Russian Cold War Spy Camera Disguised As A Cigarette Box Sells For £29,000 Despite Having £80 Guide Price

Source from:  Daily Mail 08/08/2018

A Russian Cold War spy camera, disguised as a cigarette box with real cigarettes, has set a record for a UK auction house.

The sneaky surveillance device sold for £29,000 (about $37,500 USD) despite having an estimate of only £80-£100 (about $100-130 USD). 

It was part of a collection of other movie-worthy Russian cameras that were concealed in handbags, jacket buttons, briefcases and even an umbrella.

One camera disguised as an umbrella sold for £2,700, and another hidden behind a man's jacket button sold for £1,000.

The collection, sold by Aston’s Auctioneers in Dudley, West Midlands, was acquired by the owner during his travels to the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 80s.

The fascinating collection, which includes cameras built into buttons, umbrellas, cigarette cases and various bags, went under the hammer on July 12 and made more than £60,000 in total at the auction.

There was even a camera disguised as a camera, designed to shoot photos through the side of the case when it appears to be safely stowed away.  

Photographic consultant Tim Goldsmith, from Aston's Auctioneers in Dudley, West Midlands, who handled the sale, said the collection was unlike any other.

'I don't know of another like this,' he said. 'You can find some as individual items if you look, but to find the whole collection like this is rare.

Among the lots were several Minox cameras, a brand known for its use in the James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Roughly the size of a cigarette lighter, they take surprisingly crisp photos and are reputed to have been favoured by agents from both East and West.

'We've also got a lady's handbag which takes a cine-camera,' said Mr Goldsmith. 'That was used in honeytrap situations.

'Say a beautiful blonde was sitting at the bar and in comes a man from the American embassy. One thing leads to another, they end up in her room, she puts her bag down and it starts filming.

'We've got a smaller version of that too which is built into a lady's purse or clutch bag.'

Among the other lots was a camera built into a man's jacket, another built into a briefcase, and of course the one disguised as just another camera.

'It looks like an old Zenit camera, of which there are literally a million around,' said Mr Goldsmith. 'But the clever thing is, this spy camera inside is pointed sideways.

'So if you're going somewhere where you weren't supposed to take photographs, you've got the camera over your shoulder in its case and nobody says anything.

'But you just stand at 90 degrees to what you want to photograph and press the little button on the bottom of the camera, the mechanism inside opens a flap in the side of the camera case.

'The camera fires and the little flap on the side of the case shuts again.'

The cameras went up for auction at Aston's Auctioneers on July 12 and beat the auction house's previous record sale which was £18,200 for a 1970s Rolex Explorer Wristwatch.  Enditem