Hi Leica M users Sorry if it's ridiculous,I am in Thailand,my friend now lives in Dortmund,Germany and will meet me next year. Anyone know that are there any Grey Market in Germany.Thank you for your kind.

-- Peter Jen (piano_j@hotmail.com), October 28, 2001

Answers

Never heard of anything like that - there are too many authorized dealers here and the company pressure is hard. But there is a huge used market, and since the rebate law is gone you might negotiate for the price even at an authorized dealer. Leicas in new are still quite expensive, though, something like > 2000$ depending on the exchange rate. But well used ones may start at something like 600$ (nice to feel, but not necessarily to look at). So buying new in Germany will be still expensive, but you may get great deals on older stuff -

Kai

-- Kai Blanke (kai.blanke@iname.com), October 28, 2001.

Peter, my response to Kai: I live here in Leicaland and over the years have found the following: (a) I've never heard of, never seen a gray market here (altho I know what that is), (b) all price estimations and hunting for new and old always means going to 5-10 different stores here, even if like in 3-4 different big cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, especially Frankfurt a. M. (c) I often hear of people knowing where to go in another country, like China, Canada, (d) the best thing I myself have ever found is to go to one and the same store/salesman where I have already bought lots in the past. I can always "deal" with him (up to 15-20% of the retail price, and then don't forget that is with all guarantee stuff).

Lotsa luck. Mike

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 28, 2001.

Thanks for you all

-- Peter Jen (piano_j@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.