I might own a couple athentic Daguerreotypes whay are they worth

[Addictionhelper]

I've come into a collection of old cameras what are camera obscures and Daguerreotypes value??? Original mid 1800s.

 

[limr31]

First, a Daguerrotype is a photograph, not a camera.

Second, there is no way of determining value without knowing exactly what you have and what condition the items are in.

Third, having said that, they're probably not worth much.

 

[480sparky41 40]

Probably the most value will be for interior decorators.

 

[Overread16 4]

Basically pretty much all film gear is at an all time low in value. Very good condition rarer and higher end gear can still sell for a decent amount, but its nothing like its old value. Chances are you could get a decent idea of value if you search the make and model on ebay or just the type and look at the sold completed listings (look at the sold ones not just the completed listings that way you see what things are actually selling for).

There are some that still hold value, but they are rare (and a lot of them have the words Lieca printed on them)

 

[Addictionhelper]

First, a Daguerrotype is a photograph, not a camera.

Second, there is no way of determining value without knowing exactly what you have and what condition the items are in.

Third, having said that, they're probably not worth much.

Let me explain better. I own the physical camera. A camera obscura late 1700s. It's a wood box with glass mirrors and has a lens. Have two of them today I'll will post pics. Theres no authentic camera obscuras for sale on the web.

 

[KmH]

Wow! You checked the entire web! A very difficult task. Impressive.

 

[petrochemist118 142]

If your 'late 1700s' date is correct it predates any photography, and would be one of made for drawing.
I've not seen one for sale but I'm sure they would be quite simple to fake.

The Mid 1800's would be in the earliest days of photography, but as mentioned earlier it isn't a daguerreotype, that is one of the early processes used for making photos, and has no relevance to the camera model. These types of cameras generally do not have mirrors.

I have several photographs on my ancestors that are Daguerrotypes, they have minimal financial value, but quite a bit of sentimental value.

 

[limr31]

Honestly, I think Sparky's right - the people who would be interested in something like this would be decorators or other art collectors that have no interest in using it. Anyone interested in using a camera obscura for photographic purposes would probably just make their own.

 

[vintagesnaps]

It might be of more interest to antique dealers and buyers, etc. (or people who collect vintage cameras). There's an annual camera collectors show and auction in my state but was just held in late May. If you could find something like that which includes more historic and antique cameras & tintypes etc., that might be worth trying.

There is a company called Ancient Magic Art Tools that makes/sells camera obscuras and other optical toys, so they're still made. I think there could be some interest in what you have and it might be a matter of finding where to sell it. I don't know what the value might be.

edit - Couldn't think of the name of this group but found it online; looks like they sometimes are interested in buying.
Sell your old photography equipment, vintage photos & antique cameras

 

[Dave Colangelo]

They may be worth something if they have some provenance, some historical importance or simply are ornate. But other than that camera obscuras were more or less party trick devices. They have a lot of historical importance in the development of photography but they are fairly simple devices and in my experience not really sought after on the secondary market. Some collectors may be interested as would an interior decorator or the like.

Daguerreotypes are the earliest process for taking photos (that was widely used). They were taken using, effectively, a large format camera. Similar to a camera obscura with the viewing area removed and replaced with an area to hold the wet plate. The camera is typically nothing more than a wooden box with a lens mounted out front. However since this was the very early days of optics some of the lenses may have value, largely historically, and in some senses photographically. Maker markings on the lens may help to get to the bottom of this a bit.