Lizars Challenge Dayspool Stereo Tropical
The Lizars Challenge Dayspool Stereo Tropical is a tropical-finish stereo plate camera sold by the Glasgow optician and retailer J. Lizars under its Challenge house brand. As a tropical model, it was built with polished hardwood and lacquered brass fittings intended for use in hot, humid climates, placing it at the upper end of Lizars' early-20th-century stereo offerings.
With only a single recorded UK auction result, the price for a Challenge Dayspool Stereo Tropical is best described by that hammer figure rather than a meaningful range: an example sold for £2,880 in 2019. At saleroom level — a wholesale hammer result, not a dealer asking price — tropical-bodied stereo cameras of this era are highly condition-sensitive, with the state of the woodwork, brass, bellows and shutter materially affecting what one is worth today in 2026.
Sales History
Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.
Prices updated: April 2019
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2019 | £2,880 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 438) Title: A J. Lizars Challenge Dayspool Tropical Stereo Camera
Description:
1905, 2¼x6¾'', teak, with A. E. Stanley & Co. Eurylan Series I f/4.2 3½" lenses, serial nos. 65977/65978, body, VG-E, lenses, G-VG, some light |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Lizars Challenge Dayspool Stereo Tropical worth today?
Auction evidence is thin, but the one recorded UK hammer sale reached £2,880, so a complete, working example with sound woodwork and bellows can be expected to sell for a four-figure price at auction.
How much does a Challenge Dayspool Stereo Tropical sell for at UK auction?
The single verified hammer result is £2,880 in 2019; with so few data points, the realistic price for any given example depends heavily on condition, completeness of lenses and originality of the tropical finish.
What affects the value of a tropical stereo plate camera like this?
Condition of the hardwood body and brasswork, intact light-tight bellows, a functioning shutter and matched original lenses are the main drivers of value for this model.