Owning a Minox and holding it in your hands is a very special feeling. It was designed to be concealed in the closed hand. Minox cameras are cheap today compared to their previous original prices. You can get a working Minox B starting at $50. And you get a mechanical masterpiece in a legendary design.
However, if you don’t just want to enjoy the outside of a Minox, it should work and be able to take photos. I therefore recommend that you technically inspect a Minox when purchasing it.
Minox in the 8×11 film format have not been manufactured for a long time. So you can only buy them used or as new old stock. But no matter whether used or never used, the functionality of the cameras can be limited or even non-existent simply due to the age of the cameras. Oils, plastic, rubber and electronic components lose their properties over time.
But it is not difficult at all to check the functionality of a Minox that is offered for sale. You just have to know how to do it. It’s quick and requires no tools. You can find my detailed instructions for testing Minox A IIIs, B, BL, LX and EC here.