Prices in Hong Kong or Tokyo?

[bsandwich]

I've been traveling, shooting only film for the last 9 months. One of my two cameras is no more, looking to re-up for the last few month of my trip. Finally decided to bite the bullet and pick up a Leica M.

I'm in Bangkok right now and have found a bunch of Leica film gear, but everything seems from a few hundred dollars over the typical USA eBay prices to ridiculously overpriced. It seems like cameras are just generally more expensive in the Thailand market than the used market in the U.S., but I may also be getting the foreigner treatment at some places.

I will be passing through Hong Kong en route to Japan in the next month or so. Wondering if anyone has any experience with camera stores/prices of specifically Leica in either of these places?

Will prices be cheaper or expensive or comparable to U.S. eBay in Hong Kong or Japan? Thanks!

 

[leo mm]

Stores in Tokyo will generally be more expensive than eBay, and Hong Kong probably even more so.

The used Leica market is pretty global nowadays. It isn't that hard to ship a camera or a lens anywhere in the world. So prices won't differ that much by location. The bigger factor is a physical store – with rent, employees, other overhead – versus some individual on eBay. Stores have to charge more. Sometimes currency fluctuations do factor in, but the yen is pretty strong versus the dollar right now.

Now, there are sometimes exceptions and you can find decent deals on specific items in Tokyo. And there's value to being able to examine the item in person before deciding to buy it (and just being able to walk into a store with a huge selection of vintage Leica items you can see side by side). I'd still recommend checking out the stores, and potentially buying stuff in Japan, but it won't be the cheapest. Good luck.

 

[CliveC]

Hong Kong store prices are much higher than eBay. Hong Kong is a land of Leica collectors, you will not find a deal there.

 

[Colin Corneau]

Do some research on the tokyocamerastyle website or Instagram...he is an American and longtime Leica shooter living in Tokyo and knows all the out of the way haunts and obscure camera stores that sell Leicas and other delightful camera machines.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

Seems the Tokyo area dealers are ruling the world with good stuff, fair prices, and fast shipping. I think you could get next day shipping to Hong Kong easily. I recently got a lens to Texas in 4 days!

 

[bsandwich]

Thanks for the replies. And yeah, I guess I thought that since a lot of the Japan buy-it-nows are pretty reasonable that in-person it would be even more reasonable. Too bad!

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

If you contacted an ebay seller about a certain camera, surely they would let you walk in and pick it up for the same price or slightly less, saves them shipping and waiting for their money. I think most of them are working out of brick and mortar locations, mostly in the same district of Tokyo.