SOLD
500.00USDto 8*************e+ buyer's premium (125.00)
This item SOLD at 2024 Jan 27 @ 11:18UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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Manufactured in USSR circa 1941. Calibrated in meters. Kodak X and Minox Dokul film. (Serial number 10055).This is one of the rarest of all mini "spy" cameras. It was manufactured at Riga while under Soviet control, hence the "USSR" marking on the camera. Over time, Riga was under control of Russia or Germany. After the war, the Minox minis were manufactured at a new factory in Germany. Please see the story below.
The WW2 OSS and Cold War Spy Camera and Relic Collection, c 1942-c1970
The Minox Spy Camera Collection was assembled by Paul Franklin who worked with John Ford, who worked for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in Germany, and collected secretive German and other “spy” equipment from World War 2 to about 1970. The collection includes dozens of cameras, a few relic weapons and an associated library of information on these rare pieces. The Minox “Spy” camera collection may be the largest ever offered at auction.
America’s entry into the war following the intelligence failure of the attack on Pearl Harbor, led to the establishment of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in June, 1942 to September, 1945. The OSS was formed during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt under the Joint Chiefs of Staff and therefore gave coverage to all Armed Services. It was the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The library for the relics within the collection contains actual training manuals of the period and are unredacted, offered in an upcoming auction.
The materials (cameras, artifacts and relics) collected include a “spy” camera collection and a number of relic weapons. The Collection centers on Minox cameras. (lots 3166 to 3205.) The weapons, relics and library will be in an upcoming auction. The cameras include mini cameras used and manufactured by German, Russian and Japanese companies, mostly under the Minox company name. One of the cameras is disguised as a cigarette lighter. Another as a match box. A small library of information on many of these cameras can be found in lot 3197. This may be the best spy camera collection to be put to auction in decades.
A Brief History of Minox
Walter Zapp invented a mini camera in 1936 that was intended for international use. The factory was constructed in Riga, Latvia and began production of their first commercial model in 1938. The original Minox, model VEF was made of monel, an alloy of nickel (from 52 to 67%) and copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon with better corrosion resistance than stainless steel. Two early models are catalog lot numbers 3199 built in Riga, Latvia from 1937 to 1943 and lot number 3200 built by the Russians after invading Latvia. Both are extremely rare, and among the very first “mini” “spy” cameras ever made! Those first cameras were often described as no larger than a “package of chewing gum.” Only 17,000 Riga cameras were made between 1938 and 1943. The Latvian cameras were produced under German and Russian occupation, thus models exist for three different political entities during the 1938-1945 period. Many of the early Minox cameras in the Collection have both the original cases, as well as the rare focal length measuring chain, bot of which are listed in the descriptions as well as in photographs on the Icollector auction site.
The Minox Model II began its life in Germany after the end of the War. A few of the first of the model II were constructed of the Latvian Riga parts, but production soon changed to aluminum body shells to make the cameras lighter. Other important changes were made, including the addition of a black anodized surface, rendering them non-reflective, and thus more secretive as seen incatalog #’s 3182, 3185, 3189, 3192, 3193, 3194 and 3195. These are more rare than the regular aluminum finish. It continued to be used as an espionage camera by both sides of the Cold War. Lens problems led to a redesign of the lens in later models. (See D. Scott Young, The Riga Minox)
Model III and IIIS were introduced in 1951. It was the last design produced by Zapp.
Model B claims to be the most successful mini-camera od all Minox. The company
made more than 384,000 cameras over a fifteen year span. It incorporated an exposure meter, a major step forward.
Model C began in 1969. It was battery powered and had the longest body of the Minox cameras. Further advancements were made during the 1860s and onward, including view finders, electronic exposure control, flash ability, lenses and much more.
Model BL came out in 1972, with only 18,000 made, a very rare acquisition today.
Model LX came out in 1978.
Model EC came out in 1971 Very different design.
In 1988 the Company was reorganized under receivership.
Model AX 1992
The MINOX TLX Camera was available until September 2014. Minox is now part of the Blazer Group GmBH, with its facilities in southern Germany. Production of 8x11 film ended in 2015 but is still available through various sources. The company now produces high-quality sports optics and night-vision devices, its only camera models being trail cameras.
