Price of a Leica II in 1932

[laskadog]

Hi there, need help from RFF community. My son is doing a show and tell on a Leica II and I can't for the life of me find out what they sold for in 1932. Can anyone help?

Thanks

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

i couldn't find specifically for ii, but i found this pdf which contained the early F, D and E models. Look at the last few pages of the pdf.

http://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leica_camera_of_today.pdf

 

[Vince Lupo]

From 'Leica Literature', James Lager, page 195:

Cat. No. and Code Word: 35810 LYNOL, LEICA Camera Model D, with focal plane shutter, built-in range finder, coupling for automatic focusing, 1 film magazine, without lens and case.....$51.00

A 50/3.5 Elmar would set you back another $33.00.

50/2.5 Hektor was $47.50.

 

[Contarama]

A normal focal length lens almost as much as the camera body. You don't really see that anymore except from a company such as Leica. I think that says a lot about the glass.

 

[Dralowid]

From a Negretti and Zambra (remember them?) catalogue August 1933:

Standard and Elmar, black £15.0.0
II and Elmar, black £22.0.0
II and Elmar, chrome £23.4.0
III and Elmar, black £25.0.0
III and Elmar, chrome £26.4.0
III and Summar , black £33.13.0
III and Summar, chrome 34.17.0
(last two are with rigid Summar, it says collapsible 'in preparation')

The most expensive lens in this catalogue is the 73 1.9 Hektor £26.0.0 or two shillings more for chrome

So this new fangled chrome cost a bit...slow speeds were £1.0.0 and the Summar cost twice the price of an Elmar.

Never got my hands on a rigid Summar, or a 'tropen' Summar for that matter

Michael

 

[Day]

Leica Standard with Elmar 3,5/50 was 135 Reichsmark.
If you wanted an upgrade to Leica II, you get one for additional 85 Reichsmark.

A bread was about 0,35 Reichsmark and the average earning was about 140 Reichsmark a month.

So the Leica II was about 1-2 monthly earnings, but compare it to the M9 or M240...

 

[shortstop]

From 'Leica Literature', James Lager, page 195: Cat. No. and Code Word: 35810 LYNOL, LEICA Camera Model D, with focal plane shutter, built-in range finder, coupling for automatic focusing, 1 film magazine, without lens and case.....$51.00 A 50/3.5 Elmar would set you back another $33.00. 50/2.5 Hektor was $47.50.

http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/projects/currency.htm#infcalc

Using the inflation calculator found in this link (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi) 88$ (leica body + elmar 50) is in 2013 1415$

 

[Luddite Frank]

The Hove reprint sales catalogs from 1932 and 1936 have pricing in Pounds-Sterling...

Sadly, none of mine are at hand.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Never got my hands on a rigid Summar, or a 'tropen' Summar for that matter

Michael

My Summar is dated 1934 and I'm looking for a matching body at the moment. I hadn't seen it was so early production is listed as 1933 to 1940 with 127,950 ish. No wonder you don't see rigid often, around 2,000 only.
According to Puts rigid & collapsible were available from the start but that is for the year so maybe rigid were released first.
Data appreciated.

My barograph is by Negretti & Zambra.

In context I found this: Wages in the industrial sector followed the same general pattern as the agricultural sector. In 1930 the average wage for a timework labourer in the engineering field was just under a shilling per hour; it dipped in 1933-4, then climbed again to around 1s 2d by 1938.

So around 700 hours work for the Leica.
Average salary:
1933 187.60
1934 189.60
2009 37,580

Really rounded 10 weeks salary in 1933
£5,000 digital in 2009 7 weeks salary (no lens!!)

Value of a Leica FROM 1933 today compared to likely value of an M9 in 2090 ??

 

[Dralowid]

There is a thread on Summars somewhere on the site covering many variants. Coincidentally there is a 'black rim' version on a III for sale on Ebay right now. Mind you the rim doesn't look black anymore...

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

And here's 1929's version:-

I suppose we ought to ask what country and currency the price is wanted in. I can sort out the English 1931 price in £sd but that may be of little use.

Regards, David

 

[Dralowid]

I have the early prices in Reichmark...but I doubt that is of much use!

 

[johannielscom]

http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/projects/currency.htm#infcalc

Using the inflation calculator found in this link (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi) 88$ (leica body + elmar 50) is in 2013 1415$

Sold my 1932 Leica II (718th camera ever made, perfect working condition) for USD 500 to a member here and he complained about the little split in the vulcanite under the lens mount. 😱😱 Said he needed to replace the (original!!!) vulcanite and wanted a refund.:bang:

Totally ignored it.😡😡

Bargain price and still complaining. Ditched my last Leica gear at a dealers and left the internet community. SO done with selling or buying online.

/Rant over/ 🙂🙂

 

[Dez]

Hi, Johan,

Before you're completely done, please send me the tracking number for the three FILCAs I bought from you back in March. I have not received them. I haven't been able to contact you through your site.

Thanks,
Dez

 

[johannielscom]

Hi, Johan,

Before you're completely done, please send me the tracking number for the three FILCAs I bought from you back in March. I have not received them. I haven't been able to contact you through your site.

Thanks,
Dez

Ow,

I'll send you an email tomorrow, Dez!

 

[Dez]

Johan,

Two more weeks have gone by, no email, and no FILCAs. Please send either the FILCAs or a refund via paypal.

There seems little point in contacting you on your site, as I have done that five or six times and received no response.

Dez