Relict of the enduring film era

Here's a quirky one!

No doubt there are many APUG members around the globe who own a piece of equipment, maybe many pieces, that bear those ubiquitous JCII or JCMD PASSED oval gold stickers.
The history of the why and wherefore of equipment bearing these enigmatic little stickers is interesting enough, together with occasionally very amusing discourse on various websites.

My sister recalls that many years ago when I came home with a new camera she watched as there was a hurried job in "scraping off those little stickers ... with the urgency of a termite mound that had just been kicked!". Over the ensuing decades, I've had many cameras over all the marques and would have seen these stickers on everything from an OM 1N to a Nikon F3HP to a Canon T90, and several OM lenses — though none at all from around 1993. My recently acquired mint (unused) Olympus XA bears two JCII / JCMD PASSED stickers. I have been researching the meaning of these stickers as they have been noticed on many traded pieces of equipment. We do not see them on digital cameras. More interestingly, many camera dealers on eBay (including the dealer where I bought the XA in USA) believe that cameras/lenses/flashes etc. bearing these (original, "not faked") stickers have enhanced value as collectors' items, if the equipment itself is in excellent to mint condition. The one negative reference to teh PASSED stickers is that the adhesive is quite reactive and will leave an oval mark upon removal that is noticeably out of whack with the rest of the equipment finish. Reason enough to leave them in place? For now, I am happy to leave the "gold standards" in place.

What is the view of others here with equipment bearing JCII PASSED stickers? Do you see them as a sort of "hallmark" of value? Or no meaning at all other than to despoliate an attractive finish — something be ripped off, never to be seen again?


• "Olly" with those stickers...

Dead Link Removed

I usually just leave them and let them be. It's also an indicator of wear when you get equipment, you can see how faded they are, though not a good one.

One relict that's interesting is popping out dated batteries from bodies such as mercury batteries or ones that are not common nowadays.

I leave the stickers in place if they are in reasonable nick, but if they are worn or peeling then off they must come leaving, as you say, a trace oval that is impossible to lose completely.

To expand the thread slightly if I may, does anyone else recall the rather siliar 'Triple Tested' stickers more usually found on binoculars?

Steve

To me, it's like the consumer video cameras with their tacky but colorful stickers still on. The tiny gold stickers weren't tacky though.

I think they're ugly so I always remove them. I'm sure the camera's designer didn't want them on it.


Steve.

I'm always surprised by people using a digicam still covered with manufacturer's stickers... the stickers are meant for marketing, so you can see what the camera's features are when the camera is on the store shelf. It's not as if the functions will go away if the stickers are removed...

I think it's funny when people keep the protective film on displays. Even worse are the people who buy a new car and drive around in it with plastic covers over the seats. Someone once told me they were doing it to keep the seats nice. Yes, for the next owner!


Steve.

Back in the 70's and 80's, leaving the sticker on was a way to say "I just got this new piece of gear!!". I never had a new piece of gear with the stickers until the late 70's, I removed the sticker (and stuck it in the instruction manual, where it still is) before I put film in.

I miss the little oval thingys, though.

To me, seeing one on a camera was a sign that the owner was an amateur, and heaven forbid I be mistaken to be one of those. I always took mine off right away.

Peter Gomena

I recently got a few Japanese 35mm cameras and lenses with the stickers. Back in the day I used only German equipment, so no sticker. Also, I currently have about 15 Japanese large format lenses and none of them has the sticker.

ic-racer said:

I recently got a few Japanese 35mm cameras and lenses with the stickers. Back in the day I used only German equipment, so no sticker. Also, I currently have about 15 Japanese large format lenses and none of them has the sticker.

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Yeah, you want to piss off a Leicaphool put one of those stickers on a Leica!

I leave them on if they're not about to fall off, though when they're on the focusing ring of a lens (often) it's annoying. Call me an amateur -- I am! If they're long gone and the residue is there, I'll use naphtha to try and remove it. Interesting question as to whether collectors regard their presence as a sign of a well-cared-for piece of equipment.