RE: Nishika Cameras

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>> As was mentioned here recently, 3.5 Realists have been spotted in
>> camera store windows with price tags of $400+.  Does this make the Realist
>> a $400 camera?

>No, but if it *sells* at that price, then yes.

I have no doubt that some poor sap somewhere at some time paid $400
for a 3.5 Realist (perhaps at one of Dalia's auctions?  Just kidding).

If you *seriously* believe that that changes the instrinsic value of
the camera, then I have *several* bridges to sell you, along with a
collection of 50's stereo cameras. :-)

I also have no doubt that some lucky person somewhere scored a mint
condition Realist Custom for a song, most probably from someone who
didn't know what they were selling.  Does that mean that no one
should ever pay more than a song for a Custom, ever?

>The worth of a camera (or anything else) is what someone will pay
>for it, rather than that which is hoped for it.  And it's dynamic.

I think this is nonsense!  There is such a thing as an intrinsic
value for a useful object, irrespective of its current selling price.
Whether it involves averaging out all of the transactions to arrive
at a "fair market value", or comparing it to other objects of its type
and placing it along the spectrum, there is some kind of semi-objective
way to determine its TRUE WORTH.  This is not necessarily the same as
what it will sell for next time it changes hands, I grant you that!

The notion that any one, single transaction has any but the slightest
mathematical bearing on the value of an object is ludicrous.  By the
above logic, I have only to go out and pay $1,000 for a Realist to
make it a $1,000 camera!  (Please note that I am talking about objects
which are in fairly common supply; one-of-a-kind collectibles are in
an entirely different category, where what they bring at the next
Christie's auction is effectively what they're worth.)

The real irony is that it was the Nishika that started all this, and
since many people are known to have paid hundreds of dollars for this
camera, I guess it really IS an X-hundred dollar camera!  Ha!

So, is the Belplasca really WORTH ten times as much as a Realist?
Are the pictures it takes 10x as good?  Is it 10x better in ANY way?
Or is that just what it SELLS FOR, because of (low) supply and (high)
demand?

        -Greg W.


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