Need Information on three Cameras

[nashirak]

Hey folks. I'm (obviously) new to this forum and even newer to Leica's. In cleaning out my grandfather's house, we found three camera's in pristine condition, each in their own padded case. I would like to know if I can trouble ya'll for as much information as possible on these.

We are interested in selling them. If possible, can I get ya'lls opinion on market price for personal selling? I just need a ballpark so I know I'm not being lowballed or anything. All are in near perfect condition...minor scuffs around the strap points, a few very minor on the metal casings that are barely noticeable. And all are fully functional.

I know these are phenomenal cameras, but I'm not a collector or camera buff by any means, and they would just sit wasted on my shelf. I would rather sell them to someone who can appreciate them and/or put them to good use, as they all still are fully functional.

Only one of the three is an M-series, so Moderators please feel free to move this if this is not the proper forum for these questions. I simply did not know where else to put them.

First camera...a M3 DBP, serial number M3-872074, with attached lens (Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzler f=5cm 1:1.5)

Second Camera...a DRP, serial number 658663, with attached lens (Ernst Leitz Wetzler f=5cm 1:2)

Lastly is a LeicaFLEX SL, serial number 1235944, with attached lens (Leitz Wetzler 1:2/50

Apologies for the picture quality, I'm no photographer, and never pretended to be. Therefor the reason I'm trying to sell these...lol

 

[mrb]

Here's a site with a rough price guide for these cameras. Bodies and lenses are priced separately:

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/

 

[payasam]

All three look excellent. However, such old equipment often needs to be attended to before it functions as it should. Besides going to the link you have been given, you might watch eBay auctions for the same equipment for some while. M3 with Summarit, IIIf with Summitar, Leicaflex SL with Summicron. Good luck. Maybe you will find buyers on this forum.

 

[nashirak]

Hey everyone...

I now have a complete list of all the items. Three cameras, and several lenses, adaptors, and so forth. I also have pictures of all of them online. If you are interested in any of it, PM me with your email address and I'll send you a detailed list in a Word document and a link to the photos.

Any questions please feel free to contact me.

Will

 

[venchka]

Just a few random thoughts from my brain. YMMV.

Your grandfather had excellent taste in cameras.

My will states that my photographic equipment is to go to my grandchildren. I hope I have instilled in them a sense of pride in ownership. I trust they will use the equipment, or, at the very least, keep the equipment in the family.

Did you ever give a nanosecond of thought to learning how to use this equipment? It ain't that hard.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Take you time. Set a reasonable price. Post them here with some pictures. But, you must remember that when you are selling the cameras either here or on ebay since you are not a recognized camera dealer your expected price will be lower than someone who has a long track record and knows the cameras well. Also, if you sell to a dealer they will pay only 40% of their retail value. As for the ebay seller stores, they, too, realize lower values that reputable & knowledgeable sellers. There a number of conditions to state when you list the camera. Look at the older adds for what to include. Take you time. There is nothing like using the camera and posting a few pictures with the item to demonstrate how well it works. Good luck & we'd love to see them posted here for sale.

 

[shadowfox]

Oh my, were my grandfather to leave these for me... 😱

I'm with Wayne in above post, I know that you're not into photography, but unless you are in dire need of money, I'd keep these as family heirlooms.

These cameras must be dear to your grandfather. Most of us in this forum are a bunch of people who are afflicted with the same obsession as his 🙂 . So most of us know how he'd feel.

Just my two unsolicited cents.

 

[nashirak]

Venchka--- I do understand where you are coming from. This isn't something we've just found. We cleaned out his house over two years ago. Since then, all this equipment has just been sitting on my father's closet shelf. Photography is simply not one of our hobbies. It isn't that we don't respect the hardware; we absolutely do. We respect it enough to not let it rot it's useful life away sitting in cases. I would much rather sell it to someone who can fully appreciate it and let it be put to good use. I think that would be showing much more respect.

Steve, I do intend to test all the equipment before shipping it out. There's a Leica dealer/broker/repair/etc location not 50 miles from here. They are very well known and respected in the area. I'm paying them a visit tomorrow or monday to get the bodies checked out, slap some film in them, take a couple of shots of Atlanta, and see how they come out.

I just threw the list on here because the broker asked for all the information, and I had a couple members ask me as well because they were interested in a lens off one of the cameras.

