On Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 12:27:44 PM UTC-4, RichA wrote:
On Friday, 25 March 2016 01:06:44 UTC-4, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Thu, 24 Mar 2016 21:55:42 -0700 (PDT), RichA
wrote:

I can tell when someone has modified a 1970's Japanese-style focuser.
Why pay so much for a piece of crap like that when you can buy a REAL antique refractor of considerably size?

Because the intent isn't to recreate an antique. It's a fantasy
design, created to appeal to a specific market (which is neither
telescope collectors, scientific instrument collectors, nor amateur
astronomers).

It's like fantasy knives and swords. For the most part they look like
overdone crap. I'd rather collect some rusting medieval blade that was
actually old.

I am reminded by all of this of an Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode called "The Jar."


The item is different things to different people.