Graflex inhouse products

After WW2 Graflex began inhouse production of many components of their Speed Graphic line which had previously been outsourced. For example, prior to this, the flashgun and solonoids were almost always Heiland Research products, and the rangefinders made by Kaalart. What effect did this have on Graflex, Inc? Was it a good thing? A bad idea? How much did the huge surplus of Anniversary Graphics left over from the War have on the sales of Pacemakers? Or did the company do everything right, and were just run out of business by progress and inexpensive (at that time) Rolleis and Leicas?

Bill,

Outsourcing after WW2, was fairly common, Kallart bult range finders for the military, and early electrical companys, had the expertese to make the solinoids and related electrical components, at the end Graphlex was bought out by toyo of japan.

By the late '60s, photographic fashion had changed. 35mm SLRs were taking over, Rolleis and H-blads were popular, and the Graflexes were anachronisms. Plus the used market would have been glutted. The modular Graflex XL was not a success. Plus Graflex had been taken over by Singer (of sewing machine fame), who had a well-deserved reputation for running companies into the ground. So it's no surprise that Graflex stopped making cameras in 1973 or so.

Mark hit the nail on the head. It's too bad though, the Graflex XLRF was a real nice camera...