craftgrrl | Brownie camera questions (Reply)

hi -

I think this is relevant, as it deals with the crafty art form of photography; also xposted to "classic cameras"...

I have a few (stupid) questions regarding Brownie cameras...

I found quite a few vintage cameras at Portobello Market in London the other day. Most were labeled as "Brownie," but I can't find any info on them online; these weren't box cameras, they were molded plastic, brown, looked like they could have been circa 1940s - 1960s...they also had brown plastic molded cases.

so these are my questions.

1. does anyone know where I can find more info on these online?
2. prices ranged from £6 - £12 (which is approx. $11 - $21.60) - is this reasonable? (I assume that being a market, the prices are negotiable.)
3. what should I look for as far as quality, function, etc. when selecting one?
4. does anyone have it? do you like it?

thank you so much! most of my experience is with new cameras, so I don't really know where to start here -

Hillary