I recently came across a 10a w/ semi-centennial stand. A wood worker had purchased the camera from a local photographer in the 1970s and now wants to part with the outfit. It is missing the plate storage shelve and one of the pyramid caps on the stand. The bellows are in good light tight condition and the lens has been updated with a Schneider 240mm 5.6 (1970s) will have exact info soon. It has both 5x7 and 8x10. He is asking 800USD...is this a fair price? Can anyone shed light on approximate value? What are the things I should be aware of?

I should have more info in the coming days.

I welcome all info and hope that you folks will bear with me as I get acquainted with this view camera.

Cordially,

Matt

The lens is a Schneider Symmar 240mm 5.6 convertible.

There's photographer's value and then there's interior designer's value.
McKeown's guide to camera collecting has said for years that a typical portrait camera like yours with a stand and possibly vignetting cards and rods is and always will be worth $250. I've seen these kinds of cameras take years to sell at camera shows for $400.

And yet I went to a toy and collectible auction that had a similar camera whose bed was broken but it displayed well sell for $600 with original Eastman Ektar lens. when I asked what he intended to do with it and that it was broken, he simply shrugged and said it goes in my living room.

The 240 convertible lens should sell by itself for around $200. One could argue that an original lens would make the package more valuable.

If your desire to own it is worth parting with $800 then it's worth $800. But you'll be hard pressed to find another person will to buy it for that a few years down the road. But when that time comes I suggest you try to sell it through a designer show room rather than through the photographic field.

I love the camera it is really something to behold. Not sure about 800usd the original asking price was 1200USD I tried to get it at 500USD.

I am sure that I could rid myself of it to a design house with relative ease if needed. I would love to shoot portraits with it, hoping The Impossible Project will make Polaroid sheet available again.

Anyways, I appreciate the heads up on the value, fairly surprising honestly, but I like it and know it was in use as little as five years ago.

Long live the luddite.

Cheers,

-M

From all accounts, the Impossible Project is concentrating on "self contained" film i.e. SX-70 type stuff that processes itself. A couple of tanks, a few hangers and a scanner would be cheaper even in the short run than Polaroid, and more luddite-esque. Granted you'd need a darkroom or a kitchen or bath at night without streetlights nearby.

Les, you are dead on reagarding the Impossible Project, my hope would be that eventually the old polaroid type 55 will be brought back.

I have a polaroid 110 converted to 4x5 which I love, and would love to have some type 55 to run through it and this monster of a camera.

Anyways, regarding the 10a thanks for the information, I personally feel that 800 may be too much for this outfit.

Is there a good resource for tracking more of these down closer to the value stated in Mckeown's?

I would love to have one.

Again thanks for the input!

-M

Watch ebay, save the all of the auctions. Lots of times people will put them up for $800-2000 range and it won't move. Save the auctions that do sell. Then when somebody rescues one within your driving limits you can show him (it's always a him) what they are and aren't selling for. Then negotiate.

Les