This is good news. I am glad that they brought up this kind of initiatives. - Mallory Fleming
Tamarkin & Bertoldi Launch Rare Auction Business
For collectors, the beauty and rarity of Leicas—particularly the older film-based models—make them highly desirable. “Many people who collect watches and guns collect Leicas,” says Tamarkin, adding that the most collectible Leica is the O Series. Tamarkin says that just twenty-nine of these cameras were made in the 1920’s, and they can fetch over $1,000,000 today, depending on condition and bidder motivation. Tamarkin helped sell one of Barnack’s personal cameras, which went for over $300,000, he says. The second most collectible? “The Leica 250 Reporter with the motor drive,” says Tamarkin. Cost? Between $100,000 and $150,000.
The launching of Tamarkin & Bertoldi Vintage Auctions marks Stan Tamarkin’s retirement from the retail camera market. Stan started Leica collecting in 1971, while completing a Ph.D. at Yale University, and eventually became a franchised Leica dealer in 1987. After twenty-five years as a Leica retail specialist, he is transferring ownership of Tamarkin Camera to his “Leica enthusiastic” son, Dan, who will be relocating the business to Chicago.
The Tamarkin & Bertoldi auctions of rare cameras, lenses, and accessories are held twice a year, online, in the spring and fall, in Woodbridge, Connecticut. Their auction catalogs are used worldwide as a reference tool and price guide, and are an excellent way to keep up with current pricing and trends. The fully illustrated, color catalogue #28 is available upon request—contact us at info@tbvintage.com or 203-397-9191 to receive your copy. To be a participant in the next auction, visit the website at www.tbvintage.com for buyer and seller specific information.
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