Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It is most unusual to have a major photographic auction close to my home in western Virginia, but we had one yesterday. Ken Farmer Auctions in Radford, Virginia, sold off the estate of a 'photographic accumulator'. It was most interesting to attend -- the auction was well-run and 224 lots were knocked down over a period of about three hours. There were few surprises: the photographic gear, with one exception, went below or at the bottom of the "expected range", while images (stereoscopic, magic lantern slides, prints, negatives) brought in two to three times, or more, of this "range". The sole exception was an Edison Projecting Kinoscope, Number 16, with an expected range of $400 to $600; this puppy knocked down at $8,500. The photo gear advisor was Bob Shell, whom I finally -- after more than a decade of exchanges by mail, fax, phone, and e-mail -- got to meet in person. One of the attendees was the IDCC's own Bob Kulinski, noted sage of Wood-and-Brass, who left with a trunkful of gear and a sly smile on his face. I didn't dent my pocket-book badly, and went away content with an E- Minature Speed Graphic (badly worn back, Kalart RF out of whack, otherwise functional, no film holder), an E- Agfa Ambi-Silette (functional, but the latch on the RF cover is worn), an E 5.6/300 Kilfitt (minor fungus, cosmetically E+, but with a COZWI!), an E Argus C-44 set (with the variable finder, the 100mm Cintagon, and the vaunted Argus Flash), and a Rollei 35 case. Nothing of Rolleiflex, Leica, or Zeiss/Zeiss Ikon was offered of special interest to me, though a IIIA was withdrawn from auction for unstated reasons. All in all, a fascinating 3 hours. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!