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,