As lawyers love to say, 'that depends'.
My Blad has been very used by the previous owner(s) - but that's its charm. It was bought for its capabilities, rather than condition. But my Werra 1 (about £20) was pristine and it had to be - I think it's a beauty and I wanted it mint. Same with my Petri Racer (also about £20). I wanted one with RACER on the front and clean, so I waited for it. At those sort of price levels, it's only a few pound more for a mint example, so that's what I go for.
Having said that, if I ever went for a Leica M, I may well go for a brassed one. But that choice is also aesthetic - those in the know will nod and drool. My mother would just think it 'tatty' and my father would say it needed 'a lick of paint'. But part of the pleasure of ownership is being in the know.
I recently went to Avebury (as I couldn't make the official FW weekend) and took the Blad. I got endless admiring glances and a few comments, or rather, the camera did. But I bought it 'lightly rallied' for about £500 with 2 backs and 2 lenses - far less than many of the DSLRs that were walking around. But it was the very used Blad that got the attention. So sometimes, it's the aesthetics of the machine, rather than the condition of it, which people like. Or make them run for cover, as when The Beast (aka Omega Rapid) is taken into crowded places.