Much has been written on the uses of Minox mini- cameras through history. These stories are beyond the scope of this essay.
Auction Location:
3555 Airway Drive Suite 308, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States
Previewing Details:
Preview
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Nevada State Sales Tax
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NSST |
8.375% |
Nevada Sales Tax |
| CSST |
8% |
California Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
25% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Notice to all December Auction Winners.
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This is a Live Auction conducted by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC (HWAC).
1. The placing of a bid shall constitute the bidder’s acceptance of these terms of sale.
2. BUYER’S PREMIUM & INSURANCE: There will be a 25% Buyer’s Premium added to the sale price (hammer) of each lot. We accept cash, checks, money orders, wire transfers, credit cards and PayPal.
3. COINS, CURRENCY AND PRECIOUS METALS, Insurance. The buyer’s commission for this section is 20.5%. Coins and currency shall be defined as any regular Federal issue circulating coins and currency. Tokens are not considered coins. Precious metals shall be defined as ingots, silver or gold rounds, bullion items and gold nuggets. Mineral specimens are not considered under the precious metals category. Commemorative items such as metals and ribbons are not considered coins of precious metals. However, lots that consist entirely of gold or silver of high purity, including commemorative metals, are considered precious metals. Please contact our office if you need clarification on a specific lot.
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BE ADVISED: Auction participation through the live Internet bidding site is not 100% foolproof. The technology for this process is always changing, and the operation of it and the corresponding Internet connectivity issues are far beyond our control. Some folks have attempted to use the live Internet bidding process as their primary method of bidding, and have been quite successful. Others have failed completely. Depending upon your computer, server, host, and other factors, Internet signals may be delayed, such that bids may not be received in time. We cannot be held responsible for these delays, or for the lack of placed bids in a timely manner, or any other factors leading to unaccepted bids that are far beyond our control. Bidders should always have a backup plan for lots they highly desire. Live participation is best, followed by phone participation. We will not reopen lots for missed bids.
12. RESERVES: Most of the lots in this auction are unreserved. Precious metals may be reserved at or near or slightly below spot, at the auctioneer's discretion.
13. BIDDING INCREMENTS: All bids must be submitted in U.S. dollars and in whole dollar amounts only in the appropriate increments as outlined below. If you choose to submit bids in an increment not listed below, your bid will be rounded to the nearest increment and you will be expected to pay the amount to which the bid was rounded should your bid be the winning bid. If you have any questions about an appropriate bid amount, please call us.
From: to: Increment:
$1 $95 $5
$100 $190 $10
$200 $475 $25
$500 $1,450 $50
$1,500 $3,400 $100
$3,500 $9,750 $250
$10,000 $30,000 $500
$30,000 up $1000
14. BID REDUCTION: All winning absentee bids will be reduced, if necessary, to the next bidding increment up from the last competing bid, as long as the minimum bid requirement has been met. For example, if you submit an absentee bid of $1000 and the next highest competing bid is $250, then you will win the lot for $275.
15. BID INFORMATION: Collectors often ask in advance the price level of a particular lot. We will give out the current competitive high absentee bid until we close the day before the live auction. You may also view absentee bids online at www.holabirdamericana.com. While we try to update the absentee bids as often as necessary, bids received close to the bidding deadline might not be reflected online, and we disclaim any responsibility for any bids made in reliance upon inaccuracies on our website, which may be beyond our control. We do not own any of the live Internet bidding platforms, and thus many aspects of the Internet technology are out of our control.
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17. All stock certificates, checks, warrants, and other financial documents sold herein are sold as antiquities, and have no financial, securities, or public trading value whatsoever.
18. We reserve the right to reject any bid we feel is not made in good faith.
19. INVOICING: Invoices are mailed or emailed within two business days after the close of all portions of the sale. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of invoice, payment is due in full to Holabird Western Americana Collections, 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. Late fees may be added if payment arrangements are not made within those 15 days. Sales tax will be added to all sales picked-up after the auction or shipped to Nevada addresses, according to Nevada State law, unless a resale certificate is provided.
