What’s The End of Your Camera Collecting Look Like?
Working on doing a survey of camera collectors. Would like their input on several things. In the meantime, I'm very interested in how collections will turn out, specifically, where does all the stuff go when we die (in terms of passing it forward)? The little survey below is a start. If you have time, either let me know of any questions you'd like to have asked, or give me your initial responses. This survey will be for fun, not profit; I only wanna know, 'cause I'd like to know.
Background:
What Country Do You Live In?
How would you describe the size of your collection?
- Small (up to 25 items)
- Medium (26-100 items)
- Large (101-300 Items)
- Extra-Large (over 300 Items)
Do you have a theme to your collection/collecting?
- Devoted to a single brand/manufacturer/item
- Devoted to one or two brands
- Comprised of many brands
- Open to collecting items as presented for any number of personal reasons
- Comprised of items based on their historical or resale value
Do you buy and sell items as you go, or mostly buy?
What do you think the value of your entire collection is worth right now?
- Is that number higher or lower than the collection’s acquired costs?
The Big Questions:
What Will Happen to Your Collection When You Die?
- Dunno, haven’t thought of that
- Already planned to pass on to specific friends/family as heirlooms
- Expected to be sold in piece or by lot by heirs
- Donated or given to a third party (thrift store, other collector, etc.)
- Other
How does your family view your camera collection? No, the truth.
Do you think the funds you have spent on your collection have or have not had an impact on your family (budget/relationships, etc.).
Does your collection have a boundary?
- No, I collect as I wish
- No, my interests change all the time
- Yes, If I can acquire (X) I will stop
- Yes, I only collect by a certain (format/brand/country, era)
What Country Do You Live In? USA
ReplyDeleteHow would you describe the size of your collection? Medium
Do you have a theme to your collection/collecting? Sort of. This is my second collection; lost the first (started at age 9) in my divorce. Restarted at age 39 with rangefinders. Then added folders. Finally added mechanical SLRs. And haven't been able to resist the occasional oddball. So: Open to collecting items as presented for any number of personal reasons.
Do you buy and sell items as you go, or mostly buy? Mostly buy, but I've bought almost everything I want now, and am thinking about culling the herd.
What do you think the value of your entire collection is worth right now? Hm, I never thought about it. I'm not sure I care. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say $4,000.
Is that number higher or lower than the collection’s acquired costs? About the same
The Big Questions:
What Will Happen to Your Collection When You Die? Expected to be sold in piece or by lot by heirs
How does your family view your camera collection? No, the truth. Just another quirk of their quirky son/dad/etc. They like the photos I take with my cameras, though.
Do you think the funds you have spent on your collection have or have not had an impact on your family (budget/relationships, etc.). Oh, it's hard to deny that I could have spent the money I've spent on cameras on any number of other valuable things. But my family and I don't miss those other things, so I'd have to say there's been no real impact.
Does your collection have a boundary? I collect as I wish.
Do you see camera collecting as a growing or declining activity for you? Declining. I'm increasingly interested in the images I can get with my cameras, and am settling in on a certain handful that I want to use over and over.
What country do I live in?
ReplyDeleteEngland.
How would I describe the size of my collection?
Medium to large, depending on your definition. I have 42 bodies, but I have a load of other lenses etc., which would pish the total up beyond three figures, no doubt.
Do I have a theme to my collecting?
Not really, I buy cameras that interest me, and that seem usable. It's mainly ended up being SLRs and rangefinders, but I have a 1908 Kodak folder, right up to one of those Recesky TLRs you build yourself to see what all this lomo fuss was about.
Do I buy and sell, or mostly buy?
I don't think I've sold one yet! I've given about three special people some as gifts, but I don't think I want to sell any of them, they're too special to me.
What is my collection worth right now?
Probably about £5,000. I paid much less for it all, most came from charity shops and classifieds, including an Olympic Canon F-1n that I got in a charity shop for £25!
What will happen to my collection when I die?
The nice ones will be distributed amongst my family. My little brother gets my Leica M6 and all its gear, other than that, the rest can be distributed among my family and friends
friends. I hope they'll keep them, but I don't think they'll hang on to the crappier ones for very long.
How does my family view my collection? Do they think it's a good way to spend my money?
They like the collection, they think it looks very nice, but they reckon it's a silly way to spend my hard-earned moolah, and if ever I come up short of cash I ought to sell some rather than asking to borrow some. (22 year old student here. It happens.) My girlfriend likes it because she shoots film as well, so she gets to borrow them! My ex thought it was a bit weird, though.
Does my collection have a boundary?
When I run out of space! It's alright, cameras are small and they don't take up much room, so I should be alright for a few years yet!
Do I see collecting as a growing or declining activity?
Neither, really. I got a Polaroid 636 for my 5th birthday, I haven't stopped since then, and I don't intend to stop any time soon!
What country do I live in?
ReplyDeleteGermany.
How would I describe the size of my collection?
Medium, but don't ask me how many exactly, I haven't counted the number of items.
Do I have a theme to my collecting?
Not really, usually I see attractive cameras in the internet or at local garage sales.
Do I buy and sell, or mostly buy?
Yeah I sell stuff from time to time, sometimes when I get a camera and shooting with it just doesn't work out well I get rid of it.
What is my collection worth right now?
No idea, probably around 3000 to 4000 euros.
What will happen to my collection when I die?
Never thought about it, hopefully someone who actually cares about it as much as I do ;-)
How does my family view my collection? Do they think it's a good way to spend my money?
Yeah, my girlfriend thinks I'm crazy but actually she thinks it's kind of a good investments as it's not losing much value.
Does my collection have a boundary?
None so far.
Do I see collecting as a growing or declining activity?
Seems to remain constant.