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Anybody else notice that in the last month the prices for R2R tapes on ebay has skyrocketed?? Sems like a lot mmore folks bidding too. Looks like the secret is out.I may have to go to 8 tracks (lol)
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I've noticed the same thing Teresa has for the most part in classical titles. In a way, I don't feel as bad about loosing an auction when I was only willing to pay $20 and it sells for $80 as opposed to loosing by 50 cents. But, if this trend continues, the days of the $10 mint r2r will be just a fond memory. This is nothing compared to the prices that jazz r2r has gone to. I've sat and agonized over bidding $35 on a few and $135 wouldn't have even won it. Some of them have NO info regarding condition and no questions to the seller! I can't imagine how disappointed some of those buyers are when they listen to what their hard earned cash has gotten.
I don't know what auctions you are looking at, but from what I've seen, prices have for the most part remained pretty stable if not actually dropped. I'm of course assuming you are referring to blank versus prerecorded tapes. I very closely watch the former whereas I pretty much ignore the latter as I'm not into prerecorded tapes.From what I can tell, the overall trend lately seems to put quality NOS 10" 1/4" 1.0 mil (the preferred tape for many of us) at about $40-50 a roll. Considering that just a couple years ago, following their production cessation, unused Maxell XLI 35-180B's were often breaching the $75 and even occasional $100 mark, their current prices actually aren't that bad when you considered they retail new for about $30-$35.
Of course new substitute tape is being offered by both RMGI and Quantegy for also in the $30-$35 range, those tapes don't come with leaders or the cool "M" reels that so many of us like. If you want to talk about gouging and perceived rip-offs manifested through supply and demand, there's where you should be focusing your attention: CLEAN vintage reels-such as Maxell "M", Teac, Akai, etc....those reels...JUST THE REELS....often sell for more than a whole tape. Beat up old junkers (complete with half peeled written on labels, KFC chicken grease fingerprints, scratches on the surface of the reel deep enough to catch your fingernail on, and a black hub adaptor ring) can be had for a pittance. It's the clean ones you get stung on.
So all in all, I don't see where things are all that bad right now. There is plenty of tape (both new and NOS) available at generally reasonable prices. If you go for NOS, you get the whole package.
On the other hand, if you want to combine both worlds (fresh tape wound onto clean OLD reels, stored in old style boxes, with leaders), then THERE'S where you will be running into some frightening figures.
Indeed, I have a bunch of unused 10" Scotch "Classic" tapes I'm doing that with: the reels and boxes are pristine. But the tape is probably no good (30 years old and a known SSS offender). So I dump it, take a pancake of Quantegy #407 or #457 3600', splice some red and green leaders on it, and voíla! I get the best of both worlds. Classic '70's flashback and aesthetics combined with some fresh new 2000's tape.
I pretty much stick with new tape, but I was talking about pre-recorded tapes-which I've noticed have a lot more bidders even for the non rock jazz stuff.
Especially RCA Living Stereo, Mercury Living Presence and London ffst. Not to long ago I would loose out to 50 cents beyond the most I am willing to pay. But lately a lot of auctions have been going for three times the amount I am willing to pay.
Exactly, I don't bid on many of those you mentioned, if thats any comfort, but I'm not willing to pay 80 bucks for a Beatles tape or 125.00 for Abbey Road. Even some of easy listening stuff is up to 10-20 bucks a tape on auction.
And price doesn't matter.
Hey, I have noticed that Ebay in general drives prices for vinyl, tape, CD and whatever way the heck up! It also has created a culture of thrift store and garage sale looting, not out of love for the music and collecting, but to flip it for a buck on Ebay. Why don't we stop whining and just stop using "the Bay." Sale your stuff to other audiophiles at realistic prices. Or if you are so inclined trade, or give the stuff away! Ebay may have its place for some items, but it is surely ruining this hobby in many ways. I think its up to us to maybe take an intial loss with a sale or waiting longer for a purchase in order to make things better in the long run.
About 8 years ago,I posted on rec. audio.tubes-to the same effect-namely that supporting ebay is driving up prices of vintage equipment.I suggested "withstanding the temptation" to buy and sell on ebay.
I received such vehement response-a great deal of it from sellers,that I received my first initiation into the unique experience of "making waves" on the net.
My personality is not such that I can weather responses coming from unpleasant people that easily.
So,I learnt a lesson.While I have bought quite a few things on ebay across the years-things that are not to be found in my part of the world-I always prefer to sell things on Audiogon.
Ebay is a fact of life,additionally,I have seen ONE glowing mention of an obscure product by an anonymous person cause prices to double on ebay within days.
Might be a good time to sell out, if I could only wrap my arms around another format
I tend to agree with this opinion that there are a lot of "newbies" out there with deep pockets who are willing to play/pay "catch up" on desirable reel tapes. There are those who discovered late that analogue reel tape sound is better than CD. But there is a new generation coming on with good ears who can also tell the difference, and they are snapping up a lot of the old RCAs, Mercuries, Everests, etc. (2- and 4-track) that have become part of yard and estate sales.But I don't agree with the opinion that ebay is driving up the prices of reels in general. If people are ticked off about ebay prices, then they should look in the classified ads of audio hardware and software magazines for sellers of recordings who offer reel tapes in mail-order catalogues, auction-style or fixed-price. You either pay the fixed price first-come-first-served or bid at or above the minimum bid price in an auction by a given date. I think these catalogue dealers are the ones to look to as far as what a fair market price for a reel tape is. Most of them are reliable and have been in business for years, otherwise, bad marketing practices would have put them out of business a long time ago. In ebay, sometimes, you get a defective tape (caveat emptor).
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