Fair price to pay for a Rolleiwide (earlier one not newer one)

[Richard S. (rich815)]

So I've had a WTB for one of these up for a while and they are rare so no surprise I've had little success.

I did finally find one from a semi-local camera repair person who's had it for quite some time. It's an earlier Distagon one not a later FW one and is in pretty decent shape. Not EX but I'd say KEH VG or G grade.

He's got it with a shade, cap, a set of B&W filters, the ground glass, case and a few other things. Thing is he wants me to make an offer. I see on the Rollei Price Guide online an estimate for these of between $2000-$3300. Another site shows closed auctions (not eBay) ranging from $1800 to $6000. On eBay there are no recent completed auctions at all and a there's a few active listings asking between $4000 and $6000 (some are the newer FW) but they are just sitting there with no takers. Personally I feel a decent price might be $2300 for the camera alone and maybe $3000 with the extras I list above but am not sure. He's been anecdotally mentioning the shades going for $250 and the caps for similar, the filters for more than that, and discussing the active listings at $4000+ and hinting the older ones are more in demand than the newer ones (which I do not exactly see).

Any thoughts from anyone seen any of these sell lately anywhere?

 

[cjbecker]

How much is it worth to you?

But seriously, I don’t know.

 

[pgomena]

I think your best shot at making a bid here would be to offer what you think you can afford for the entire kit. Parsing it out by component will increase the cost. You'll want all the goodies, you know you will. The worst he can do is say "no," the best is to come back with a counteroffer. Good luck!

Peter Gomena

 

[pgomena]

And make your offer on the last day of the month, when he knows how much he's made and how much he owes in first-of-the-month bills. This is a good strategy for buying cars, too.

Peter Gomena

 

[erikg]

Your offer sounds pretty fair to me, he should see the wisdom of taking the "bird in the hand", there may be higher prices to be had elsewhere but maybe not, and that requires posting an ad and all the work that entails. Peter makes a good point, rent may be due.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Thanks all for your thoughts. I've found the Rollei Price Guide to be fairly accurate for most models though I imagine the sample is much smaller for the -wide than many others. I'm already wondering why I'm even considering paying so much for a camera when I could get as good with my Hassy or SL66 with 50mm lens though I have to say I'm a huge TLR fan and the Hassy and SL66, as much as I like them for some work, simply do not handle the same, and shooting is about so much more than just the technical side of what you equipment is capable of vs. what you're capable of with certain equipment. (or is that the GAS synapses of my brain at work??).

If he will not go for the $2300/$3000 offer I make I'll just patiently wait for another to come along some day or just move on....

 

[pgomena]

Gosh, you could buy a Hasselblad Superwide for that kind of money.

Peter Gomena

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Gosh, you could buy a Hasselblad Superwide for that kind of money.

Peter Gomena

Yeah but that camera is nothing like a TLR and the lens is a completely different perspective too.

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

I owned 2 rolleiwide. For a long time it was my main camera along a T.
That 55mm is unique and blows away any Blad lens, 50 or 60..
Really unique perspective, and compact, and silent

Between 2500 and 3000 is a good price.
Shade is really rare and can be very pricey.

 

[xya]

ever considered a mamiya 330? has a similar 55mm available, same feel and wouldn't be a third of the price.

 

[Hatchetman]

I suggest you bring cash to the negotiations and show him what you have...."well, let's see what I have here...100, 200, 300, ......"

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

ever considered a mamiya 330? has a similar 55mm available, same feel and wouldn't be a third of the price.

Thanks for the suggestion. There are numerous threads out there suggesting the same thing when people discuss the Rolleiwide. Firstly, the Rolleiwide is 20% lighter. And also, while I hear Mamiyas are good cameras, they ain't no Rolleiflex. Yes, the Rolleiwide IS overpriced due to it being collectible and it's scarcity but while I have not shot a Mamiya TLR I have shot numerous normal Rolleiflexes and a tele-Rolleiflex and if the -wide even comes close to the quality and signature I get from those, and handles similarly, then it's the Rolleiwide I want.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I suggest you bring cash to the negotiations and show him what you have...."well, let's see what I have here...100, 200, 300, ......"

Yeah, I'll show up with a wad of dough for sure. Big thick envelope. Or maybe I should go with the briefcase with the handcuffs?

 

[dpurdy]

Thanks for the suggestion. There are numerous threads out there suggesting the same thing when people discuss the Rolleiwide. Firstly, the Rolleiwide is 20% lighter. And also, while I hear Mamiyas are good cameras, they ain't no Rolleiflex. Yes, the Rolleiwide IS overpriced due to it being collectible and it's scarcity but while I have not shot a Mamiya TLR I have shot numerous normal Rolleiflexes and a tele-Rolleiflex and if the -wide even comes close to the quality and signature I get from those, and handles similarly, then it's the Rolleiwide I want.

I think you can depend on the quality of the Rolleiwide. It is interesting to note that they switched from the Zeiss Distagon in the older version to the Schneider Super Angulon in the newer version. Looking at ebay it seems people are trying to get the same price for either camera.
Dennis

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Ok, I got it. Paid a little more than planned but also got a few more accesories too. Plus once I cleaned up some light smears and dust on the lens I saw i saw it was pristine, absolutely perfect. Body is pretty darn clean too, maybe a few small marks on some corners but otherwise looking very clean and well cared for. Plus he told me if anything is wrong at all he'd repair it free for 90 days. That said all speeds work and the aperture blades perfect. More research shows too that not all sold have the special glass-inserted Rolleiwide waist level finder, and this was does, again in perfect shape. I'm pleased.

 

[dpurdy]

Congratulations. I am sure you will love it. I would love to have one but it is beyond me financially. I make do with my Pentax 67 and 55 lens.
Dennis

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Congratulations. I am sure you will love it. I would love to have one but it is beyond me financially. I make do with my Pentax 67 and 55 lens.
Dennis

Thank you Dennis. Will post some shots soon I'm my Flickr pages.