[Leica] Rare privileges

[Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net>]

>>>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<<<

I'm not too sure I agree with you, Dan. The collectors certainly drive
up the price of the marque, but they have also helped support the marque
by buying raftloads of silly crap no photographer has any use for. (I
mean, an M6 Colombo?) And, I've noticed recently that it's sometimes
cheaper to buy a real Leica LTM than it is to buy a good copy of
one--look at the prices of Niccas and Leotaxes, which typically exceed
the prices of the more common Leicas they copied! Of course, I'm
reasonably certain they're being collected because of their relationship
to Leica and not on their own merits, but still.

I continue to think it's an honor to be able to buy a piece of
mechanical art as noble as an M3 for a mere grand, give or take. That's
not an example of overpricing, that's one of the rare privileges of
life, like a day with perfect weather or a great meal.

- --Mike