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Thread: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

  1. #21
    neophyte
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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    Quote Originally Posted by goamules View Post
    On this particular P&S sale, compare it to the other soft focus lens sales. Was that P&S worth $10,000 more than say a Gundlach Achromat? $9,000 more than a Cooke PS945? Come on, ten thousand dollars is a friggin lot of money.
    A bit like high end hi-fi: for some people even though its way past the law of diminishing returns it is worth it to them because it does something special for their ears (or eyes in our case). Or its for cachet

    Even though these lenses are beautiful if it was being bought purely for decoration you would be satisfied with any big brass lens at a bunch less money. I think this is the least likely explanation unless some multi-zillionairre has got a penchant for them and regards 12k as pocket change
    "In the field of observation chance favours the prepared mind" -- Pasteur

  2. #22
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    12k for a lens IS pocket change compared to some other hobbies. Compare with vintage motor racing (or any serious motor racing) with the big motorhomes and 6-figure car haulers filled with tools and cars of similar value. People who fly can easily spend 12k on fancy electronics for their plane or similar amounts to overhaul something. Home audio has already been mentioned. Even something a little less high end like Harley-Davidsons; people buy and sell those all day for far over 12k, and the bikes don't even go fast! Then there is sailing... What people spend for boat care, winter storage, transport, the sky is the limit for something that changes with the times even less than the lenses.

  3. #23

    Join Date
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    Minneapolis, MN
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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    Who cares what the final price was? Find out who's bought one and break in tonight! You'll get it for better than market price, and be able to clear well more than 20x your cost... Borrowing from another thread, "Summing up, buying for less than market is what most of us desire. Some call it "stealing" for fun. Selling for above what you paid for it is normal hobby activity, honorable, and defines economics. Selling a few items a year or month here doesn't make you a dealer, and is much appreciated by the members."

    Some people might think this method excessive perchance? But it's mere economics - profit is good - what could be wrong with that?

  4. #24

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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    Quote Originally Posted by cowanw View Post
    Is there an economic model that makes sense for a seller to buy their own lens at a high value.
    I don't want to impute dishonesty to any one but I do wonder if these 5500-12500 dollar values are from real purchases.
    Yes, with items such as this setting the "market" value through a sale can be economically advantageous. Same thing happens with real estate, art and other high value items. You can typically get loans, insurance or perhaps sales by setting an artificially high value for an item and then ...

    typically dishonesty at some level is part of the picture though.

  5. #25

    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    "The older the boys, the expensier their toys" comes to mind
    Klaus

    http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
    http://www.pbase.com/kds315/ for UV Images and lens/filter info
    http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV diary

  6. #26

    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    Anyone have a link (cached?) to the $ 12,500 Pinkham ?

    Thanks
    Dan

    Antique & Classic Camera Blog
    www.antiquecameras.net/blog.html

  7. #27
    Cooke, Heliar, Petzval...yeah
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    700

    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    According to this website http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=ca

    English version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=ca

    ebay user nicolaisen2007 is probably the owner. He lives in Switzerland. BTW, he bought Universal Heliar for $5,500 US, quite a guy. Seems like he has a lot of dough. He also bought from dagor77 and gokevincameras. I don't want to be obtrusive, but it would be nice to know and congratulate to guy who bought it.

    Update: And I know the name.
    Last edited by SAShruby; 19-Aug-2010 at 15:39. Reason: Just updates...
    Peter Hruby
    www.peterhruby.ca

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    AZ
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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    JP498, it's not about recognizing some people have expensive hobbies. It's about understanding someone spending many times what the market value is. It's the same as paying $1000 for a $190 Velostigmat. Yeah, it's rare, but is it 480% more valuable than the other P&S sales? I saw a Leica lens worth $400 somehow "sell" for like $3000 once. Methinks there is some laundering or something going on....

  9. #29
    Some people are bullfighters, CCB's Avatar
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    Sep 2009
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    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    Isn't it just possible that the prices might reflect the provenance of the lens, rather than it's intrinsic value?

  10. #30
    Cooke, Heliar, Petzval...yeah
    Join Date
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    700

    Re: Some Soft Focus Lens Sales Information

    The lens went to a female photographer. It's in a good hands...
    Peter Hruby
    www.peterhruby.ca

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