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Thread: modern lens prices on eBay

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    9,487

    modern lens prices on eBay

    For modern lenses, from the big four manufacturers, what have you been buying and selling them for on ePay, over the past 12 months?

    Is there a cycle to the prices of lenses? Are summer prices higher, and holiday/winter prices lower?

    My results over the past year, for mostly newer and clean, near mint lenses:

    75/6.8 Grandagon-N, early 90s, bought for $465; sold for same

    90/6.8 Grandagon Sinaron-S, green stripe, bought for $475, sold for $520

    90/4.5 Grandagon, green stripe, bought for $900

    150 Sironar-N Linhof, white strip, bought for $325, sold for $400

    180 Sironar Sinaron S, white strip, bought for $375

    250 Tele Arton (older, it's a 12 million serial number in a Compur Press - probably 1970s) bought $305
    (saw a newer Tele Arton in black copal go for only $430 last week... darn)

    300 Sironar Sinaron S, MC (early 1980s), chrome dial Copal 3, coating marks, bought for $400, sold for only $305 (ouch...)

    It's kind of like the stock market. I've slightly ahead, but have had some nasty crashes...

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2002
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    98

    modern lens prices on eBay

    Hardly seems worth the trouble.

  3. #3
    Is that a Hassleblad? Brian Vuillemenot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Marin County, California
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    837

    modern lens prices on eBay

    Are you doing this to make money, or just to sample many different lenses? I've only acquired one lens on the Bay- a 75 6.8 Grandagon. I payed $425 for it using the "buy it now" during the spring of 2003. It's in good to excellent condition, but has a significant rim ding in the rear element.
    Brian Vuillemenot

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Nov 2001
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    IL
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    720

    modern lens prices on eBay

    The only lens I bought on ebay (for LF) was a 159 mm f/9.5 Wollensak. I purchased my other two lenses, a 240 G-Claron (used) & 300 mm Fujinon-C (new) from MPEX.

  5. #5
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
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    modern lens prices on eBay

    I check E-Bay fairly frequently when I want a new lens, but rarely find a "steal." (And then, when I don't have the $ to buy!) I have done better by buying from Jim at MPEX than I would have by buying the same lenses on E-Bay. It always makes me feel good to see a version of a lens I bought going at auction for much more than I paid for it at retail. I am curious, do others have a different experience?

    Good deals on camera equipment I purchased on E-Bay over years of searching: A Cambo 45SF in great shape with standard and bag bellows, revolving reflex finder, a few holders, dark cloth, a hard plastic Calumet monorail case, a monorail extension, a big old loupe, and a pristine APO Symmar 150mm f/5.6 lens on a Cambo board with caps for less than $1,000.00 (a great, not good, deal); a 2x teleconverter for my Mamiya 645; a Linhof to Cambo adapter lensboard hidden in a sale of several Cambo boards (saw a glimmer of the slider in the photo), a couple of Cambo recessed lensboards, and a glass negative carrier for my Saunders enlarger. That's it.

    That said, I have noticed prices going up and down for various lenses over time, but have never been able to discern any pattern.

  6. #6

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    modern lens prices on eBay

    I certainly don't think you can make money from lenses on eBay. I only try to get a good deal on getting better lenses, like going from a 90/6.8 to a 90/4.5. What I'd like to do is learn when I should sell lenses to get the best return, and buy lenses for the best price.

    Maybe we could start a MSNBC lens ticker and an indexed Grandagon fund?

  7. #7
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
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    2,960

    modern lens prices on eBay

    Just some random thoughts:

    Does demand go up around the end of the year holidays, as people buy photo gifts for their LF loved ones? Or does it go down because people are spending their money on gifts for others? Is there a surge after the holidays as people spend the $ from returning gifts on LF stuff? Or is their a lull because people are spent out?

    Does demand go up after tax refunds are issued and people have extra $ in hand? Does it go down while people are waiting to find out how much they will have to pay in taxes?

    Does it go up in the spring when all of the landscape photographers head back out into the field?

    Does demand go up as the currency value increases against foreign currencies?

    Or is it all just random?

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Apr 2000
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    711

    modern lens prices on eBay

    If I was guessing, I would submit that approaching April 15th (in the US), and after Christmas would be the "buyer's market" times, as any brick and mortar retailer would probably tell you. But what the hell do I know?

    *210 Sironar-N and 90 6.8 Caltar II-N from Jim at mpex, $1040+ shipping; 16.5" RD Apo-Artar in factory Universal from Art Beaulieu (zero feedback) for $420+shipping on ebay. I'm very happy with both purchaces.*

    I could still dig a 65/8 SA and a 135 Sironar-S (or N for that matter), but it's just going to have to wait for now.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Apr 2000
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    711

    modern lens prices on eBay

    My bad, as I recall, the $1040 from Midwest included shipping. Memory is the second thing to go.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Tonopah, Nevada, USA
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    modern lens prices on eBay

    Ebay has a temperament like a teenage girl. Up one minute and down the next. In past years I've noticed that prices will climb this time of year and surprisingly will hold well until about 6 weeks after Christmas. Then things get slow. And stay slow through most of the spring and early summer. The stock market and the general feeling of well being of the country have a lot to do with whether someone will turn loose of a bit of discretionary $, or hold on tight. Say what you like about Mr. Bush but I have noticed a "bull" ebay market since the election was over.

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