20. PAYMENT: We accept Cash, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Money Order/Cashier’s Check, Wire Transfer, Personal Check or PayPal. All returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Cash received in amounts greater than $10,000 is subject to the filing of IRS form 8300, as required by law.
21. Automatic Credit Card Billing: Internet bidders are subject to the payment terms and conditions outlined on the internet bidding platform they utilize, which may include the automatic payment of auction invoices with the credit card information on file at the time of registration.
22. NON-PAYMENT: HWAC reserves the right to cancel any invoice not paid in full within 15 days. A cancelled invoice does not relieve the bidder from their obligation to pay seller fees and buyer’s premiums compensating HWAC for its services in conducting the auction. Interest shall run on all outstanding balances at the highest rate permitted by law. HWAC shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the bidder, and any other of bidder’s property then held by HWAC or its affiliates, to secure payment of the invoice, and with respect thereto HWAC shall have all the rights of a secured creditor under the Nevada Commercial Code, including but not limited to the right of sale. HWAC may sell the lot(s) securing the invoice to any under bidders in the auction that the lot(s) appeared, or at subsequent private or public sale, or relist the lot(s) in a future auction conducted by HWAC. A defaulting bidder agrees to pay for the reasonable costs of resale (including a 10% seller’s commission, if consigned to an auction conducted by HWAC). The defaulting bidder is liable to pay any difference between his or her total original invoice for the lot(s), plus any applicable interest, and the net proceeds for the lot(s) if sold at private sale or the subsequent hammer price of the lot(s) less the 10% seller’s commissions, if sold at an HWAC auction. If HWAC refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the bidder agrees to pay attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by HWAC. Any bidder who fails to follow the terms of payment will be reported to iCollector, Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, or applicable bidding platform, and may be barred from participating in future Holabird Western Americana auctions.
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24. CONDITION: We strongly recommend that you attend the live preview to see lots in their entirety. Conditions are not always noted, and large lots may not be itemized due to catalog restraints. For questions, detailed information, or additional images of any lot please contact our office at 775-851-1859. Bidders are responsible for understanding the condition of items. Conditions noted are subjective, and may differ person to person. High resolution images of all items are available online for inspection. HWAC is not responsible for condition discrepancies; it is the bidders responsibility to determine condition prior to bidding.
25. RETURN POLICY: All items are guaranteed to be authentic unless otherwise noted. If authenticity is challenged, please call our office for assistance. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. You may only return any piece that was significantly inaccurately described by calling our office within 10 days of receipt of item(s) and notifying us of the error and reason for return. We do not refund postage or insurance. Please call us if you require a more specific condition report. Any items that are returned must be returned in the exact, unaltered condition. When we receive your bids we will assume you have read the description in the catalog, viewed the image of the item, have contacted us regarding any questions you may have on any lot and/or have previewed the lot in person.
26. This sale is being held under the laws of the State of Nevada.
27. HWAC shall not be held responsible for any problem due to the bidder’s failure to follow the rules, terms and conditions of this sale, or any failure to bid due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any of the online auction networks; or missed bids, changed bids or cancelled due the bidder’s failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.
28. By placing a bid or otherwise participating in the auction, Bidder accepts these Terms and Conditions, and specifically agrees to the dispute resolution provided herein.
29. HWAC shall not be responsible for consequential damages, incidental damages, compensatory damages, or any other damages arising or claimed to be arising from the auction on any lot. Bidder’s sole remedy for any proven act or omission shall be rescission of sale and refund of the amount paid by Bidder.
30. Any claim, dispute, or controversy in connection with, relating to and/or arising out of the Auction, participation in the Auction, award of lots, damages of claims to lots, descriptions, condition reports, provenance, estimates, return and warranty rights, any interpretation of these Terms and Conditions, any alleged verbal modification of these Terms and Conditions and/or any purported settlement shall be exclusively heard by, and the parties consent to exclusive in personal jurisdiction of, the Superior Court of Washoe County, Nevada. The parties expressly waive any right to trial by jury. Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the auction from which the claim arose or the claim is waived. In every case, the prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of its attorney’s fees and costs.