[Leica] why is the R4 so cheap?

[shino at panix.com (Rei Shinozuka)]

i recently borrowed an R4 from bergen county camera, because my SL2MOT
was visiting DAG to have its screen changed to non-split rangefinder.
i just wanted anything that could mount 3-cam lenses.

to my great surprise, i found the R4 rather likeable.  
the only thing i didn't really like 
was that in manual you had to watch the shutter speed numbers to the
left and then down to see the set shutter speed.  as opposed to a 
match-needle or electronic equivalent that would just indicate + or -.
the way the scale changed when you went from aperture to shutter
priority was kind of neat.

it's no M3 or even an M6, but why are these cameras so cheap?  you see 
them priced with 3-handles or even in the 2's.  i mean, you are getting 
a whole camera for around the same price as the M eyepeice magnifier.

am i missing something?

thanks,

-rei

-- 
Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com
Ridgewood, New Jersey