[Leica] New Leica User

[charlie at droolassicpark.com (Charlie Meyer)]

OK, thirty years ago in college, I had a battered Nikon F, and then  
only lusted after a Leica (due to some of Annie's Rolling Stone work  
then with a M4), but the thought passed as I considered the price of  
entry and that pesky habit of eating on a regular basis.

Fast forward to the present.  A few weeks ago, whilst rummaging  
through my local Goodwill, I came upon a small pile of 35mm  
cameras...including a 778XXX DS M3 with a 5.0cm f2 collapsible chrome  
Summicron, chrome MR, and a f2 3.5cm chrome Summicron w/ black  
goggles...in Wetzlar leather cases.  I will admit that the initial  
thought was selling the lot for a fast buck and buying whatever Steve  
Jobs announces at MacWorld on Tuesday, but after a couple of rolls, I  
just can't part with the M3.  Even had to rewind the old VHS tape of  
the original Star Wars where Sir Alec as Obi Wan shows Luke Skywalker  
a Jedi Light Saber 'Not as random as a blaster....a weapon for a more  
civilized age'.  This is as close to winning the lottery as I can  
recall.

As the token guy on the board of a regional Basset Hound Rescue, the  
gals have always been nagging for photos, rightly so as these  
waddling second-hand houndies don't find homes on their own.  I might  
as well do things differently, as I always have, so I ran the rolls  
through MalMart direct to CD and am frankly hooked, going back to  
film in this digital era. (I know, don't send any film of anything  
one truly values to MalMart....but my days of threading Tri-X on a  
developing tank reel are in the distant past, and the darkroom stuff  
has to be reacquired.) I toyed with some digitals, but they all seem  
flimsy and plastic.

The original black wax 'gothic L' indicates that a CLA is in order  
(also, the slow speeds are off on the slow side, but a few rolls made  
the smooth smoother).  Everything else is smooth and the camera is in  
good looking shape (a few light bright marks from the MR/a bit of  
lost black paint inside the bottom cover/no vulcanite loss), and one  
slight scratch on the barrel of the 3.5cm Summicron.  The camera  
ready case shows some wear, but the 3.5cm Summicron leather case  
looks really nice.  That Summicron still has a slight, non-hardened  
bead of lubricant on the body end.

I am thinking of parting with the wide lens/goggles and maybe the RM  
(and sending the Canon A1, Oly XA2, and Oly 35RL to KEH) to finance  
some of Sherry Krauter's handiwork on the M3, and finding a 90mm as  
well.  Are there any suggestions on selling this stuff and doing what  
is best for the M3/50mm?  Appalachia isn't exactly the best market, I  
assume.  I'm not adverse to driving to DC/Balmer, etc to do an in  
person sale.

TIA,

Charlie

'Guess I am a pirate, two hundred years too late. Cannons don't  
thunder, there's nothing to plunder, I'm an over 40 victim of fate.'
   -Jimmy Buffett