So to recap...this is not a decision made lightly or spur of the moment. This posting was just the first expert site I came across to start my research and all. I do appreciate any and all opinions and assistance.

 

[MISH]

You are very lucky To have a grandfather with such good taste....... none of my grandparents even owned a camera let alone a Leica (but I did have a more worldly uncle whose memory I honor every time I use his Leica Standard)
My grandkids will do allright

 

[Steve Bellayr]

After shooting a few rolls of film you might just decide to hold onto one of them. Wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[LeicaTom]

the m3 and lens alone could be $1000-$2000 depending on ebay market and demand....

Jesus!

Seems everybody "highball`s" prices when they see things like this ........the Summartit in M is worth maybe $300 and a TOP condition, dent free mint/mint- M3 DS is maybe, maybe $750 to $900 on a good day without the box....... (notice the grade I said mint/mint-)

Some people think just because it has the name Leica on it, it`s worth a forture, M3`s and IIIF`s were mass produced and are abundant in the market now, only gear that`s all matching numbers, with all boxes and cards and paperwork are commanding the collector prices, not user gear

Geee...... doesn`t anyone here think in the terms of "user" grade prices, ebay is NOT a good place to get an idea of what gear is worth, especially when it`s used but not abused gear (on there some sellers work with a 400% mark up over what somethings worth
*greedy bast*rds*)

I`ve seen very nice user M3 bodies sell just recently for less than $500, all this $1,000+ stuff is just crap and what just a handful of krazy collectors are paying for TOP condition gear, without marks that are going to be china cabinet princesses and NEVER get one roll of film run trough them

I just wish people would look at cameras for what they are once and that`s something designed to take pictures with.....and also take into consideration that cameras sitting around for years NEED A CLA!!!!
What if the M3 needs shutter work? Or a new viewfinder? It`s all added costs, people should ask questions about condition first then make price quotes, the prettiest cameras, have the MOST problems, when it comes down to it many times, the less they are used the worse it is for many of the cameras normal functions

I could see getting really excited if this would be a chrome Leica MP, or a IIIG with a Leicavit and a rigid Summicron or a IIIC K Grey with a Black MOOLY motor but it`s a just a good ole normal M3, remember the camera everybody used because it was a really good camera to work with and not a collectible, the M3 is worth $400 or $500 if it`s working and doesn`t need major repairs, (and it`s only a double stroke, single strokes are more collectible and desirable, I personally don`t like to use a DS, but it would make for some good trading material)
and that`s what I would pay for it and that`s a fair market price - people get realistic! 🙂

Tom

 

[venchka]

Grinning. I'm not alone.

Add $300 for a CLA on each body and $65-$125 for a CLA on each lens. Or rather, subtract those prices from a resonable and customary private transaction.

Once you've arrived at fair prices, offer them here first if you want the hardware used and appreciated.

 

[venchka]

Again. Offer them here first. If they don't sell here, you can always sell them to KEH for less.

 

[Sjixxxy]

Oh my, were my grandfather to leave these for me... 😱

I know. All I got in terms of photo equipment when my grandpa died was an Argus C3. Oh well, least I should have some really nice stuff to pass down to my family members when I'm done.

 

[nashirak]

Oh I intend to offer all of it here first. Don't worry about that.

I'll know for sure tomorrow, but everything should be in near perfect working order. He was meticulous about maintaining this gear. Regularly sending them off to be just "tuned up", cleaned, kept in within spec. They have all been kept in sealed pelican-cases, always kept inside the house, never attic stored.

Look, we have other heirlooms that hold sentimental value in our family; these need a home where they can be fully appreciated. We simply aren't a photo-heavy family, paper OR digital. Never have been. End of discussion.

And Tom, I'm sorry...but if you're going to lecture me in public, don't make me an offer on one of the camera's. Either you want me to sell it or you don't...lol

 

[nashirak]

You and I think alike, sitemistic. I'm glad someone understands...lol

Either way, the best help I've gotten so far came from this site, whether some agree with selling them or not. What to look for, what to investigate, features and funcionalities to inspect, all that. I appreciate the information folks. All three are getting film tomorrow, and I'll have some pictures this weekend with a few lenses. Then I'll have them posted in the classifieds.

So ya'll get first crack at them. If ya'll any more questions about the bodies or any of the lenses and other accessories, please let me know.

