Alpa Reflex Model 6c

[matty]

Hello Everyone,
Just to give you a heads up, I am putting my Alpa 6c up for auction on ebay starting tonight at 19.30 BST. I picked it up the other day from a junk shop but have decided that the restoration would be beyond my pocket or skill. The paint work needs seeing to and the front element on the Kern Switar is very hazy and the coating has degraded. I haven't attempted to clean this but the element does not appear to have any scratches so could probably be repolished. Otherwise the camera is in working condition, shutter fires, no dings or dents and the lightmeter works and it comes with the Practibag m42 and Nibag Nikon adaptors.
It is a wrench to let it go but I have decided that I would rather see the camera move on and be restored than just sitting on my shelf gathering dust. At this moment in time I simply couldn't afford a replacement lens or to have the present one refinished.
Anyway I can put some of the money earned towards something else, for some reason a FED1 would be nice or a Kiev 88, something a bit outside my usual price range but that I could use.
Regards
Matty

[philbirch]

wow, some early bids on there. Outa my range but I could be tempted to offer a Fed 3 (newer type) in exchange for it. Or a b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ rare Pentina ll. I eagerly anticipate your acceptance of my generous offer. ツ

[matty]

Rare Pentina II? Sounds like the sort of thing the people who run the Lomography site would try and sell for £300. Bit surprised, got a first bid on the Alpa within 20 minutes of it going on. This selling on ebay thing is not good for my nerves though, I've only sold a couple of bits and pieces before and I spent the whole week checking my ebay every five minutes during the day. Must go now, the Alpa is sat on the table looking at me and making me feel guilty for trying to sell it. I hope its not the Christine of the camera world.

[Stephen]

I hope you have a reserve? and quite frankly the adaptors really ought to have been listed separately to get the best value, they are sought after in the States.
good luck with the sale,
Stephen

[philbirch]

I see an early bid as a good sign. I have sold hundreds of items on ebay. The bidding can go ballistic in the last few seconds. I sold a Pentax P30t started at 99p. It was £1.04 two minutes before the end and sold for £24.

[matty]

I did wonder about selling the adaptors separately but wasn't sure how well they would go. When I find another package like this (thinking positively) I'll try that. Its really difficult getting a clear idea of a sensible price though, I've seen them between £30 and £250 apiece (admittedly the £250 was an asking price not a sold price.) My logic was that the whole bundle would be more attractive as a package rather than selling individually, the main lens needs sorting out but whoever bought it could still use the camera in the meantime, perhaps that's just the way my brain works. Any auction is a gamble, it all depends on who sees the listing with ebay and who's looking for that specific item at the time it goes up. Anyway I've more than got my money back with the current price so I'm happy with that and still five days to go. I think I'm a better collector than salesman.

[philbirch]

Hi Matty. When I sell something on ebay I look at the sold listings prices. The Alpa 6C regularly goes for £500 on average in good condition with lens. The adapters make it more desirable.

If I were selling this I'd be brutally honest about the condition and show all the faults in close up and say it is for repair/restoration. Then ask £395 post paid. I reckon it would sell within a week if not the first day.

It is pitched lower than the normal BIN price and more in line with actual auction prices. So for the buyer no waiting for bids and cheapest on ebay.

I have done exactly this and almost always sell within an hour or less of putting it on ebay.

For example, I got a bag of 2 Pentax cameras; a P30, another plastic bodied one, a big flashgun and four lenses for free (all Pentax made). I raised £209 within 1 hour for one of the bodies and three of the lenses. The other body went a week later but the flash never sold nor did the 75 to 150 zoom. This was due to strategic pricing and free courier delivery (cost of £3.75). With the cash from that I bought a Lens Turbo and a McKeowns guide. And still had change.

[matty]

The Alpa has gone, £242, midway in the valuation I got. I'm happy with the price. With the Jupiter 9 I sold the day before I got enough to cover the garage bill for my cam belt and some spare to treat myself to a FED1.
Matty