What is happening here?

[StanMac]

An Asahi 50mm f/4 Macro-Takumar in M42 mount just went for $376! I was left in the dust with a bid a bit more than half that, which is Mint value from what I’ve researched. What is going on with vintage gear prices!? Is this just bidding frenzy or do these guys know something I don’t?

Stan

 

[Down Under]

Ebay is an alternative in a strange parallel universe. Common sense and logic do no exist there.

Come to think of it, here on earth... never mind.

 

[Horatio]

New age videographers looking for the ultimate bokeh?

Your guess is as good as anyone else’.

 

[BrianShaw]

Apparently someone wanted it more than you did. Keep looking; bid more next time.

 

[StanMac]

Apparently someone wanted it more than you did. Keep looking; bid more next time.

Ya think?!

Stan

 

[reddesert]

Film camera revival + pandemic, IMO.
Supply of camera gear especially vintage is down - look at how thin the stock of gear is at KEH or other dealers - my guess is because nobody is moving during the pandemic and cleaning out their basements, or selling gear at swap meets. And demand is up because of a modest film revival, plus people are shopping on the internet instead of spending their money on entertainment (going out) and vacations, etc. Not sure how long this might last, but I wouldn't count on it to last forever.

 

[grat]

New meaning to the term "Going for Bokeh!".

Sorry.

For what it's worth, I recently got outbid by a ridiculous amount for a wooden half-plate holder from a century and a bit ago-- and then was practically the only bidder on a pair of very similar plate holders a week later.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am stunned that KEH for most of the pandemic cannot keep inventory, especially Hasselblad, but others too.

 

[MattKing]

I am stunned that KEH for most of the pandemic cannot keep inventory, especially Hasselblad, but others too.

Many of their sources have dried up. They get a lot of their film camera stock by travelling around to Used Camera shows and buying there.

 

[mshchem]

Many of their sources have dried up. They get a lot of their film camera stock by travelling around to Used Camera shows and buying there.

Yeah, I was at a trade in event at my friend's shop people bringing in all kinds of stuff, lots of it. I used a bunch of stuff to help pay for some new equipment. That was early in November 2019. In less than a year he was out of business. I went from having two, amazing shops, within a 25 mile radius to none.
Last couple times I bought from KEH, online wouldn't take the order. I called to complete the transaction.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Many of their sources have dried up. They get a lot of their film camera stock by travelling around to Used Camera shows and buying there.

That explains it.

 

[gordrob]

In the last couple of years prior to Covid-19 KEH had two buyers in Calgary at least 3 times a year to purchase equipment. There was usually a fairly long line up of people bringing in equipment to sell and lots of it and there is still a lot of it out there.

 

[benjiboy]

Vintage cameras are a diminishing recourse, especially quality ones because there will never be any more, conceqently the prices are rising and as they became even scarcer they will continue to increase.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Welcome to my world.

Welcome to Pauls world.

 

[Tel]

Ebay is an alternative in a strange parallel universe. Common sense and logic do no exist there.

Come to think of it, here on earth... never mind.

In its early days, fleabay was often a measure of the going market value of a given thing. Partly because of the way it's been managed, it has become a competitive experience--the motivation being to "win" by depriving the competitor of the prize. It has nothing to do with inherent value.

 

[BrianShaw]

Market value has a real definition.... it’s not static and it’s not “the price I wish it was”.

 

[BrianShaw]

Yes... those kind of folks that are impulsive and well-funded to follow trends tend to defy one definition of market value that cites “an informed buyer” and skews it toward the other definition that cites “ a willing buyer”. This is not unique to cameras and is common to virtually everything in a market-based economy.

 

[Huss]

In its early days, fleabay was often a measure of the going market value of a given thing. Partly because of the way it's been managed, it has become a competitive experience--the motivation being to "win" by depriving the competitor of the prize. It has nothing to do with inherent value.

Sure you can believe that if you want. Ebay is a marketplace just like any other. Sometimes people overpay, sometimes they get lucky.
I find the 'sold/completed' listing to be very accurate as to what is happening in the market.

And remarkably those sold listing tend to show prices lower than what is offered in the classifieds here, or on other enthusiast sites.

 

[Huss]

That's because market value is influenced by uneducated, unable to think for themselves idiots who depend on snotty nosed youtube "influencers" to make their decisions for them.

Simple question - how do YOU determine market value?
And once you come up with that value - do you find that correlates with the going rate?

And if not, why?

 

[Huss]

Market value has a real definition.... it’s not static and it’s not “the price I wish it was”.

We don't need facts here!

This is a whine session with people wringing their hands complaining.

 

[Huss]

Vintage cameras are a diminishing recourse, especially quality ones because there will never be any more, conceqently the prices are rising and as they became even scarcer they will continue to increase.

The thing is, 'there will never be any more' happened the split second production ended for them. It didn't happen last week. Some cameras - 5 years ago. Other cameras - 100 yrs ago.

And yet, here we are, still being able to buy them. And if we can't it's pretty much because we don't want to - because we don't like the market rate for them.

The Nikon F2 ended production in 1980. In 1980, 5 seconds after that happened, someone angrily shook their cane at the sky and yelled out 'there will never be any more!'

Today on ebay there are 848 for sale. Is that too few? How many do you want?

 

[Huss]

I determine market value based on age and condition. How much would you pay for a 1980 Cadillac with 100K miles? You probably wouldn't pay much more than that for a 1990 Cadillac with 100K miles. A 2000 Cadillac with 100K miles might be slightly more than the 1990, but twice as much as the 1980. A 2020 Cadillac would be the most expensive of all four. All of them are Cadillacs, and all of them have 100K miles, but there's no reason that the 1980 should be going for 2020 prices.

So you determine market value by ignoring the market?

What is your definition of market?

 

[reddesert]

If I win an auction on ebay, I'm a clever shopper who scored a bargain, and if I lose an auction on ebay, it's because of the foolish blind trend-followers who are overpaying for antiquated cameras. Pretty simple.

There is a limited supply of old film cameras, but the limit to the supply is very large except for some rare, collectible, old items, or things that were very expensive when new. This year's problem is that the supply chain is constricted: the route from people's hoards through ebay merchants or camera stores to your hot hands is often blocked as other people have suggested above. The market has less liquidity.

It's just stuff. I don't need to worry about if people are overpaying for Pentax K1000's. There are more important problems.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Haha! Look, its @Huss

 

[grat]

Sure you can believe that if you want. Ebay is a marketplace just like any other. Sometimes people overpay, sometimes they get lucky.
I find the 'sold/completed' listing to be very accurate as to what is happening in the market.

And remarkably those sold listing tend to show prices lower than what is offered in the classifieds here, or on other enthusiast sites.

SSSHHHH!!! You're bringing facts into the discussion. That's not nice.