An Antiques Roadshow guest received disappointing news when he discovered his item was a fake. The man had paid £480 for what he believed was a rare Leica camera potentially worth thousands of pounds. However, when he took it on the BBC programme for valuation, he learnt the gleaming gold camera was not the real thing.
Expert's Heart Flutter Turned to Disappointment
"What I obviously really don't want to do is disappoint you about this camera, which is inevitably what I have done," expert Marc Allum told the dejected camera owner. "Don't feel bad about it," he reassured him. The episode, which broadcast in 2011, featured people bringing items to Lincoln Cathedral for examination by specialists.
Following the guest's presentation of the camera, Marc revealed that his initial glimpse of it had caused his heart to "flutter." He elaborated: "I remember many, many years ago having the pleasure of discovering a Leica Luxus camera on the Roadshow. It was a moment of great - how can I say - well, I just cannot describe how I felt about it at the time. It was very rare. First sight of this camera made my heart really, really flutter because, of course, this is a very beautiful-looking Leica camera... It glimmered or gleams, just like that Luxus."
The Guest's Belief and the Expert's Analysis
The man said he'd seen it at an antiques centre and that its date and Olympic logo indicated it originated from the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Marc confirmed that the piece featured an Olympic logo alongside the eagle and swastika and was inscribed "Olympiade, Berlin, 1936." However, he continued: "We have to look deeper because, quite often, what is unfortunately the case is that things that look really good sometimes turn out to be a bit too good to be true."
Marc explained that he had a strong interest in cameras and was surprised to find in places like the Czech Republic that there were some very rare Leicas around, particularly Luftwaffe Leicas and Luxus Leicas. "What I discovered was these were being faked. Now, what we have here is, I feel, a fake." He pointed out that while the camera bore a five-digit serial number, Leica cameras typically feature six-digit serial numbers.
A Salutary Lesson
Having acknowledged that he hadn't wished to let the guest down, Marc added: "I think it's a kind of salutary lesson, really, to just point out to people that this is the kind of thing that goes on." "Just take it for what it is," he said. "Put it on the shelf and enjoy it but don't feel bad about it."
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One on Sunday June 21 at 8.15pm.
