[Leica] Re: Leica dealer snobbery

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@bayarea.net>]

I dunno guys. I bought my first two Leicas when I was 14, a pair of beat
up old IIc and IIf bodies, one with an equally beat up 35 Elmar and the
other with a slightly less beat up 50 Summar (summitar?). Cost me $100 for
the kit. The dealer (Olden Camera in Manhattan) was very kind and helpful
to me, helped pick out a pair of functional bodies and clear lenses from
the big pile of Leica stuff they had which were within my budget. That was
my savings for 10 months at the time, I was getting $5 a week allowance. 

No dealer has ever been snotty to me. When I used to go into the camera
stores as a teenager and young college student, bedraggled and obviously
always broke, I'd ask to see Hasselblads, Linhofs, Rolleis, Leicas, Nikons
... I'd tell them outright that I didn't think I could afford them but I
wanted to understand what they were, to appreciate them and to dream about
owning one someday. 

All these stories of snobbery indicate a sad change in the business or a
crummy dealer. I'd never buy from anyone that treated me that way, there
are always better places to go. 

Godfrey