Nikon FA Grand Prix 1984 Gold Edition?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,

Just cruising the web on film cameras, and noticed the Nikon Made two gold edition cameras. The Grand Prix 1984 even had lizard skin on it. Has anyone seen one of these up close? What are these cameras worth today?

ToddB

 

[Nick Merritt]

There is a Nikon coffee table book, published in Italy originally but available in English (I forget the name), but it has an example of this camera on the cover. That's as close as I've gotten -- way over the top I think. Value -- no idea.

 

[ToddB]

I think there probably ment for people that don't know what to do with thier money.

Todd

 

[elekm]

I wonder why Nikon would waste its time making a special edition of a pedestrian camera. Not to say that the FA is a crappy camera.

 

[Oren Grad]

Has anyone seen one of these up close?

Yes, along with a gold Pentax LX...

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/pentaxlx/Pentax_LX_Gold/index1.htm

...and a gold Leica R-something - probably an R3 or R4, I don't recall exactly. All of them were in the window of a camera store in Tsim Sha Tsui when I visited Hong Kong back in 1989. They look as odd in the flesh as they do in pictures.

 

[nwilkins]

so ugly!

 

[benveniste]

I've seen a couple in person and even handled one briefly. Decidedly not my thing, but depending on condition I've seen them trade as high as $4500. A slightly used body only (no case or lens) just sold on eBay for $820 after going begging at a couple of higher listed prices. I'll keep using the FA I bought new in the late 1980's, thanks.

On the other hand, I've tempted several times to buy a Nikon FM2 half frame.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Lots of companies seemed to love making these gold cameras. The Mir site linked above has a bunch. I think they look pretty awesome when done right, but I would never use one. For a little bit of time on ebay there was a whole slew to the fuji 690 rangefinders in gold paint and red lizard, touted as special edition, very poorly done and gaudy. There was one of these used ones popped up and the paint was just falling off to expose the original black.

 

[gone]

Yes, but you can get one of these gold babies for just 37 bucks. You just have to know how to price shop your gold cameras.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-FED-3-...797?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item1c3a7e9a15


Or even better, there's this little seen Russian Leica camera. And, the case trims with a pith tree! How ya gonna beat that? It is, indeed, "a stylish acquisition for collectors". I wish I could write ad copy like that. The picture of the smiling Nazi is a nice touch too. He looks strangely like my neighbor.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RUS...210324389?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item2334d671a5

 

[dorff]

I wonder why Nikon would waste its time making a special edition of a pedestrian camera. Not to say that the FA is a crappy camera.

So what are you saying, exactly?

Why would Nikon? I think that is fairly self-evident, in the context of the time when they were produced. It is/was Japanese culture, and these cameras sold for enough to make Nikon a bit of money in the process. Collectors are strange people indeed. You should rather ask why do people buy these special editions only to put them in display cabinets?

 

[MartinCrabtree]

They are for people who don't use cameras. Perhaps as gifts for retiring execs.

 

[benjiboy]

They to me are in the worst possible taste, and don't appeal to me in the slightest, given the choice even as a gift I would rather have the ordinary production one, because when I look at them they are like looking at a tarted up child prostitute.

 

[chip j]

There is a Nikon coffee table book, published in Italy originally but available in English (I forget the name), but it has an example of this camera on the cover. That's as close as I've gotten -- way over the top I think. Value -- no idea.

The book is "Nikon:A Celebration", the best Nikon book I ever read.

 

[benjiboy]

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/credits/fagold/index2.htm, I wouldn't want to be seen with one, it's the sort of thing that pimps and drug dealers would buy.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/credits/fagold/index2.htm, I wouldn't want to be seen with one, it's the sort of thing that pimps and drug dealers would buy.

And of those two groups, only the ones with exceptionally poor taste.

 

[benjiboy]

And of those two groups, only the ones with exceptionally poor taste.

Right on brother

 

[E. von Hoegh]

There are some people, you could gold plate a turd and they'd buy it.

 

[benjiboy]

There are some people, you could gold plate a turd and they'd buy it.

 

[chip j]

There are some people, you could gold plate a turd and they'd buy it.

One French "Artist" some yrs ago packed his poop in cans and sold it as Art containing his "essence". No Joke.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

One French "Artist" some yrs ago packed his poop in cans and sold it as Art containing his "essence". No Joke.

It gets even better, if this is they same guy - http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/artblog/2007/jun/12/shitmanzonisworkdoesntdow

 

[benjiboy]

What a thing to spend £ 81,000 of the taxpayers money on some Italian's shit when there's plenty of people in the U.K including me who would do them a much better deal, and at their own convenience

 

[E. von Hoegh]

What a thing to spend £ 81,000 of the taxpayers money on some Italian's @#!*% when there's plenty of people in the U.K including me who would do them a much better deal, and at their own convenience

I'd be willing to deliver personally, at my own expense. For that price I'd even vary my diet (within limits) to suit the buyer's personal aesthetic.