There are two major variations in Mercury cameras by Univex. The first, model CC and labeled "Mercury" on the lower front, cannot accept standard 35mm film cartridges. The other one, model CX and labeled on the front "Mercury II," was made from 1946 to 1952.The retail price was soon increased to $82.90. In comparison, my pay as a seaman recruit a few years later was $75 plus room and board. In 1951 I bought a used Mercury II for $20 in a pawn shop and used it until a tour of duty in Japan made much better cameras available at affordable prices. It functioned well, but produced only half-frame negatives, and full frame 35 is small enough. I have both models, ugly but apparently in good working condition, although I haven't run film through them. I'll let either of them go for $45 plus actual postage, guaranteed to work as designed. An interesting book on the company that produced a variety of photographic and optical items is The Univex Story by Cynthia A. Repinski, available from several online sources. It includes 23 pages on the model CC, but only 11 on the Mercury II.