What to do w/ 1950s/60s Leica M3 camera?

[kabert]

My father bought one of these rangefinders in the late 1950s or early 1960s (I even have the receipt and manual), taking pictures with it regularly into @ the 1980s. It's been used rarely since then, and for the last few years it's been admired but not used. It's a neat camera and it still takes good pictures, but it's just not very versatile compared to the digital cameras out there (for what I take pics of anyway-- mostly my kids). Has anyone sold something like this on EBay? Or is there a better marketplace for it -- a website for vintage camera geeks perhaps? I fear that, if I keep the camera, in 20 years it will be a dinosaur that has decreased in value, as film for it will be difficult to purchase.

 

[summej2]

Originally Posted by kabert

My father bought one of these rangefinders in the late 1950s or early 1960s (I even have the receipt and manual), taking pictures with it regularly into @ the 1980s. It's been used rarely since then, and for the last few years it's been admired but not used. It's a neat camera and it still takes good pictures, but it's just not very versatile compared to the digital cameras out there (for what I take pics of anyway-- mostly my kids). Has anyone sold something like this on EBay? Or is there a better marketplace for it -- a website for vintage camera geeks perhaps? I fear that, if I keep the camera, in 20 years it will be a dinosaur that has decreased in value, as film for it will be difficult to purchase.

I'm in the process now of clearing out my collection of the 35mm German rangefinders like Leicas that were quite the thing in the 80s and 90s. I think they were overvalued given their production runs and are certain to drop in value once the nostalgia-driven buyers (men who are now in their 70s and above) are gone. I plan to keep only my favorite (an M2) and a cadre of lenses (maybe for use on a digital Leica in the future).

A few years back I cleared out a great many movie cameras on eBay and found that I averaged above book value. Leicas, in particular, do well. Years ago I would sell to buyers in Europe and Japan, but these days I think that eBay is as good as anything.

 

[LabelKing]

Please sell them to me. Seriously, if the price is right, I am interested.

If anyone else has any vintage German or Swiss cameras, I am interested. Not limited to Leica but also Rolleiflex, Zeiss Contax, Alpa as well as the screw-mount Leicas.

 

[aarghh]

Not to start a bidding war with Labelking or something, but I would love to have them as well. Kabert, keh.com will give you a fair price should you choose not to go the ebay route.

Without any attempt at rationalization, I have found that I do my best work with an M3 and film such as efke 100.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by aarghh

Not to start a bidding war with Labelking or something, but I would love to have them as well. Kabert, keh.com will give you a fair price should you choose not to go the ebay route. Without any attempt at rationalization, I have found that I do my best work with an M3 and film such as efke 100.
Interestingly enough, I also use Efke but at 50. Efke 50 is a facsimile of the old Adox forumlation, which was fantastic for tonal range, and low grain. It's especially fine when developed with a Beutler forumla, now called Neofin Blue. As for Leica glass, it must be the Bokeh.

 

[aarghh]

Since I've run out of Scala, I've been considering using the services of dr5.com to make transparencies with efke100. I haven't used 50, but I like the adox formulation on 25 as well. Interestingly efke is back to being marketed under the adox name.

 

[LabelKing]

Cameras from that decade--much like the cars--are a sensation to behold.

 

[whoopee]

keh.com is a fair buyer but offer considerably less than you can get through a private party sale, either here or on photo.net.

Are you also looking to unload the lenses?

 

[summej2]

Wow, I hadn't expected since a response here. I'm still working up a full list since they are stored in another location, but if you PM me I'll send a list when I finally get things written up. In terms of 35mm, I'm looking to move screw-mount Leicas, Voigtlanders, Kodak Retinas, plus some of the early Japanese Nikons and Canons, and some Rollei 35s---among others. I'd be looking for condition-adjusted McKeown book values.

It's a big collection that was my hobby through college, but I'm planning now to keep just the really historic (before 1910) items and the pieces I really like.

 

[whoopee]

I'd be very interested if you have Nikon rangefinders, too.

 

[LabelKing]

The Nikon rangefinders beyond their rather high values, are somewhat shoddy compared to the German, and Swiss cameras.

 

[j]

Are Retinas worth anything? As a kid I had one that had a retractable lens and was wrapped in leather. I've seen them at thrift shops.

 

[summej2]

Maybe, some are <$50, others are >$500; there were many, many models of varying quality and rarity---not to mention collector cache.