Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> >I mean Leica get "free cameras" to refurbish and in most cases it wouldn't >be more than a quick check over, wiped down and ready to hand out to some on >the way kid showing potential talent. Hasselblad was doing this program where you could trade in your 500C/M for a credit towards a new 503CW or 203FE/205FCC. The problem was that there was so much good 'blads out there that would't die, and they were depressing the market for new equipment. Alas, Leica has that problem as well. Now, can we have a raise of hands of people who would donate their Leicas to this program? It sounds great on paper, but I don't think it'd fly. You'd get a lot of Canons, Nikons, Minoltas, and Yashicas, but Leicas? If I was feeling generous, I'd sell my Ms on ebay and donate the money directly to a charity. The overhead on these things are much more than people think. Consider this: if Leica dedicated *one* person to work half time on this for a year, it'd cost them at *least* $50,000 if not $100,000 in wages, benefits, office space, and telephone equipment. And this is with zilch costs in marketting this. Do you think they'd have any chance of selling 200-400 more M cameras because of the wonderful advertising effect of this program and thus recoup their costs? Sheeez. I'm supposed to be the professor in the ivory tower. Do you guys actually work in the real world? Kren -- Karen Nakamura http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/