Help needed to determine value of large collection vintage gear

[uenjoymyself]

Thank you all for the replies and suggestions .I'd really like to quote everyone and reply to all of the advice but I'm just too tired! Couldn't sleep last night in anticipation of the possible deal.

I really became leery of it all as it seemed to good to be true but decided to take the drive to the sellers home hoping to at least come home with the Sansui 990. I really thought that I was going to see a pile of knackered gear in a hording scenario.

Unbelievable! I arrived and could not believe my eyes! This guys garage looked like an audio museum. everything was meticulously organized labeled and some of the pieces were hooked up and working. Each piece appears to have owners manuals and original documents (haven't gone through the box of documents yet) and some of the pieces were carefully boxed. Every thing looks to be in very good cosmetic condition.

Due to desire of the seller for a fast sale without testing each unit and due to the asking price, condition and obvious Iove the previous owner had for this gear I purchased the lot un tested.

Here's what I have so far, second load coming tomorrow.
Craftsman 800 tuner amp
Lafayette LR 240
Craftsman C-400 amp
Dynaco stereo 80 amp
Dynaco stereo 80 amp
Dyna FM tuner
Heath kit tuner amp AN 2016 - 11/11/76 Factory cert.
Pioneer SA 8800
Nikko STA 8010
Marantz 1060 amp Champagne face
Marantz 110 tuner Champagne face
Marantz 2220 B
Marantz 2230
Marantz SR 4000
Kenwood 4 channel decoder KSQ-400
Electro voice Model A-15-CL circlotron amp
Electro voice Model 3303 AM FM tuner
Electro voice PC2 pre amp control center
Electro voice Model A-18 Circlotron amp
Tanburg TR- 2060
Dyna kit stereo 70 with cage
Sansui 990
Wintec 777
Seargent Rayment SR stereo reproducer
Pioneer spec 1 pre amp rack mount with handles
The Fisher X-101-C stereo amp
The Fisher master audio control 90-C
The Fisher master audio control 90-C
The fisher Master audio control 80-C
The Fisher model 90-T tuner and/or amp?
The Fisher series 90 gold cascode tuner
The Fisher Series 80 tuner and/or amp?
The Fisher 400
The Fisher 80-A2 amp
The Fisher multiplex adapter MPX 100
The Fisher Model FM 200-B
The Fisher stereo master control X-202-B
Realistic STA 90
Pioneer SX 737
Pioneer SX 737
Pioneer Sx 838
Pioneer TX 9800

I'm exhausted but I know you guys want pics. I didn't think to photograph until I was about half way done unloading into a storage unit but here's a few highlights.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! It really helped me to go ahead with a buy I may have passed up otherwise.

Went for the 990 and came home with a lot more. Please excuse the dishes in the sink! The 990 sounds great!

 

[SoCal Sam]

Wow, that is a herd. You will be literally swimming in gear for awhile. It will be a race to the break even point and then it is gravy after that. Congrats.

 

[Dswankey]

I can't stress enough to have any and all of the tube gear looked at by a knowledgeable technician as opposed to just plugging into an outlet to see if they power on.

Congrats!!! on the haul and I look forward to updates and more pics.

 

[EastPoint]

I can't stress enough to have any and all of the tube gear looked at by a knowledgeable technician as opposed to just plugging into an outlet to see if they power on.

Congrats!!! on the haul and I look forward to updates and more pics.

If you have some idea of what you're doing, all you need is a Variac and a Dim-Bulb Tester. A surprising amount of 1950s and 1960s tube equipment works fine after you bring it up. Obviously it's a good idea to get it looked at before regular use.

Frankly, I would use a Dim-Bulb Tester on all that equipment, just to make sure it doesn't start smoking. You never know what's going to happen.

 

[soundmotor]

Received a call from a local gentleman wanting to sell a large collection of vintage gear.

What did you end up dropping on the collection (if you don't mind sharing)?

When you go back for the second load, be sure to ask for any spare tubes, transformers, manuals, accessories, whatever. As when someone gets out of a car project, when it goes, everything that went along with it goes. Usually at no extra cost.

Great haul too, there is some neat stuff in there. Have not seen a pile like that in some time.

 

[ymarko]

You did very well getting the package deal.
This is a one in a lifetime opportunity. Ask me how do I know.
Congrats.

 

[ymarko]

At first, you'll feel overwhelmed, but in few days everything settles and you enjoy the whole process.

Dim Bulb tester is a must. Don't plug anything without it. If tubes, Variac needed too.

Normally, when they sell bunch of gear it's mostly non-collectible junk, and good stuff is already gone.

This is very rare that a true collector decided to sell his stuff as a package.

Individually, with testing of each piece, he supposed to get much-much more.

Congrats again.

