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Leica Classic Store - Dedicated Stores for Used and Collector's Cameras


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Interesting offer by Leica: The Leica Classic Store offers buying and selling of vintage products and used equipment, including services for these products.

The first Leica Classic Store is located at the company's headquarters in the Leitz-Park Wetzlar, with more to follow worldwide.

Leica Classic Store: Vintage products, expertly serviced

Wetzlar, 2nd December 2020. Leica has launched an exciting new enterprise: the Leica Classic Store enables customers to buy and sell vintage and second-hand Leica products, all while benefitting from the on-site services provided by Leica Customer Care. Leica already proved its dedication to the vintage market when the company took over the auction trade in Vienna. The Classic Store now represents a further step in this direction. Leica photographers in search of cameras and lenses from any era now have access to a safe and regulated trading platform. At the same time, the Classic Store illustrates the remarkable longevity of Leica products – once again confirming that they are an excellent, value-retaining investment. The product range spans from vintage items from the era of analogue photography (which currently enjoys a renaissance, especially among the younger generation), to modern digital system cameras. The ability to choose from vetted second-hand products also makes it easier for those who are new to the fascinating world of Leica photography.

The first Leica Classic Store has been open since early October at the Leica Camera headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany (Am Leitz-Park 5, 35578 Wetzlar). One of its distinguishing features is the glass-fronted Customer Care workshop, which has been integrated into the store premises. Experts are on site to examine and service the products offered in-store, or brought in by prospective sellers. In the case of digital cameras, for example, they might carry out a sensor cleaning in the customer’s presence. Certificates provide a record of all services and repairs. For the customer, this competent service and direct affiliation with the manufacturer represents a great advantage. Contact via email classicstore.wetzlar@leica-camera.com or phone on +49 6441 20 80-605.

The first Leica Classic Store in Wetzlar is intended to be followed by many more worldwide – in the form of stand-alone shops, or dedicated spaces within existing Leica Stores.

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What happens to Leica Shop Vienna?  Wasn't the company a part owner of that classic shop?  Since the "auction trade in Vienna" that the company took over auctioned more than Leicas, will the Leica Classic Store also carry more than Leica?  Or will the "auction trade in Vienna" become exclusively Leica?

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9 hours ago, LUF Admin said:

Interesting offer by Leica: The Leica Classic Store offers buying and selling of vintage products and used equipment, including services for these products.

The first Leica Classic Store is located at the company's headquarters in the Leitz-Park Wetzlar, with more to follow worldwide.

Leica Classic Store: Vintage products, expertly serviced

Wetzlar, 2nd December 2020. Leica has launched an exciting new enterprise: the Leica Classic Store enables customers to buy and sell vintage and second-hand Leica products, all while benefitting from the on-site services provided by Leica Customer Care. Leica already proved its dedication to the vintage market when the company took over the auction trade in Vienna. The Classic Store now represents a further step in this direction. Leica photographers in search of cameras and lenses from any era now have access to a safe and regulated trading platform. At the same time, the Classic Store illustrates the remarkable longevity of Leica products – once again confirming that they are an excellent, value-retaining investment. The product range spans from vintage items from the era of analogue photography (which currently enjoys a renaissance, especially among the younger generation), to modern digital system cameras. The ability to choose from vetted second-hand products also makes it easier for those who are new to the fascinating world of Leica photography.

The first Leica Classic Store has been open since early October at the Leica Camera headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany (Am Leitz-Park 5, 35578 Wetzlar). One of its distinguishing features is the glass-fronted Customer Care workshop, which has been integrated into the store premises. Experts are on site to examine and service the products offered in-store, or brought in by prospective sellers. In the case of digital cameras, for example, they might carry out a sensor cleaning in the customer’s presence. Certificates provide a record of all services and repairs. For the customer, this competent service and direct affiliation with the manufacturer represents a great advantage. Contact via email classicstore.wetzlar@leica-camera.com or phone on +49 6441 20 80-605.

The first Leica Classic Store in Wetzlar is intended to be followed by many more worldwide – in the form of stand-alone shops, or dedicated spaces within existing Leica Stores.

I welcome this. The more the merrier, but this is a tough business with an older clientele that knows its stuff and a younger enthusiastic film focussed clientele as well. It is essential that the new operation has a good level of expertise in house. I did hear Dr Kaufmann saying last year that it was important for the skills, which had gone away, to be 're-learnt' by the company. I hope that Leica has succeeded in doing that. It may well be that this will be a parallel store to the one in Vienna which is also connected to the Leitz Auction. It was the intention that the Leitz Auction would rotate between Vienna and Wetzlar. It is very hard to a have 'Leica only' vintage store and most collectors of vintage Leicas also collect other brands as well, myself included. This is also reflected in the Leitz Auction, which despite its name covers a wide range of brands. For example, early vintage FSU cameras have really taken off in price in recent years and it is clear that there is competition among a wealthy coterie of collectors to acquire them. I would expect to see some FSU cameras at the store in Wetzlar. They are already in the hall display at Leica HQ .

