Last Minute Sales equal Last Minute Shopping.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, as we get closer to December 25th more and more of the things I am interested in are going on sale. I'm assuming that as consumers run out of gas for buying more expensive "luxury" items those items become overstocked and a drag on future earnings for retailers. Of course, we should point out that one person's "luxury" items might be someone else's basic necessities. After all, who doesn't need another short telephoto portrait lens or two? Or three?

I watched another video about using high res cameras to replace film scanners and it renewed my interest in the Negative Film Supply light source for camera scanning of film. I looked it up and found that it was currently available at $100 off its regular price. They made up for the lost profit when I went ahead and also ordered a medium format film holder as well. I was tired of using old flatbed scanner film holders and duct tape.

I took advantage of a flash sale to get the Voigtlander 75mm lens at a hefty discount as well. If I were shopping for a good, hybrid photo and video camera I would immediately take advantage of the $450 temporary discount on the Panasonic S5ii. It kind of makes sense. They need to move niche product. 

And I've constructed a reality in which I feel like I need niche products. What a good match! 

There is another shopping theory playing around in my head right now. It's the idea that many people at the higher end of the photography market will be upgrading to "exciting" new products this season to "reward" themselves for a full year of being mostly... just more privileged than everyone else. In the Leica world this means Leica will be selling M11 cameras and Q3 cameras full tilt. And they'll sell every one they can piece together. The folks who will rush to buy the M11s and M11Ps are almost undoubtably current Leica M10 and Q2 owners. Many of them don't share my own personal mania for having multiple cameras and so will trade in those gently used M and Q last generation models. 

Crafty and parsimonious buyers who couldn't stomach or justify spending the full retail price of new M10s will hover and, just after the holidays, start to pounce on all the recent Q2s and M10 (of all varieties) that will doubtless flood the small market of Leica users with many used models. In order to justify their upgrades to newer M10s and Q2s those second string upgraders will, in turn, start off by trading in their solid and trustworthy but largely obsolete previous M and Q cameras. 

With this in mind I am keeping the proverbial "powder" dry. Saving enough to snap up one or two more mint condition M240s or even an M262 when they start to appear, at lower than today's prices, on the 2024 used market. It's just a matter of time. And patience. 

This plan probably won't work as well for lenses because, as many people say, "You date the cameras, you marry the lenses." But that's okay because I've got scores of lenses I can use already. 

Sadly, now that I've revealed my master plan I fear many of you will see the amazing logic thereof and rush to beat me to the prizes. But believe me; I will be vigilant. But the vigilance will start only after I've had my fill of pecan pies, eggnog, and Champagne and movies about Santa Claus. Somewhere in the first part of 2024 we'll go treasure hunting. Until then I'm just cherry picking some of the stuff I wanted but thought was too expensive. Now it's on sale. More cheer for the holidays.

A thought. Prudence is good. But if you've resisted spending on things you'd love to have because you want "to leave a financial legacy" to the next generation you might want to listen to what psychologists say. That giving your kids a largely unneeded "golden parachute" robs them of motivation, resilience, the ability to make smart financial choices, etc. Yes, you actually might be doing more good for them with your purchase of a new Phase One medium format camera, a bag of lenses, and that long put off trip to the Galapagos, than you might think. Interested in changing direction? Start out gently. Maybe just pick up the newest top of the line camera featured in the brand in which you are already invested. You can't take all the money with you when you go.... but you can take some fun cameras along with you on your own personal ride right up to the gates of final entropy. 

Or you could just write some checks to good charities. But, if you've been frugal enough you might be able to do both!  

(Kind of kidding...mostly. Don't worry, kid).

SXSW will be here before Austin knows it.

"Forks next to knives." A more moderate point of view.