So what does it mean when you see a “mint” Leica M3 listed on ebay from a seller who, after thousands of transactions, has 100% positive feedback?
It means you’re pretty safe to buy this M3, which is advertised as perfect — including the “vulcanite” covering, which is described as “original and complete”.
Right?
Well, have a close look:
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Do you see it?
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Look carefully at the back door covering – it actually differs from the rest of the camera. Therefore, it’s not all original.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s wrong with this camera, which has been put on sale for a premium, because it was “owned by a collector who kept it in its box” for the last 50+ years.
Right.
Bottom line: It’s difficult to know who to trust on ebay — so be careful.
—Peter.
Prosophos 
THANK you!!
Completely unrelated to the topic of concern regarding eBay. One feature I noticed about your supplied pic was an “actual, real, haven’t-seen-in-forever” PC socket on the M3! As much as the Leica rangefinder is considered an “available light” camera, I so wish the M9 and now the M, retained this feature. Many pro’s need it and I’ve had to use various work arounds to trigger strobes from time to time when using the M’s. I appreciate your post regarding eBay.
I am far from qualified (meaning I haven’t a clue) to comment as to whether that back door with a different texture leatherette implies that parts of this camera are not original or that the camera hasn’t been touched or altered in 50 years. I do know that in some other unrelated collectables such as toy trains from the 50’s and 60’s, often times these items were simply manufactured without a thought that someday they would become collectables or that each unit produced had to adhere to a strict code that the identical parts be used in each unit. In toy trains, sometimes 5,000 of the same boxcar would have the identical parts but towards the end of their manufacturing run, the company would grap other close but not identical trim/parts to finish up the last remaining units. It was just a toy or regular mass produced item to them.
Although the point of one can’t be too careful purchasing items these days (such on ebay), is an excellent one, not all instances such as the one here used as an example, point out to intentional fraud or trying to mislead. Heck, maybe shortly after purchase or after production run ended, maybe the original owner needed to have the leatherette changed on the back door and thats the kind they were using at that time, slightly different than the one originally used. Today if such a camera was sent in for service, Leica knowing about collector status, would probably be sure all leatherette matched. Again, just looking at this from a number of perspectives.
Dave (D&A)