Jump to content

INHERITED A LEICA ? TRYING TO FIND A VALUATION ?


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Have you inherited or received an old or even a new Leica? Would you like to call on the experience of the forum in order to sell it?

 

Questions such as this come up regularly, and take up a not inconsequential amount of the Moderators’ time.

 

In future, rather than correspond via Private Message with enquirers, we will direct them to this Sticky Thread.

 

We usually delete requests for valuations, so here are some general guidelines:

 

• Remote diagnosis is always uncertain, because so much depends upon the technical condition.

• Photos rarely reveal hidden deficiencies and obviously the camera or lens cannot be seen “working”.

• A camera may have been inherited after decades without maintenance and may now need an expensive overhaul, clean, lubrication and adjustment.

• "Normal" Leicas are not the sought after collector pieces that many people think they are and windfalls are rare.

• Your Grandpa may have said "Look after this it will be worth a fortune in the future!" - Only Grandpa probably understood the market at the time, and not the current market. • The correct advice might be to keep the camera as a good memory of times and people past.

 

If you would still like to use the camera, then after a service, there’s lots of fun to be had. There are many Leicas from the 1920s and 30s, still working as they were intended.

 

The forum is, of course, always available for tips on maintenance and servicing, including advice on non-Leica specialists (just let us know whereabouts in the world you are ;) )

 

If you are thinking of selling the camera, place an advertisement either here in the Buy and Sell Section (good choice) or eBay (less good choice). Alternatively, take it to a local Leica specialist dealer (some of whom advertise on the forum). The vast majority of them will sell your camera on a commission basis, getting a good retail price for you and taking maybe 15 – 20% as their commission.

 

If you are unsure what the value is, check on eBay and on dealers’ websites, then place a classified advertisement here, remembering to set a sensible price when compared to dealers (they also offer guarantees, and have to pay their overheads, staff costs, taxes on sales etc, don’t forget).

 

Why do we need to handle such requests and / or offers with such strict and clear rules?

 

This is not a rude or patronizing. We are all very helpful people, but the continued free use of the forum for all members, relies on the income that the forum can generate. The small cost of placing an advertisement on the forum helps to pay for the running costs. Therefore, we have the Buy and Sell section to handle the trades through the forum and trading within the main area of the forum is not allowed. The cost of placing an advert here is not only much cheaper, in the main, than a similar one on eBay, but you are also directly targeting a very specific, interested and knowledgeable audience.

 

As a reminder, the Forum Rules state:

 

Quote:

Private sale of Leica products

This forum contains a buy & sell area: Leica Forum Classifieds. No buy & sell activities, linking to third party selling sites (e.g. link to eBay and similar areas) are allowed.

 

This also includes any form of negotiations, price/pricing discussions or for sale information.

 

So, good luck now and for all other issues, for example Service addresses, etc, just search the forum or ask directly!

 

All the best from your Moderators!

Edited by jc_braconi
INHERITED A LEICA ? TRYIND TO FIND A VALUATION ?
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...