 

[BillBingham2]

Nashirak,

Sorry about some of the opinions that have flown your way, some folks here take their love some what religiously. I'm in the process of selling some stuff I've collected over the years to keep food on the table and roof over are head at this point so, while I love my cameras, they are just tools. Beautiful tools, wonderful tools, but tools.

Taking your stuff to a dealer is a good place to start, as is here. The market is somewhat soft right now on film cameras. Great user cameras are not going as high in many cases as they might have say six months ago. I think it is the teetering on recession, fears about mortgages, end of the year are they going to lay me off next jetters.

Take a look at each of these written up at the classic cameras area of www.cameraquest.com. They are all classic camera as you well know. There is not a bad camera in the bunch. The Leicaflex SL2 is easily one of the best five SLRs ever made, the M3 defines quality, craftsmanship and ease of us (except for loading the film) and the screw mount is perhaps the perfect pocket camera, solid and able to take a vast array of lenses old and new.

There are several different approaches you can take.

If you have the time, you can watch evilBay, see what has sold (you will need an ID created). Look for the wording, what pictures show what and duplicate the successful sales. As much as I hate and love evilBay, it's helped me much more than I've been hurt by it. You need to invest some time and look for the ebb and flow of items.

Taking to a shop or dealer is much quicker, but you will loose between 40 and 60% of it's potential value. It's fast and you get cash in hand. In addition to your shop look around the internet for others. www.keh.com might buy stuff.

Another option is selling them here. Look for evilBay to set the price and then reduce by say 25% to 30% and post them here. Make sure you are looking as the same quality (boxes, use level, ext.) as you are selling and look only at completed sales. Asking price if it did not sell is not where the market is. Your costs will be $2.00 per add, you could run all three cameras in the same add. Leave it up for a week and then move to evilBay if they do not sell.

While I do not make as much money here and some times things do not sell, often the stuff goes to someone who loves photography as much as I do. Most of the time it's less of a hassle to see here. Stuff falls through, we're not perfect (as you've seen). It really does feel good to hear back that people love and use the stuff I have sold.

I'm sorry that some folks here are a bit religious about photography equipment. I've got some leica stuff that my father, who was a photographer all his life brought back from a walking tour with the rainbow brigade in WWII. That will be that last stuff out the door, but if it comes to loosing a house or that stuff, it's gone. Who I am is because of my father, mother, grandparents and family. I am passing the good along to my sons and trying to improve where ever I can. Things are wonderful, but they can be replace, people and family can not.

I would be happy to help in anyway I can. Please feel free to email me, I can do some research on prices and other options as I too am actively selling stuff.

Good luck and you've found the best place for all your questions about your Grandfathers stuff on the Internet.

B2 (;->

 

[LeicaTom]

And Tom, I'm sorry...but if you're going to lecture me in public, don't make me an offer on one of the camera's. Either you want me to sell it or you don't...lol

.....the gear is yours to do with what you want to, I see equipment like this come and go all the time in Florida estate sales
(though a M3 body has`nt turned up in a few months, I must be honest)

I`m not lecutring you or anyone, what I posted is just a faithful look at how people here can twist and turn things around and make everything sound like it`s worth a forture, the M3 body is interesting and worth tops $500 without a CLA, if it was CLA`d then that`s add $300 so that`s $800, if you are so enthusiastic about selling it, put it on ebay with a 7 day auction starting at $1 with really good crisp sharp detailed photos and a fine description explaining if there`s dents and dings and scratches, missing vulcanite etc. etc. and then watch the auction go crazy....who knows maybe some nut out there will pay you $5,000 for it
(just kidding!) lol!!!!!!!!!

Good luck with your sale

Tom

 

[Lance]

If you are not a camera guy, then don't forget a light meter when you take those babes out with film...

 

[David Murphy]

You probably have about $1400-1600 of camera gear there -- very nice. I suggest parting out the lenses and any accessories, taking good photos, and selling them here or on eBay. If you sell them here ask for best offers and be patient. This is top quality gear, obviously well treated, and you'll still get a good price even if they need a little TLC (these *look* pretty good). In particular the Leica M3 is the gold standard of collectible rangefinders -- it will sell itself in almost any reasonable condition. I'm constantly amazed at what people pay for them even in obviously horrible condition. I would not get too involved in film testing or repairs unless you are interested in that aspect -- it can open a big can of worms, even to an experienced hobbyist. If it's money you need, I'd let the new owners do the repairs.