Expert: David Silver - 5/11/2006

Question
My Mother recently passed away and I've inherited a Leicaflex camera that appears to have two lenses attached.  There is a Serial # on the bottom: 1145066.  It looks a lot like the camera on E-Bay:
(Item #: 7618318385). There is an extra lense: 11201. The box states: Elmarit - R.  1:2,8/35.  The instruction book comes with the camera, extra lense and a leather camera case and a larger leather camera case.  

I've always been a point and shoot and digital camera person, so please pardon my ignorance with this Leiaflex. I need to know how to describe this for E-Bay, how much to ask, and if I shoud include the extra lense or if it needs to be listed seperately and for how much.

Any help you can provide would be most appreciated!  If you have questions you can reach me at 843-767-8713 or 843-452-2220.  

Answer
Hello,

From the serial number, you indeed have an original model Leicaflex, a high quality 35mm single-lens-reflex camera, made by Leitz of Germany in 1966.  This is a relatively common model, with nearly 38,000 units sold between 1964 and 1968.  The eBay auction you referenced is from a whack-job dealer who claims to be in Germany (he's actually in the Ukraine I believe) and is notorious for over-the-top descriptions, ridiculous prices, and very stubborn transactions.  You cannot use his listings as a reliable resource (besides, the majority of his sales are off eBay, and he uses auctions as a marketing hook).  A truly excellent example of a Leicaflex, with its proper 50mm f2 Summicron lens and front cap, would sell for around $350-$400 today, and they don't sell very easily.

The Elmarit-R 35mm f2.8 lens is superb, and should be sold seperately to achieve its maximum value.  You've noted it is catalog #11201, so this is a later "twin cam" or "two cam" version made after 1968, and it will also work on the improved Leicaflex SL and SL2 cameras.  Ideally you'll have the front and rear caps for the lens.  Truly excellent examples tend to sell in the $250-$300 range, but a REALLY nice one in its original box might climb all the way to $400.

If you're going to put these on eBay, you do not "ask" what they're worth because nobody will buy them that way.  I recommend starting the camera (with its instruction book and fitted leather case) at $9.99 and setting a reserve around $300.  That's a very fair price for everybody involved and you'll probably get more anyway.  For the lens (with its original box), well, I think you do the same thing.  If your descriptions make it clear you know what you have there, and you provide a couple of small simple JPEG illustrations showing general overall appearance (NEVER bombard eBay bidders with unnecessary extreme close-ups on details, or swamp their computers with monster multi-megabyte images!), the buyers are sophisticated and they know what these things are really worth.  Trust the system and you'll get a very fair return.

Best wishes,

David Silver