Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jack, First of all, I did not perceive in the slightest that your initial reply was a personal attack, so no need to apologize on your part. It ought to be possible to have a civilized debate on the LUG and I believe that you and I are showing that with our exchanges on this topic. The concept of "fair" prices is, as we agree, impossible to define. In the water-for-hurrican victims example, all reasonable people would agree that $20/gallon is immoral and constitutes price gouging. How much lower the price needs to be for it to become "fair" is impossible to define a priori. It is a bit like the pornography definition, you know it when you see it. However, my point is that the whole issue of fair pricing and morality is simply meaningless when we talk about Leicas and associated accessories. We are not talking about necessities of life by any stretch of the imagination here. We are talking about a luxury item, and the only guide to whether the price in some sense is correct or not is whether supply and demand are balanced at that price. Therefore, I find it impossible to call Leica a price gouger--the concept simply has no applicability here. They try to set prices that will maximize profits, period. That is the prerogative of every business, even Tom's. In this respect, I do not believe that there is a fundamental difference between Tom and Leica. Sure, the cost structures are different, the size is different and so on, but in the final analysis both of them provide a product into the market and both must cover their costs and make a profit in order to stay in business in the long run. As for ticket scalping, it is illegal in some jurisdictions and legal in others, so I find it difficult to use the law as a guide to what is moral and what is not. Also, the law permits many activities which I as a human being consider immoral, so again, it is a poor guide to morality. Kind regards, Nathan - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: nathanw@bluewin.ch mobile: +41 78 732 1430 Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2003.htm General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html