Pentax Club Soft Case

I picked up another camera kit this week (LX+Winder+Grip+Strap+Screens, M35-70/2.8-3.5, A70-210/4, M28/2.8, M50/1.4, M85/2, M100/4 Macro plus original hoods, cases and other bits). Amongst it all was something I've never seen before and Google isn't helping for once - so has anyone here ever come across one of these?

[IMG]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/hefty1969/case05.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/hefty1969/case04.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/hefty1969/case02.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/hefty1969/case01.jpg[/IMG]

It's a black leather soft case and was holding the A70-210 (just barely). It's thicker - better padded - than most I've seen before but the bit that intrigued me was the "Pentax Club" embossed on the outside.

[IMG]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd37/hefty1969/case03.jpg[/IMG]

Anybody seen one of these before or know anything about them? Most of the kit is going straight on eBay next week but I may offer this case here on the forum if there are any collectors looking for one...

Nobody knows?

OK, let's make the question simpler: What is Pentax Club? Does it still exist? Where can I find out more?

Unless of course the first rule of Pentax Club is to not speak of Pentax Club...

No idea. I would love to know too. Always enjoy a good mystery .

I think you've probably hit the nail on the head!

Hefty, I don;t know if this is any use, but on the following website:

link

I found the following paragraph:

AOC and Pentax Literature

Very little information has been formally distributed by AOC on their history and the development of the early models. In general, the literature distributed by AOC fell into two groups; AOC equipment literature, and Pentax Club Magazines. AOC instruction manuals and brochures are good sources for listings of equipment, photographs, and technical data. In addition, The corporate sponsored magazine (Pentax Life in the United States) was published as part of an owners club program and in 1989 and 1990 contained a historical account of the development of AOC and the various camera models. The Pentax Life publication was discontinued in 1992.

There is also another section on clubs, but it doesn't specifically mention "Pentax Club".

I'm a member of a Golf GTI forum which has sourced car mats embossed with the forum's logo, which are available for all members to buy. It could be that this pouch is an example of that, a third party pouch embossed in small run numbers for an unofficial club.

Found this site, although the logo isn't the same as the pouch:

link

It would appear they have club merchandise:

link

I wonder if there is any scope for Pentax User kit?

Heh

Check out http://www.mail-archive.com/pdml@pdml.net">target="blank">http://www.mail-archive.com/pdml@pdml.net/msg82108.html

Pentax Club => Pentax User

Nice detective work Robbie - you got further than I did!

So this was probably available from the magazine back in the day - any older subscribers who remember them being offered?

I get bored at work sometimes!

As many of you know, but some newer members may not, Pentax Club was the previous name of Pentax User, from before the days when Pete and the team took it over.

I was a member at one point and remember going to one well attended meeting in Glasgow chaired by Ron Spillman. There was a slide competition and quite a number of branded prizes although I cant remember what any of them were, ties and mugs perhaps?

And soft cases by the look of it...

I use my Pentax Club mug every day for my coffee. It is now joined by a much newer Pentax Sport optics mug in stylish green.

And does the logo on your mug match the one on my case? Just trying to establish if this *was* from the same Pentax Club.