Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Being a special fetish, there is no shame in the Leica culture to buy used. It happens a lot and think of it as being good environmentalists in that we are reusing old equipment. It's almost a fetish to find good buys in the used Leica market, like finding an old XKE or Rolls and "CLA"ing it. :) Regards, Andrew Schroter ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick (Washington, DC)" <patrick@photo.net> Date: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:16 pm Subject: [Leica] (was Coenen) now: buying Leica new vs. used > I'll gladly admit that it was probably an off-line conversation > that Joseph and I had that > triggered that reaction! And I have apologized for that to him. > > Stepping on cultural faux-pax is part of an increasingly global > world (like doing the circled > thumb/index finger sign as ?OK? or showing the bottom of your > sole/feet towards another person > e.g. when sitting down on a floor/carpet are big no-no?s in some > cultures). I think it is helpful > if both sides of the argument shows some understanding. > > I?m curious to know actually as I tried to explain the purchasing > behaviour/line-of-thoughts of a > US/European-born Leica user to Joseph. For example, one is to buy > a Leica Summicron-M 35/2 APSH > to USE, not collect or polish. I tried to explain that one > considers all variables in that > purchasing decision: comparing new US prices with passport to used > from dealer, to new from third > party, to new from foreign source like Joseph?s authorized Leica > dealership, to a used but mint > one like from a trusted source like a LHSA and/or LUG member. > Apparently I performed a great > insult for comparing a ?used? product to a new?!?! > > I do understand the difference between buying new vs. used > equipment, but I am actually very > curious to know how it may be insulting to bring it up in the same > argument. > Cheers, > > Patrick > - who did take some courses in Inter-cultural communication at the > university and do have an > interest/fascination of the subject being an ex-pat myself > > > --- Joseph Yao <joseph@yao.com> wrote: > > Thank God someone understands me! Yesterday I had someone who > compared my > > price for a NEW Summicron 35 ASPH against that of a used/demo > one. I was so > > hurt/insulted I almost fell off my chair. ;-) > > > > Joseph > > > > > > on 23/4/05 2:46 am, Richard at richard-lists@imagecraft.com wrote: > > > > > That's true in Chinese society, isn't it? I remember having a > great deal of > > > difficulty to tell my family that, yes, while we can afford > new clothes for > > > our children, it makes so much more sense to buy used clothes > since they > > > grow up out it so fast... When I was growing up, we were so > poor that you > > > passing down the clothes to another person in the family or to > your friends > > > until there's no fabric left is the norm :-). So the stigma is > "why> > wouldn't nice clean clothes be in the store? Did something > happen to the > > > child?" etc. > > > > > > Of course with the Leica, if you find a 50 year old Leica, > chances are that > > > the owner did finally go to the Big Leica store up there... :-) > > > > > > At 11:14 AM 4/22/2005, Joseph Yao wrote: > > > > > >> Little does Coenen know that there is a taboo/stigma > associated with buying > > >> used/second hand in certain cultures. By not offering (I am > not saying they > > >> should or should not) an entry level model, Leica is turning > away many > > >> potential customers. This is where Cosina/Voigtlander have > succeeded and I > > >> expect the Zeiss Ikon camera and lenses will accomplish the same. > > >> > > >> Joseph > > >> > > > > > > // richard (This email is for mailing lists. To reach me > directly, please > > > use richard at imagecraft.com) > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Leica Users Group. > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more > information> > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >