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Huge darkroom lot... value?

Toffle

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Point Pelee,
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I know this has been discussed before, but I need some informed opinions.

A local photographer is clearing out his darkroom and has offered the following. I really only need the LF enlarger and other related gear, but it is offered as a lot. The question... he wants me to set the price. (I offered $200 CDN a couple of months ago before he took a full inventory but he demurred... ) I did receive a small honourarium this month for six months volunteer work, so I have a little cash to spend. How much is a reasonable/respectful offer for this much gear? (I edited the list, "..." taking out most of the incidental stuff, of which there is a ton)

Thanks for any opinions.

Cheers,
Tom



Enlargers:
Beseler electric motor drive with 4" x 5" Black and white head. Original instructions included.
Durst M605 Color head working on Beseler platform

Lenses:
El-Nikkor 75 mm
Rodenstock Omegaron 50 mm
Schneider Kreuznach Componon 135 mm
Komuranon 75 mm
Kodak Projection Anastigmant 161 mm

Timer:
Gralab

Miscellaneous Darkroom equipment:
Tons... including
1 Dunk Tank for developing 10 sheets of 4" x 5" film
...
1 Set Cibachrome Colour Printing Filters
1 8" x 10" Cibachrome developing Tube
1 11" x 14" Cibachrome developing Tube
1 16" x 20" Cibachrome developing Tube ( new in box never used)
Tons of trays to 16"x20"
...
1 Speed easel 5" x 7"
1 Speed easel 8" x 10"
1 Variable Print Easel
...
1 Rondo Guillotine paper trimmer
1 Print Dryer with platten for glossy prints
...

Chemicals: Lots of dry chems and some nasy liquids.
including 1 Cibachrome printing kit in box
Variety of Cibachrome chemicals

Papers:
Tons... incloding
3 Packages Kodak Ektalure 11" x 14" paper - 10 sheets per package - unopened
1 Package Kodak Ektalure 11" x 14" paper - open - quantity unknown
1 Package Kodak Panalure Paper F 8" x 10" 25 sheets per box - quantity unknown
1 Box Cibachrome paper 8" x 10" 50 sheet box - quantity unknown
1 Box Kodak Polycontrast Rapid F 8" x 10" - 100 sheet box - quantity unknown - estimate 50+ sheets
1 Box Ilford Ilfospeed multigrade paper 8" x 10" - 250 sheet box - quantity unknown - estimate 200+ sheets

Film:
6 Boxes Kodak Contrast Process Ortho Film - 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 25 sheets per box - unopened
8 Boxes Kodak Professional Copy Film - 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 25 sheets per box - unopened
1 Box Kodak Professional Copy Film - 4" x 5" 25 sheet box - quantity unknown
4 sheets Kodak Tri-X 4" x 5" sheet film
1 Box Ilfolith IH4 4" x 5" 50 sheet box - estimate 40+ sheets


Once again... opinions welcomed...
 
it sounds fair to me
I think I've had better deals and I'm sure quite a few here have paid nothing for the same stuff

no idea what the enlarger is worth but I doubt anything significant Free-$150
lenses if all in great condition modern etc maybe $50-$75
timer $15 if that
film is neat but not holding much value $20? chancy and all commercial types and "odd" sizes
papers neat but not holding too much value ..$40? maybe on ebay
Paper cutter depends on brand quality and size. I wouldn't spend more than $40 on a larger size when desperate
Cibachrome no idea ..you do cibachrome?
CHems in paper packages not completely trustworthy if old ..if rather new guessing $20 or more if stuff you'd likely use
Trays/misc depends but probably worth $20-$50
easels mentioned -nearly free.
cibachrome drums ..maybe pay $15 for all 3

Really doesn't seem like a treasure to me
If it in total would set you up for a year or two or more and you don't see package deals like this too often its $ goes up ..but not much more.

Dont be paying for each and every object! You'd be doing him too much of a favor to be paying $1 for each grain magnifier he has etc
Someone counts off 4! sheets of Tri-X and I begin to turn away
 
If you do buy it, I might help you fund it by buying the Cibachrome stuff if you arent going to use it.
 
That's a lot of stuff, but as you indicated, you are going to be interested in just a portion of that "stuff", right? What are you going to do with the rest of the stuff?? If you are going to sell them off, then there will be some effort and expense on your part. If you aren't going to sell them, they will hold no value to you. Do you really know if chemicals and papers are good? If you are going to sell them, would buyers be able to trust the product?

Sounds like to me... the decision to make is not only what's it worth as a whole, but what you intend to do with rest of the stuff, and that will determine what the fair value TO YOU would be.
 

Yeah... he kinda did some exhausted listing of clips, tongs, spools, etc. Granted he must have paid a substantial sum for this stuff some time ago, but that market has pretty much died. He wants some return on his (old) investment... but of course, I want something for nothing. In truth, I do not mind paying a reasonable sum, but money is scarce, and I would rather spend it on good lenses or consumables.

