Paucity of Leica FS in Newspaper Ads

[frank_horn]

Until the past few years, one would see Leica stuff FS quite regularly in the "Photography" section of the local newspapers. In recent years, this has all but evaporated. Why is this? I believe it is because Leica-wise, in-house persons at the newspapers intercept such equipment before it would ever get into the ads. Anyone besides me had that impression? (My first Leica came from a large city newspaper ad. It was a mint M4/50 Summicron and the price was very reasonable.)

[furcafe]

One word: eBay.

[jackflesher]

Yup. And look what eBay has done to the classifieds in SHUTTERBUG

magazine.

[andy_piper2]

Frank: Ebay, Ebay, and Ebay. I work for a mid-sized newspaper - Ebay

and other on-line outlets have eaten up about 40% of our classified

volume over the past decade.

 

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I WISH we got a look-see at the camera ads ahead of time - but the

classified ads come in through clerks and go more-or-less directly into

an automated typesetting system and then to the press.

 

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The clerks earn $10.00/hour - good, hard-working people most of whom

will eventually move up to retail ads sales and/or running the

department and make 3 times what I do - but not, at the moment, prime

candidates to 'intercept' Leica ads.

[john_c.]

It's not just eBay. There are a thousand places to sell in the online

world. Newsgroups, for example: rec.photo.marketplace.35mm. All the

dealers are online. Don Chatterton no longer has the huge ad in SB that

he used to have; he has a good website which is updated every week. The

cost is minimal, compared to SB. And of course, people sell right here

on this forum, as well as on photo.net. Who wants to go back to

newspapers ads anyway? You can access a world marketplace with the

internet......

[andrew_schank]

I'm surprised anyone sells anything in the newspaper anymore.

[msitaraman]

Best bets are

 

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www.photo.net

 

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www.ebay.com

 

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www.keh.com

 

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and also

www.leicatime.com (in Italy)

www.donchatterton.com

www.tamarkin.com

[frank_horn]

Thanks. You have all "hit the nail on the head." I've been "on-

line" for about 7 months, so I'm new to this. The thing about

newspapers is that this is local stuff and one can go over and

examine stuff in person. I have never been to eBay, so I don't know

if one can narrow these ads down to local people. There still seem

to be ads in the newspaper for cameras; I just never see any more

Leicas.

[dan_brown4]

KEH?! I've been looking for a 90 lately, KEH seems to have the

absolutely highest prices in the world. More than a new lens in many

cases. You have to pay extra to get lens caps. And, they don't know a

'fat' from a 'thin' Tele-Elmarit.

[ray_moth]

In my estimation, KEH's prices are all over the place. Some things

are over-priced but others are certainly under-priced. I don't think

they know their Leicas! But I do agree with you that it's irritating

how much extra they charge just because a lens has front & rear caps.

[xavier_dalfort]

Just a comment from France:

 

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It seems that the Leica R has disppeared from the shelves of the

local trade too.

While 2 years ago you could find reasonably priced used lens with

reasonably wear, today, most offers are for old battered workhorses

or with prices 75% of the new.

 

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Ebay? Yes, but good proposals are expensive too.

 

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Regards.

Xavier

[Robin Smith]

I don't agree about KEH. Sometimes they are a little more expensive,

sometimes not. They certainly seem comparable to Don Chatterton, taken

as a whole. They are not Leica experts so you need to be aware, but

this applies to buying any Leica stuff. They certainly give you

excellent service and guarantee. Don Chatterton once had the cheek to

tell me that the no one was interested in buying Leicaflex SLs anymore

because they took the PX625 battery! Pah! What he means is that HE is

not interested in buying them - quite a different proposition. There

is he was saying on his site "I need your R stuff". Also have you seen

prices and B & H for secondhand Leicas? Again all over the place. As

for ebay - most of the Leica prices requested (although often not

obtained though I am pleased to see) bear little resemblance to the

world of other used sources.