Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/07

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Subject: [Leica] e-Bay
From: Marc James Small <msmall@infi.net>
Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 16:12:47 -0500

One significant thing about e-Bay is that it has brought a lot of stuff
into the marketplace which weren't available before.  Even nicer is the
fact that such items are often mis-labelled or mis-described, a somewhat
rarer factor when a dealer handles a similar item.  Thus, doing a search
for "Lieca" often turns up some plum items which have been overlooked by
those Big-Bucks Collectors.

I buy and sell on e-Bay.  When I list an item, I go out of the way to have
as much information as possible (exact markings, serial numbers,
manufacturer's order number or codeword, and the like).  Thus, I often buy
an item one week and sell it two or three weeks later for three or four
times what I paid for it.

Many items have fallen significantly in price thanks to e-Bay.  Those Carl
Zeiss 8x30B monoculars which could be used as an auxiliary telephoto lens
on Contaflex, Contarex, and Icarex cameras used to always be uniformly
priced, seemingly regardless of condition, at $400 or so.  Thanks to e-Bay,
they are now regularly trading at $200, give or take, and I bought one for
under $100.  

And, of course, many items have also gone up in price.  Probably the most
heavily produced binocular in history was the Carl Zeiss Jena/Docter Optic
Technologies 8x30 DELTRINTEM/IS glasses.  These guys are so common that
they used to routinely sell for $50.  Thanks to e-Bay -- and thanks to
vendors who always list these glasses, regardless of provenance, as "LQQK!
RARE ZEISS TANK COMMANDERS BINOCULARS!!!!" -- they are selling for over $100.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.  But, all in all, I am quite
happy with e-Bay.

Marc



msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +276/343-7315
Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!

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