I wish them well.

William

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Curious move by Leica. They wound down film camera production and - from what I have read on here - have only one or two people with skills to repair film cameras.

Maybe they've managed to re-hire some of the people they let go? Good that they are apparently investing in these skills though.

I wonder what Leica would expect to charge for an 'expertly serviced' M2 body compared to the typical dealer prices.....we know it's going to be more, probably a lot lot more.

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It sounds like Leica wants to muscle in on their most important major competitor - Secondhand Leica! 😀

Nice if it helps to keep the art of servicing these cameras alive. Quite a few of the more respected technicians are close to retirement, or already semi-retired. But I suspect this sort of interest from Wetzlar is going to push the cost of acquiring classic gear up even further...

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Thinking of my personal story as a Leica user, I find a perfect logic in this move : apart collectibles, of the 10-12 lenses I regularly use (Choosing the right set for any occasion, which is a pleasure in itself.... 😎) , only ONE has been bought at a shop as a brand new item (and is even a "cheap" one - Summarit 75) , plus two bodies in 14 years (M8 + M240) : am I a typical Leica user ? By sure - am I a good customer of Leica Co. ? Not so much... 🙄  

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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Buying from a factory supported shop will provide a 'provenance' which will no doubt add value because I expect that it it will provide both a mechanical warranty and also a specific confirmation of exactly what is being bought. To some both will be important. If Leica anticipates providing servicing then this has got to be a good thing for anyone interested in older Leicas and their lenses.

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8 hours ago, ironringer said:

Sorry for my lack of knowledge; FSU = ?

An example for you below. This was sold by Leitz Auction, owned by Leica AG, just a few weeks ago on 21st November 2020.

William

471. GOMZ VOOMP no.408

 
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A very rare and well made Russian Leica II copy made by GOMZ. The camera was designed by Muratov in 1933, and only very few of them survived. With nickel VOOMP 3.5/50mm no.841 (a Tessar copy in 40mm thread mount). In excellent condition (only the winding knob replaced), with rare original lens cap and unmarked leather case

 Sale No 39023
 Condition B
 Serial No. 408
 Year 1934
 

 Auction closed!
21 November 2020 11:00

Hammer price (Incl. buyer's premium) € 24.000

Estimate € 12000-14000
 
 

Bidding

€ 12.000 2020-11-20 21:41
€ 11.000 2020-11-21 09:21
€ 9.500 2020-11-20 19:32
€ 6.000  Start price

 

 

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Wow, that is a high price for an interesting "FSU" Leica copy that does look well-made. Thank you for showing this example to us. I particularly like:

- the engraved "841" on the aperture tab, perhaps a lens serial number?

- the original, weathered, lovely lens cap.

I have an affinity for old caps (lens and body) especially Leica bakelite ones. 😀 Difficult to find in Canada, which makes me wonder if many (any?) Leicas were sold here in the 1920-30s.

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It’s Fantastic Leitz has decided it’s Legacy Cameras are still an important part of “real photography” as well as collectors items they can support.  I’d imagine long hidden caches of parts will come to light, and technicians will be apprenticed to learn “the secrets”.  

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On 12/6/2020 at 8:22 PM, Ambro51 said:

It’s Fantastic Leitz has decided it’s Legacy Cameras are still an important part of “real photography” as well as collectors items they can support.  I’d imagine long hidden caches of parts will come to light, and technicians will be apprenticed to learn “the secrets”.  

Unfortunately they sold off a lot of 'classic' spares some years ago, probably expecting interest in actual use of film cameras to dry up completely.

Whilst Leica should be applauded as one of the last manufacturers of new film cameras, it's a shame they didn't put more support into their film user base until now, but they're a business first and foremost and they now see that there are 'still' profits to be made in this area.

Edited by earleygallery
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On 12/5/2020 at 11:44 PM, ironringer said:

Wow, that is a high price for an interesting "FSU" Leica copy that does look well-made. Thank you for showing this example to us. I particularly like:

- the engraved "841" on the aperture tab, perhaps a lens serial number?

- the original, weathered, lovely lens cap.

I have an affinity for old caps (lens and body) especially Leica bakelite ones. 😀 Difficult to find in Canada, which makes me wonder if many (any?) Leicas were sold here in the 1920-30s.

How well it is made is probably not the point for the purchaser here. Whoever bought this is likely to have bought it just as a collector's item because of its rarity and not to actually use it. I know that a lot of people around here don't approve of such behaviour, but the world is full of different types of consumer thinking and behaviour. I suspect that a lot of the rare FSU cameras sold today are sold to collectors in Russia. A lot of them would also be purchasers of modern digital Leicas. Tours from Moscow to Wetzlar are probably already under way. 

William

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