Like most of the rangefinder using population, I'm going to assume that you already own the Danish Royal Wedding Special Edition M6, the 500 Year Christopher Columbus M6, and the Ein Stück Leica M6 which celebrates Leica being publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock exchange. With these cornerstone collectible M6s already in your possession, the choice of which one you should buy next to add to your Leica special edition collection can be difficult. Perhaps I can help you along by suggesting some of the rarest of the rare Leica cameras that most collectors may never have even heard of.
The 1997 Green Bay Packer Return to the Top M6
After twenty-nine seasons of not being in the Super bowl, The Green Bay Packers finally made it back to the championship game after the 1996 NFL season and won Super Bowl XXXI on January 26, 1997. Leica jumped on the merchandising bandwagon and released this special edition M6 with 50mm Summicron. With its golden cheese metal and green jersey-like covering, it was to be the greatest Green Bay Packer collectible ever. However, Leica made one poor design decision in this M6. They neglected to included either a Brett Favre #4, or a Reggie White #92 anywhere on the camera which resulted in a severe lack of interest. Sales were poor and most copies were eventually destroyed. A handful still exist, and I found one such in a camera shop in Wausau, Wisconsin a few years back and was able to get this photo of it.
1998 Hello Kitty 20 Jahre M6TTL
Influenced by the success that Sanrio had achieved by branding every imaginable product with a Hello Kitty Logo, this special edition M6TTL was released in 1998 to try to grab the attention of the Japanese collectors.
Much like the Packer M6, sales where dismal. Perhaps it was because they released a twenty year edition two years after the actual twenty year anniversary. Or maybe it was because the average teenage girl who would actually want a pink Hello Kitty camera could care less if it was a Leica, and ended up buying the plastic twenty dollar point and click with the same color scheme instead.
Leica Collectors
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I feel like a tourist.
Green Sled
The Future Adventures of My Leica Strap
March 11th, 2009 at 9:05 am
omg hello kitty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
March 11th, 2009 at 9:07 am
So are "normal" M6's extra valuable b/c they're so rare?
Jason
April 7th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I told my daughter to be satisfied with a Hannah Montana Kiev.
April 10th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Hey! Wait a moment Al. Your website says your daughter is an attorny. Surely she could at least afford the Hannah Montana Rollei?
April 29th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Can you purchase the Hello Kitty M6 my 26 year old daughter has the Hello Kitty tattoos to match the camera! It would be a great birthday gift!
April 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
i think i should find the hello kitty one to do my next shoot with paris hilton. she'd love it. other than that ... dunno of any other use.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Her dad has a Leica, and he would freak out if she went out to shoot with him and she had a Leica also but it was all dolled up in Hello Kitty it would freak him out! I just love the Pink Hello Kitty. I am in a wheel chair due to MS and the chair attracts a lot of people, imagine if I was shooting with the Hello Kitty Leica, right now I use Cannon and Nikon, and my toy camera Yanasheta. Truthfully I want the Hello Kitty to add to my collection!
April 29th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
S.Nelson: I'd guess that being in a wheelchair would takes away a lot of the rangefinder stealthiness, correct? Might as well go out all and put a hot pink camera in your face.
Speaking of wheelchairs and photography; I used to chat with a photographer a few years back who was in a wheelchair. Only he'd go out with 4x5's and 8x10's and shoot urban settings from it.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:45 am
I am really new at the photo game, but I really like it, I thought that I only like b&w but I was wrong I like color also, I roll around the parks and shot lots of nature, I am starting to try and shot people, my husband is my best critic, but I am getting better., I have done some beautiful nature photos, I must say. It is a poor frog that does not praise his own pond. I can walk but only in the mornings b/4 fatique sets in, but hey it could be worst. But I am in love with the Hello Kitty Leica now.
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:11 am
I just love that Hello Kitty camera!