I met a friend of a friend whose father, long gone, left behind misc. photo gear including a Leica. In a couple of weeks I'm going to take a look as a favor. The Leica is pretty old, I'm told, and may be a 30's or 40's vintage purchased in the early 50's. What's the quickest, best way to determine value and collectability ?

-- Karl Knize (karlknize@ameritech.net), June 04, 2002

Answers

Send it to me. If its worth anything I'll send it back with prices. If it's not worth anything, I just dispose of it for you.

-- Chad Hahn (thehahns@cornhusker.net), June 04, 2002.

Watch eBay completed auctions for a while. Also search out online retailers of used leica gear. There is a difference between what it is worth and what you can sell it for tomorrow.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@shaw.ca), June 04, 2002.

At the very least, We need a serial number (you don't need the last 2 digits) and a general description of condition. Do the speeds work, is the shutter intact (no holes), is the lens smooth, cloudy, fungusy, scrached, etc.

Without that info, it could be anywhere from $75 to $7500.

-- Skip Williams (skipwilliams@pobox.com), June 04, 2002.

Thanks Chad! Should I send you a deposit along with it?

-- Karl Knize (karlknize@ameritech.net), June 04, 2002.

You won't be able to determine value or collectibility unless you know what model it is, and are able to describe the condition in terms used by one of the standard ratings (e.g., LHSA or Shutterbug). There are directories that will list prices, but to get current prices look at the advertisements in Shutterbug, or else check what that model is going for on Ebay. Otherwise, give us the details and undoubtedly some members will be willing to make suggestions. One option would be to sent it to a reputable dealer who accepts Leicas on consignment, such as, for instance, Rich Pinto. (He offers just about as favorable terms as you can find anywhere.) Finally, if you can describe it accurately, you can put it up on Ebay and see what it will bring.

-- Jack Matlock (jfmatlo@attglobal.net), June 04, 2002.

my crystal ball tells me that it is a prewar iiic, EX- condition, shutter sticking at slow speeds, RF slightly cloudy. value: $200.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), June 05, 2002.