Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You are right on the money on this one Marc. It's amazing to me, how many people will spend hours and hours with a local merchant (car, appliance. camera. whatever...) Then buy it from a warehouse operation somewhere. Then back to the local merchant for all of the answers. This is unconscionable in most cases. Some sales people are uninformed and will give you the wrong information. Under impossible circumstances, of course, you don't have much of a choice other than to buy elsewhere. If the store is a Leica dealer, someone there is Leica savvy. Find that person and deal with him/her if possible. At Keeble and Shuchat, here in Palo Alto, it's LUGger Jeff Alford. Not only is he Leica savvy, he's a great photographer (M equipment) and his wife Cathy (darkroom department at KSP) is a great photographer (R equipment). Prices are very good, service is impeccable. Their used camera expert, Paul Wood, is very knowledgeable on used Leica (and all other equipment as well) and uses an M3 with 35/2 and 21/2.8 for B&W. He's also a great photographer. Leica Fotographie (SP) is publishing some of his Cuba B&W's in the1998/8 issue. The people in this store, practice their craft. KSP also has a Stock photographer working there. He uses Leica R gear. I don't personally know this person... yet. Perhaps I'm lucky that KSP is so close. Perhaps not $$$$$! Jim PS... Please don't forget about the camera account at KSP. :-) At 05:19 PM 10/29/98 -0500, you wrote: > >This argument is completely specious. The mere calibre of an improper act >does not make it any less improper. Support your local merchant: you >waste his time with questions, you bother him with your problems, and you'd >probably turn to him for your warranty work. Give him the sale in the >first place. A savings of $200 simply isn't worth the loss of a good >professional relationship. > >Besides, in a lot of cases, the savings on a special-order item such as >Leica will be far less than 10%. My local store normally runs about 5% >above New York on Leica special-order items: they appreciate my bringing >the business to them in the first place. > >(Besides, while I'm not their corporate counsel, I DO get their >miscellaneous legal work, and that of their staff, as well. It is bread >cast forth upon the waters.) > >Marc > > >msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 >Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir! > http://www.photoaccess.com Jim Brick, ASMP, BIAA Photo Access (650) 470-1132 Visual Impressions Publishing Visual Impressions Photography (408) 296-1629