Re: Grey market Leica

[Claes-Göran Bjernèr <claes.bjerner@pi.se>]

ATANOVIC@genre.com wrote:
> 
>           >From: bholmes@frii.com (Ben Holmes)
>           >Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 12:16:10 -0700 (MST)
>           >Subject: Re: Instruction Books, was Re: Grey market Leica
>           >
>           >Chris Fortuncko asserted:
>           >
>           >>Frankly, grey markets may not be so bad.
>           >>Right now, it is cheaper to buy a Leica in
>           >>Japan than in the US!
>           >>
>           >>Chris
>           >>
>           >>
>           >I had a chance to sample prices in Japan this week with
>           >the help of a guy I met on misc.import.export or something
>           >like that. He says that they do not have a rebate program
>           >in Japan and do not discount AT ALL.   He said a new M6
>           >is $2,795 - period.
>           >
>           >That makes it a bit more expensive than in the states.
>           >
>           >ben
> 
>           Now why would you want to take the word of "a guy
>           I met on misc.import.export or something like that" when
>           you've got several LUG members right here in Japan
>           to consult?
> 
>           You can buy a new M6, black or chrome, with 2-year
>           international warranty for Y210,000 at Lemon Camera
>           in Ginza---about US$1880 at the current screen rate of
>           111.70.  You are exempted from the 3% sales tax if you're
>           a non-resident foreigner buying for yourself (but the price
>           will be 5% higher if you pay by credit card rather than
>           cash because that's what the card companies charge the
>           retailers here).
> 
>           This is not a one-off, discounted price, it's their regular
>           advertised price and has been in effect for several
>           months now.  And Lemon shifts a *lot* of stock.
> 
>           So Chris' "assertion" (as you call it) is a fact.
> 
>           FYI, some other prices for comparison:
>           R8 : Y260,000
>           35mm Asph: Y223,000 (black), Y238,000 (chrome)
>           24mm Asph: Y200,000, finder Y28,000
> 
>           BTW, please don't ask me about do-it-yourself export
>           schemes.
> 
>           Adrian Tanovic
>           Tokyo

Well Adrian,

Lemon Camera is an excellent shop, but Sanpo Camera near Shibuya offers
Leica M6 for only Y186,000 or US$1665 with your exchange rate. This
according to their advertisment in the October issue of the Japanese
Camera magazine CAPA. And in the same magazine MapCamera in Shinjuku
offers the M6 for Y202,000 or US$17265. Or the fancy Titanium body for
Y248,000! Their lenses cost about the same as in your shop.

Claes
Stockholm