Advice on a Graflex Crown Royal?

[Paul Verizzo]

I'm a part time manager at a local non-profit, the Round Rock (TX) Area Serving Center. We help 1100 families a month with food and help with expenses. Mostly the working poor and elderly. A third of our budget comes from sales in our two stores. We receive donations, sort them out, and sell stuff in the stores or on eBay. Last Saturday a box with various cameras and lenses was dropped off; (Photo geek drools,) I instantly saw a classic Olympus Pen F half frame camera with three lenses and a tele-extender, and the Bad Boy, a 4x5 Graflex. Several junk worthless cameras and lenses.

I advised the manager doing eBay sales on these cameras, just wondering if you have any thoughts about the Graflex. It has a Schneider 135mm f4.7 Compur lens with flash synch for M and X. Standard built in range finder, nothing else. No backs, ground glass, film holders, etc. Bellows in excellent condition.

Obviously, we'd like to sell this for as much as possible. Any ideas as to value? Looking at closed auctions, there are SO many variables, it's impossible to find apples to apples.

If anyone is interested in this camera, let me know.

 

[Ian Grant]

You need to post some photos Paul.

Ian

 

[BrianShaw]

You might never find a consistent “price guide” value; they never existed. Without a back it’s basically a parts camera.

But good luck with your sale.

And you might want to consider becoming a subscriber so you can try selling by it in the for-sale part of Photrio,

 

[Don_ih]

Start the bidding at $99. If it sells for that, that's enough. It's not a usable camera as it is.

Alternatively, pull out the lens board with the lens and list that starting at $99 and list the camera on its own starting at $50.

And ebay is now taking too much of a cut, by the way.

 

[gone]

It may be best to list it on eBay as a no reserve auction w/ a modest starting bid. I can't tell you how many times I was in a similar situation. Often, when I put what I figured was a reasonable starting price, not much happened. But when I changed the ads to "auction, no reserve" they always sold for more than the former ad's reserve price was.

No reserve auctions get a lot more action.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Start the bidding at $99. If it sells for that, that's enough. It's not a usable camera as it is.

Alternatively, pull out the lens board with the lens and list that starting at $99 and list the camera on its own starting at $50.

And ebay is now taking too much of a cut, by the way.

And the alternative to eBay is what?

 

[Paul Verizzo]

It may be best to list it on eBay as a no reserve auction w/ a modest starting bid. I can't tell you how many times I was in a similar situation. Often, when I put what I figured was a reasonable starting price, not much happened. But when I changed the ads to "auction, no reserve" they always sold for more than the former ad's reserve price was.

No reserve auctions get a lot more action.

Interesting. Well, I'm not the guy doing the eBay sales, he'll do what he wants.

 

[Ian Grant]

And the alternative to eBay is what?

Someone here buying it.

Ian

 

[Don_ih]

And the alternative to eBay is what?

What Ian said. Or getting enough stuff together to hold a charity auction run by an auction house. Many of those accept online bidding, now.

 

[BradS]

No backs? No ground glass?
It is a little unclear what is meant by this.
A few photos would be necessary to give a better idea of value.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Someone here buying it.

Ian

My organization does live here. They'll stick with eBay.

 

[jimgalli]

Without at least a phone snap or two you're wasting out time.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Is the original purple bag included?

 

[maltfalc]

And the alternative to eBay is what?

facebook marketplace and groups.

 

[usesfilmleaders]

That's their wooden field camera and it is not common, was made with Korona.
Look at Korona 4x5 field cameras and see what they sell for that will give you a price range.