Post WW2 FSU sales in the US

[rbiemer]

I was somewhat randomly looking at Pop Photo from the mid- 1940s and came across this ad in the April 1947 issue:

Camera ad just after ww2 by rbiemer, on Flickr

$75 vs $140...about $820 vs $1530 today according to one inflation calculator I used.

I wonder if that was a FED or a Zorki? I can't recall my FSU camera history well enough to be certain, but I think it would have been a FED.

What surprised me more than the price was that this dealer--a company called Minifilm Camera Exchange in NYC--was actually offering this (these?) for sale at all. I guess, since the cameras in that part of the ad are second hand, they may have only had the one? A war or European service souvenir trade in, maybe.

I also note that in all of this issue, there are not many 35mm RF cameras of any brand, this was a bit ahead of the RF "era". Most of the cameras are either MF or LF and there are lots of those. And it seems that movie making was what the dealers were really pushing.

Quite a few Argus C3 cameras on offer from lots of different dealers. $70 or so seems to be the going rate then.

I found the Pop Photo through Google Books and did a screen shot of the ad.

Rob

 

[rfaspen]

Wait a minute. The only Russian Leica I see in that ad is $85.00. And its more than the the Standard Leica at $75. Interesting....

 

[rbiemer]

Wait a minute. The only Russian Leica I see in that ad is $85.00. And its more than the the Standard Leica at $75. Interesting....

Oops. You are correct. I completely misread that ad.😱

So it's really $930 vs $1530.
In June of this year I bought a Leica IIIA and Summar. I paid a bit less than twice as much as what these folks were asking. Better than 11 times as much. 😀

Rob

 

[webOSUser]

I brought a Zorki 1, which could easily be the 'Russian Leica' listed in the ad, equipped the same for the same amount of money, $85.

 

[David Hughes]

I thought the Zorki wasn't made until later on which means it's a FED.

So were they being imported in bulk or was it a trade in?

EDIT; and I misread it as the advert says they are second-hand or rather "Like Brand New".

Regards, David

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

And a used Leica Standard with Elmar for $75.
I guess the Soviet camera with its rangefinder was priced for its features, but the Leica has continued to appreciate.

 

[rbiemer]

And a used Leica Standard with Elmar for $75.
I guess the Soviet camera with its rangefinder was priced for its features, but the Leica has continued to appreciate.

The Leica has kept up with inflation pretty well. The FED cameras not so much.

Rob