Heck yeah! My almost NOS Wicked Lite has some pretty nice chips and gouges in the paint. Gives it character.
Though I do have a hard time taking it out in bad conditions.
I would like to have something to ride hard and something to have as history, though. If I can ever find a Fat Big One or Yo Eddy rigid fork, the Wicked Lite will become a roadie and something else will fill the void for trail riding.
We're all interested in the same things here, but there is a sub-culture of very serious collectors and enthusiasts who take the old school MTB thing very seriously. Some of the parts that turn up in swap meets and clearance boxes in bike shops are like finding diamonds to some of us. I know I have a strange attraction to Ringle bits and 3D violet anodizing, myself.