I don't understand Leica people

R

rxmd

May contain traces of nut
Local time
6:29 PM
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
5,814
I don't understand Leica people, especially collectors.

Recently somebody paid $616 for a dummy M5 body (200072749408 at the auction site). What's the use of a dummy, even in mint condition? A few spare parts? The only reason I see is to collect everything ever produced by Leica, even if it's just a dummy for display. I mean you pay like $850 for a fully functional M5, and recently a M5 with Summilux 35 sold for 900 EUR.

Philipp
 
Perhaps they have no better use for their money... ? Or it's just an obsession to buy anything that has "Leica" or "Leitz" on it ? Who knows...
 
I think it's just a collectible, like model cars used in showrooms & @ auto shots. Not my cup of tea, but who am I to judge?

It's no different from any other kind of collecting, art, antiques, etc.

rxmd said:
I don't understand Leica people, especially collectors.

Recently somebody paid $616 for a dummy M5 body (200072749408 at the auction site). What's the use of a dummy, even in mint condition? A few spare parts? The only reason I see is to collect everything ever produced by Leica, even if it's just a dummy for display. I mean you pay like $850 for a fully functional M5, and recently a M5 with Summilux 35 sold for 900 EUR.

Philipp
Click to expand...
 
rxmd said:
I don't understand Leica people, especially collectors.
Click to expand...
I'm not a collector, but what is it about me you don't understand? I can help you out. :angel:

I'm also a Hasselblad, Canon, Rolleiflex, Nikon, Minox and FSU person.
 
Yes, I saw that as well.....

That's nothing......well, it is, however, I was following a recently CLA'd 40/2 Summicron-C, mint shape, went for ~$630.

Unbelievable..first words out of my mouth were, "d@mn Leica wackos..."

I own only Leica, and well, although not wishing to offend anyone, collectors illude me as well.

That lens will likely never see the use it was intended for..and that burns me to no end.

I own an MP, and believe me when I tell you, it was all I could do to purcahse one, but it was for a reason...to have a reliable instrument I can always depend on. I won't get into details, making comparisons, etc., but it was well worth it, and I use the hell out of it (while of course maintaining it very well.)

The point being, these things were meant to be used.

All of the Leica special editions, marriage of the Quenn of Denmark, et al. are simply embarrassing.


While I realize all too well a company needs to do what it must to survive, and professionals a re small percentage of the market, choosing to cater to collectors instead of users was a turning point for the worst economically for Leica.

It was an easy way out, or appeared to be, at the time..

Proof that the easy way is rarely ever the right way in life. The more difficult path always is the correct one.

It quite frankly is embarrassing to genuine Leica users.

I don't know.....*sigh*...off my soapbox now.

regards
D

PS: Berlin, great city.
 
collectors for varities of tools used professionally in many industries really ruin it for the people that use these tools professionally. Sure, we all have some gear lust in us but for a professional, its just gear and it ALL has a lifespan. Quality gear is searched out for its extended lifespan in use, of course collectors are amazed by how well the stuff is made and admire it on a shelf. Look at henry huet's leica's, those things were beat to hell and thats exactly why he used them, because they could be beat to hell. For many of us, its just gear, just a tool and while I do appreciate the minutia of how awesome this stuff is (and is my primary reason for seeking it out) at the end of the day its just gear, its all replaceable and if you dont have the skills in the first place, doesnt matter much what kind of camera you use or collect and never use as it may be.
 
I have a couple of questions. How do you know those items were bought by a collector and not a photographer? Second, why don't you just pay the price if you really want it? Strange assumption that collectors are richer than users.
 
Hmmm ... I have just spent a considerable inheritance on 5x Leicas and about 10 Russian derivatives ... yet tommorrow , my faultering career may be over ... and I can't afford slde film too often ... for the most part my diminutive , delicate companions simply calm me in Autisic chaos , some of the Zorki / Feds maybe as usefull as that Leica dummy - so here do I stand in this debate about - well , dummy non-photographers ?

new crazy person ''dee''
 
Philipp,
In NYC, where I work, you'd be surprised at how many people are clearing $500K+ per year (not me, btw). To a person like that, do you think $600 means anything? Let it go, bro.
 
Just a thought...

In the coin collecting world, there are certain coins that are worth more in a worn state than a mint state. For example, the British 'Churchill crown' is worth a few pounds (or dollars) in mint condition. This is because they are very common commemorative coins, they were never used as legal tender. Therefore, a used, worn Churchill crown is very unusual... It would have had to be handled a heck of a lot to get into that condition.

The point of this rambling is... Would a gold Leica in heavily used condition be worth more than a mint one???

If I win the lottery, I'll buy a gold Leica, throw away the box and use it every day for 10 years... It should then be priceless... Although the profit may be swallowed up by my bodyguards' salaries.
 
Hi Nick,
Nick R. said:
To a person like that, do you think $600 means anything?
Click to expand...
I guess I could dig up a couple of $50 empty Coke cans from Turkmenistan and $400 iPod dummies to sell to these people. The fact that some people actually pay ridiculous prices doesn't make them less ridiculous, does it?

Philipp
 
Last edited:
I don't understand why people collect buttons, or pens, you name it, so paying that money for a shell of a camera doesn't surprise me in the least. It's not just "Leica people".
 
petebown said:
In the coin collecting world, there are certain coins that are worth more in a worn state than a mint state. For example, the British 'Churchill crown' is worth a few pounds (or dollars) in mint condition. This is because they are very common commemorative coins, they were never used as legal tender. Therefore, a used, worn Churchill crown is very unusual... It would have had to be handled a heck of a lot to get into that condition.
Click to expand...
Sounds interesting. It begs the question what stops people from applying some artificial finish, say, by putting it into a tumble dryer together with a couple of other coins, some screws for good measure, and so on?

Philipp
 
Sounds interesting. It begs the question what stops people from applying some artificial finish, say, by putting it into a tumble dryer together with a couple of other coins, some screws for good measure, and so on?
Click to expand...
hey that's a good idea for quickly brassing a Leica maybe... ;)
 
rxmd said:
Sounds interesting. It begs the question what stops people from applying some artificial finish, say, by putting it into a tumble dryer together with a couple of other coins, some screws for good measure, and so on?
Click to expand...

It doesn't. :) That's why there so many fakes of even the oddest items. Who could have thought people would make fake Leicas?!
 
rxmd said:
Hi Nick,

I guess I could dig up a couple of $50 empty Coke cans from Turkmenistan and $400 iPod dummies to sell to these people. The fact that some people actually pay ridiculous prices doesn't make them less ridiculous, does it?

Philipp
Click to expand...

I'd say making that kind of money is also ridiculous ($500k/) but that's probably only because I'm not making it ;)
 
Collectors must be sent to the Gulag. Their ill-gotten photo apparatus can then be expropriated by the State, and redistributed for the betterment of the downtrodden proletariat. With picture-taking needs thus satisfied using the tenets and efficiencies of Central Planning, the People's images will leap to ever-glorious heights!

I think this can work, comrades.
 
People will collect anything and pay absurd prices for rarity. Better they buy dummy cameras then drive the price up on working ones :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom