Your first Graflex

propmainiac

propmainiac

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Ok So I'm still riding the I just bought a graflex high so I'm starting this thread for those who have one when did you get your first Graflex? I bought one back in 1998? Paid 125 and it was a two cell that I converted to a 3 cell. Sold it in 2003? I was hooked after that. I used to build hardware store versions. First Star Wars prop I built.
 
2 cell in 2005. I bought a Parks around the same time... why I didn't just buy a 3-cell and covert that at the time I'll never know :confused
 
3 cell from ebay with a Graphlite and some other stuff back in 1999 for $325.00!!! Back then!! Episode I hype was real. But it was 100% complete and I made an ESB out of it. I traded it for trooper armor.
 
My first one was just a few years ago. My first keeper, though, for my Luke ESB, was from eBay and for $150. It was part of a full camera kit that I was able to talk it out of. It still holds a warm spot in my icy cold robotic Sith heart.
 
I bought my first one from a fellow member at ASAP, back in 2001, for about $80. It was fairly clean, but came with no button. I fell in love with those things, and have owned and built about four Graflex lightsabers (one Star War, and three Empire Strikes Back models).

After selling them all, I wish that I had kept one for myself.
 
I got my first one in 1996 at an antique store for $25. It was attached to a speed graphic camera and I took a card from the booth and called the owner and asked if he would sell the flash separately. I remember he said "I will, but it will cost you " he charged me $25 thinking he made me pay a premium. It was close to mint and I was happy. It's long gone now. I sold it a few years ago. No regrets though. It's just stuff.
 
January 29, 1999: I was on a business trip covering a conference, and during the lunch break I went for a walk and came across an old, beat-to-hell camera store. I went in to see if they had TLR lens shades (they did) and noticed some press cameras on the shelves behind the counter where I was paying. I asked if they had any flashes for them and the girl reached behind the cameras and placed a 3-cell on the counter. I asked how much.

She shrugged and said, "How about ten bucks?"

I like to think that it sat there for years waiting for me to come and rescue it. It became this:

Skywalker ANH Red 1000.jpg
 
Same story as many here - started with a 2-cel and converted with a repro 3-cell botom (maker was Biscuit, I believe?) around 2001. AT the time, 2-cells could be had relatively cheaply, while eBay prices for 3 cells were going through the roof. Converted it to an ESB as that is my favorite version.

In fact, hunting for that Graflex is what led me to the RPF. A vaporware company known as GraflexReborn was promising to make accurate 3-cell replicas but flaked (luckily I didn't give them any money - but I met some folk on their discussion boards (pretty sure it was either Vegeta or Cesquared) who directed me here (or to the precursor of "here" - the SWtitanic board). GraflexReborn was run by Dave Gielda, who also ran ClassicsReborn, another vaporware company dedicated to LiS B9 robot replicas.

M
 
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ebay lot buy- 2009ish. $125 bucks for all vintage 1) half converted esb 3 cell 2) a non converted 3 cell and 3) a heiland vader. They all came with extra parts to finish them (grips, bubble strips, even the glass eye that was removed to put a button, the black plastic chunk of whatever that went inside the graflex)
looking back - that was a crazy awesome buy.
 
Mkstewartesq......I actually owned a Graflex reborn on 2010 or 2011. Bought on eBay for 75 and it was in rough shape. The one I just bought will be a empire saber
 
I've told this story before, but...

1994, $20-30 for a box with a full Graflex, a stripped upper, a canon y, some minicams, three heilands, one of them a synchronar, and Ziess c-cell.
 
Happy memories :) I haven't found a Graflex for $10 -- yet (hey, a guy can dream can't he?) -- but I did score a Heiland 3 Cell for $10 back in 1998 I think. My first Graflex was a four-cell I got on eBay for $150 in 2002. I couldn't keep my hands off it for days waving it around going "vvvvwwoooom" lol I traded the end piece for a 3-Cell end with another RPF member. Still have it on display with a Speed Graphic Camera.

The cheapest I think I've paid to date for a solo unit is $80 for a two-cell. I've also purchased two in package deals with Speed Graphic cameras. On the first one I flipped the camera so I think the final price was maybe $75-$100 (I didn't get nearly as much for the camera as I had hoped). The second time I kept both the flash and the camera but eventually sold off the flash. At one point I was up to half a dozen Graflexes and now I'm down to two: the one attached to the camera and the other I've converted to ANH.
Probe Droid -- how did you get the bubble strip to fit so well in the clamp? That looks fantastic! Every clamp I've had has required the bubble strip to be filed down to fit.

Cheers!

Dave
 
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A few years back on the 'Bay. 175 shipped. Then Roy came along with his productions shortly thereafter. It seems almost that it was meant to be.

IMG_4964.JPG
 
My first G R A F L E X flashgun came from ebay ... and then I started collecting the Exactra 19 or 20 calculators whilest I had a custom D-ring made by my silversmith which I attached ... then the quest for the vintage T-tracks started before converting it further ... then a Graphic Special camera was purchased with another flashgun in the deal ... in all I have purchased about 5 flashguns over the years before the hype ... most of which still waiting to be converted and one into Vader ROTJ stunt. To think that my STAR WARS journey started with a single action figure of Yoda in my local toystore before I even knew it was part of a movie series ... I was 15 in 1981 ... and my late dad joined me to go see The Empire Strikes Back in our town cinema ... good memories indeed :)

Chaïm
 
propmainiac said:
Mkstewartesq......I actually owned a Graflex reborn on 2010 or 2011. Bought on eBay for 75 and it was in rough shape. The one I just bought will be a empire saber
Click to expand...

Interesting.. Now, of course, we are talking around 16 years ago so my memory may be a bit rusty – but I was not even aware any actually made it out of the factory.

M
 
First Graflex I still have. Got it for 120 off eBay, beautiful 3 cell complete with hardly a scratch. I converted it into an LED saber with crystal chamber pretty quickly.

More recently I scored a full 4x5 with case, film holders, bulbs, original manual and some extras, oh and the flash! beautiful 3 cell mint condition, it looks like the camera and flash were never even used. 200 bucks shipped! When I opened up eBay it had 28 days and 22 hours left with a buy it now of 200. Sucker had been on the bay for like two hours! That has been my best score so far, but I'm still waiting for the 10 dollar camera store find!
 
A pair of 2-cells off eBay for about $70 each back in 2005. Episode III hype was ongoing and prices were rising. One has been converted to an ANH using a Larbel 3 -cell bottom, the other is still sitting as-is awaiting conversion to the ESB.

cayman shen said:
Ebay, sometime in the early 2000s. I think it was 70 bucks. I would cut off my own toes for a 70 dollar Graflex now!
Click to expand...

Hell, a few months ago I paid $88 for a flash that has no connection at all to the movies aside from being popular for custom builds. What on earth has happened.
 
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