Zeiss Ikon Electronic, lenses and accessories

[Lars58]

Hi,

I'm new to this platform. I'm a happy Leica photographer and was lucky to inherit a complete set of Zeiss equipment.
The equipment includes:
Zeiss Ikon Contarex Electronic., serial no. 55... , no rear cap
Planar 55/1.4, serial no. 4498... , in plastic tube
Sonnar 135/2.8 serial no.3696...
Vario Sonnar 85-250/4 including a flexible rubber hood (no rear cap), serial no. 4542...
Flexible handgrip
2 additional film backs/film loaders
2 cable releases,several filters
Manuals for camera and grip
Passport for body plus Planar
Guarantee cards
Original invoice and proof of payment for body, Planar and grip
Service receipts

I had the body and lenses cla'ed by Wil van Manen/Kamera Service and everything is in perfect working order. The invoice is also available (dated as of today). The set looks excellent, only the body's film sensitivity ring has a scratch.

The question I have to you, gentle people, could you be so kind to help me establish a value for the set or point me in the direction of someone that can? Your help is very much appreciated. I understand that the Vario Sonnar is rare, as only 581 were made.

Kind regards,
Lars

 

[AgX]

For selling rare items an auction house would be a good outcome.There are several that specialized on cameras and got experts in house.

 

[elekm]

As always, check eBay's recently closed auctions for a guide on prices. Look for actual sales and not those that didn't successfully sale.

You'll find that many people ask ridiculous prices for gear, and those prices should be disregarded.

If your true intent is to sell, price it to sell, not to fill a retirement fund.

The suggestion of an auction house also is good.

 

[vysk]

Do you mean the Contarex? I would research on ebay, westlicht auctions, keh.com

 

[Lars58]

Thank you

Thank you for the responses. I'm intending to sell. Just looking for fair pricing. Will look at the auction houses mentioned and ebay for done deals, as I have done before. Just couldn't find done deals for a complete set including supporting papers. And yes, I meant the Contarex, will edit the OP.

Kind regards,
Lars

 

[Dan Fromm]

Lars, I understand why you want to sell the collection as a unit, but there's a theorem waiting to be proved -- if it hasn't been done yet -- to the effect that a group of items sold individually at auction will never bring less that the group sold in one lot and will usually bring more. Your inheritance contains some fine equipment, but nothing really special or in high demand. If you something special, say a Super-Q Gigantar, well then the likely venue for bringing it to a rich sheik's attention would be an auction house, most likely Westlicht. But for relatively pedestrian, although good and very nice, gear eBay is the likely venue. Decide the least you'll accept for each piece, start the auctions at those prices, accept what comes and be happy, even though mourning the person who bequeathed the gear to you.

FWIW, one of my friends was a very serious collector of Zeiss equipment. His estate sold the collection to Westlicht for, the widow insists, pennies (and not many of them) on the dollar. On the other hand, the estate was settled fairly quickly and the heirs were able to get on with their lives without spending considerable time trickling Charlie's treasures out through eBay.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

 

[Mark Layne]

Lars, I understand why you want to sell the collection as a unit, but there's a theorem waiting to be proved -- if it hasn't been done yet -- to the effect that a group of items sold individually at auction will never bring less that the group sold in one lot and will usually bring more. Your inheritance contains some fine equipment, but nothing really special or in high demand. If you something special, say a Super-Q Gigantar, well then the likely venue for bringing it to a rich sheik's attention would be an auction house, most likely Westlicht. But for relatively pedestrian, although good and very nice, gear eBay is the likely venue. Decide the least you'll accept for each piece, start the auctions at those prices, accept what comes and be happy, even though mourning the person who bequeathed the gear to you.

FWIW, one of my friends was a very serious collector of Zeiss equipment. His estate sold the collection to Westlicht for, the widow insists, pennies (and not many of them) on the dollar. On the other hand, the estate was settled fairly quickly and the heirs were able to get on with their lives without spending considerable time trickling Charlie's treasures out through eBay.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

Dan
Charlie was also a good friend of mine especially when I printed reproduction literature for Zeiss Historica. We traded a few Contarex items from to time.
Mark

 

[Dan Fromm]

Mark, I take it you miss him too. My wife and I had lunch with Therese a couple of weeks ago, she's well and moving forwards.

Y'know, he didn't use his Contarex gear. Said that newer bodies were easier to live with and that newer Zeiss lenses were at least as good as -- sometimes identical to -- lenses for the Contarex.