It’s funny, because as a potential buyer, I find it maddening trying to make sense of all the little differences they make on models through the years. This is mostly on the second-hand market. Some features like the crown bridge are listed as “rare”, pushing up the asking price—in my mind—for no good reason. Just because a feature was discontinued or changed doesn’t necessarily make a product “limited” or “rare. In my mind, it makes them obsolete or retro, and other than the nostalgia factor, I just don’t see any added value there. Again, it is just a headache for me as a potential buyer.
In the end, I haven’t (and likely won’t at this rate) felt a need to own a KoAloha. My one dabble with the brand was a new Opio concert, and I asked to return it within 24 hours of my unboxing. I realize Opio isn’t a “true Hawaiian built” KoAloha, but I wasn’t impressed, and don’t feel the need to try one of the >$1K models.
A Kamaka is much more likely to end up in my collection than a KoAloha, largely because their variants are pretty standardized. Maybe in 80-ish years, the KoAloha look will finally have been established and I’ll feel confident enough to buy one.
Definitely just my very limited opinion! I’m sure someone out there can explain why they might think the crown bridge or whatnot is worth something in the uke’s value, but I can’t for the life of me figure it out or bring myself to care.