Actually, people do. The Linn has its own signature sound, so if Linnies love it, who are we to judge?
It isn't at all my cup of tea, but if it allows the end user to experience music to his satisfaction, I'm all for it.
I think a Lyra Olympos is worth its asking price, but a Linnie might think that is insane. We're involved in a pretty mixed up hobby, guys.
You should consider that the new Linn is a completely different turntable - only the appearance is similar. BTW, you should look at the price of the Oracle turntable when it was introduced and now (usd 1095 and now usd 8500). IMHO , a similar trend.
I was just thinking that I see LP-12s for sale all the time on Audiogon for anywhere from $1200 to $3500. I have never seen a used LP-12 going for over $12K. I guess you have to be an expert on Linn to keep up with all the zillions of changes they have had over the years: lingo, pingdo, dingdo, trampoline, hog's head, and real fire in order to determine that a used LP-12 is worth over $12K That's a lot of cash for a glorified AR table (except the AR was easier to setup and it kept "in tune" whereas the Linn requires a mystical magician to keeps the springs bouncy-bouncy).
This guy is asking $1400 for what appears to be an LP-12 in beautiful condition. Now I realize that it doesn't contain the latest and greatest Linn mods, but how much better can you make an LP-12 sound? It is what it is. Edgar Villchur from AR wouldn't be impressed is my guess.