Would you bid on this? Contax+Sonnar 50/1,5 + 135

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navilluspm

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I saw this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CONTAX-35mm-Zeiss-Ikon-Rangefinder-Camera_W0QQitemZ290163541809QQihZ019QQcategoryZ67376QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I was tempted to bid until I saw the sellers feed back. How protected am I if I were to win this item and pay with paypal.

How high would you bid?

Only one other time did I risk buying from a seller with no feed back and it worked out wonderfully for me. But would I be foolish to try it again?

(Of course, now that I posted this - I probably would have no chance of winning it even if I did bid).
 
I have often purchased stuff from sellers w/little or no feedback. Many sellers are just the proverbial guy/gal cleaning out stuff they found in grandma/grandpa's house or @ an estate sale.

Just use a credit card.

navilluspm said:
I saw this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CONTAX-35mm-Zeiss-Ikon-Rangefinder-Camera_W0QQitemZ290163541809QQihZ019QQcategoryZ67376QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I was tempted to bid until I saw the sellers feed back. How protected am I if I were to win this item and pay with paypal.

How high would you bid?

Only one other time did I risk buying from a seller with no feed back and it worked out wonderfully for me. But would I be foolish to try it again?

(Of course, now that I posted this - I probably would have no chance of winning it even if I did bid).
Click to expand...
 
Looks like a post-war Contax IIa to me, don't think any Kiev parts (part from lenses) would fit here, and I can't see any. If it was in EUrope, i would put a speculative low-ball bid in.
 
This is a Contax IIa, and it looks genuine to my eyes.
The Nikkor is worth $140, the Sonnar another $100.
 
I would email him by asking a question about the condition/history of the camera or why he has zero feedback. If you don't get a quick and reasonable response, don't bid. His ad says you can get a refund within 14 days.
 
Doesn't have the look of a fraudster

Doesn't have the look of a fraudster

I don't think this seller has the look of someone trying to defraud. Offers PayPal, 14 day return, decent looking images, not the usual suspect description. Plus, look at the other stuff he/she is selling. Not what a fraudster would spend time with. One thing you might do is to engage the seller in a conversation via eBay regarding the camera's description, shipping, etc., to get a feel for their responsiveness.

Good luck
 
I took your advice and emailed him about the history of the camera and why he has zero feedback. I asked nicely and explained why I was asking.

I am short on cash, but I would LOVE to have a camera like this. What is a fair price for buyer and seller alike for this set? 200? 250? 500? More?
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
I wouldn't. I may be wrong, but that doesn't quite look like an original Contax, but more like my Kiev.
Click to expand...

No, it is definately a post-war Contax IIa, not a Kiev. The Kievs are modifications of the pre-war Contax.


{Quote from dee It's lovely , though I think it's a Kiev case ... ?

dee}

No, it is a post-war Contax case. The chrome trim on the case is distinctive. The Kiev case looks much like the pre-war Contax case, no chrome trim, different shape.

I agree with furcafe- I would give it a burst, and pay with a credit card for safety. Contax prices are all over the board, as mentioned by an earlier poster, but this combo will probably sell for about $400, give or take $50
________
 
The gear looks right to me. The auction gives me some pause for thought though... Just looking over the auction page gives the impression that the seller is fairly experienced on eBay. So then what's with the newby icon and zero feedback? An experienced seller with a new eBay identity? Why? Might be ok, dunno.
 
Well, I decided to let this one go. The seller did not answer my question and the price is getting a little high for me. (I was going to bid up to $200, and it is already there with 5 hours left).
 
navilluspm said:
Well, I decided to let this one go. The seller did not answer my question and the price is getting a little high for me. (I was going to bid up to $200, and it is already there with 5 hours left).
Click to expand...

I see there are 13 hours left, :confused:
 
I see it's up to $260 with about 4 hours remaining... And that he's got it set to hide bidders' names: "private listing - bidders' identities protected". I would count this as a bit negative as well.
 
As I said above, the lenses are worth about $250. Add $100-$150 for the camera, and a fair price is about $375.
 
I'm sure each transaction has its own dynamic... My IIIa came for $155 including a J-8, and the 1.5 Opton-Sonnar was $168 from India, so there's $323, but the CLA for both items ran $145, plus another $45 for a fresh new selenium cell for the meter. And this auction IIa will need CLA too...

No additional bidding since my previous post, with 1:20 to go... :)
 
Man, what an incredible amount of bad information in one post! If you are simply speculating about the originality of the camera/accessories, but don't know for sure, I'd advise you not to post until you are absolutely certain about your conclusion!

Yes, this is a genuine Contax IIa (ALL of which were "post-war"). In fact, it does indeed appear to be a "Color Dial" variation, which is preferred. Thankfully, some other RFF members have noted this. Yes, it is in an authentic, original Zeiss Contax case. No, the original cases for the Kiev cameras didn't ALL look similar to "pre-war" Contax cases. Kiev cases made for the Kiev 4a look amazingly similar to the Contax IIa/IIIa cases. Later style Kiev cases are much more angular, and black.

Not a bad deal really at $317, only about $100 for each lens and the camera body if everything doesn't have major problems (element separation, fungus, damaged shutter, etc.). You can barely get a similar condition Leica IIIf body for that price, which could be considered the direct competitor to the Contax IIIa.
 
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