Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/05/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>On 27 May 96 at 16:26, Michael wrote about "Re: Help on Leica #5000": > >> Tom, and all those other cynics on this list, >> I have a friend who bought it last week. It is the genuine Leica >> I, with an Elmar 3.5 lens. Tom I suggest you "cut the crap" with me and >> get serious... >> Anybody else have anything worth hearing over this I am dieing to >>hear! > >From McKeowns: made between 1926 and 1930, serial numbers >#1300-60000. > >4-digit >truly mint = $2000 >super clean = $1200 >average = $600. > >5-digit >truly mint = $1000 >near mint = $650 >average = $200-300 > >[The Leica I was the first commercially produced Leica model, and the >first mass produced 35mm camera of high quality. These facts make the >Leica I a highly sought camera among not only Leica collectors, but >general camera colletctors also. Black enameled body. >Non-interchangeable 50mm lenses in collapsible mount with helical >focus. "Hockey stick" lens lock on the front of the body is the most >obvious identification feature.] > >Never seen Russian forgeries with this kind of serial numbers (only >Leica III's with 6 or 7 digits I believe, so it sounds real. > > >Bye, > > _/ _/ _/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ > _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ > _/ _/ illem _/ _/ an _/ _/ _/ arkerink > _/_/_/ > Leica International Price Guide pretty much confirms the above stated information. Leica I (MODEL A) went into mass production with the 50mm Elmar around 1926 and was last produced in 1938 at which there were about 56,600 made. If you had any one of the non-Elmar lenses, or if the body was in a different finish then the value would be much greater. #5000 isn't a bad number but nothing really special unless there was a Leica presentation engraving on it, which it appears does not. Alvin Dean Lee