Vintage glass getting more expensive?

[Sylvester Graham]

Hey everyone, been a while since I've been on here (not like anyone would remember, haha)...

I'm getting into tintype, and I was perusing eBay for some petzvals. They seemed to be selling for more than I remember. The last time I looked at prices would have been, oh, I'd say 5 years ago. Am I remembering correctly or have they always been this expensive?

Alex

[BrianShaw]

They once were cheap but no longer. If I had a crystal ball I'd know if they will come down in price in the future but, alas, I don't.

[BrianShaw]

p.s. I missed out on the days of cheap petzvals too.

[Sylvester Graham]

Any ideas why? Besides the obvious that only so many exist, and traditional photography keeps getting more popular? How about other makes besides petzvals?

[BrianShaw]

Yes, there are other classic lenses that have gone through the same rise in price over the past couple of years. Doubled and trippled. I'd tell you which one but I'm keeping mum in the hopes of finding an affordable example in the most popular focal length for myself. :)

Same has happened with some cameras too: Crown Graphics and Rolleicords are two of note.

I think a lot of it has to do with quantity, as you mention, but also with "feeding frenzy".

I'm not really sure if traditional photography is getting more popular overall or if it is that certain equiptment is getting more popular with traditional photographers... many of whom have plenty of money to spend.

[Sylvester Graham]

I'm not really sure if traditional photography is getting more popular overall or if it is that certain equiptment is getting more popular with traditional photographers... many of whom have plenty of money to spend.

That's a good point. 2010 census showed that there are 57% more men aged 60-64 than there were in the year 2000. That's a lot of old timers going into retirement, looking for something to do... like photography...

[John Kasaian]

I think the situation you've observed is that more cheap old lenses have achieved "cult" status and now bring higher prices. Former old "cult" lenses like Commercial ektars and APO Artars haven't gone down in price, but then they haven't risen in price either (that I've noticed, anyway.) OTOH soft focus Wollensaks and petzvals are the new cult lenses and prices seem to have gone through the roof!

[BrianShaw]

... old "cult" lenses like Commercial ektars ...

Shhhhh. That is "the lens who shall not be named".

I think they have risen in price. Maybe not jumped, but they seem to have risen. I don't know if they are actually selling or not, but at ebay they are listed at prices higher than I remember. I'm looking for a really nice 10 incher and would like to keep the price to about $200 or so.

[vinny]

Wet plate is getting more popular and we all know you can't photograph animal skulls with multicoated optics, especially in shutters:)

[Two23]

Portrait photographers are using Petzvals, sometimes on a digital camera. I think a lot of lenses are being bought by a relatively small number of people. I own four Petzvals myself, 1847-1975. I have few compared to a lot of people.


Kent in SD

[goamules]

One interesting thing is that there are two factors that are not linked; rarity and demand. Demand always trumps rarity. I can think of a few examples, the Kodak Portrait 305 and 405 being one. They didn't make these for that many years, they are coated and have fantastic glass. They are some of the best soft focus lenses ever made, but their price has stayed the same during this last boom when other lenses doubled, then doubled again in price. Like Brian says, there are several excellent, uncommon, and very useful vintage lenses that are still good buys. I buy several types and don't say much about it.

[eddie]

Any ideas why?

See below




I'm getting into tintype......

Alex

.....like everyone else.

And there is your answer.

[William Whitaker]

Any old lens is cheap until you try to find one to buy. Conversely, any old lens is worth a lot of money until you have one to sell. Inescapable contraries of the universe...

[mikebarger]

Anyone heard from the Hunt brothers. :)

[BrianShaw]

There have been many "Hunt brothers" in various fields of collectibles. Many are very wealthy. Others have wherehouses full of crap they can't sell.

[goamules]

Is vintage glass getting more expensive? Compared to some modern lenses, their price is very cheap:
261056750647 Leica Noctilux-M Aspherical 50mm f/0.95 - currently 14 bids at $9,125. Most recent Leica glass is similar. Some digital SLR lenses are quite expensive too, into the thousands.

Modern vendor's very high prices are different from prices for vintage glass being basically the same as they were when they were made (adjusted for inflation). In 1880 a Dallmeyer 3A was $245, which in today's dollars was about $5,000. They don't go for that much today, they are less than what studios were paying for them in the day.

[Jim Galli]

Wet Plate is raging right now. I've been through a lot of these cycles. 8 years ago it was Platinum Palladium.

Wet plate has that 1840's look requirement that a Petzval lens simply does best. Cooke's are next in line. They seem to have a way with the wet plates also.

Some prices have actually dropped because of the economic situation in USA. An important Pinkham for $2850 the other day should have fetched $5200. In defense, it was poorly presented.

Mostly what I'm seeing is the big name petzvals that are out of sight. Dallmeyers and Voigtlaender's and anything that has a french name. So, yes, and no. Some out of sight, some decreasing. I'm listing a 250mm f4.5 no name (darlot) projection petzval later today for a bit over $300 bucks. Perfect for whole plate. Shameless plug. Bad Jim. Bad Jim!

[joselsgil]

One other reason why prices have gone up is quite simple. People that find these lenses, either at estate sales or garage sales, can easily research the lens on the internet. When they see the high $$ asking prices on fleabay, they price their lenses accordingly.

I have purchased some photo items from folks that are making side money, by buying and selling estate items. Granted they have thousands of dollars invested in some of the items. They will hold onto an item until they do their homework and ask a high price for the item. If it doesn't sell the at first, they just reduce the price until it finally sells.

So far, I have not come across a cheap selling vintage lens, but I know some photographers that have.

Jose

[Sylvester Graham]

.....like everyone else.

And there is your answer.

Perhaps. But that's not going to stop me from enjoying it.

Even if prices have gone up, Sounds like I can still get a good quality vintage portrait lens for 4x5 with some swirl for around $350. Aaaand so you'll be seeing my WTB ad in the for sale section shortly. If anyone has anying lying around in the meantime, I hope you'll shoot me a PM.

Thanks,

-A

[Steve Hamley]

I think the Commercial Ektars have risen in price over the past 18 months - I've had this conversation about CEs with another forum member that's noticed it too. Why I don't know - there are lots of them although finding really nice ones at a reasonable price has always seemed to take a little time.

Cheers, Steve

[Sylvester Graham]

Ok, last thing here. I checked on google insights for search: big spikes for "wet plate collodion", "wet plate photography", "tintype photography" began in january of 2009. Peaked around april of this year then down again. Too bad there isn't historical information available for ebay sales of lenses, then maybe you could predict lens prices or something... Not like I know what I'm talking about, but still cool to take a look at.

[John Kasaian]

Of course everything seems to be getting more expensive:rolleyes: why not vintage lenses?

[Jim Galli]

Of course everything seems to be getting more expensive:rolleyes: why not vintage lenses?

Especially vintage lenses. As the dollar gets weaker, anything with real intrinsic value will adjust upwards.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Wet plate is getting more popular and we all know you can't photograph animal skulls with multicoated optics, especially in shutters:)

Never did understand this..... but then I'm a carbon printer and I just do jello! :-)

[ghostcount]

Wet plate + Carbon Printing = FTW!

[CCHarrison]

. Too bad there isn't historical information available for ebay sales of lenses,.

I do have some historical pricing data on Soft Focus Lenses... see here http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenssales.html

I havent updated it in about 7 months, but you can see some worthwhile data....

Dan