[Leica] LHSA Black Paint; Time to stop whining - Long

[LEICAMAN56@aol.com]

Dear LUGgers,

Having just returned from the South Pacific, Land of beautiful babes and 
tropical drinks....Great story Mark, but really I'm still sitting in rainy 
Illinois!
I have been waiting for Roger Horn to return from a trip to Solms with some 
answers.
But first, a little history.  The LHSA Black Paint camera has been over four 
years in the making.  Constant e-mails between myself and various management 
types in Solms.  Meetings at every PMA and Photokina for the past four years. 
 Constant phone calls between myself and Roger Horn (good thing we're 
friends!).  Then at the last minute, Leica Solms stealing my idea and putting 
out the Millennium camera.  Advised by good friends in LHSA leadership to 
give up on the project after this.  But I would not let it die and finally 
the dream became reality and the camera entered production.
Early this year, I asked John Hayden, LHSA PR officer, to administer the 
camera sales.  John agreed to do so on a volunteer basis, along with some of 
his office staff, to do so.  He has done a tremendous job in my opinion.  
Again, all our work is volunteer, there is no permanent paid LHSA staff to 
handle these things!  John and I both have full time jobs and families aside 
from our unpaid volunteer LHSA work.
My original concept for distribution of the cameras was to be by direct sales 
only.  Unfortunately, reality reared its ugly head after we had sold less 
than 100 of the initial batch of 300 cameras more than a month into the 
ninety day subscription period.  Reality dictated the need to open another 
distribution channel; dealer sales.  Otherwise, LHSA would be faced with 
getting stuck with over 200 very expensive cameras!  Not a good situation to 
be in.  We struck a deal with Roger Horn where no cameras would be sold for 
less than the LHSA subscription price.  Roger threw in the one year 
membership offer.  The rest they say is history.  As of the close of the 
subscription period on June 30, we have sold or have orders for approximately 
1100 LHSA cameras!  Less than the Millennium issue, less than the number of 
black M2's produced, etc.  But this camera was also made to be used, not just 
collected.  So I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who are upset that we 
sold more than 100 cameras.
As most of you know, there was an initial batch of 300 .72 cameras made.  
Leica Solms was then to make the balance of cameras ordered in November of 
this year.  One must realize that this is a Photokina year, the factory is on 
vacation in August, and the company does make other cameras besides LHSA 
Special Editions.  Roger now reports that the factory will now make 400 - 500 
cameras in September/October with the balance to follow just after the first 
of the year.  We are the victims of our own success.
Hindsight being 20/20, would I have done things differently?  Short answer, 
yes.  Unfortunately, despite all our efforts to see into the future, we did 
not fully anticipate all the difficulties.  I apologize to all of you who are 
upset by our handling of this project, but we have honestly made every effort 
to make everyone happy.  Needless to say, this is not always possible.  The 
point is that the camera is a reality and everyone who wanted a unique (until 
the Millennium appeared) camera, which had not been produced in this finish 
for over thirty years, will own one.
Three objectives were set for this project.  Offer a unique camera to 
membership at not too unreasonable a price to everyone who wanted one, 
increase LHSA membership and raise some funds for the LHSA.  We have 
succeeded on all three fronts.  I am working on the issue of membership dues 
compensation for all those who purchased a camera direct from LHSA.  I will 
keep you all posted.
I hope this answers everyone's questions, but feel free to contact me via 
private e-mail if I haven't.

Best regards,

Bill Rosauer
LHSA President, Viewfinder Editor, Originator of the Black Paint Camera 
Concept and Glutton for Punishment