When flea market bargains, heirlooms and attic finds are auctioned off in the ZDF afternoon hit “Bares for Rares”, the dealers usually pay in cash. Only very rarely do the sales proceeds reach the five-digit figure – the term “junk sensation” is semantically very flexible.
In completely different spheres, however, one of the dealers of the show was on the road. Wolfgang Pauritsch works part-time as an auctioneer. In this function he now experienced the absolute highlight of his career, as he proudly announced in a video on the official Instagram account of the ZDF program moderated by Horst Lichter.
“A few days ago I was allowed to auction a Leica camera, and it was the personal camera of the inventor of the 35mm camera, Oskar Barnack,” reports the native of Innsbruck, who runs an art and auction house in Oberstaufen in the Allgäu. He was “allowed to strike at a hammer price of no less than twelve million euros”. Pauritsch: “I was shaking like a little child. Plus the surcharge, that was 14.4 million!”
The 50-year-old, who is one of the best-known and longest-serving faces in “Bares for Rares”, is certain: “That was the highlight and I don’t think I’ll be able to top that anymore.” The Leica camera that was sold came under the hammer in Wetzlar, is now considered the most expensive camera in the world, as reported by the “Hessenschau”. The sales price of the almost 100-year-old prototype, one of the first 35mm cameras ever, was a big surprise for observers. The property had previously been valued at “only” two to three million euros. It is not known who bought the camera.
*The contribution “For 14.4 million euros: “Bares for Rares” dealer auctions camera at a record price” is published by Teleschau. Contact the person responsible here.