RE: [Leica]What do you think of that? Not much!

["Dan S" <dstate1@hotmail.com>]

Dan, my frustration is with the effect this kind of insane collectors frenzy 
has had on users of every day merchandise.

If I collect stamps my purchase drives up the purchase price of only OTHER 
COLLECTABLE STAMPS, not ones that the average citizen will need to buy.  I'm 
not going to mail a letter with a 200 year old stamp, and I'm not going to 
buy my groceries with Liberty dollars.  I DO use Leica cameras of all ages 
to actually take pictures (amazing ain't it)

The collectors market has not only driven up the prices of rare Leicas, but 
those of every day stuff like DR Summicrons and  common LTM cameras.  The 
price of anything "Leica" is vastly higher than it's actual value as a 
photographic tool.  A perfect example is the price of clip on view finders.  
Many are higher than the lens they match (IE 90mm finder vs. 90mm Elmar f4).

I certainly don't begrudge the "collector/user" who amases and USES his 
equipment.  I DO begrudge the "speculators" who find more joy in trading 
equipment than using it.


Best Wishes

Dan States
Chicago Illinois



>From: Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>
>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: RE: [Leica]What do you think of that? Not much!
>Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 16:08:32 -0500
>
>Or maybe the buyer just loves to own beautiful rare things?   Why question
>the motives of a collector?  Why do people collect postage stamps?  Why do
>people collect coins?  Why not cameras?  I'm not a collector, but I
>certainly don't begrudge (sp?) them their rights to collect things.  It
>would be a shame if someone bought this MP to use.  There are plenty of
>good useable, "ordinary" Leicas out there for people to take pictures with.
>  Save the MPs for the collectors.  There are only 400 or so of them, so 
>why
>are the LUGers worried?  Is it because deep down inside they feel what the
>collectors feel, and are envious and/or jealous that they can't get them?
>
>Personally, I have no desire to use an MP, to me it's just some weird
>footnote in Leica M production statistics.  My current production model M6
>is just fine.  If you want something like the MP to use, get a 'cheap' user
>M3 with Tom's Rapidwinder.  It will take just as nice a photo as the
>$20,000 MP.  Just keep the MPs where they belong.
>
>Just venting a bit.  ;-)
>
>Dan C.
>
>At 01:42 PM 30-11-99 -0000, B. D. Colen wrote:
> >Glad to see someone finally said this is plain English.
> >
> >The only way buying a camera like this makes "sense" is if you are a
> >dedicated camera collector who has the resources to be able to take 
>$22,000
> >and bury it in a tin can in the backyard and not loose sleep over the 
>fact
> >that your money isn't making money.
> >
> >B. D.
>
>
>NO ARCHIVE
>
>
>

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