HELP it's growing again

One of my neighbors, a widower, called and asked if I would be interested in her late fathers camera. She didn't actually know what it was all she said was that it was a folder bellows camera. She is in dire straights financially since the passing of her husband and I knew that she is only selling it because she needs the money but I didn't have the heart to tell her that I to am experiencing a negative cash flow. I told her to bring "it" over and I would take a look at it and try to give her an estimate to what it may be worth. When she showed up she dragged a large, green 70's era suite case from the trunk and I was thinking that she had a LF camera in there and my heart lept 'cause I have been looking for one. To my chagrin, when we opened the case it was full of older Polaroids an Olympus 35 EC-2, a Minolta AutoPak 450E 110, a couple of inexpensive 35mm cameras and this...

A Rodenstock folder with a Rodenstock-Trinar-Anastigmat 1:2,9 f/75 using 120 film. This camera is beautiful except for a little fogging on the lens that may be cleaned up.
THE PROBLEM: now I have a suite case full of cameras that I am not interested in and she told me that I can have the Rodenstock because she saw how I was with it but she asked that I help her sell all of the other cameras and me, being the sucker that I am, agreed to help (reluctantly). And now to the solution, would any of you be interested in some or all of these? She is not expecting to get rich she just needs a little help. I have pictures of the rest of the cameras and I think that at least one of them may be of interest to this group. The Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Camera is in good shape and it comes with a flash, I seem to remember something about this camera being converted to a M/LF camers, am I wrong? I would appreciate any help I can get with this situatuation before my wife beats me.

Are you sure non of the inexpensive cameras are a Yashica T4? You could get out of a jam quick with one of those.

Post photos of what she has here first and maybe there will be some action. If not, put them on fleabay.

I figured this would be the best place to go to find enthusiasts who might be interested in these particular cameras. I was/am hesitant about posting pics and trying to sell them on here as I have not become a subscriber. If there were a Yashica anything I would be in trouble as I wouldwant it also. As it is, if the Polaroid 100 can be converted I might consider it. Thanks y'all.

It's only the roll film (type 55) polaroids that can be converted. Even then its not all of them. If it is just a Polaroid 100 Land camera (like what I posted) they really are only worth about $20.

pdexposures, that's the one. I told her on the front end that there really wasn't that much value in what she had. Here are some pics of what there is...


The only one that isn't being sold is he Rodenstock, that's mine, hehe.

I hope you're giving her a fair price for that rodenstock, otherwise it's hard to feel bad for you...

TimmyMac said:

I hope you're giving her a fair price for that rodenstock, otherwise it's hard to feel bad for you...

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She is a good friend and I am doing this as a favor to her. If I had the spare cash I would have simply given her what she had initially asked and been done with it. The Rodenstock is now mine as she has decided that she wants to give it to me but If I am able to sell any of these there will be extra money in there that she will never know came from me. I do not expect anyone to feel "bad" for me as I know what this camera is worth monetarily and emotionally.

That's a lot of discontinued film formats in one shot--110, 126, early Polaroid.

My grandma had a Polaroid like that 100, and it was her pride and joy in the '70s when I was a kid. She'd trot it out on all the holiday occasions when the family would get together and shoot Polaroids of all the grandkids.

OTOH, my mom had an Instamatic much like that one and that was her usual camera for many years--my parents weren't into "serious" photography, and the first camera in the house without a fixed-focus lens was the K1000 I got in high school in about 1985.

nobody wants that stuff. $20 would be a very generous offer considering its pure junk everywhere else
I'd think the Rodenstock is worth $35 or $50 maybe and I sure wouldn't accept it as a gift since its the only thing there can can do ANYTHING for someone in any kind of financial situation
Even if it were busted beyond hope I wouldnt take it

The Rodenstock camera was made by Balda Werk. Rodenstock never made their branded cameras, but the name makes them more intersting than the usual Baldas.

Itemize a list, five her your check for $X?, then take the cameras to a local thrift and donate all but the Rodenstock and they will give you a receipt for the same value as your list/receipt, and deduct this amount from you taxes.

JPD said:

The Rodenstock camera was made by Balda Werk. Rodenstock never made their branded cameras, but the name makes them more intersting than the usual Baldas.

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Thanks JPD, I knew that Rodenstock made their own lenses and farmed out the cameras but I didn't know to whom.