Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/30

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Subject: RE: [Leica]What do you think of that? Not much!
From: "Dan S" <dstate1@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 02:10:34 GMT

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!
>

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