Unrealistic expectations / equip prices?

[Andrey]

There's many loons on craiglist. I've bought a pristine FM2 with a 50/1.2 lens for 50 bucks. And my D2 with a cheap 135mm lens was free.

And some are asking store prices for their used gear. If you don't like it... don't look.

 

[archphoto]

A week ago I payd € 50,- for a Rollei 6x7 enlarger with color-head, instruction manual, 2 bargain basement lenses and some other stuff in good shape, not bad I think.
The lenses will not be used: I still have 2 good Rodagons.....

Peter

 

[canuhead]

My best buys were Devere enlargers listed on Craigslist by a professional lab (still around, just moving extra stuff). Got a 504 for $50. Shoulda picked up a couple just for parts, damn. Eventually went back and liberated the closed loop Devere 5108....for $100. They wanted it gone but you had to break it down yourself. Lots of interest but no one was willing to get dirty and the main controller had a busted chipset.

 

[DAP]

In reality I think that many of us are guilty of unrealistic expectations as far as darkroom gear prices are concerned. We have been spoiled by shockingly low prices the last couple of years and now expect to be able to purchase top quality darkroom gear for whatever loose change we can find in our pockets. Prices of second hand darkroom gear took a huge dump when the majority of pro-labs and amateurs went digital and flooded the market (and landfills) with all their darkroom gear. Many companies that used to deal in darkroom gear have also vansished. I suspect that the flood of gear is, for the most part, over - very limited amounts of new equipment are still being made...the pool of available equipment is limited and the 2nd hand market will stabilize. On the brighter side, even if prices go up they will probably still be much cheaper than they were before the digital crash.

 

[RJS]

It seems that prices for used equipment, whether it is photographic equipment, a house, jewelry or whatever is determined by the market.
We have all seen and heard discussions about the 'free market', how it will correct itself. Or not. Ad nauseum. At any rate I have a difficult time sympathizing with those who seem personally effronted to find that things they desire are no longer being given away. The value of all this used stuff is precisely what someone is willing to pay. No more and no less. If you're a seller prices are ridiculously low; if a buyer, the seller is daft, unreasonable and should be restrained for demanding more than you wish to pay for his obviously worthless enlarger or whatever.