The market effect of the new M6

[Huss]

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Let’s forget for a moment any issues that a few people have reported…What I have noticed is that since the new 2022 M6 has been released, it has cooled off the market for the old one.  I now see lots of really nice old M6 at the $2500 price point, including the titanium ones.

Just before the new M6 was released they were touching $3500 USD.

 

Seeing that there is a long waiting list for the new version, it looks like Leica’s marketing campaign of giving them to the famous Leica youtubers has worked.  Their fans have followed..

 

It really is a win win though (unless you just bought an old M6 at the peak) as now you have a choice of a new one, or an old one but at a much more reasonable price.

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[twogun]

The market for older M6 bodies has cooled off but I feel like they are coming up slightly in price because the slow availability for the new M6s. It's a good time if you are a buyer for sure. I sold my M6 .58x during the peak during covid. I regretted it since and bought a similar .58x in a new condition not too long ago for about $700 usd less than what I sold it for.

Edited February 12, 2023 by twogun

[malligator]

It’s not just the M6. The market for luxury goods is cooling across the board. 

[Huss]

26 minutes ago, malligator said:

It’s not just the M6. The market for luxury goods is cooling across the board. 

Not according to the current demand for new Leica M film cameras.  There are long waiting lists for the new M6 (and MP), while I have seen the original M6’s price drop significantly.

[malligator]

3 minutes ago, Huss said:

Not according to the current demand for new Leica M film cameras.  There are long waiting lists for the new M6 (and MP), while I have seen the original M6’s price drop significantly.

There is a world outside of Leica. Demand for luxury goods is down. 

[dpitt]

I have not been following the evolution of second hand Leica's for a few years and now I am astonished at the prices, especially the M6. I thought that the effect of the new M6 was to drive prices up. At € 5050 and unavailable people gladly pay half that for a 25 year old M6 that functions just the same as the new M6. Difference between prices for M6 classic and second hand M-A and MP or M7 look smaller to me than they used to be. Maybe I just missed the party... I sold both my M6 and M6TTL around € 1000 years ago.

I did notice some local auctions that were not going well for sellers. Items not reaching reserve price or fetching really low prices in December. I thought it was the time of year and now it seems like the market is picking up a little in Europe. Maybe just the effect of spring in the air.

1 hour ago, malligator said:

There is a world outside of Leica. Demand for luxury goods is down. 

If it is that then it is not going to get better overnight.

Edited February 12, 2023 by dpitt

[lmans]

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I think the 'rich'....(not me)....have gotten into the Leica Luxury goods instead of stocks etc... They need a place to put their $ even if it isn't going up up up up in price..at least it isn't going down.   When I look at some of the accessories for Leica camera's I am not surprised at the price, but more....who would want that fancy stuff? I want to take images, instead of "I want to look like I can take images'... So luxury goods go beyond just the camera.

[raizans]

I checked eBay and it's a little down from peak, but not out of line of decreases in all other film cameras. I don't see any significant effect from the M6 2022 release.

$3,704.99 M6, titanium, EX+
$2,999.99 M6, silver, MINT
$2,850 M6, silver, EX
$2,820 M6, black, EX+
$2,800 M6, black, custom framelines, UG
$2,795 M6, silver, EX
$2,780 M6, black, BGN
$2,699.99 M6, black, BGN
$2,699 M6, black, EX
$2,599 M6, silver, EX+
$2,530 M6, black, BGN
$2,480 M6, silver, BGN
$2,480 M6, silver, EX
$2,415.62 M6, black, BGN
$2,275 M6, silver, bubbling chrome

[Huss]

5 hours ago, malligator said:

There is a world outside of Leica. Demand for luxury goods is down. 

This thread is about the Leica M6, not luxury goods in general.

[Huss]

2 hours ago, raizans said:

I checked eBay and it's a little down from peak, but not out of line of decreases in all other film cameras. I don't see any significant effect from the M6 2022 release.

$3,704.99 M6, titanium, EX+
$2,999.99 M6, silver, MINT
$2,850 M6, silver, EX
$2,820 M6, black, EX+
$2,800 M6, black, custom framelines, UG
$2,795 M6, silver, EX
$2,780 M6, black, BGN
$2,699.99 M6, black, BGN
$2,699 M6, black, EX
$2,599 M6, silver, EX+
$2,530 M6, black, BGN
$2,480 M6, silver, BGN
$2,480 M6, silver, EX
$2,415.62 M6, black, BGN
$2,275 M6, silver, bubbling chrome

ebay prices are very optimistic.  Look at local sites.  Setadel Studios is selling a new/open box M6 Ti for $3100.  Who would by an Ex+ for $600 more?  Or an ebay 'mint' for $100 less?

