CameraWorth.com

Kunik Petie Vanity

The Kunik Petie Vanity is a mid-20th-century subminiature novelty camera built into a lady's vanity case, combining a small-format camera with a compact, cosmetic-style housing. It was sold as a specialist collectors' curio rather than a general-purpose photographic tool.

At UK auction, hammer prices for the Petie Vanity have ranged from about £400 to £590, with only a small number of recorded results to draw on in 2026. Because these are saleroom hammer figures rather than retail asking prices, what a dealer charges today can sit noticeably higher, and condition of the vanity case fittings has a strong influence on what each example sells for.

I have one to sell

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.

Prices updated: November 2025

Date Price Source
Nov 2025 £650 Flints Auctions
May 2025 £400 Special Auction Services
Mar 2018 EUR 3,200 Leitz Auction
Nov 2012 EUR 900 Leitz Auction
Dec 2009 EUR 1,300 Leitz Auction
Sep 2005 £420 Christie's
May 2003 £352 Christie's
Mar 2003 £493 Christie's
Nov 2002 £587 Christie's
Feb 2002 £564 Christie's
Jul 1998 £345 Christie's
Mar 1998 £552 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Kunik Petie Vanity worth today?

Based on UK auction hammer results, a Kunik Petie Vanity is typically worth somewhere in the £400 to £590 range, though only a handful of sales are on record so the price any individual example sells for can vary.

How much does a Kunik Petie Vanity sell for at auction?

Recent and historic UK auction records show the Petie Vanity selling for around £400 at the lower end and close to £590 at the higher end, with condition of the vanity case being a key factor in the final price.

Why does the Petie Vanity command a collector price?

Its value comes from its novelty design as a camera built into a vanity case rather than from photographic performance, which is why complete, cosmetically clean examples tend to achieve the strongest results.

Other Kunik cameras