What may be too lowly for this discussion is your dismissal of the efforts of those who strive for excellence in different ways than you do.
Your sincerity as a professional is not questionend-you often share interesting tricks and tips for microphone modifications.
But there are quite a few professionals who deem the sound characteristics of an original ELA M251 inimitable. I see no need to dismiss those who do not wish to go your route towards achieving a certain kind of sound as having an anal disease.
I tend to cut to the chase, as they say. I could have used other terms like 'compulsive', 'determined', 'driven' or as we say in So. Cal, 'anal'. The lack of humor here is duly noted.
Anyone at this time, in this industry that believes buying a $20,000 mic with make a $20,000 difference is deluding themselves. It only makes that kind of difference for the purchaser, maybe the seller. As long as the tools do their jobs, no one with any sense of the current reality won't be overly bothered nor concerned about rare $20,000 microphones produced 40+ years ago using special manufacturing techniques that have been lost and and not duplicable (not that I believe that for a second). An old mic is not a Stradivarius violin.
Of course, ther are always exceptions, like a rapper willing to pay $20,000 to yell into a classic German microphone on that music video (when they probably used an AT mic in the studio).
I don't dismiss anyone for spending their personal fortunes on old microphones. Each to his own. I do dismiss the belief that it will make a $20,000 difference on their next MP3 release. The public really don't care. If they do, put a pic of that old mic on the next CD and get back to us on how many units it sold for you.