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weaponsfree
27-Mar-2009, 13:21
Hello

I stumbled on an old Century Camera. It resembles a Century Studio Camera 9A (picture of similar camera should be attached).

I would very much like to offer a price for it but I have been having trouble finding what range it is in. Are there any tools out there to help? Anyone who can give a ballpark figure?

Any information would be appreciated.

Cheers

Gene McCluney
27-Mar-2009, 13:26
When you get into items this old, there is no "range" so to speak, since there are very few people that actually own them to use them anymore. In all probability a camera of this age will require a new bellows, which can run $250 to $400. The last camera similar to this one that I purchased, which was an Ansco studio camera with 2 bellows stages on a stand similar to the one in your photo I paid $125 including a lens and packard shutter. It too needs new bellows to be useful.

Bruce Schultz
27-Mar-2009, 15:55
You might be able to get more for the stand than the camera.
I paid $300 for a camera like that, and $300 for a stand that's not as big, both on eBay. Shipping will be your biggest obstacle but I had both my items shipped half way across the country. Disassembling one of those stands is easy. Re-assembly is a bear but then the seller really doesn't have to worry about that.

Steve Hamley
27-Mar-2009, 18:53
I bought one with a 14" Red Dot Artar w/ sticky shutter and perfect glass for $400, and another on the 3-legged 4A stand for $150 with an Ilexpo shutter and a foggy Tessar. Both cameras have good bellows. A bad bellows would make it worth very little. I also purchased a nice Agfa stand for $150.

That should give you a range, and Gene's figures are about right IMO unless there's something really nice or special about it. It also looks lie the stand is missing the finials (metal caps on the posts).

BTW, more people use them than you might think.

Cheers, Steve

weaponsfree
28-Mar-2009, 10:20
Thanks a lot for the feedback! This answers the ballpark question, and I assume the difference between $150 and $400 is the state/functionality of the camera.

If the camera is not functional, fair price around $200 sound reasonable (stand and all)? Other than the state of the bellows, other elements to look for?

Steve Hamley
28-Mar-2009, 13:43
Depends on how fast you want to sell it and what venue. If I weren't in a hurry, I'd try the camera$ approach start it out on ebay around $500 and come down $5 a week for the next year.:D

If the bellows is bad and you're missing finials, $200-250 would be reasonable I think. Other than the bellows, there isn't really much that goes wrong with them other than missing parts and impact damage.

Also, what size back does it have on it? Many of these cameras had a sliding back to do two 5x8's two 3-1/2 x 5s, etc. 8x10 backs are currently a little more popular I think, so if it has an 8x10 back, be sure to mention it. This is the size of the ground glass.

Cheers, Steve

Jim Galli
28-Mar-2009, 15:49
This one doesn't have the bed extension so I would guess Century 7A. Shipping is a huge factor. And there were more of these than one might think so the logical thing is to get one close to home. Camera and stand should be an easy 250 - 300.

benrains
28-Mar-2009, 22:10
There are a couple of different makes and models that look similar to your camera. I've got a 10A that's pretty close. Without a lens, lensboard, and shutter assembly, I'd think that a reasonable price for the setup, including the stand, would be in the range of 300-400$US. I'd love to have gotten a Semi-Centennial stand like that with my 10A, but I ended up going with a more modern Arkay stand.

Aside from the significant weight and size of the camera, which can be a hindrance in multiple ways for selling it, it also has relatively few camera movements. A lot of LF photographers will find that unappealing or evening unacceptable. For studio portrait work, I've not really found that to be a problem though, which is what the camera was designed for. One really significant advantage of this sort of camera is that you can fit it with all sorts of fabulous massive portrait lenses that were in use in the late 19th up through the mid-20th century. The biggest lens I use on mine is a old Zeiss Tessar 500/4.5 which weighs in at nearly 10 lbs; the 10A handles it just fine.

Anyway. They're fun cameras.

Doug Howk
29-Mar-2009, 07:02
I'm currently refurbishing an Ansco Studio that looks very similar to yours. It came with a 14" Wollensack Velostigmat that was stuck in fully open position. Flotot's was able to get the Studio shutter to work but not the Iris; so I'm currently using it at f4.5 for portraits on another camera. The Ansco bellow needs replacing - previous owner allowed his cat to sleep in it ;-( Hopefully, I'll get it all together and functional; and will keep it as a conversation piece.