Photographer Thrifts $2,000 Leica M3 for Just $10

A photographer got the deal of a lifetime at a thrift store. He scored a Leica M3 camera for just $10.49 – a camera that can easily be worth more than $2,000!

The lucky buyer is Brandon Simpson (Artistic_Doubt_2758 on Reddit), who shared his find in the forum. He described walking into one of his regular thrift stores and spotting what looked like just another vintage camera. “I grabbed what I thought was just another camera in a leather case,” he wrote. “My heart dropped as soon as I saw the logo.”

Double-Stroke Leica M3 – What a Score!

Inside the brown leather case was a Leica M3. And this wasn’t just any model – it was a double-stroke version, which is more valuable than the single-stroke variants. As PetaPixel notes, single-stroke Leica M3 go for about $1,100, while double-stroke models can cost $2,000 and even more! Some early-production Leica M3 DS models even top $4,600 when sold through Leica Classic.

“I would be happy to find the empty leather case for $10.49,” the buyer joked in a follow-up comment. Another user echoed the sentiment, writing, “I mean, I felt the blood rush from my face when I found mine and got it for that price. I’m not exaggerating when I say I think I’d sh*t myself if I found a Leica at a thrift store for $11.”

[Related Reading: The thrift store challenge is over. Student finds pristine Leica M2 for only $5]

The Reactions

The Reddit post exploded with reactions ranging from disbelief to envy to praise. One user joked, “Do people at these stores not know how the internet works?” while another added, “F*** you and I hope all of your shots are super overexposed or super underexposed going forward. Jk congrats on fishing this deal.”

Others offered stories of their own rare finds, though few compared to this. “This beats my ‘M3 in the bottom of a box of photo junk for $40,’” one user commented. “But yeah, $11 Leica wins.”

Some commenters expressed shock that such a valuable item made it to the store shelves at all. “Usually these end up on ShopGoodwill and sell for way more than they’re worth,” one wrote. “That price tho,” another added. “For $10!!!!! $10!”

“I used to work at a Savers” another Redditor wrote. “You would not believe the amount of weird stuff that would come in our trucks. Old guns, medication, false limbs and teeth.” And yes – plenty of camera gear.

The original poster admitted he even used a $2 coupon on top of the already unbelievable price. “Am I a bad person for using a $2 coupon when I bought it?” he half-jokingly asked. No, dude, you’re not. I would have done the same to make this deal even more insane.

[Related Reading: Rescuing Old Photography Equipment in the Digital Age]

Speaking with PetaPixel, Brandon said that he’ll use his new camera soon, as he’s sure that it’s fully functional. “[It is] definitely my best and favorite thrift store find ever,” he said. “I will be chasing the feeling of finding it for a while!”

I’m honestly always amazed when people have these incredible finds at thrift stores. It was only yesterday that I went through a few of them, trying to find a simple, plain T-shirt – and I lost interest and energy in 20 minutes. Plus, the thrift store world is often filled with “dirty socks, grandma’s china and a weird smell,” as one Redditor put it. I personally find it exhausting going through a bunch of trash to find treasure. But this Leica M3 find is a reminder that treasure still exists – if you’re lucky and patient enough to spot it.

[via PetaPixel; Image credits: Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 FR via Wikimedia Commons]

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