Kunik Petie Lighter
The Kunik Petie Lighter is a subminiature novelty camera built into a cigarette-lighter-style housing, a format produced for the curio and gadget market rather than for serious photography. It belongs to the small group of disguised or combination cameras that collectors group with subminiature and spy-style cameras.
Auction evidence for the Petie Lighter is thin, with a single recorded UK saleroom result of £1,527 at Christie's in 2001 — a hammer price that reflects wholesale auction level rather than retail. On that limited basis the camera sells for a four-figure sum when it surfaces today, but with only one data point any current value should be treated as indicative rather than a reliable market price.
Sales History
Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.
| Date | Price | Source | |
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| Nov 2023 | £1,625 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 176) Title: A Kunik Walter Petie Lighter Camera
Description:
1956, lacquered-blue, with f/11 25mm lens, body, G-VG, shutter working, lens, VG |
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| Nov 2012 | EUR 1,400 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 22 (Lot AI_22_14306) Title: Kunik Petie Lighter
Description:
Petie camera for 16 exposures 14x14mm with Röschlein Kreuznach Achromat 9/25mm in special housing with cigarette lighter, blue-silver art-deco finish, in very fine condition Estimate: EUR 1,600 - EUR 2,000 |
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| May 2001 | £1,527 | Christie's | |
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Auction: MAGIC LANTERNS, OPTICAL TOYS AND CAMERAS (Lot 301) Title: PETIE LIGHTER CAMERA
Description:
PETIE LIGHTER CAMERA Estimate: £1,500 - £2,000 |
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| Jan 1998 | £747 | Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND OPTICAL TOYS (Lot 349) Title: Petie lighter camera
Description:
Petie lighter camera Estimate: £700 - £900 |
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