Re: [Leica] Re: used camera grading

["Tom Schofield" <tdschofield@email.msn.com>]

"Mint" is used very loosely in camera grading.  As I understand it, a mint
coin has never been touched by human hands, and if so much as the seal on
the holder is broken, the value is substantially diminished.  A mint stamp
also has never been used.

Tom

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Brick" <jim_brick@agilent.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>; <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 7:32 AM
Subject: [Leica] Re: used camera grading


> At 06:19 AM 11/13/00 -0800, D Dailey wrote:
> >Anyone who sells a camera as mint, which has been used at all,
> >is using the internet for mail fraud... a federal crime.
> >Since Leica is certainly one of the premiere (if not THE premiere) lenses
in
> >the world,
> >"mint" should, in fact, be supported by this list to mean exactly the
same
> >thing.
> >Let's start a movement of improvement in this!
> >"At Standard-"
> >Dave
>
> What you have described above is the LN designation, that is, all papers,
> bags, and boxes, and no "sign" of ever being used.
>
> MINT is no marks, scratches, dents, or other signs of use, basically a
near
> perfect specimen, length of use is immaterial.
>
> ANY brand new lens and or camera that you buy from any dealer, could
easily
> have been on many cameras while customers look at them, look through the
> camera, click click clikc, etc. They may have been handled dozens of times
> since boxes are NOT sealed and showcase samples are not plentiful. No one
> is going to lay out $1500 - $6000 for a lens and/or camera without the
> ability to play with it extensively at the store or return it within a few
> days if it is not what you want. This happens hundreds, perhaps thousands
> of times daily. I do it as do all of my colleagues.
>
> So that "band new" camera/lens that you buy from any dealer may well have
> been fondled till the cows come home.
>
> Cameras and lenses are a little different than stamps and coins.
>
> The used camera industry (as well as the LUG) pretty much have the grading
> system down pat. It's the eBay junkies that are off in another world.
>
> Jim
>