What is a Mamiya C-330 worth about?

[Ric Trexell]

Last month while visiting my sister, she had to have her taxes done so we went to the H&R Block office. Coming out we passed a little newspaper place that had old cameras in the window. I had a box of her papers in my hand and she was in a hurry but anyway, I gave them a quick look over. There were the usual Polaroids, Kodak Brownies, beat up Ansco cameras and then a Mamiya C-330. WHAT? I was visiting again yesterday and as I left town I stopped in and asked if they were willing to sell the C-330. The founders granddaughter asked me if I collected cameras. Well, no, but one doesn't use a c-330 for a paper weight either, Right? So I looked up on ebay and I found one (in the completed auctions) that is in blue that sold for nearly $980. I was floored because I told her that those were $200 cameras. I wrote her today to tell her that I was way off, and that I was not interested in it, but I was just wondering, what would a good C-330 go for? I didn't touch it so I can't tell if this one was even working, but it looked like it was in great shape. I'm a rb user so I don't know beans about a TLR.

 

[David Brown]

Check KEH. $980 is high, but $200 is probably low. There is also the condition thing, and what model it is and what lens is on it ...

 

[brucemuir]

eBay listings aren't always an indication of worth or even market value.

go back to that 980 auction and click the bid history.

I'm willing to bet there was a bidding war between 2 low ranking eBayers.

 

[MattKing]

Well...

I was just looking through some old papers of mine.

I found the sales receipt for my Mamiya C330 with 80mm f/2.8 blue-dot lens.

$400.00 plus taxes. Included case, box, manual and manufacturer's warranty.

It is important to remember that this was a Canadian sale of a store demonstrator to a staff member.

And that it was in 1976 .

 

[alanrockwood]

Recent "sold" prices on ebay ranged from $872 (with shipping) in "amazing condition" with four lenses, down to $64 (with shipping) with one lens in nominally unknown but "as is" condition. It looks like quite a few of them are selling in about the $150-300 range.

 

[Zane Yau]

Hi Ric, I bought mine off ebay before Xmas for $550AUD (about $500USD) with 55, 80, 110, 180 lenses, 1 WLF and 1 prism finder. All in excellent working condition. The 80 lens is a little beat up but it works perfectly.

But that's the Aussie ebay site.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I should rub my wife's nose in this thread.

Four years ago, when kids were 3 and 6 and she had not yet returned to work, I found a local newpaper listing selling a darkroom gear and camera.

It was an omega 6x6 dichroic with a 50 and 80 lens and carriers, two timers, trays, safelight etc and a pentax analog spotmenter, and a c330f with an 80 lens. It went for $750Cad, and I knew it was a deal.

Then I went and cleaned out the work room, and ebayed of extra stuff when the site was still feasible for independent little sellers to use. made $650usd for a data logger , so she was then off my back.

 

[k_jupiter]

Since you didn't know the actual condition of the camera, I would have given her 250.00 and still slept at night.

Anyone who pays 980 dollars for a c330 is probably crazy. Too many nice cameras in this world for a heck of a lot less money.

tim in san jose

 

[KWhitmore]

I got mine for $300 Canadian a few years ago from someone who used it for weddings. It came with an 80 blue dot lens and a porofinder which I replaced with a WLF. Just needed a bit of cleaning and it was in decent shape. $980 seems crazy high to me.