I frequently am asked what the value of the different Tru-Vue viewers are, to which I reply “Well, that depends …”. The value of any collectible varies between the four major concerned groups; the patient collector, the immediate collector, the collectible dealer, and the one time seller.
The patient collector and the collectible dealer are looking for the collectible at a low price, the patient collector to save money and the dealer to make a profit.
The immediate collector is a person looking to complete a collection or replace an item, and does not want to wait to see if they might find the item at a lower price at sometime in the future. They are the ones who will go to the dealer and pay the “collector value” for the specific piece that they want.
The last group is one time sellers, people who have a small number of collectible items and would like to sell them. Unlike the dealer who is knowledgeable about condition, knowledgeable about what pieces go together, or who has a large stock of items to offer collectors, the one time seller usually does not know how to grade collectibles, does not know if the items are complete, and has no selection to offer potential buyers.
This Tru-Vue viewer value list is for this last group. You might consider it the “wholesale” value for the viewers.
Now the disclaimer: the assumptions made when making values for this list are that the viewer is in like new condition with no breaks or cracks, that there is not much wear or noticeable scratches, and the viewer works. If there is a very nice condition box, add $2 for the common ones (viewers worth less than $20) and $10 to the harder to find viewers (viewers worth more than $20). Damaged or dirty boxes add no value, and broken viewers might be used for parts, but are only worth a dollar or two.
Note: See the Tru-Vue Film Viewer Identification article for pictures of all of the viewers.
| First Viewer with No Logo | $40 |
| Shiny front Art Deco | $8 |
| Century of Progress 1933 | $35 |
| Century of Progress 1934 | $50 |
| Fred Harvey | $50 |
| Matt front Art Deco | $4 |
| All Black Streamlined | $5 |
| All Brown Streamlined | $10 |
| Black and White Streamlined | $15 |
| Brown and White Streamlined | $5 |