Asahi: Asahiflex I Price Guide: estimate a camera value

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Asahi: Asahiflex I

CollectiBlend Average Index

	Average	Very good	Mint
	$700-800	$1000-1100	$1700-1800
Estimate value accuracy:

Camera rarity

(Somewhat rare. Votes: 3)

Searching eBay listings:

1952-1953. First Japanese 35mm SLR, first Asahi Kōgaku camera. Single flash socket. There were about 7500 cameras manufactured, for the Japanese market only.

Camera featured in these collections: Madd10 Moe49

Camera is in these wishlists: Louie Bunbun

Camera sales and other sources with added premiums,
converted and inflation-adjusted prices:

	Date	Condition	Price
	2022-11-10	4F	$534
	2022-08-10	4G	$464
	2020-09-08	6J	$413
	2015-06-20	4F	$559
	2014-10-19	8J	$665
	2014-09-20	6G	$797

	2013-11-20	6Z	$1235
	2013-04-30	6F	$1223
	2013-04-06	7J	$869
	2013-02-19	5F	$961
	2013-02-10	6F	$987
	2012-11-02	C-	$1234
	2007-03-28	B	$654
	2003-11-22	A-B	$2570
	2003-04-01	B-	$1184
	2003-02-28	B	$403
	2002-01-01	B	~$600
Do you know a recent sale? You can add it!

Post a reply

by minitw » Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:42 pm

I just tried bidding for an Asahiflex I that is what I would call in C condition, but A stopped at $500. It ended up selling for $857! The back leather is completely gone, there is a crack in the viewfinder, and the shutter doesn't work. So what do you think one in working condition in decent shape is running for? $2,000?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170931874023?ss ... 1435.l2649

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by diser » Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:53 pm

The value is definitely lower, considering previous auctions. Unfortunately, there were no recent (5-10 yrs) auctions at all, no hammer ones (one at Christie's in 2007, but the condition is arguable), no eBay ones.
Considering this is a historically valuable camera for Japanese folks:
- first Japanese SLR camera (even before Nikon and Canon SLRs),
- first Asahi/Pentax camera,
they may have been keeping these cameras to themselves during the past years. I have been to Japan, visited several stores, none of them had this camera either.
Yes, I'd say a working camera in decent condition could easily fetch a price close to $2K.

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by diser » Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:03 pm

Additional information, I'll put this in a camera description: according to Gerjan van Oosten, there were ~7500 cameras manufactured, for the Japanese market only.

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by bigjojo » Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:37 pm

Comme beaucoup le savent ebay n'existe pratiquement pas au Japon, mais Yahoo est très puissant. Je visite son site de temps en temps et j'ai déja vu passer 2 (deux) Asahiflex Je(le premier). Actuellement un est en vente pour 65000 yens. Il est plutot dans la fourchette superieure de prix. Le précedent s'est vendu mois de 30000 yens il y a un mois. La difficulté c'est de trouver un moyen pour le faire venir en Europe (ou aux USA) mais je crois avoir trouvé une bonne solution.

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by diser » Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:03 pm

bigjojo,
I checked yahoo japanese auctions, and you are right, they do have more interesting items than ebay.
Thanks for pointing this out!

Post a reply

by minitw » Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:31 pm

What's the website for Yahoo Japanese auctions? Is everything in Japanese? Too bad my Japanese reading is not so great.