Re: [Leica] a few Leica announcements

["Mike Gil" <pasuno@hotmail.com>]

Is this for real or is this just something to get our juices going.
Were'nt M3's, M2's, and MP's black bodies the some price when they first 
came out.  I guess back then people did not worry about whether the camera 
they bought was going to be collectable or not.  If there was a price 
difference I dont think it was a third of the price of the chrome model.

Now people pay a premium for black bodies.  I was at Samy's in California 
over the weekend, they have a black body M2 for sale at $5,000.  This camera 
was the nasties M camera i have ever seen, brassing through out plus gunk 
all over it, I almost had a heart attack looking at its condition and the 
price tag.  The brassing i could live with but the gunk was just gross.  I 
would not buy this poor sold but their are so called collector that do buy 
these door stops, god knows why.  Of course it could be refurbished but then 
it would not be original. Better a M2 chrome painted black for $500.

I only could guess at what a black M2 in mint - condition sells for.  This 
all goes to the general condition of the market for Leica M equipment.  And 
that is one where just about every piece is over price and not by a couple 
of percentage points but by 15 to 20 % above what they should be selling 
for.  What I tend to find are deals that should be the market price.

Before any one points to demand and supply as the culprit, I would say that 
these seller dont know what that is.  There most over priced equipment stays 
on the selves for ever, price never changes and thats the price put in 
shutterbug ads year after year.  I pointed out the Samy's M2 because that 
camera and the rest of the over priced Leica equipment has been there for 
the last 15 years.

I'm very disgusted and hope I have not rambled for to long.  My last thought 
would be that next time you purchase a piece of Leica equipment that you 
should be more vocal about the sugested price.
Further there are a few indiviuals and stores that have reasonable prices 
and there equipment moves out the front door.

mg

I bought a used M6.85 for a fair price before Leica made it a infernal 
collectable. I will use it and not worry how much the value decreases with 
each nick I put on it.  I bought it because I wanted the higher 
magnification.

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