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In Reply to: Good luck posted by Ed Sawyer on August 31, 2004 at 12:52:07:
I few years ago I replied to an ad placed by this guy or one of his surrogates- after a few phone calls, I received a list of ~100 vintage components, all with outlandish prices. When I inquired about condition, I was told that the equipment was untested and stored in a climate controled wharehouse. When I made an offer for several pieces, the seller would not budge. Without pictures, descriptions or a transaction record, he will be hardpressed to get his prices.BUT-
If an Ebay price is repeatable, then by default it is the the current market. CMV is more than just a one off price, if the price holds up over time then it is a valid measure of value.
~85% of the common vintage tube pieces are readily available on Ebay at any given point in time. Wait a few months and that figure rises to 95%. There are companies with a business model for reselling Ebay final values going back 2years, to be used as a pricing guides.
For the tube stuff we all look for, Ebay is the most efficient mechanism for both buying and selling. The downside is that the buying pool is world wide. The days of getting lucky at a garage sale, ham fest or flea market are gone.
If you can still find stuff cheap, then you are very lucky indead. I would not count on that luck to continue.
Here is perfect example of what I am talking about. Recently I was at a garage sale and asked if the seller had any records or old stereo equipment. Yes to both questions and I was invited inside to view both the records and the equipment. Nice collection of 50's-60's records, maybe 150 total, with a few jazz titles and RCA SD, Mercury LP and London BB among the selection. Equipment was all Heath tube (W-4/WA-P2/FM-3) and AR2a speakers; good cosmetics. I asked if they were interested in selling. Reply- "My grandson is going to put these on Ebay- He says the stuff is worth alot of money, isn't that great !". A few years ago, ~$50-100 would have changed hands and both sides would have been happy.....
Best,
Ross
Follow Ups:
I agree with your definition of CMW, but I disagree with your comments that eBay somehow represents CMW of anything.Like many of us, I have my favorite items to watch on eBay. I see no pattern at all for values. It is a crap shoot. One day an item, lets say an Amperex Bugle Boy 6DJ8 NOS, original box, etc., etc, brings $5, and the next day a similiar if not identical tube goes for $50!
Just way too many nutcases on eBay, on both sides of the fence. I think for most serious items/collectors, there are other avenues than eBay for doing business. And these other avenues represent a better indication fo the CMW. With tubes, as an example, beyond a certain dollar amount, lets say $10 for 6DJ8 family, I will simply do business with a dealer. Better product, better service, and usually better prices than eBay.
Same for vinyl. I collect Beatles. I see junk commanding huge $$$, will some real gems go for cheap. No dealer would let some of those gems go for that $$$ amount. And again, for serious pieces/$$$, I will stick with reputable dealers.
While some may disagree, when the items are serious, or the buyer is serious, i.e. major $$$$, eBay is rarely the route to go. It is, in general, one huge junk pile; the worlds largest garage sale. Good stuff on eBay? Absolutely. But one must be very careful, very patient, and watch daily to find the true deals.
For the most part."For the tube stuff we all look for, Ebay is the most efficient mechanism for both buying and selling. "
well, not really. I find dealing with individuals off ebay to be largely more effective for both me and them.
"If an Ebay price is repeatable,"
that's the key - they rarely are. Even on esoteric items, the price can vary wildly; the more esoteric (hence uncommon on epay) the more wild the price variations.
"The days of getting lucky at a garage sale, ham fest or flea market are gone. "
Heh. I find there are still many options out there still. Just this spring I got a mint original (old version, cloth tranny leads) Dyna ST35 in perfect shape with orig. tubes for $20. At a hamfest. Plenty of tubes to be had there too, if you know what to look for. Luck isn't found, it's made. it takes work, but the deals are still out there. Not usually on Epay though.
"If you can still find stuff cheap, then you are very lucky indead. I would not count on that luck to continue. "
I never count on it but still, with efforts, great stuff can turn up. It's just a matter of time, effort, and some skills.
-Ed
I live in the "midwest" and regularly hit garage sales and estate sales, and have been religiously for over 10 years - I probably go to 25-30 sales per week on my lunch hours and Saturday mornings. In all those years I've never found a tube amp worth taking home - in fact, you could count the tube items I've run across on two hands. Last week I found a McIntosh C-8 preamp, but that was the first tube piece I'd seen in a couple of years - my luck is much better with solid state - I've actually bought a McIntosh 4300V and a Pioneer SX-1980 both for less than $100 within the last 3 years. I also collect vinyl, and finding vinyl at garage sales has almost totally dried up in the last 2-3 years. If I run across any decent vinyl, it's an accident now. I think you're right that tube stuff fluctuates wildly on ebay, but for solid state, ebay really does establish the true value of equipment pretty consistently. I know it's sick, but chasing this stuff is almost as much fun as listening to it.
.
> > Just this spring I got a mint original (old version, cloth tranny leads) Dyna ST35 in perfect shape with orig. tubes for $20.==dang, that's a better deal than my Ar X-B with a Linn Basik Grace F-9e for $5.
TC
Truer words were never written. The more you try....Rodney
The son puts it all on ebay, with his zero feedback, and gets about $10-20 a record. It takes him nine months to sell just a few, and he accumulates about a dozen negative feedbacks because he does not know how to grade records or mail them. Finally, he sells what is left to a local dealer for $3 a piece. The heath stuff is offered in a single lot and sells for about $200 because, after all, it is a bunch of junk. Long story short, nine months later, the guy makes $400. He should have taken the $150 up front.I think ebay and the surrounding hype can be a let down for some.
Rodney
Agreed. But I think you are overly optimistic on the prices!Record dealers will give you nothing for generic vinyl. The entire haul might get him $5 from most dealers. Unless of course there is really something of value in the pile. Then the offer might be $10!
I was hanging with a friend who owns a record store. An older woman walks in with a 200+ collection. He goes through it and sais "I can only give $200 for the entire collection." She agrees and leaves. He sarts putting some records together from the same collection to send to a Japaneese customer, mostly 1950's jazz. I ask how much will he get. "Oh, about $100-150 a record. Geez....... And I thought only pool players and oil executives robbed and stole like that......Rodney
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