Leica M9 prototypes up for auction starting from a whopping EUR 7000

[AnakChan]

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I guess this would go under the collectors sub-forum instead of M9 but could apply to both. Seems WestLicht has a couple of M9 prototypes up for auction (these are M9's with M8 engraved on top plate). Find Lot 169 and 170 bottom of page :-

 

WestLicht Photographica Auction

[hoppyman]

Wow they are pretty, like MPs. It would be nice to have enough surplus Euros to buy them and use them!

[luigi bertolotti]

Without warranty ... duly detailed: I'm very curios to see if they perform well in the auction (in which, btw, some very rare items are for sale) : the destiny of those two cameras is collecting... interesting to see how the rich collectors (who abound in Leica world) react to this intro of "Digital collectibles"... a very long shot in term of value of investiment.

[Guido]

Even "a whopping EUR 7000" is slightly understated.

 

According to Westlicht's small print, add 20% auction fees to the final price. For EU buyers, another 19% VAT on top of that. It's tough being a collector... good luck

[aesop]

Without warranty ... duly detailed: I'm very curios to see if they perform well in the auction (in which, btw, some very rare items are for sale) : the destiny of those two cameras is collecting... interesting to see how the rich collectors (who abound in Leica world) react to this intro of "Digital collectibles"... a very long shot in term of value of investiment.

 

 

...Luigi, forgive my ignorance, but does your typical rich Leica "collector" buy to sell for a profit at some later point? If so, would the term "speculator" not be more appropriate?

[luigi bertolotti]

...Luigi, forgive my ignorance, but does your typical rich Leica "collector" buy to sell for a profit at some later point? If so, would the term "speculator" not be more appropriate?

 

I do not think the term "speculator" can be generally applied to affluent collectors... mainly (I know some of them) they are interested in buying rare items which, by any reasonable perspective, would MAINTAIN a high value as collectibles...in the sense that there will be ALWAYS a strong interest toward them... to make some examples... Summitar * ("star") lenses, MP bodies, M3 prototypes, motorized Leica 250, are items that, even if fluctuating in value, have always maintained high-range prices. A prototype of M9 is a sort of bet... shall there be a collectors' interest towards such items IN THE FUTURE ? That is a question mark... I have the (personal) idea that it WON'T BE like that... prototypes cameras (and lenses), in the "mechanical" era had a distinctive number of small details which really charactierized them... I think for M9 isn't like that... these are simply first model of M9 for use by beta tester, with "M8" engraved for un-identification reason... apart a "0.x" firmware, probably there is nothing that strongly identifies them as prototypes... nothing that makes you "feel" a product that is handcrafted with a not yet finalized manufacturing process... for this reason, I'm prone to think that digital M prototypes have not a grat future in front as collectibles... I'm really curios to see how they perform in the auction...