Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well, you guys might know photography, but I know companies, I study them for a living. Leica is extremely fortunate that the global asset inflation of the last few years coincided with a down period of their finances, so they were able to get out of jail. With possible global recession around the corner (at least a major economic slowdown), do you think the amateur market for camera bodies and lenses at their prices will sustain? As far as I can make out, even the diehard Leica lovers on this list think that, in general, buying new Leica equipment is a rare event. All luxury brands will see a major slowdown, and Leica will be no exception. The ones with strong balance sheets will survive, and the weak? We will see....at the very least they will go through major cash flow problems. Cheers Jayanand On 9/21/07, Christopher Birchenhall <crbirchenhall@googlemail.com> wrote: > > Ric > > Spot on. A premium brand that charges premium prices to > non-professionals need to give buyers a sense that they are buying an > investment not just top class photographic kit, to that end a healthy > second hand market is crucial. > > Chris B > > On 20/09/2007, Ric Carter <ricc@mindspring.com> wrote: > > I buy used by necessity. > > > > My used buying usually helps fuel new buying. Much of the used stuff > > moved on this list is likely to raise money for an upgrade or to help > > pay for new equipment. > > > > Should we call it trickle up? > > > > ric > > > > > > On Sep 20, 2007, at 1:40 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote: > > > > > Well, Sonny, if you decide that your photographic objectives are > > > best met by > > > Leica, you better try keeping them solvent. I think it will get more > > > difficult for them unless they move production to Asia. They should > > > do what > > > Nvidia does, become a design house, and get others to manufacture > > > their > > > products to whatever tolerances they want. In that case a lot more > > > money can > > > go into R&D. As they are structured at present, and at their size, > > > it looks > > > bleak IMHO. If the world economy does slide, they could be wiped out. > > > Cheers > > > Jayanand > > > > > > On 9/20/07, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > >> On 9/20/07, Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand@gmail.com> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Well thats nice to know. If we want Leica to survive, we should > > >>> buy more > > >>> new. > > >> > > >> > > >> Um. Innovation, competition, and good marketing practice will allow > > >> Leica > > >> to survive. > > >> > > >> Do I charitably purchase a $2000 lens that I do not need so that some > > >> share-holders get a piece of it, and thus decide to invest further? > > >> > > >> Nope, I buy the bits I need, like an M8 and batteries, and a > > >> grip. That > > >> was > > >> not a purchase made in hopes Leica survives. These things > > >> further my > > >> photography. > > >> > > >> I truly believe Leica has seen the worst and wants to prevail. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Regards, > > >> > > >> Sonny > > >> http://www.sonc.com > > >> Natchitoches, Louisiana > > >> USA > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >