Leica Gold sale

Just watching TV at home, a show called "The Antiques Roadshow". This was a Christmas Special looking back at parts of shows in the past. For the benefit of every one here, members of the public bring in items they have at home for antique experts to value.

Now, a camera was brought in to the show in 2001. To my surprise, it was from my home town. An elderly gent had brought in a camera he had had in his drawer at home, a camera he had used in his youth.

The 'expert' was surprised. It was Leica camera. But not only that. It was a Leica Leitz. It had a gold body/lens. Confirmation of the serial number revealed there were only 4 ever produced in gold. WOW. It was amazing and to think it had been a few miles from me, all my life. As the show is an update the story continued.

The poor gentleman has since passed away. His daughter had taken possession of the camera. It was put up for auction in Hong Kong. It reached HK$4,000,000 that's £320,000. When asked what would the money be used for she said to help put her son through college.

I can't believe they sold it. What an item to have, they didn't look like they needed the money. Me, I would rather have an item of such history. We really live in a world today driven by money

You never know what people value and what they don't. Something that was very valuable in owning to the elderly gentleman was just money in the bank to the next in line.

I have the rarest of all Budwieser Steins in a members only collection, dated a year and number 001 before it went into a very limited run. One of the last independant dealers that I contacted in New York told me since it's one of a kind he placed the value at $10, 000 - $15, 000 at auction easily. But he said it would be best to sit on the Stein for awhile since it could only go up in value. The Stein is a large bust of the original Budwieser Clydesdale horse btw.

Long story short is my oldest boy wants it someday when I'm gone but I know he sees a dollar amount vs what I feel by being lucky enough to own it.

Go here...http://www.dailymail.c​o.uk …mera-sell-1-7million.html

Probably same camera recently expected to go for £1.7 million.

Thorrulz wrote in post #16562111
You never know what people value and what they don't. Something that was very valuable in owning to the elderly gentleman was just money in the bank to the next in line.

I have the rarest of all Budwieser Steins in a members only collection, dated a year and number 001 before it went into a very limited run. One of the last independant dealers that I contacted in New York told me since it's one of a kind he placed the value at $10, 000 - $15, 000 at auction easily. But he said it would be best to sit on the Stein for awhile since it could only go up in value. The Stein is a large bust of the original Budwieser Clydesdale horse btw.

Long story short is my oldest boy wants it someday when I'm gone but I know he sees a dollar amount vs what I feel by being lucky enough to own it.

Your first paragraph sums it up. The gentleman kept it for years after being told how rare/valuable it was. His daughter had it on the market ASAP. I'd sell your Stein and go on a blow out, maybe a once in a lifetime photography trip. Something I want my parents to do, but they won't !!

John from PA wrote in post #16562241
Go here...http://www.dailymail.c​o.uk …mera-sell-1-7million.html

Probably same camera recently expected to go for £1.7 million.

That's the one John, a beautiful piece of kit with fantastic history. The valuation in the newspaper piece over egged the valuation though..........

John from PA wrote in post #16562241
Go here...http://www.dailymail.c​o.uk …mera-sell-1-7million.html

Probably same camera recently expected to go for £1.7 million.

Actually sold for $620,000.
http://www.businessins​ider.com …a-sold-for-620000-2013-11

A gold plated camera, be it Leica, Canon or Nikon, seems a little pretentious to me. Wonder if anybody ever took pictures with it?

h14nha wrote in post #16562306
Your first paragraph sums it up. The gentleman kept it for years after being told how rare/valuable it was. His daughter had it on the market ASAP. I'd sell your Stein and go on a blow out, maybe a once in a lifetime photography trip. Something I want my parents to do, but they won't !!

I had thought about selling my Stein a few times but I'm one of those softies that get all emotioanal whenever I look at it. It came from a daughter of one of the Budwieser execs back when we were dating. To this day, and that includes my wife she is the only woman that ever put any real thought into buying, or should I say acquiring in this case things I really wanted.

I'd also like to add that whenever I talk to her she still can't believe the way we met was a bet for me to be photographed with "King" and not her.

So I'm certain that old gentleman knew exactly what the worth of that camera was without actually knowing the $$$$ amount.

stpix wrote in post #16562339
A gold plated camera, be it Leica, Canon or Nikon, seems a little pretentious to me. Wonder if anybody ever took pictures with it?

Yes the elderly gentleman used it, it wasn't an ornament.

Thorrulz wrote in post #16562356
I had thought about selling my Stein a few times but I'm one of those softies that get all emotioanal whenever I look at it. It came from a daughter of one of the Budwieser execs back when we were dating. To this day, and that includes my wife she is the only woman that ever put any real thought into buying, or should I say acquiring in this case things I really wanted.

I'd also like to add that whenever I talk to her she still can't believe the way we met was a bet for me to be photographed with "King" and not her.

So I'm certain that old gentleman knew exactly what the worth of that camera was without actually knowing the $$$$ amount.

That's the type of story that will add interest/value to the Stein if/when it ever came up for sale. It's great to me that the history means more to you than the value, and the value to you is its history. Bravo to you. Unfortunately, you're a dying breed.

The gentleman's daughter had a strong American accent, her Dad was a true Welshman. You would think if she wasn't starving or struggling to keep a roof over her head, her Dads prized possession would have great comfort to her in his passing. There is my sentimental side showing I suppose..........

h14nha wrote in post #16562067
I can't believe they sold it. What an item to have, they didn't look like they needed the money. Me, I would rather have an item of such history. We really live in a world today driven by money

I would rather have a college education than a Leica camera that is only worth a mint because it is has an unusual finish. If the camera really had a sentimental value to Dad then I can see him keeping it. But it clearly has no sentimental value to the daughter and I don't see why you are judging her.

For what that thing sold for, the kid can go to college and the family can buy an identical Leica camera with a pedestrian finish if they love RF photography. Can you imagine not sending the kid to school in order to hang on to some simple camera that happens to have an unusual finish? I tend to think that people are more important than things.

I am a very sentimental person. I have many keepsakes I would never relinquish.

That said, for that kind of money, I would only keep it based on it appreciating. Pretty sure there are things from the dad that actually mean more to her as a person than an old camera, like an old scarf he always wore at Xmas etc.

Oh yeah, and I can't speak for the dead, but if I ever left any material thing behind that my kin could trade for my lineages education, I would be disappointed if they didn't do that.

JeffreyG wrote in post #16562580
I would rather have a college education than a Leica camera that is only worth a mint because it is has an unusual finish. If the camera really had a sentimental value to Dad then I can see him keeping it. But it clearly has no sentimental value to the daughter and I don't see why you are judging her.

For what that thing sold for, the kid can go to college and the family can buy an identical Leica camera with a pedestrian finish if they love RF photography. Can you imagine not sending the kid to school in order to hang on to some simple camera that happens to have an unusual finish? I tend to think that people are more important than things.

Let's not turn this into a camera v education thread. The gentleman left an estate, not JUST a camera. It didn't have an unusual finish, it had a unique finish as the other three cannot be accounted for.
You've completely missed the point. FOR ME, the fact that my dad had used/kept the camera ( even when he knew its value ) would have great sentimental value, and I would have treasured it because of that. And your right, people are more important than things. My dad's treasured possessions would become my treasured possessions, because I love my dad very much, much more than money.

Nick3434 wrote in post #16562586
Oh yeah, and I can't speak for the dead, but if I ever left any material thing behind that my kin could trade for my lineages education, I would be disappointed if they didn't do that.

I'm sure he would think that too. But it wasn't camera v education.

h14nha wrote in post #16562735
You've completely missed the point. FOR ME, the fact that my dad had used/kept the camera ( even when he knew its value ) would have great sentimental value, and I would have treasured it because of that. And your right, people are more important than things. My dad's treasured possessions would become my treasured possessions, because I love my dad very much, much more than money.

I understand your point, I have a pocketknife that belonged to my grandfather. It would easily fetch $0.50 at auction.

And that is the point to me. Sentimentality is nice, but at some point the value of the object to extremely well-heeled punters makes it kind of crazy for me to keep. Even if this woman appears 'well off' to you, she can't ignore the fact that she is hanging on to an object that is probably worth more than her total holdings otherwise.

And in the end, it is still just an object even if Dad did like it. Maybe he also had a pocketknife that he liked? I don't see selling this object and using the money for the betterment of his heirs as disrespecting his memory.
'

JeffreyG wrote in post #16562932
I understand your point, I have a pocketknife that belonged to my grandfather. It would easily fetch $0.50 at auction.

And that is the point to me. Sentimentality is nice, but at some point the value of the object to extremely well-heeled punters makes it kind of crazy for me to keep. Even if this woman appears 'well off' to you, she can't ignore the fact that she is hanging on to an object that is probably worth more than her total holdings otherwise.

And in the end, it is still just an object even if Dad did like it. Maybe he also had a pocketknife that he liked? I don't see selling this object and using the money for the betterment of his heirs as disrespecting his memory.
'

Indeed. What if his prized-possession was a house? Should the women keep it too (and the camera was worth more than many houses)?