What's happening with the Speed Graphics?

[Murray@uptowngallery]

2x3 Speed with 101/4.5 Ektar in Supermatic shutter with uncoupled (missing parts?) Kalart RF. Got for US $32 yesterday on eBay. That made up for the $12.50 local shipping price.

[Curt]

Murray, you'll have a lot of fun with that one, I have a Busch 2x3 and put a Graflok or is that Grafloc back on it and it's a very versatile camera. How's the bellows on it? No rust or bent and missing parts?

Have fun,
Curt

[dferrie]

I just got my 4x5 1943 wartime black Anniversary Speed Graphic in perfect working condition with a Graphic back not two months ago for around $60.00.
Now I look in eBay and the very few I find are being priced at more than ten times that amount!

It's not just LF stuff. I had been toying with idea of getting into MF for a while and as I have been a Minolta user for 28 years I thought I'd pick up an Autocord, to discover that the prices have gone mad. I mentioned this on another list and was immediately offered an Autocord at $325 (which proved my point). Got a Mamiya M645 +80mm & 45mm for less than cost of Autocord. I do wonder if alot of these classic cameras end up gathering dust on a speculators shelf, rather than in somebodies camera bag, get to do what they were built for.

David

[Ian Grant]

As ragc says there are strange prices being paid on ebay, both ebay.com the US/International version and ebay.co.uk.

Graphics and here in the UK MPP's are sometimes selling for way over their market value. I nearly bought a baby Graphic for $77 last week, don't know how I missed the one Murray bought :-)

It pays to sit and wait, let others pay the silly money, there's plenty left coming onto the market. People are reluctant to just throw equipment away and it will find its way into our hands eventually.

Ian

[Murray@uptowngallery]

I've given up on a couple things and came back later. Last time I gave up on 2x3 Speeds, they kept closing >$100.

Sometimes people list in the wrong category, or have awkward payment requirements or closing times not during the work day......various things that discourage other bidders, nice weather etc, people who have another life :O) will be less inclined to shop.

Also, the guy who paid too much on the last one is less likely to be getting on your nerves at the next one.

[ragc]

2x3 Speed with 101/4.5 Ektar in Supermatic shutter with uncoupled (missing parts?) Kalart RF. Got for US $32 yesterday on eBay. That made up for the $12.50 local shipping price.

My Kalart looked like it was missing parts too. Had a mirror insead of prism and no arm on the top mirror. I fiddled with it using the instructions I downloaded as a general guide, even though they didn't correspond to what I had. Turns out I found all the adjustments, up/down and lateral by testing the different screws. It is now adjusted to the 127mm Ektar. Don't be afraid to open yours up and try: if it is like mine it may be a wartime rf and may be of simpler construction, but it will work.

[Murray@uptowngallery]

I will see condition & features when it arrives. I forwarded pics to someone who warned me about back/filmholder incompatibilities and he concluded it was not one of the uncooperative ones and that the seller didn't recognize the RF linkage when decribing it as uncoupled.

It would be nice to have a working coupled RF. My 4x5's RF's have all been butchered by previous owners.

I've never figured out how to assess age of Graflex stuff (has anyone?), but at least Kodak's CAMEROSITY code may give me a clue.

Luckily I bought a box of Graflex 2.25x3.25 holders previously thinking they'd fit a mystery back I got. (Turns out it was a Mamiya Universal back, needed proprietary sheet film holders, & I put it right back on eBay! Luckily at this point I identified it so the next guy came along & paid an embarassing amount for it...funny how that works...but I have gotten my share of crap I can't or will never use also...only gamble what you can afford to lose....

[ragc]

There is a list of serial numbers in a post at graflex.org that dates the cameras. That's how I know mine is from 1943. The post is titled something like "partial" or "unnoficial" serial number list. I believe they keep it accessible even though it's old because of it's usefulness and the work that went into it.

[athanasius80]

Does anyone think part of it may be fashion? I've seen how various collector markets will zoom in one one thing at one time, the prices skyrocket and then either plumet or go down about halfway. In camera stuff I remember a period when everyone seemingly wanted to buy a Ciro-Flex...

[k_jupiter]

Does anyone think part of it may be fashion? I've seen how various collector markets will zoom in one one thing at one time, the prices skyrocket and then either plumet or go down about halfway. In camera stuff I remember a period when everyone seemingly wanted to buy a Ciro-Flex...

Part of what? NOBODY is selling 600 dollar Speed Graphics! What you ask and what you get are two very different things. I can ask for a 1000 dollars for a Zorki 4. Does that mean that's the going price? The price on Speeds and Crowns is still very reasonable. Do your homework before you all jump in.

Damn.

tim in san jose