Used Polaroid cameras in the UK typically sell for £25 to £110 (about $34 to $150). Instant cameras are bought to be used, so the whole sale rests on one thing: proving it fires and that film is still made for it.
What Polaroid cameras are worth in the UK
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £110 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £94 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £72 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £50 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £28 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.
What lifts the price
- Models that take film still in production
- Working flash and functioning rollers
What pulls it down
- Perished bellows with light leaks
- Corroded battery contacts
Selling a Polaroid camera in the UK
Most private sales settle by bank transfer or cash on collection. Faster Payments clear in seconds, which makes a transfer as safe as cash for the seller — wait for it to land before the item leaves your hands.
The UK has the deepest second-hand habit of any of our markets — charity shops, car boot sales and online resale have been mainstream here for decades, so buyers arrive already comfortable with used goods and already know roughly what things are worth.
Royal Mail, Evri and InPost cover the whole country, and InPost lockers mean neither side has to be in for a delivery. Tracked 48 is the usual default for small parcels.
Distance selling rules bind traders, not private sellers, but an item must still be as described and anything sold as working must actually work.
Working out what yours is worth
- Confirm which film format it takes and whether that film is still sold
- Shine a torch inside the bellows in a dark room to find leaks
Getting it ready
- Load a pack and take a shot. A camera that has not been tested is worth far less because most old instant cameras do not work.
- Clean the rollers inside the film door, which is what causes streaked and blotchy pictures.
Photograph
- The camera closed and opened, whole, from the front
- The film compartment with the rollers visible
- The model name and any battery compartment, plus every scuff or crack
Put in the description
- Model, and the exact film format it takes
- Whether that film is still manufactured
- Whether it has been tested, and with what result
Model and film type: “Polaroid 600 Instant Camera, Tested and Working” or “Instax Mini 9, Boxed”. The film format is the critical detail because it determines whether the camera is usable at all. The word tested belongs in the title when true — most listings cannot say it.
Light and easy to post. Remove any film pack and batteries before sending, and pad the bellows on folding models, which crease permanently if compressed.
It costs nothing to list
There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the £110 a buyer pays is the £110 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.
Where in the UK
The United Kingdom is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of the United Kingdom with their own page for Polaroid cameras.
Common questions
Where can I sell a Polaroid camera in the UK?
List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Most private sales settle by bank transfer or cash on collection. Faster Payments clear in seconds, which makes a transfer as safe as cash for the seller — wait for it to land before the item leaves your hands.
Are the rollers clean?
Open the door and look. Dirty rollers streak every picture, they clean in a minute, and mentioning it shows you know the camera.
Are old instant cameras worth anything?
Ones that take film still in production are. Cameras needing discontinued formats sell mainly as display pieces.
Why do my instant photos come out streaked?
Usually dirty rollers. They clean easily and it is worth doing before you photograph the camera for sale.
More: how to sell a Polaroid camera, what Polaroid cameras are worth, or Cameras & Photography across the United Kingdom.