And on FM there is a very nice M6 Ti for $2500, that has been sitting for weeks.

[250swb]

Dealer prices reflect what they buy them in at, not necessarily the 'market value'. Cameras at $3000 and $3800 could still be giving the respective dealers a similar return. And unlike if you are buying and selling privately a camera dealer is aiming to put food in their family's mouths and they don't all play games sticking it out for a higher inflated price if they can sell it today to finance loans and mortgages.

And while the last couple of years hysteria has seen secondhand Leica prices go through the roof the overall market for film cameras is still very strong and dragging all prices up even for less popular brands. New cults are being born, don't believe me then look at the prices for a Contax T3 P&S camera. Pentax Spotmatic's are on the up because there is a new cult developing for the (excellent) Takumar lenses, and while the Nikon F/F2 market is still swamped by professionally used cameras the pristine versions are taking off and commanding twice the price they'd have been two or three years ago. All of this of course is 'supply and demand', there's a lot of old film gear that's been stored in garages and attics that new film users are only now understanding they should avoid, so you have a 'basic, better, and best' market developing which is why looking at prices and making lists is deceptive, if you want to know the value of a camera look at the camera.

[250swb]

15 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

There have always been cheaper M6s outside eBay. Consistently within 2500 range, give or take. No real effect from the re-release of M6, prehaps just a slight price correction as some folks sell cheaper to buy the newly released M6, which shows in the vast supply of M6 cameras available used. Original steel rim has not become any cheaper, nor has the original Noctilux 50/1.2 etc. so I doubt this theory holds water.

True, it's often cheaper to buy from a dealer nowadays than assume eBay is the cheapest place for a bargain.

[Huss]

52 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

There have always been cheaper M6s outside eBay. Consistently within 2500 range, give or take. No real effect from the re-release of M6, prehaps just a slight price correction as some folks sell cheaper to buy the newly released M6, which shows in the vast supply of M6 cameras available used. Original steel rim has not become any cheaper, nor has the original Noctilux 50/1.2 etc. so my educated guess is this theory does not hold water.

Those lenses you mention are hard to find collectors’ items. An M6 is not.

[raizans]

6 hours ago, Huss said:

ebay prices are very optimistic.  Look at local sites.  Setadel Studios is selling a new/open box M6 Ti for $3100.  Who would by an Ex+ for $600 more?  Or an ebay 'mint' for $100 less?

And on FM there is a very nice M6 Ti for $2500, that has been sitting for weeks.

The M6 titanium must have sold in the last 6 hours because it’s not on their website. 😂

[Steve Ricoh]

Really happy to be reading this thread 😢 but still intend selling my M6 Classic, once we head into spring and the weather improves. Timing couldn’t be better, damn it.

[archive_all]

14 hours ago, Huss said:

Let’s forget for a moment any issues that a few people have reported…What I have noticed is that since the new 2022 M6 has been released, it has cooled off the market for the old one.  I now see lots of really nice old M6 at the $2500 price point, including the titanium ones.

Just before the new M6 was released they were touching $3500 USD.

 

Seeing that there is a long waiting list for the new version, it looks like Leica’s marketing campaign of giving them to the famous Leica youtubers has worked.  Their fans have followed..

 

It really is a win win though (unless you just bought an old M6 at the peak) as now you have a choice of a new one, or an old one but at a much more reasonable price.

I've followed a bit since I'm keeping an eye out. It does seem that prices have dropped and I've seen some excellent condition cameras sell for $2500 or under. Plus there's a big surplus of 400+ M6 cameras of different varieties on Ebay right now. Most are overpriced and not selling. I've seen some that have been listed or resisted for many months. 

[plaidshirts]

1 hour ago, raizans said:

The M6 titanium must have sold in the last 6 hours because it’s not on their website. 😂

It’s still there. A beauty too with case and everything. 

Prices are definitely lower by roughly 20% from 6 months ago. I was watching it carefully back then as I wanted to move a couple of mine.

On FM I see a black chrome, recently cla’ed, for $2300 and a silver ttl for $2500! Unimaginable only a few months ago.
More on the market it seems and an example of supply exceeding demand. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by plaidshirts

[raizans]

I can’t find it on their website! Help: https://www.setadelstudios.com/collections/leica-cameras

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[UliWer]

Collectiblend may give in insight in price development over the longer run:

https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Leitz/M6.html

Please keep in mind that the curves are inflation adjusted. 

[Anbaric]

If the market has fallen, nobody seems to have told the UK dealers. Prices are in the £2200-£3000 range, averaging about £2700, pretty much where they've been for many months, or a bit higher. One outlier on ebay though - either someone got a crazy bargain (an auction finished at under £1200), or there's something more dubious going on.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Anbaric