Hi seedyunderbelly,
Thanks for your insights.
The mic I buy will most likely be used occasionally. That said, my experience with "vintage" mics is varied, from wonderful ones, to terrible ones.
The reason I am posting is that I do have the money to invest in a few quality "vintage" microphones, and being as they do hold their value, it is slightly more attractive to me than a new reproduction. I won't end up throwing money at a microphone that will never get back to it's original value.
As Mr. Heyne pointed out, overall it is better to get the real thing, as most reproductions out there are still not close enough. He confirms this for me.
I was looking at an ELAM 251E, but I think the mic may not be authentic, as the seller is not allowing a third party expert to look at it. there are excuses also as to references to the buyer's credibility, and so I might not get this mic. I am not in a rush, nor "needing" to buy one soon, and I will not consider buying any mic without a certificate from a trusted expert, nor escrow.
I am just starting to look around. My ideal purchases will include an ELAM 251E , a Neumann or Telefunken U47, and perhaps one other microphone like an AKG C12.
The classics. The main reason for these is that I love their sound, having used various examples over the years, and also they do hold their value, so I look at it as both an investment, AND something that I can use and enjoy with my clients.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be poking and prodding, looking for some of these mics, and hopefully, I'll end up with some good examples that I am happy with.
Maybe this recession will be good for me, in that some people will be forced to sell off one or two from their collections. We'll see.
Cheers,
Nick