This Polaroid 100 Land Camera Prototype is for serious vintage camera collectors with deep pockets.
Vintage cameras can go for insane prices — either insanely cheap or insanely expensive. Many of our latest ebay finds seem to be on the latter side of the spectrum. Case in point is a possible prototype of a Polaroid 100 Land Camera listed at a whopping US $6,000.01.
That asking is price is crazy if you consider that Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Cameras are a dime a dozen now and can go for insanely cheap on ebay. So what makes this item listed by photographer and camera collector Highway41 worthy of the $6,000 price tag? He noticed some signs that this camera, which he bought from the estate of a professional photographer, was most likely a prototype.
It’s worth noting that the seller mentioned having 22 of this Polaroid model so he most likely knows the camera well from the inside out (and had lots to compare it with, obviously). He noticed that there was no serial number, no patent numbers, no Polaroid name inside the camera. Then, the film door was totally different and had to be modified. The front plate has an unusual blue color instead of the steel gray this model usually came in. The film speed control area didn’t have the words “film speed” in the lower frame and the nubs or bumps at either side of the blue switch. The label on top of the lens plate has different wordings and printing layout. Even the camera cover had some small differences compared to the production models.
Okay, so you find all that interesting. But still, why the hefty price tag? If you know your Polaroid history, you’re probably going to have a eureka moment just about…now. No? Well, our seller here has the answer: “I can only guess this professional photographer had some ties with Polaroid and was doing field testing of the revolutionary new pack film & camera.”
The Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Camera was actually the first model designed for use with the new 100-series pack film. This item, therefore, could be the only prototype still in existence.
Convinced? You can buy it now for $6,000.01 or make your best offer on this ebay listing.