a $30,000 Nikkorex?

[compur]

That is what one seller is currently hoping to get for a low serial # Nikkorex F.

See item # 131795149408 on eBay USA

The seller says,
"This camera is a 1961 Nikkorex F SLR Serial Number 350003, which makes it the third actual camera produced by Nippon Kogaku."

Well, no. It's not the 3rd camera produced by Nippon Kogaku but it may be the 3rd Nikkorex F produced.

And, Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) didn't actually manufacture these cameras. The early ones were made by Mamiya and marketed by Nikon. Later ones were made by Ricoh and sold as the Ricoh Singlex or with Sears branding.

See:
Nikkorex F

Still, it's a cool camera ... but is it worth 30 Gs? I don't think so.

 

[minicoop1985]

I'll get you a dollar.

 

[table1349]

That's eBay for you. It's not referred to as "Extortion-bay" for nothing.

 

[compur]

The price has now dropped to $25,000.

 

[DarkShadow]

Sounds like a new quit smoking product.

 

[DarkShadow]

That's eBay for you. It's not referred to as "Extortion-bay" for nothing.

But i think you mis typed eBay.. I though is was fleeBay.

 

[compur]

Well, the seller has dropped the price down to $22K and still no takers per US eBay item # 131830240445

I think the seller is being a bit unrealistic. I could see asking, say, 200 bucks for it. Maybe a little more but tens of thousands of dollars? I don't think so. Even a comparably serial numbered Nikon F wouldn't fetch that kind of dough these days, IMO.

The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.

 

[limr]

The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.

Well, it depends. There is apparently a company in California called Cogniac. Is he identifying himself as an employee? Or does he not know how to spell cognac? I'm guessing, given his estimation of the worth of that camera, that it's the latter.

 

[pixmedic]

The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.

Well, it depends. There is apparently a company in California called Cogniac. Is he identifying himself as an employee? Or does he not know how to spell cognac? I'm guessing, given his estimation of the worth of that camera, that it's the latter.

obviously at least a bottle worth before posting that ad.

 

[fmw]

The first Nikon was the Nikoflex, a twin lens medium format camera that was never released because of the expense of developing a shutter for it. The first Nikon to hit the market was the Nikon I rangefinder model designed to take 135 size film. It had a format of 24X32mm which allowed 40 exposures on a roll compared to the Leica format of 24X36 which only allowed 36 exposures. Later on Nikon adopted the Leica format. The Nikon I released in 1948.

The Nikkorex wasn't released until 1960. It was a fairly terrible thing designed to take Nikon into the low end market. It was a failure. Nikon made other "affordable" cameras along the way but the meat of the business has always been in the high end SLR business. At one point in my life I owned an example of nearly every Nikon model. The Nikkorex was not one of them.

 

[compur]

The OP Nikkorex is now down to $15K obo according to eBay # 131867858470

 

[robbins.photo]

The OP Nikkorex is now down to $15K obo according to eBay # 131867858470

Tempted to make him an offer of $15.00, though honestly I think I'd be overpaying at that price.

 

[fmw]

A Nikkorex F with lens should bring between $50 and $75.

 

[table1349]

There is only one Nikon ever made that I am aware of that rates those kind of prices. It was a unique camera and no more than 10 were ever made. They were a custom order so the exact amount that were eventually delivered are no longer known for sure.

I have never seen a photo of one but have read a bit about them in a couple of collectors reference books. The camera was an Nikon F but what made it unique was it had a Teak wood body. They were made for very high humidity location use. About 6 years ago if one was located it was estimated to be worth 1 million dollars. Would love to run across one in a flea market but that will never happen.

 

[compur]

There is a Nikon SP detailed on this page ...

WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 27 - June 2015

... that sold for € 28,800 last year.That's about $32,000

In 2010 a Nikon S2E sold for € 168,000 ($185,000) ...
WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 18 - December 2010

and a Nikon F3 NASA also sold for € 168,000 ...
WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 18 - December 2010

I've never heard of the wooden Nikon you mentioned. I won't say it doesn't exist but I would think it would be quite well known if it did exist. I suspect it's in the same ballpark as the wooden nickles we've all heard about.