Leica LTM On Ebay: G.I. brought-back WWII vintage Leica IIIc Set

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Late 1945 production IIIC "stepper" camera with 1945/47 era lenses, surprised that someone would bid so high on a Service Number engraved defaced camera, but if this sells really high, then I can only expect that minty gear with verified US Army histories will bring even more than what this one does.......

The Steinheil F4.5/35 is an odd lens for the time 1946/47 - but not rare, a slower, well-built but cheaper then Leica or Zeiss lens of the time (from Bavaria) their company sold lot's of lenses to the returning GI's in the 1946 to 1954 period for Leica LTM. 🙂

That 1945 Summitar looks very nice, these old European scale Summitar's are getting harder and harder to come by in good condition, most have seperation issues, to find a pristine clean glass one is lucky 😀

Tom
 
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I agree with Tom -- separate all the items, and the value would drop considerably. It's really the story that adds value to the kit -- if there were any kind of paperwork to support the story, it would be helpful. To me, it looks about $500 overpriced, as it is.
 
I agree with Tom -- separate all the items, and the value would drop considerably. It's really the story that adds value to the kit -- if there were any kind of paperwork to support the story, it would be helpful. To me, it looks about $500 overpriced, as it is.

Yeah, I agree it was $500 too much.........but it DID sell, so that's exciting to see that finally the US Army Leica stuff is getting some RESPECT from the collector crowd, it's taken years to come round, but I think the 1945/46 era cameras Stepper and Flat Top IIIC's with direct US Army connections will bring good money from now on in the scene 🙂

Tom
 
Yes, it did sell, which I guess is a good thing (maybe not so good for those of us who are trying to buy Leica stuff cheaply!). But here again, the only thing that I see that has a tenuous US Army Leica connection is that Steinheil lens (with the US Zone inscription). In order to keep the 'story' going, all that stuff has to be kept together (along with the verbal story that the seller depicted in the listing). Otherwise, without any definitive paperwork corroborating the narrative, it's just another wartime Leica kit with an interesting cigarette case.

If you've ever watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS, there is always someone there with their grandmother's jewelry, and it was handed down through several generations, and was supposedly given to the family by Marie Antoinette etc. The appraiser almost always tells them that without any supporting documentation to that effect, it adds no value to the item.

Just my personal point of view -- but it still is an interesting kit.
 
Followed the auction to see where it would go. It went with only one bid. I hope the buyer is a happy person.


[edit]No feed back huh. dubious and interesting.
 
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If you've ever watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS, there is always someone there with their grandmother's jewelry, and it was handed down through several generations, and was supposedly given to the family by Marie Antoinette etc. The appraiser almost always tells them that without any supporting documentation to that effect, it adds no value to the item.

Just my personal point of view -- but it still is an interesting kit.

Speaking of Antiques Roadshow......I'm going to take one or all of my US Army IIIC K Grey's to the AR next time they are in Tampa, Florida, with documentation..........it's about time some WW2 era Leica's end up on TV 🙂

Tom
 
Funny, but I never see any cameras on the Roadshow....don't even know if any of their experts would be able to discuss it with any authority. Wonder what they would have said about my Contaflex TLR kit!
 
Speaking of Antiques Roadshow......I'm going to take one or all of my US Army IIIC K Grey's to the AR next time they are in Tampa, Florida, with documentation..........it's about time some WW2 era Leica's end up on TV 🙂

Tom

Absolutely! I'm always surprised how little (almost none) camera equipment gets on the Antique Roadshow.
 
"I'm always surprised how little (almost none) camera equipment gets on the Antique Roadshow."

Thank goodness! There's a direct correlation between a "collectible" appearing on the Roadshow and all available examples being bought up by speculators 😉
 
On a mildly similar note, I'm always slightly amused by the show 'American Pickers' -- they give a rundown of what they've purchased, how much they paid, what it's 'worth', and their 'profit'. It would actually be interesting to see if in fact they got the resale prices they claim they would get.
 
On a mildly similar note, I'm always slightly amused by the show 'American Pickers' -- they give a rundown of what they've purchased, how much they paid, what it's 'worth', and their 'profit'. It would actually be interesting to see if in fact they got the resale prices they claim they would get.

I haven't seen this one but in the UK versions they always omit to mention buyers' and sellers' premiums, VAT (sales tax), transport costs, etc etc
 
I'm also surprised the Antiques Roadshow hardly ever shows cameras, and seldom guns. These are two items that are intensely collected. I picked up a book a the bookstore, "How to pick antiques the Antiques Roadshow way" or some such. The same categories we see every show were in the book, by chapter; Furniture, Jewelry, Art glass/pottery, Dolls (what the...!), etc. But no Cameras, Coins, Guns, or a lot of things I look for when I go in an antique shop. Weird.
 
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