Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Marc, lets take a 50mm Summicron M for example. In 1985 this lens was selling NEW for 320.00. That same lens is currently nearly 600.00 in mint condition. The lens is the same, but the price has increased dramatically, even allowing for inflation of the dollar. Why? Because the market of collectors is willing to shell out 450-750 for a 15 year old Summicron. I only argue that these prices are well outside the real value range of the older pieces. Can anyone realistically say that the DR summicron is a far superior lens to the current 50 planar f1.4? Likely not...Yet the Contax is far less NEW than the Leica is USED. Based on its real world performance you should be able to get a DR for 200.00 in Mint condition, not the 700.00 we can expect to pay. The economics of Leica products are similar I think to professional sports in that a "high tide raises all ships". I'd say that with MP's going for 15,000 usd the tide is high. Best wishes Dan States > >At 09:34 PM 11/30/1999 GMT, Dan S wrote: > > > >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). > > > >This isn't necessarily true. The price of DR and rigid first-generation >Summicrons has remained relatively constant over the past decade, as has >the price of viewfinders, during which decade the price of collectibles has >ballooned dramatically. Most of the more common Leica items do fluctuate >but not necessarily in tune with the collectible market. > >Marc > >msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 >Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir! > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com