Re: International Prices

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

Marvin, last year on one of my trips to Tokyo, it coincided with a big
"camera show". This show was held in a department store, next to the perfume
section. All the Leicas smelled nice and the spouses of the Leicaphiles were
all bying perfume and cosmetics, while the collector was blowing large amount
of money on cameras. I have never seen so many,Mint, boxed M2's/M3's and M4's
in my life. One aisle alone held over 400 cameras, the worst looking one was
a Mint- M4 in black paint. Prices are high, but with the yen hovering at
127/$ it represents a 27% discount from -late 95. Some of the stores in Ginza
has 3-4 Compur Summicrons, 3 Hologons and a variety of black paint M's in
stock and on display!! One store (Feb 97) had 15 black paint M2/M3 and M4's
in stock ( including 2 black M2M and 3 M4Mot's with motor!)
 Most of the inventory is consignement sales so the stores doesn't have to
carry the cost of the stock. occasionally the owners come in and admire their
properties and put more in. There is not much bargaining going on, the shown
price is what they want. It is an overload of Leica sense to walk around and
see several thousand M cameras in a day and even in N.Y. or Frankfurt you
might be able to see a couple of dozens in the same time. 
 On new or late equipment you can make good deals, if you can buy a new M6
for $ 15-1600 there, it is obvious that the used market for these is going to
be very low by our standards. I saw R6 in chrome, mint, no box for less than
$1000 and M6 with some user marks for the same. This is not in the BIG stores
on in the Ginza, but the more out of the way stores ( 3-400 sq.ft, with 50-60
Leica M's for sale!).
 I have been dealing with Lemon Camera Co for years and also Shimizu camera
as well as Sankyo camera. They all speak english and they know their stuff
and are a delight to deal with, in Japan a buyer expects service and he gets
it.
 Somebody claimed that there is a faint risk of Tokyo tipping the whole
country into the sea due to the volume of Leicas there!
 Tom A