Goodwill Seemingly Has No Clue It's Selling a Previously Unknown Leica Prototype Lens

An exceedingly rare piece of photographic history is sitting on a digital auction block in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, priced at $3,008 after seven bids, while the organization selling it seemingly has no idea what it actually is.

PetaPixel reported that a Leica / Hughes Leitz 17mm f/2 prototype fisheye lens is currently listed at Goodwill of the Great Plains in “as is” condition. According to Trevor Sehrer, founder of Lenstag, this 26-pound behemoth appears to be a previously unknown second copy of a prototype lens that most recently commanded nearly $50,000 on the collector market.

Back in 2021, PetaPixel covered what was then believed to be a one-of-a-kind version of the same lens, which Leica Store Lisse sold for $47,200. Leica Rumors noted that the 2021 model had previously appeared on eBay four years earlier with a $24,000 asking price. The specimen currently up for grabs at Goodwill looks nearly identical to that earlier copy, save for its model number: C530-0004, whereas the one sold five years ago bore the number C530-0007.

We do our best to describe items completely and accurately, but we are not experts, Goodwill warns prospective bidders on the listing page, advising buyers to examine the included photos carefully as they effectively serve as the item’s description.

Thrift Store Treasures and Bidding Deadlines

While thrift store discoveries of high-end camera gear capture imaginations periodically—such as an Ontario photographer finding a $2,000 Leica for $10 last year, a teenager unearthing an entire Leica M kit for $15 at a 2021 church sale, or a college student grabbing an M5 for $5—this online auction operates at a markedly different scale.

An exceedingly rare, previously unknown Leica prototype lens is up for auction right now, and it's at Goodwill.https://t.co/MyGXJKUDt0

— https://x.com/petapixel/status/2116282443464589633

Even though the Goodwill specimen shows signs of wear, it remains an exceptionally collectible piece of optical engineering. The auction clock is ticking down rapidly, with bidding scheduled to close at 9:50 PM ET (6:50 PM PT) today, October 30. Whether the final winning bidder walks away with a five-figure prize for a fraction of its true value depends entirely on who refreshes the page before the timer expires.