 

[noogies]

When you go back for the second load, be sure to ask for any spare tubes, transformers, manuals, accessories, whatever. As when someone gets out of a car project, when it goes, everything that went along with it goes. Usually at no extra cost.

X 2. As with old cars, that stuff plus any other documentation or history can be very important. Well done, and best of luck with your new acquisitions!

 

[BilboBaggins]

Congratulations on a great purchase! It looks like you are going to become a tube expert!

Have fun and enjoy the process. They are gorgeous!

 

[Audio Fan]

Wow, congrats on a nice haul. You are suddenly in the deep end of having a proud collection. As suggested, take it slow and we look forward to your sharing over time.

 

[gogofast]

Time for dancing bananas!!!

 

[RossW]

That is an awesome haul!

As someone who has spent the last couple years working through a pile of 36 turntables let me give you some advice. First take a deep breath, then divide everything into three piles:
High demand and/or high value (Dynaco Stereo 70 and the like)
Lower value but still worth the time to deal with (generally tuners will be in this category)
Everything else (doesn't look like you'll have much in this category)

Pick a couple units as keepers, no more than a couple or you'll end up keeping all of it! Start easy, pick items that are complete and test them, this may move items into different categories (a lower value item with a missing power transformer is probably not worth your time). Anything that works and you don't intend to keep you can clean and flip pretty quick. When I bought my turntable lot I made my money back in the first couple weeks just selling pieces that were valuable and needed cleaning. Know the e-bay price but also know that CL is a fickle mistress and be prepared to take a lot less for a quick sale.

Once the easy stuff is gone you can move into the stuff that failed the initial test and see what it might need as far as repair. Start fixing, testing, cleaning, and selling that. Once you get down to the bottom of the barrel, try small lots. I had 6 turntables listed individually for $20 with no bites so I listed them all for $100 and had them gone in a couple days.

Good luck!

 

[hammr7]

Bilbo - I'm guessing it cost you more than you claim, but that a good part of the price was sweat equity. Not something any audio-holic minds, but work nonetheless to sell everything you didn't want to get what you wanted cheap!

 

[highping]

Congrats man, wow, to get all that gear in one shot is awesome! Thanks for sharing your story, and pics.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Bilbo - I'm guessing it cost you more than you claim, but that a good part of the price was sweat equity. Not something any audio-holic minds, but work nonetheless to sell everything you didn't want to get what you wanted cheap!

Actually, I was lucky because the seller inherited three complete systems from his uncle. I paid what I consider a fair price for equipment that I couldn't audition (due to the way he sold them in small lots) with the amps being sold later on when he had no speakers. The first lot I bought was the three preamps, a C24, a C26, and a C32. I sold the C32 and made enough to cover my costs on the three. Then he offered me the MC2205 and his MC2505, but I could only afford the MC2205 and the MC2505 had a cracked faceplate and one non working channel. I offered to look at that for him for free and got the 2nd channel working, so when he offered me the last lot with the MR74 in it at a very reasonable price, I went for it. I get first dibs on the 2505 if he ever decides to sell it. And I sold the MQ101 for the same prices as I paid for the lot.

Mind you, his uncle was a heavy smoker in his younger days, so they looked bad, but they cleaned up really well and deoxit fixed most of the others.

He is a very private person, and because I treated with him honestly, and with respect, I think he preferred to deal with a known, and clearly passionate audio enthusiast. I just wish I had had more money on that first lot. There was some other nice stuff in there, but the risk was higher. As it was, I spent half again, my full outlay after sales for miscellaneous repairs and tuning.

 

[BilboBaggins]

To the OP, just go about it in a thoughtful and realistic manner. Good advice about splitting it into groups like that. It makes it easier to decide on priorities. Remember to save fixing or modding the gear you are keeping until you have returned your investment and more for fixing the stars among the ones that need some work. Start looking for low hanging fruit. The things you will put the least money in for maximum return. You have a lot of work to do, but by taking a systematic and financially logical approach, you will get there. And the reward is you get to keep some really special gear that is still going up in value! And have fun doing it! That is what makes this hobby so great. It can be a great deal of fun, with the right approach. I've never met so many similarly minded people as I have met since I got into this hobby.

And the selling side of it is always interesting.

 

[tyella]

Wow! That's a haul most of us can only dream of!

 

[mech986]

Congrats!! The Dynaco ST80's aren't considered much in the way of keepers but might be useful to someone. There was a bunch of Dyanco "receivers" listed in your first list, probably were all tuners, but you need to differentiate whether they are the tube tuners (FM1, FM3 with small window and mostly metal face), or the transistor tuners (FM5/AF6 which had wide tuning glass with movable tuner indicator, also much lighter). Dynaco never offered a true receiver. Would really like to see the Tandberg receiver, that is a nice unit.

 

[mech986]

The EV Circlotron is also a rare unit.