If I hadn't been looking for a 4x5 enlarger for the last six months, I probably wouldn't be giving this too much thought. I know one other LF shooter in town who is looking for an enlarger, but I'm not telling him about this rig until I've made up my mind.

Still looking for opinions.

Cheers,
 
I saw a motorized Beseler 4x5 enlarger with a Beseler color head and a three-lens turret, along with a bunch of random gear (but no lenses) in a Goodwill store about a year ago for US $250. I think such a price is the maximum for this lot, since many people are literally throwing away, or better, giving away, similar equipment. Old chemistry, film, and paper hasn't got much resale value unless it's something really special, in my humble opinion.
 
Sale in Houston last weekend:

$550 for everything

 
One more opinion: your offer is more than fair. At an estate auction or yard sale this stuff would not bring anything close to that. Unless you have an immediate use for the various chemicals it makes sense to leave them behind. If you are way out in the boonies and will never again see a LF enlarger, then maybe this is the deal to pursue. If you are near civilization and he will not entertain your offer then I would just walk away. Final two cents worth: all of those glittering treasures, that 'incidental stuff', has an alarming way of turning into plain old photo junk on the way home to show the wife what you bought!

Good luck with it.

Jon
 
I paid 150 usd for a complete darkroom minus the sink. I had one enlarger, an Omega 2D that's mint plus a Saunders 20x24 easel and a archival print washer. Ton's of other stuff including a bunch of paper. I'd say your offer is more than fair.

Remember that the expired chemicals are a liability. If you take them, you should be compensated for disposing of them properly.

Roger
 

You are right. I don't really consider the chemicals an asset in this deal. Some may be of use, but most will need to be disposed of. Luckily my employer has a chemical disposal facility.

My local camera store is giving away enlargers these days. (provided you spend a substantial amount on paper and chems, etc.) unfortunately they only have 35mm gear, and the other fellow who is looking for a 4x5 enlarger is part owner of the shop. I'm not likely to find something there until he snags one first.

Still weighing my options...
 
Toffle said:
Enlargers:
Beseler electric motor drive with 4" x 5" Black and white head. Original instructions included.
Durst M605 Color head working on Beseler platform
Click to expand...

You will be left without a way to print 4x5 Multigrade b&w.

Lenses:
El-Nikkor 75 mm
Rodenstock Omegaron 50 mm
Schneider Kreuznach Componon 135 mm
Komuranon 75 mm
Kodak Projection Anastigmant 161 mm
Click to expand...

The Kodak lens is old and the latest Componons were "S" so for 4x5 you will get 2 usable lenses but no late-model 4x5 lens.
The Cibachrome drums probably won't be much use. The speed easles are OK but you want a 4-blade 11x14 easel.
...

The RC paper might be OK but may be fogged also.
4 sheets of Kodak 4x5 may be useful but the rest not really (assuming your interest is B&W).

I'd put that $200 on a 4x5 enlarger with a dichroic head and late model lens and leave this stuff for someone else.
 
The gear is only worth what the market will bear. If you are the only one interested in it, then it is only worth what you are wiiling to spend. Offer only half what your budget will allow, and dicker from there. tell the seller that you only want a portion of his setup, and are only willing to pay $X- if he wants it all gone at once, then tell him to throw it in for free. thats only my suggestion, its a starting point. Good luck, and keep us updated.

Rick
 
Yes, follow the good advice given, and, above all, don't overpay.

Second-hand photogear and materials usually has very little value, simply because of lack of demand. The original cost has no real bearing on the current value, neither has the asking price of similar gear at a dealer...he has all the expenses and overheads to cover, as well as the risk of not selling for what he hopes, and the liabilities of offering a warrenty.

It sounds as though you might be taking a lot of stuff which you don't really need, just to get the few items of use. Fair enough if you're happy to do that as part of the deal, but you're probably doing the seller a favour and giving yourself the hassle of disposal.

I recently bought a couple of s/h furniture items on E-Bay, in as new condition, from the same range and matching perfectly with my existing furniture. The price was small change, less than the cost of petrol to fetch them...the sellers just wanted them "out-of-the-way", yet they were quality items which would have been very expensive new. Things are only worth what someone is willing to spend at that point in time.
 
Of course you can print b&w multigrade. You can use the colour head, or filters with the b&w head. Ilford makes a set of 6"X6" filters that go in the filter drawer above the condensors. I have a 45MX that I use for b&w, and a 23C I use for colour. I use the ilford filters with the 4X5 for all of my b&wq printing.
You won't notice any difference between a componon S and a componon. They are both six element lenses, the newer S model has a slightly different f-stop dial, but otherwise has the pretty much the same performance as the older componons.
 
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