Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/12/27

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Subject: [Leica] Leica investment economics - was Financial people in Lug
From: photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman)
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:39:37 +0100
References: <AANLkTimxPgGe8EeavoBjftfyYtbJomUtSsLzU59bcN6H@mail.gmail.com> <0CA0703E-0139-4833-A7EF-1F920E712FA1@usjet.net>

Robert, Cosina/Voigtlander makes very decent film cameras, and if demand for 
film cameras really returned, the major suppliers could jump back into that 
market in a matter of weeks.

Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.nathanfoto.com
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog

YNWA







On Dec 28, 2010, at 2:10 AM, Robert Meier wrote:

> There is another factor that has intervened to break the pattern you 
> describe:  the digital revolution.  Very few Leica film cameras are still 
> made and no other film cameras, at least, the metal, manual, mechanical 
> kind.   So there is a finite number of film Leicas and their value in the 
> future will grow as the number of people desiring them grows.   It's 
> impossible to predict future value, but the new circumstances might well 
> mean that their value will increase more rapidly than it has in the past.
> 
> Robert
> 
> On Dec 27, 2010, at 6:05 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:
> 
>> Considering the "end of the world" social and or economic collapse 
>> predicted
>> in 2012, just how good is the investment value of Leica cameras. At 
>> today's
>> Leica prices there are only two reasons for buying a new Leica camera
>> primarily as an investment, both of them irrational.
>> 
>> First, if you are a camera collector and/or a camera speculator you will 
>> buy
>> the camera and keep it unused in its original box, expecting that its 
>> price
>> will increase at some future date. This is a distinct possibility. A new
>> unsold 1954 M3 with its original carton and shipping documents which sold
>> for about $250 new in a tax free airport shop would probably sell at a
>> collector's auction for the price of a small car, an unused urLeica would 
>> go
>> for the price of a new house.
>> 
>> The price appreciation of most Leicas, however, is a bit less than the
>> equivalent amount of money deposited in bank CDs and considerably less 
>> than
>> funds invested in the stock market. That $250 cost of the Leica in 1954,
>> invested in CDs at the average rate of return would have grown to about
>> $3250, about the price of a late model used Leica kit. If the Leica 
>> purchase
>> funds were invested in the stock market at the average annual rate of 
>> return
>> since 1954, it would have grown to almost $40,000, enough to buy a new
>> camera and a BMW to drive it around in. Buying Leicas soley for 
>> appreciation
>> is simply a variation of the "Greater Fool" theory beloved of stock
>> speculators. You may be a fool for paying so much but you hope there is
>> always a greater fool who will buy it from you for more.
>> 
>> Second, if you are one of those who have a "best quality" addiction you 
>> will
>> buy the camera to fondle and possess, secure in the feeling that no one 
>> has
>> or appreciates quality equipment better than you. For a definition of
>> "quality" see Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."
>> Take plenty of pictures with the camera. But don't get annoyed by the fact
>> that the resulting pictures are almost indistinguishable from those taken
>> with lesser cameras like Nikons or Canons. If digital cameras, all will be
>> obsolete in a few years anyway and their value will decline precipitously.
>> 
>> So unless you are a camera speculator or a quality addict don't buy a 
>> Leica
>> for appreciation. Buy a Canon or Nikon. You will get state of the art
>> engineering and manufacturing, fine lenses, autofocus and autoexposure at 
>> a
>> considerable saving over the cost of an equivalent Leica system. Invest 
>> the
>> money you save to provide a real legacy for your children. Or in a
>> collection of fine Scotch potables. Remember that if the Indians who sold
>> Niew Amsterdam to the Dutch had invested their $24 properly they could not
>> only buy back Manhattan but every bit of developed property from Boston to
>> Washington, DC.
>> 
>> Larry Z
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 



Replies: Reply from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Leica investment economics - was Financial people in Lug)
In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin) ([Leica] Leica investment economics - was Financial people in Lug)
Message from robertmeier at usjet.net (Robert Meier) ([Leica] Leica investment economics - was Financial people in Lug)