Do you collect Old Vintage Gears to Make Money???

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megasat16

Well-Known Member
Ok! I've been asked this silly question today and got me thinking. Should one collect the Rare / Ultra Rare High End Vintages and flip them for a better profit in the future?

Personally, I never thought of collecting gears for the sake of flipping for more money. It's a hobby that got me into collecting some gears. But the old vintages could be a boom or a bust since these are mainly electronics and requires maintenance such as turning it on every few days and use it. But if you have like pile of these vintages, it would be impossible for one to go through this kind of ordeal on a daily or weekly basics.

So, you Vintage lovers out there, do you collect unobtainable / ultra rare vintage gears to flip for more money? Should you or should you not collect these pieces as an investment? I understand these Vintage gears come with quite a hefty price tag already and if it busted, it may not be repairable or takes months to years to get it repaired? I was asked that silly question when I talked to someone and he obviously is a flipper / investor kind of person.

Personally, I collect some rare pieces for the enjoyment and not about money. When I sell my Vintage or audio gears, it's almost at a small loss or just barely getting what I paid for it. But some people seem to think Ultra Rare + Vintage is a good opportunity to make as an investment and flip for more money.
 
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Maybe another way to look at it is a lot of the long time members are good at finding stuff that can be re-sold for profit. Then this audio money can go into something really nice. That is how I built up my collection.
 
Unless your collection is going to maintain or increase its value, you're throwing good money away.

Collections should be an investment.
 
Well, the problem with that is that unlike baseball cards or coins, stereo equipment actually has a *use*, that is, you can listen to it.
 
As an investment, will the price be doubled from what I paid in a couple of years keeping it? Otherwise, there are better things to invest in such as an old superman or batman comic book that was sold for over 1 mil. :yes:

I understand you got lucky or Karma pays off and found an excellent deal and flip for some coins. But as a long term investment over a few years, does it worth investing in pile of Vintage Gears?
 
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I "test drive" different gear by buying, fixing and listening. I keep the ones I really like and sell the rest. I have two or three pieces I'm keeping for now, not much else. Not enough room to keep everything, especially with all the tubes I'm hoarding.
 
I am hoarding it all so after we've sold all our vintage audio to the Asian market I can pull mine out and sell it to the American people who can't find it any more :D

It is an investment I have some pieces I will never sell, and other I flip now to pay the bills and find more. But as a collector I will always have a hoard some where in a closet under the bed or trunk of the car :D
 
EastPoint said:
Well, the problem with that is that unlike baseball cards or coins, stereo equipment actually has a *use*, that is, you can listen to it.
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Agreed. I'd trade my closet full of cards for a closet full of nice gear without a second thought. Any takers?
 
Most of my higher end pieces are an investment and also to be enjoyed. I feel the demand for high-end gear will get higher as time goes by. Especially with restored equipment.
 
This question was asked in 3 different forms to day so I'm putting my answer in all of them.:yes:

To me collecting vintage gear to make money is part of the fun. I enjoy all the pieces I own yet one day I may want to sell a few to finance other endeavors. I've been a salesman since I was in the 1st grade. Back then it was baseball cards and card protectors. If I had extras I brought them to school and sold them for a profit. After that it became comics and yard sales.

Now I love the hobby of audio and music in general. :music:

BUT........

I work in a car stereo shop and I am in the business of buying low and selling high. :D With my home audio I love to enjoy a piece of gear and then decide to either fix it and keep it or just sell it. Case in point my Marantz 2385, I love this piece but if I have it restored I will probably make less in the long run.:tears: Also if I do have it restored I will probably never WANT to get rid of it. :thmbsp:

In the end I hope that all the pieces I buy are gonna be worth more then what I put into them. If I keep it I don't care about the value but everything has a price in my line of work (and enjoyment).

To each his own. Happy hunting and enjoying to all. :yippy:

I really do enjoy this hobby and making money is not my intention when i purchase any gear. That being said I have given quite a few pieces to friends and family for the sake of their enjoyment and hopefully enlightenment into such a great past time.:D
 
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I have an agreement with my wife, "If something new comes in the door, something goes out." I have been able to amass a nice stereo with nice vintage equipment, and mod and sell equipment to support my audio addiction!
 
motorstereo said:
I consider it a hobby and not a way to make money. I use my regular job to put gear in the rack.
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+1. I collect because it's a hobby. Do I sell some gear now and again, yes. Some for profit, some for what I paid for it. I just like collecting gear, especially speakers.
 
I heard somewhere, that to realize a small fortune in vintage audio you'll need to begin with a big fortune. :)
 
Don't know where I stand on this.
Gear just keeps coming in, and never leaves.
If I pop early they'll really wonder what was going on here, but the diversity of listening to whatever one wants with only some easy rewiring is GREAT.
 
cooljjay said:
Yes speakers are addictive!! I think they collect you rather then you collect them..speakers are evil :D
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No doubt. I'm sitting here in the man-cave, and can count seven pairs of speakers and three subs. There are at least four more pairs in the house, where SWMBO keeps things in control....

I've had some pretty decent scores in the past year, including a $10 SAE 2200 amp just the other day, but it's always the speakers that get the pulse racing, second only to scoring a truly great Jazz LP. :scratch2:
 
SoCal Sam said:
Maybe another way to look at it is a lot of the long time members are good at finding stuff that can be re-sold for profit. Then this audio money can go into something really nice. That is how I built up my collection.
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exactly.

A good deal of the stuff I've bought in the past was with the intention of keeping it, right up until I got something better.

That said though I buy plenty of stuff for the sole purpose of raising my cashflow so I can get other equipment that I'd rather have.

as far as saving something to sell later when i think i can get more, no. I dont do that. if something I have isnt for sale its only because im not done with it yet.
 
I have been buying stuff that I like. I don't have any "ultra HiFi" or hi end or whatever piece of equipment, except for some vintage stuff.

I have found that the prices for these things does go up, even though we plough through a worldwide crisis and recession.

I find that already in 1-2 years from starting most of the equipment I bought can be sold for either a bit more than what I paid for or 2-3 times more.

Would I sell them? I'd rather not. I'd hate to part with most of the kit I have bought although I did buy some DAT decks to repair and resell - just never came around doing it. Perhaps that is an indication of my priorities.
 
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