Analog camera prices

[Craig]

FWIW, the USA Fiat enthusiasts website I visit from time to time is full of people who wax eloquently about the pros and cons of the various high spec (and relatively expensive) oil options there are for the quite demanding requirements that the Fiat (and Alfa Romeo and Ferrari and Maseratti and Lancia, etc., etc.) engines have.

Like us, the Fiat owners are the small niche. Most people take photos with their phones, right? The vast bulk of the population have never been in a darkroom and probably don't know that B&W film still exists.

 

[mshchem]

The seismic shift was in prices....not exchange rates or tariffs......

Map camera prepays the tariffs for the US customers (baked in to the price) since the US had almost zero tariffs on the photo stuff I purchased on Ebay until recently. You're correct that prices have gone way up. The exchange rates don't tell the actual story as it's a race to the bottom on the value of currency.

 

[Craig]

I noticed this as well, but the Japanese sellers seem to be holding the prices high still. In North America I noticed you can only sell something for half of what Japan sells for. Of course Japan seems to have most of the gear out there today.

The Japanese gear for the most part seems to be in better condition too. Japan is almost always my first place to look for used equipment, then in Canada. The USA is last resort if I can't find what I want anywhere else.

 

[RezaLoghme]

The '70s era Fiats are entirely different cars then the more modern ones.
The modern, high torque, high efficiency engines are really quite advanced.
The 2014 Fiat 500 we have is probably the best car we have ever owned, in my 50 years of owning cars. And it definitely is the most fun!

I have never owned or driven a Fiat, but I kept on changing the oil of my Mercedes W116 frequently, when I owned one 20 years ago.

 

[mshchem]

Not just cameras, there are very different attitudes towards maintaining cars in the US vs Europe for example.

I knew a fellow who worked for a major oil company and said it was a remarkable difference between what people would pay for motor oil in the US vs the rest of the world. They made bargain basement spec oil for the US market and a premium quality product for the rest of the world. He said Americans simply wouldn't pay for quality motor oil.

I use Mobil 1 and I rarely have more than 3,000 miles before I change the oil. I order genuine made in Japan Subaru oil filters for my 5 year old Crosstrek Limited 2.5 L no turbo nonsense. I run some lovely Michelin tires on the alloys in the non frosty months and Bridgestone Blizzaks on steelies in this godawful weather. I changed my oil in October, before the cold, I had 900 miles on the oil and filter.
People are cheap on tires and drive the crap out of them, not for this kid. Same with oil.

 

[mshchem]

The '70s era Fiats are entirely different cars then the more modern ones.
The modern, high torque, high efficiency engines are really quite advanced.
The 2014 Fiat 500 we have is probably the best car we have ever owned, in my 50 years of owning cars. And it definitely is the most fun!

Oh as a former 80 Spyder owner I know that story, pretty car.

And get this, I traded a guy a leaf shredder for a Fiat X 1/9. A buddy repainted it factory color deep red burgundy. My head stuck above the roof with the targa top stowed in front. It ran great, but at 60mph it felt like 100. 13 inch Campagnolo wheels!

 

[gbroadbridge]

.
As many of those participants seem to also have experience with "American" high performance cars, I think it must be more to do with how crazy about cars/trucks/vehicles the users are.

Ford or Leica?