Tim Meisburger
8-Oct-2012, 02:42
I travel a lot for business in Southeast Asia, and after a while the cities and hotels all start to look the same. Over the last few years to combat boredom between meetings I've been seeking out antique stores looking for old LF stuff, and have now accumulated a dozen or so old brass lenses. Some of them would be valuable if they were in good condition, but most are pretty beat up, I assume because they were used in these developing countries long after they would have been set aside for 35mm stuff in developed countries.
Some of them are too big or long to fit my camera and, while visiting the US at Christmas I am thinking of selling some of them to fund a new camera, but wondering how to price them given their condition. For example, I have four soft focus lenses and am thinking of selling three, but if their condition means they are not worth much, its probably better to just keep them, as I am unlikely to run across similar lenses in the future, and I may some day want to move to a bigger format:rolleyes: They are:
- an aluminum Dallmeyer 6D. I have loosened all the elements now but one set, and I think I will be able to do that in the US where I have access to better tools, and the elements themselves are in good shape, but the soft-focus ring is stuck, and the black paint of the outside is in poor condition, and it is missing a flange.
- Voigtlander Universal Heliar 1:45./30cm. Also missing a flange, and the paint is far from perfect, but most worrying is that the lens coating is clearly missing in visible patches, Also it has some small rust spots on the diaphragm (although it works fine).
- Cooke Portrait Anastigmat No. 415841 10 ½ Inch 270mm Series II E f4.5. Outside the varnish has been rubbed off and some of the paint on trim rings and there are numerous little nicks in the brass. The knuckler is wobbly, and the aperture ring stiff. Inside there are some tiny nicks in the rear element, and the central element has patchy coating.
Would lenses like these be worth half what a excellent example would bring? Less than that? What is the best way to sell them? I would be happy to sell them on the forum, but it would seem that ebay is a better venue to establish an unknown value. I could then do a little video of each one so people could better assess their condition. Does that sound a reasonable plan? (I've never sold anything on ebay).
Advice is welcome!
Cheers, Tim
Some of them are too big or long to fit my camera and, while visiting the US at Christmas I am thinking of selling some of them to fund a new camera, but wondering how to price them given their condition. For example, I have four soft focus lenses and am thinking of selling three, but if their condition means they are not worth much, its probably better to just keep them, as I am unlikely to run across similar lenses in the future, and I may some day want to move to a bigger format:rolleyes: They are:
- an aluminum Dallmeyer 6D. I have loosened all the elements now but one set, and I think I will be able to do that in the US where I have access to better tools, and the elements themselves are in good shape, but the soft-focus ring is stuck, and the black paint of the outside is in poor condition, and it is missing a flange.
- Voigtlander Universal Heliar 1:45./30cm. Also missing a flange, and the paint is far from perfect, but most worrying is that the lens coating is clearly missing in visible patches, Also it has some small rust spots on the diaphragm (although it works fine).
- Cooke Portrait Anastigmat No. 415841 10 ½ Inch 270mm Series II E f4.5. Outside the varnish has been rubbed off and some of the paint on trim rings and there are numerous little nicks in the brass. The knuckler is wobbly, and the aperture ring stiff. Inside there are some tiny nicks in the rear element, and the central element has patchy coating.
Would lenses like these be worth half what a excellent example would bring? Less than that? What is the best way to sell them? I would be happy to sell them on the forum, but it would seem that ebay is a better venue to establish an unknown value. I could then do a little video of each one so people could better assess their condition. Does that sound a reasonable plan? (I've never sold anything on ebay).
Advice is welcome!
Cheers, Tim