Mint condition

[ZeissFan]

There are two groups of people who use mint:

1) Those who simply don't know the meaning of the word and don't care enough to look it up. They see others use it, and they use it too. Two wrongs don't make it mint.

2) Those who intentionally seek to deceive the potential buyer.

I'm not sure which group irks me more. But in general, there is too much use of the word "mint" and "rare." Of course, they wouldn't use it if it didn't work. And as long as there are gullible and/or unknowledgable buyers, then this will continue.

Another practice is to stick names of other camera makers into the listing.

I see this a lot with Contax, where the seller will stick "Leica" into the title simply to get you to look. I believe this also is dishonest (or at least a deceptive practice) and so I won't consider those items.

I view it as an attempt to deceive me. So if they try to deceive in the title, I reckon that they will attempt to deceive about the true condition of the camera.

 

[Trius]

Just saw a description for a 21 SA 3.4:

"THIS LENS IS IN LN-/EX+++++ CONDITION (WE RATE CONSERVATIVELY)"

How many more "+"s before it's LN ... not to mention "extra minty!!!" ?

 

[dll927]

There's another one that I keep seeing on evil-bay -- relatively old-model cameras that are "new" and still in the box, at least according to the e-b blurbs. Did they sit on the back shelves too long?

There's at least one store (I forget the name) in NY that seems to have a number of special issues of Leicas. And they want Rolls-Royce prices for them. I saw one of the centennial commemoration for Anton Bruckner's birth.

Altogether now, who was Anton Bruckner?

He was a German organist-composer, and it is sometimes said that he should be the "fourth B", referring to Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. He is a somewhat problematic composer to deal which, since for reasons known only to himself (long since dead) and God, some of his symphonies exist in several different versions. He seems to have done a lot of revisions himself, then there were a couple of later "editors" who did even more revising.

Yet, he got Leica named after him. He seems to be more highly regarded (as a composer) in German-speaking countries than in English-speaking, but the music does make some noise. Interestingly, even though he was trained as a church organist, he produced next to nothing in the organ repertoire.

Still doesn't answer the question of those Leicas sitting around so long.

 

[Rafael]

I too am sorry to hear about your experience Rob. I hope the issue with this seller can be resolved.

Rob's experience demonstrates the importance of distinguishing cosmetics from functionality. In my experience, reliable sellers always describe each separately.

 

[dcsang]

Thanks, DCSang.

PS: I miss your old avatar.

Changed back.. just for you 🙂

Dave

 

[BrianShaw]

Are there any numismatists at RFF?

Are there any numismatists at RFF?

Every time I see the term "mint" used in relation to anything that isn't a coin, I wonder if "mint" still has a standardized meaning amongst the numismatists selling on eBay. After all, it was in that field where the term was "coined" and had a fairly well-understood meaning.

 

[Stu W]

I used to be an avid gun collector. Still have a few Winchesters. Trust me, those guys know mint! That word is rarely ever used. A "mint" ebay Leica would probably rate as "fair" to them. Stu

 

[BrianShaw]

I bought a Seagull 203 that was described as "80% new"...

What a cheap trick!

Reminds me of hte auction, many years ago, where the item was the ORIGINAL HATCHET USED BY GEO. WASHINGTON TO CHOP DOWN THE CHERRY TREE. The description continues to mention that the handle had been replaced 12 times and the hatchet-head had been replaced 8 times.

 

[rbiemer]

Thanks for the commiseration, folks, but I knew I was taking a chance and bought it anyway. I suspect, in this case at least, the biggest problem was some kind of automated translation from Chinese to English more than anything else. I did get the original "skin box" with it--that phrase took me a little while to figure out but it made sense once I did.
And if I had asked some questions I would have had a better idea of what I was getting.
The lesson I took from this deal was; even though I don't see this(what ever "this" is) very often, don't be impatient and just buy the first one I find--there will be another along soon enough.
Rob

 

[dexdog]

Thirty-year-old cameras that have "only had five rolls of film run through them!" I understand that some people buy Leicas as paperweights but I don't want a camera whose shutter hasn't fired at all stops since Nixon was impeached. 1/45th of a second is just not the same as 1/30th.


Nixon was never impeached- he decided to resign rather than face the inevitable impeachment hearings.

Back on topic, auctions for mint cameras illustrated by a picture so fuzzy that you can't even tell what it is.