[LRflex] The DMR as a Collectible.
- From: David Young <telyt@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:19:03 -0800
Juan wrote:
>I think David's points are well taken. When an expensive product one
>owns goes out of production, there is bound to be some trepidation.
>In this case, however, the demise of the DMR is inconsequential as
>long as Leica remains committed to the R line.
>
>They will support (are not they bound by law to do so?) the DMR for a
>number of years-- in the world of digital, many more years than the
>current happy owners of DMRs will be using them. No matter how much
>of a great picture-taking machine it is, it is a safe bet that almost
>all of today's DMR users would have been using something else 5 years
>from now anyway. THAT is the nature of the digital beast (it was not
>at all the same with film cameras).
>
>As resale value is concerned, it is another safe bet it will keep it
>much better than any other digital product. You cannot find a Contax
>N digital for less than US 3000, while the Canon 1D is 1400 at KEH...
And William Lamb said:
> > Dream on. Another digital doorstop like the rest.
Whether the DMRs hold their value or not, is inconsequential to
me. I shoot about 5000 to 6000 photos a year. A roll of film, with
processing, is about $20, or about 80 cents per photo. At 5000 shots
per year, that's $4000 per year. In two years, I've saved $8000 over
film costs, and the DMR did not cost me that. Now it's true, I spend
some money on prints, but much less than you'd think. So, lets say I
spend $500 per year on prints, and do the math.
Two years film savings. $8000
less prints -1000
Savings =7000
Cost of DMR -6000
net savings -1000
and this assumes I throw the DMR away! Of course, if I hold off for a
third year, the equation changes considerably!
However, there is a more important aspect to this idea that DMR's
might hold their value better than the average digital. Collector value.
A friend of mine - an auctioneer and an expert in collectibles - once
told me that the essence of collecting lies in scarcity. But there
have to be "enough". For instance, if there is only one of
something, it is not collectible. Because, if you want it, and the
guy who has it does not wish to sell... game over.
Barbie dolls are collectible, because although millions are made,
there are tons of varieties where only a relatively small number are
made. And most of those are played with by children, and damaged or
destroyed. What's left become collectible. Old Comic books are the
same... millions were printed, but most were destroyed by their
readers and many of what were not were thrown away by mothers
cleaning their college-aged kids rooms! Thus they are scarce (at
least, in good to mint condition) but enough have survived to make
them collectible.
I don't know how many DMRs have been made, but my guess is under or
near 3,000. I base this on the serial numbers I've seen, and the
fact that only about 30,000 R8 & R9's are in active use. Only a fool
would build one for every R8 & R9 and hope that every owner would buy
one! Five to 15% would seem more logical. (It's this low number,
over which to spread the development costs, that forced the
relatively high price of the DMR.)
Given their price, most will survive - because we will look after
them. Some will fail, although that has not been a big problem, to
date. Some will be damaged or destroyed in house fires, car crashes,
accidental drops and floods (such as mine, flooded out in the Solms
factory), etc. The remaining ones will still number enough that only
a couple of thousand (at best) collectors will ever be able to have
one. Scarce enough to be collectible ... not so scarce that you
cannot get one, if you're willing to pay. The perfect formula for
collectibility.
The reason that other digital products become doorstops is simply
because far too many are made... if you want one, you can get it at
the flea market for $10! As they are discarded, and enter the
landfills, eventually only a relatively few will remain... and at
some future date, those units may become collectible. But, like the
works of a dead artist, DMRs are becoming collectible - now.
---
David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA
Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt
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