

But think twice before you let this stuff go for a thousand dollars. Your dad went to a lot of trouble to put together this complete black and white darkroom. It looks like he made the screens himself. Even the fact the enlarger lens is a 150 - not a 135 - is evidence that your dad focused on details recommended by Zone VI. He probably has the newsletters. If he does, you may enjoy reading them.

Even if you don't have the energy now, you could box everything up carefully and seal it away from dust and moisture. Some day in the future you could put it all up in a weekend on a whim. They don't make this stuff anymore, and I think it could be usable forever. It would take years to re-create a similar darkroom if you let it go.

Now if you have kids, nieces, nephews or cousins who are interested, you could earmark it for them when they're teenagers.

[BradS]

be careful. Without a light source, the enlarger is almost worthless - even to a local buyer.

I'll agree with others, if you feel you must sell it, your best bet is to find a local buyer and try to keep the major parts together.

[Bill Burk]

I'm not sure if it's the exact bulb but there are threads that a manufacturer has done a run of a similar bulb.
---
I didn't mean to sound sentimental about your dad's equipment. My idea about your keeping the equipment is based on the fact that you _are_ into photography.

You might one day get the urge to throw back to the old Black and White ways. Then you would be very happy to have all this stuff.

[Sirius Glass]

Even if you don't have the energy now, you could box everything up carefully and seal it away from dust and moisture. Some day in the future you could put it all up in a weekend on a whim. They don't make this stuff anymore, and I think it could be usable forever. It would take years to re-create a similar darkroom if you let it go.

Now if you have kids, nieces, nephews or cousins who are interested, you could earmark it for them when they're teenagers.

If you do keep it, order enlarger bulbs from FreeStyle before the incandescent bulbs are no longer available.

Steve

[schent1]

I have finally made it to my parents to check the rest of my dad’s darkroom gear. The complete list is below. I tested the Zone VI Variable Contrast cold light and it is fully functioning (see photo 1 below).

I also found another Zone VI Light source and would appreciate it if anyone could give me info on the extra light source and it value (see photos 2 & 3 below).

I am thinking about starting at $995 for the whole package listed below. I believe there are photos of almost everything in this tread. Let me know if the price sounds right or if I should ask something else.

Beseler 45MXII enlarger
Zone VI Variable Contrast cold light and controls (including instructions)
Extra Zone VI Light source
Schneider Componon S 5.6 150
Schneider Componon S 5.6 100
Zone VI Studios 11x14 print washer
Three Saunders easels 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 and one Bogen easel
Grab lab model 300 timer
Print dryer 24 x 17
Six Developing Trays 17” x 13”
Six Developing Trays 22” x 18”

[Deane Johnson]

Your father had some nice equipment, and it was obviously put together to do an effective job. Problem is, it isn't worth much due to the tremendous decline in demand. A couple of years ago, I decided to liquidate mine. Lots of top of the line equipment, Zone VI, Saunders easels up to 20x24, etc. I ended up giving it away to someone who was traveling through my area with a pickup truck. It filled the pickup. I didn't mind giving it away, but it was a sad day to see 30 years of my life's love drive away.

You're located near some good sized population areas. You might try Craig's list in Mpls/St. Paul, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Madison. Those are reasonable driving distances for someone who really wants things like this.

Even though this isn't my equipment, it saddens me to see such fine stuff go begging. There is nothing like the feel of working with film.